NELSON DISTRICT FRUITGROWERS' ASSOCIATION.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13988, 19 January 1916, Page 4 (Supplement)

NELSON DISTRICT FRUITGROWERS' ASSOCIATION.

ANNUAL MEETING

(From "Tho Colonist," Dec. 10.) The adjourned annual meeting of the Nelson District Fruitgrowers' Association was held at the City Council Chambers last night Mr. A. McKee (president) in the chair. There wero present the following tlelccates: — Stoke: Messrs. W. M. Bolt, F. Hall, and H. Pickup. Moutere: Messrs. R. P. Hudsor. M.P., and C. Mackay. -Tasman: Messrs. A. P. Allport, A, McKee, and W. Dec. Mr. E. B. Izard, hon. secretary, anc Mr. W. Hyde, Inspector of Orchards, were also present. Apologies for absence wore received from Messrs. T. A. 11. Field; M.P., and T. W; Kirk, Director of the Orchards Division. PROPOSED EXPERIMENTAL FARM. Arising out of a reference in Mr. Kirk's letter, Mr. Allport expressed the opinion that an effort should be made to get<. a fruit experimental farm established in the Nelson district, and moved that an application to that end he made to the Minister for Agriculture. Mr. Izard seconded the motion, and said it was not tho business of private fruitgrowers to make experiments at their own expense which were for the benefit of growers as a whole. The motion was carried, and it was decided to bring the matter under the notice of the local members of Parliament and the various Fruitgrowers' Associations in the district. Mr. Mackay's motion, of which he had given notice, that the association be wound up, was by leave withdrawn. The balance-sheet was adopted after a discussion from which it_ appeared that the component associations, with one exception," had delayed paying their subscriptions until the end of the year. The secretary remarked that this delay tied the hands of the district association in matters which required a certain amount of expenditure. In reply to a question what usf> could be made of the money, the president pointed, as an' example,* to the good result which had attended-the interview which Mr. Hudson and himself had had with Mr. Massey on the subject of cool storage. PRESIDENT'S REPORT. The annual address of the president (Mr. A. McKee) was as follows: — PROVINCIAL ORGANISATION.

It may be said that the outstanding feature of the past year is a general realisation by growers of the urgent necessity of putting the fruitgrowing industry of this province on a sound commercial basis, so as to ensure a, more satisfactory result permanently. Many kinds of co-operative schemes have been tried in the past, and if the desired measure of success has not been secured the failure has been attributable, not to the underlying principle of the object in view, but to the unreadiness of growers to find the wherewithal to set up and work the necessary machinery. The day of the "mutual admiration" kind of association with no financial backbone, is past. Some hundreds of thousands of pounds are invested in the industry in this province, but the capital is, at present, jail directed in one direction —production. Would we not get a better reward for our enterprise if a proportion of the capital were employed in organising our interests so that we should have a say in the market place? The position is tho more acute because of the unprecedented growth of the industry locally during the past few years, and the certain rapid development in the future. We shall have to deal with a greatly increased production, and the present is an opportune time to set our house in order. There has recently come an awakening and with that awakening is a promise of a 3iew order of things that is imperative under the new conditions. I am not one of those who think that, in the present generation at any rate, any scheme of co-operation will lead us to Utopia. Still thers can be no question that by combined action and the pooling of common interests we can build up and preserve the industry, to which our lives are devoted. We should not in all fairness be unmindful of the fact that private enterprise has helped to lay the foundations of tho export trade; and while properly appreciating the good work done in this direction, personally I should not like it to go forth that we as fruitgrowers wish to discourage private enterprise. Our object is a reasonable one in wishing to safeguard our interests as a body. ,While we cheerfully accept the services of those engaged in the trade —I refer to the merchants—we desire to set up an organisation, sufficiently powerful to thwart, if need be, any attempt at exploitation. It is not suggested that such an attempt hasl been or will be made; but the industry is in the perambulator, so to speak, and it is our duty as it is our interest to see that the infant is given the care and protection necessary to ensure its reaching a robust adolescence.

