STONE FRUIT GROWERS MEET.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18972, 20 January 1930, Page 16

STONE FRUIT GROWERS MEET.

DOMINION SCHEME FOR ADVERTISING The Christchurch Tomato and Stone Fruit Growers’ Association met on Saturday 7 evening, Mr C. J. Fineran presiding. ADVERTISING. The chairman said that general organisations had held an advertising conference. There were a lot of things that had not been thought of previously 7. One difficulty was that, if growers here advertised on the local market, they would advertise for Otago and Nelson growers. It looked as if it would have to be a Dominion matter if it was to do any 7 good. The conference had approved a proposal that a petition should be sent as a circular to growers, authorising auctioneers to collect id per case, the money to be used for advertising purposes. The levy* would be a voluntary one. If a majority of the growers signed, there was a chance of other organisations joining in. Mr TI. Firman (secretary) said that few ideas were brought forward at the conference in regard to an advertising scheme. Delegates agreed as to the need for advertising but no satisfactorv methods were set out. The petition was approved only after a great deal of discussion. The chairman said that the conference was bare of ideas, except in regard to the levy. Mr F. W. Cone said that an effort had been made to induce a former

Parliament to amend the Local Control Act to provide for a levy for advertising. That Government would not tackle the matter, it being held that the time was inopportune. The present Government took the same view. That was as far as things had gone. _ The chairman moved that the petition should be sent to growers for signature. An amendment was moved that the question should be held over until November. It was decided that the qi.estion should be left in abeyance until some future date. A suggestion by Mr Pope that a remit should be sent to the next conference of tomato-growers and of fruit-growers, asking them to deal with advertising as a Dominion matter, was approved. IMPORTATIONS. Mr W. E. Davidson, secretary of the Canterbury 7 Fruitgrowers’ Association, wrote stating that the association would give full support to an effort to do justice to the growers of the Dominion He would write to the Minister of Customs expressing indignation at what the Minister was allowing to take, place in regard to the importation of goods, to the detriment of New Zealand growers. lie hoped that a combined effort would hasten the day when all I concerned would be given a fair deal. A letter was read from Mr R. J Hayes, manager of Market Gardeners. Ltd., Wellington, expressing alarm at the extensive importations of cherries, apricots, plums and cucumbers consigned to Wellington. The letter stated that cherries predominated in the importations, and that it was a serious matter to cherry 7 -growers. On Mr Pope’s motion, it was decided to set up a committee to act with other organisations in waiting on the Minister