The Sun THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1914 THE FRUIT PROBLEM.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 18, 26 February 1914, Page 6

The Sun THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1914 THE FRUIT PROBLEM.

Last session the Prime Minister, as Minister of Agriculture, asked and received from Parliament a sum of £25/000, to beruSeYl for the purpose of granting loans to fruit-growers' associations that desired to make provision for cold storage. • This was an earnest of the Government's desire.;to :do something for those men who:had put,their faith in the fruit-growing industry; and their money into orchard lands. , But there are other aspects of this question to be considered. That there has been an increase in the acerage under fruit is undeniable. In this direction the prospects, of the Nelson hinterlands are favourable, and we have been told by a Minister that under irrigation some of the hungry lands of Central Otago may, by irrigation, be. made- to support revenue-producing '• orchards; 5 ■ Great strides have been inade in the fruit districts round about Auckland, s,nd, as the Prime Minister said at Hastings yesterday, people, in different parts of New Zealand are" beginning to realise that the Dominion possesses a suitable soil and suitable clfmate for the cultivation of a variety. . of, fruits.. . Still, despite the extension of.: the industry, and the prospects of an insatiable market (particularly for apples) in. South America, the industry cannot yet be said to be soundly apd ..economically established. Great talk has been made of cheap or, say, cheaper fruit, for local consumption, but we have yet to see that most desirable consummation. The one great embarrassment to this ar.d to the expansion of the export trads is the labour question. For that matter, this same labour problem is the drag on other wheels of industrial progress. But, under existing conditions, the fruit-growers as a body find it quite impossible to make a reasonable profit on their operations, and at the same time provide the public with cheaper fruit. It is only a matter of a few months since a very large canning factory in Hawke's Bay, failing to overcome the difficulty of a constant supply of labour, was forced to close its doors. For a like reason, many farmers in Canterbury have had to discontinue agricultural for pastoral enterprises. Acquaintance with any of the leading cities will satisfy the observer that hundreds of men would be available for developmental work in the country if they could only be got out of the streets. But for obvious reasons, these fellows decline to face hard work away from the blandishments of the cities. "With the establishment of regular markets in South America, there are certainly bright prospects ahead for apple culture. The Government has done well to hearten up growers in the way it has done, and orcliardists in all, parts may be expected to-take advantage of the assistance proffered, but, while the installation of cool storage depots will not entirely solve the

problem, of , thefuture, it will stimulate orehardists ; to knew that, in this way, the Government expresses the opinion that the industry is worthy of being, fostered.

It is not?at all likely that either Australia or New Zealand would, sit by and see the New Hebrides ceded to France Without'pronounced protest. Nor is it to be expected that the Imperial authorities, would take such a step without placing the whole position before the Commonwealth and Dominion .Governments. The Eev. Mr Paton, who is; and has been, intimately associated with mission work in the islands, has been called upon by the Federal Premier (II m Mr Cook) . either to, substantiate his statements as to the. possibilities of Britain dropping out of the New Hebrides for' a consideration, or to cease from making such a suggestion public. He. (Mr Cook) believes there is no justification whatever for the. statement. On the other hand, his colleague, Mr Glynn, Federal Minister of Internal Affairs,- has received certain information from Home whieh he thinks should not yet be made public. "The people of Australia,'A added Mr Glynn, I. 1 ' coiild rest assured that their interests would'ioi be lost sight-oi.'' - It is' a question "that certainly does concern both Australia . and New Zealand. While it is apparent from reports at intervals that the Condominium - has not been a success, the mere fact of that non-suceess should not influence Britain to forsake hastily what could be made a valuable possession in the Western' Pacific." To "do so would be to permit of a French-owned group of islands right at front door—andthe future responsibilities of the Antipodes are serious enough without having added to tli'em the planting of a healthyforeigner on the dporstejs. It may be the clergyman's cable was but the echo of a rumour. If it is founded on fact, if there is the least possibility of. the Home Government throwing out a "feeler" for the cession of the New Hebrides to France, then it is up to Australasia to enter an emphatic protest. . The cession could be nothing but a blunder in strategy. .