The question is, What is the best thing to do ? Hitherto, as pointed out, we have had in the several districts, associations held together by the slender thread of a few-shilfings-a-year subscriptions. "Insubstantial fabrics of a vision." they have served their purpose, and the time is now ripe for their transformation into live corporate bodies with a financial stuffing that will enable them to do something real and substantial. The recognition of this fact during the last year is an encouraging sign of the times.

It will be remembered that, the district association applied last year to the Government for a loan tinder the Fruit Preserving Industry Act for the erection of cool stores and central packing sheds. Mr. Hjidson, M.P., and myself, as delegates, interviewed the Premier, who was then, also Minister of Agriculture, and the result was satisfactory in every way. It was arranged that an advance should be made mot exceeding £8000. At the last district meeting it was decided to offer the grant to any one of the sub-asso-ciations, no one of which, however, availed itself of the offer. The position :aow is that some members of Moutere Fruitgrowers, Ltd., Tasnian Fruitgrowers' Association, and growers in the Motueka-Biwaka district hove combined, and the Motueka Cool Storage Company, with a capital of £10,000, is now registered. A tender has been accepted for the necessary plant and the erection of the building on a very convenient site at the new harbour at Motueka. It will be by far the largest fruit cool store in the Dominion, and chough its storage capacity will be for 24,000 bushel cases, it is conceivable that nearly double that quantity may pass through its chambers, for the reason that early varieties may be cleared out before late varieties or« ready for handling. The company will be run on the Doneaster system, under which shareholders will*be allotted space in proportion to their holding. In my opinion it is an exceptionally sound | scheme commercially. :It is, I think. the first attempt at a really practical solution of our difficulties. , With prudent management the scheme should bo the foundation of an organisation of wide usefulness and profit. As the

company will have extensive motive power at command, and will occupy the premier site at the new Motunka harbour, there is no raason why at the proper time its activities should; i ot be greatly enlarged to include a corrlral Hacking shed and plants for avaporating, case-making, lime-crushing, canning, cider making, etc. We shall probably have to look to this company | for some time to come at any rate to j help solve the problem of how best to utilise second grade fruit and culls. The Moutere Fruitgrowers, Ltd., is doing excellent work, especially hoviner regard to the smallness of the capital invested. The company is to be congratulated on its success in bringing down the price of cases. I understand they have placed an order for next season's cases at a price which will result in a saving of a considerable sum; and further that they are in a position to pay a higher price for next season's apples. If the members of the company would swell the capital of the company with some of the savings thus effected, there is no doubt its.scope and usefulness, could be further extended. Thanks to the enterprise of the Mo\itere Company, the price of cases has been reduced in other districts and many hundreds of pounds will be saved thereby to growers in other parts of the province.

The Stoke Association is also, I understand.,- moving in the direction of establishing an enterprise on a proper financial basis and I trust the growers in that district will persist in iheir efforts.

