FRUIT EMBARGO

Wairarapa Daily Times, 1 July 1933, Page 5

FRUIT EMBARGO

“BLESSING IN DISGUISE.” AUSTRALIAN VIEW. SYDNEY, Friday. At the Fruitgrowers’. Conference today the Hon. F. 11. Stewart, Federal Minister of Commerce, answering criticism relative to the Government’s failure to have the firuit embargo- lifted, said: “This New Zealand embargo may prove a blessing in disguise-. It forces us to seek new markets, 'and I am already negotiating with the Canadian Pacific Railway Company in order to secure concessions which will enable Australian growers of citrus fruits to exploit the eastern Canadian provinces, where a valuable potential market exists. The negotiations so far are very satisfactory. I have been informed that the American Government has notified the New Zealand Government that it would not -permit the importation of fruit from any country where the Mediterranean fly was known to -exist, as in parts of Australia, so that New Zealand’s prospects of developing a large fruit trade with America are not so bright as they , were a few weeks ago. It may be a hard thing to say, but we hope New Zealand’s efforts will fail, after which she will, be in a more amenable mood to consider our case.” Mr Stewart agreed to arrange a deputation to the Prime Minister on the subject of further efforts to have the embargo lifted. - NEW ZEALAND INQUIRIES. CANBERRA, Friday. Sir Massy Greene, replying to a question in the Senate to-day, said the New Zealand Government was discussing with the American Government .the extent to which it will be possible for theDominion to admit citrus fruits from certain districts in Australia unaffected by the Mediterranean fruit fly and yet retain its right to export fruit to America. The New Zealand Government has informed the Commonwealth Government that it is not prepared to discuss the removal of .the embargo until negotiations between New Zealand and the United States have been concluded. The Prime Minister to-day received a fruitgrowers’ deputation and assured them that Cabinet next week would reconsider the whole position and treat, the embargo matter as very urgent.