My idea is that the Tasman Association* should be floated into a limited liability company, that a. similar company should be formed for the Bronco, Mapua, Bells and Mahana district; one for Redwood's Valley, and another for Ngatimoti. Each company should have its own central packing shed, and should be charged with the duty, among other things, of grading and packing the fruit for market. In other words the district companies would be concerned mainly in preparing products, for the market. These seven companies would be the units to form a provincial organisation with the Nelson District Association (to be also incorporated) as the central executive body to deal with the business side. The central company would stand in the same relation to the district companies as the National Dairy Association stands to the dairy factories. The central company vmild deal only with provincial matters such as the regulation and control of sales and the extension of business in local and oversea markets; importai'd distribute supplies of material, deal with shipping freights and arrange for space for oversea markets; and generally do such things are needed to be done in the interests of each industry throughout the province. The capital of the central company would be found by the district companies assessed on a basis of acreage owned by shareholders. The central company would be controlled by directors elected by the district companies. It would, of course, be essential that the secretary or manager of the central company should be, not necessarily a fruitgrower, _ but a man of ripe commercial experience and a capable organiser. No one district company could be expected to put up a salary that would command the services of a really first class man, but a combination of the district companies expressed in a provincial organisation might easily do so. All fruit might be marketed as Nelson fruit, but personally I should favour having district brands, so as to encourage a friendly and healthy rivalry! among the districts as to which could supply the best article in the matter of quality and get-up. Each district j would grade and pack in accordance! with the standard set up by the central company. ' My impression is that a capital of j £5000. for the district companies would be ample for some years to come. The immediate necessity is-for central, packing sheds and for evaporating and other plants to deal with inferior and blemished apples, because the marketing of poor stuff results in forcing down the j price of the.first grade article. As the Government will make advances for central packing sheds and cool stores the amount of capital to be called \ip even in a £5000 company -would not be large and would certainly not be burdensome. " The point I wish to emphasise is that all talk of co-operation in the real sense is very like "hot air" unless we are prepared to 'find the money to set up an organisation that will control the industry,, not only in the districts., but1 throughout the 'province. With provin- i cial organisation throughout the fruit-1 growing districts of New Zealand an accomplished fact, Dominion federation on a solid basis would, I think, bo easy of achievement. THE CAWTHRON INSTITUTE AND FRUITGROWING. The munificent bequest of the Lite Mr. Cawthron of a Technological Institute will, it is hoped, have a beneficial I bearing oil the fruit industry. A quar- ! tcr of a million of money wisely and prudently-used should make the Cawtiu'on Institute a power for good throughout Australasia, especiallly if the scodo of the Institute's work can bo narrowed to almost entirely agricultural subjects. Although we all agree that our primary industries should be our first consideration —the land yields over 80 per cent, of our exports —we have almost every form of education in a highly developed condition: and only that branch of education is neglected which should be our first care. We .r.hould therefore welcome the Cawthron Institute as the promise of the beginning of a new order of things. The funds will no doubt be available to command the services of distinguished [teachers in chemistry, biology, entomology, horticulture, botany and bacteriology, and it is conceivable that at no distant time the Cawthron Institute may be the alma mater of a new school of experts whose wider and njore scientific training should mark a new and more enlightened era in the practice of agriculture in this Dominion and beyond.

The people of New Zealand cheerfully foot the education bill to the tune of one and a half millions a year; but the weak point of the system is that so little is done for the technical instruction of the man on the land on whom absolutely depends our prosperity. Our ■system of University education feeds the professions $of medicine,- dentistry, law, and engineering (mining, metallurgical, mechanical, electric and civil); but the economic development of our primary resources on scientific lines is neglected. It is true the recently formed Board of Agriculture is.charged with the duty of evolving a practicable scheme of technical instruction for the farmer, and there is reason to hope that in due time the Government, wiil make the necessary financial provision.

The icl°a. occurs, Would it not be a great public benefit, as well as a good investment for the Sta,te, if arrangements coixlrl be made whereby the operations of the Cawthron Institute could be shaped to fit in with a bold scheme of agricultural education ? Presumably the Cawthron Institute will' possess a professorial board of quite equal standing to that of any one of pur''University colleges; and the Institute's position ; and sphere of v seful ness would be greatly strengthened if it were empowered to confer degrees in the various branches of agriculture arid other

sciences. The funds—largo as they are —at the disposal. of -the Cawthron trustees would perhaps" not be adequate to the expenditure involved; but an aunua-l statutory; grant, such as is voted to the University colleges in the four centres, amounting to between £6000 and £7500 each, would not, I venture to think, be a high price for the State to pay for the service that would be rendered.

So far as fruitgrowing is concerned,' there is much to learn on the scientific side. Research work which would include the investigation of such subjects as cross-fertilisation, hybridisation, stocks, pests and diseases, manures and soils j would certainly prove to' be of immense value in the economic working of orchards. No organised effort of a complete character in this direction has j yet been attempted in Australasia. Seeing that this district possesses natural conditions for apple growing and other forms of fruitgrowing, perhaps unsurpassed in completeness anywhere, that the industry i» already established on a scale which entitles it to the leading place in New Zealand, and that our products will be sent to the markets of the world, I am sure that we as fruitgrowers will hope that the provision to be made in connection with fruitgrowing will be on such a scale as to make the subject a prominent feature of the Institute's work. A TRADE COMMISSIONER FOR THE UNITED STATES. "We look to the United States of America as a big market for our apples, and probably the sheepfarmer and the dairy farmer have expectations in the sane direction. The New Zealand Government has shown a proper appreciation of these trade possibilities, hence the appointment of Mr. Clifton and Mr O'Brien, the former as New Zealand Commissioner, and the latter as assistant Commissioner at the Panama Exposition. Mr. Clifton retires from pubJic service at the end of the present month. It would seem a pity if after starting an. organisation there the Government failed to continue the useful i work. In the present circumstances, it seems to be especially desirable that we should push trade in the United States for this reason. Opinions vary as to the extent of the demand and the prices that will rule for our products in the Home market after the war; but whatever may bo the outcome it seems certain that the purchasing power of tho United States will not! suffer. Mr. O'Brien has been -a practical fruitgrower and knows something of the industry, and has already proved his usefulness by valuable information supplied to fruitgrowers at this end. The opening iip of trade would .of course be the main object in view; bnt valuable service could be rendered by the collection of information in the States, particularly California, on fruit culture, orchard practice, market methods in vogue, and descriptions of modern plant and methods used in dealing with waste and inferior fruit. Mr. Allport, in moving the adoption of the president's report, said he considered it important and useful. Mr. Hudson seconded the motion, and also congratulated Mr. McKce on his valuable address. The president said that another cool, storage company was being formed to deal with the output of the orchard area on the north side of the Moutere rond. The motion was agreed to. OTHER BUSINESS. The election of officers for the ensuing year resulted as follows:—President* Mr. A. McKee (re-elected); secretary, Mr. E. B. Izard (re-elected). A "discussion on closer organisation took place, and on the motion of Mr. Allport, seconded by Mr. Bolt, it was resolved, "That it be a strong recommendation to each of the various fruitgrowing districts in the province .to establish a co-operative company, or extend the scope of existing companies, on a satisfactory financial basis, with a view of bringing about an effective scheme of provincial organisation." The president insisted that capital— and big capital at that—was necessary. Mr. Hudson took the other view, and claimed that Moutere was doing well, ■urithout capital, on a commission basis. Mr. Mackay moved that the Government be urged to appoint a trade, commissioner for the United States of America. Mr. Hudson, who second"1

the motion pro forma, said he recognised the importance of the American market, but lie did not think such an appointment would benefit the fruit industry, as something more would be necessary. The motion was carried.

On the motion of Mr. Dee, seconded by Mr. Bolt, it was resolved, "That the chairman and secretary of the Dominion Fruitgrowers' Federation be written to asking what steps have been taken to bring before the Government the great urgenry of instituting the acreage tax. as we view with great alarm the inactivity which has been displayed by tho present executive of' the federation, notwithstanding the necessity for a vigorous forward movement to meet the demands of the fruit industry; further, that a meeting of the executive be called .without delay." Mr. Hudson delivered an interesting speech on this subject.

Mr. Izard moved, Mr Bolt seconded, and_ it was resolved. "That before preparing apple orchards for returned soldiers, the Government be urged to instruct the Orchards Division to makG an exhaustive report on the suitability of the various fruit locations of the Dominion, in order to ascertain the best pla^e for the purpose."

The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks to the chairman.