T. C. C. SCOTT.]

15

I.—loa.

be picked in a riper stage, and it should be picked and sent away as soon as possible for local consumption. Well, there was a hitch because the standard was too high, and there was a matter of something like five hundred cases on one occasion turned down, and we had great difficulty in selling it, and the returns were not satisfactory ; whereas if that same five hundred cases had gone to the Old Country they would have realized a good price. 61. Your main contention, I take it, is that you have worked up a good business, and you can sell all your fruit at a reasonable profit, and you wish to remain as you are ? —Yes, that is right. 62. Mr. Field.] Where is your orchard, Mr. Scott ?—Just out of Nelson—at Stoke, five miles out of Nelson. 63. Do you express the views of the whole of the Nelson fruitgrowers ? —No. I do not represent the Riwaka fruitgrowers, but I speak as representing 90 per cent, of the Stoke fruitgrowers. 64. Well, wo understood you were asking for this Bill over there—that you were very disappointed at not getting a Bill last year ?—Well, it was mooted last year, and we were wondering what was going to be put into the Bill. Now we have seen it, only recently, and we find there are things there that will not: work. 65. But you do want a Bill ? —Well, if we: have a Bill we want an amendment put in that will give a free hand to those of us who wish to handle our own fruit. 66. You do not want universal control ?—No. 67. You say that you had five hundred, cases condemned : were those cases condemned here ? — No ; they were condemned at the packing-shed, close handy to the orchard. 68. Are yem satisfied with your method of marketing now ? —Yes, quite satisfied. 69 Do you make use of cool storage ? —Yes, in the latter part of the year. 70. What was the reason that the five hundred cases were condemned ? —They were just condemned because of the high standard, which was sot. The apples had to be of a certain size. The standard was set at 2|, and ours were 2\ apples. 2J apples are now selling higher than any other size in the Old Country. We were anxious that they should go through, but the Inspector said he would not let them go through, as the standard set was 2J. 7.1. They were good-quality apples, but they were condemned on the ground of size ? —Yes ; they were a little below the standard size set. But they were a good marketable size. 72. Why are they doing that if they can get a market as you have ?—Unless a man is on the spot and working his orchard, he might just as well not have an interest in an orchard. 73. That is the point —the management of the: orchard is the main thing ? —Yes; they could make just as much a success of it as some of us are doing. 74. What can you. sell your apples at to make a profit ? —Do you mean off the trees ? 75. Yes ? —Somewhere about 4s. 6d. to ss. per case. 76. A case of how much ?—A full bushel —that is, 40 lb. 77. And what could you sell those apples at in Wellington to make a profit ?■—lt all depemds on the variety to some extent. I should say that the price would be from 3d. upwards. If the variety of apple is a cooker, owing to the large quantity that the trees bear you could sell at a cheaper rate. 78. Roughly, what are the charges from your orohard to the depot in Wellington—that is, including the cost of management ? —I would have to work that out. Roughly, I should say from 2s. 9d. to 3s. 79. Per case ?—Yes. 80. You cannot reduce that ? —Do you want the cost of the case inclueled in that ? 81. Yes ?—4s. 6d. per case. 82. You cannot see any way of reducing that cost ? —No ; you cannot reduce the cost. 83. Have you indicated to the Committee what kind of a Board you do want —I take it that you want to export your own fruit ?—lf you can find a plan whereby we can run our own business, let those who want a Board have one. Alfred Valentine Allport examined. (No. 7.) I. The Acting-Chairman.] Whom are you representing? —I am representing the majority of the fruitgrowers in Stoke —that is, fully 90 per cent, of the fruitgrowers. We had a meeting, and a resolution was carried to the effect that the fruitgrowers did not want this Control Bill. They carried another motion to the effect that if the Bill was carried an amendment should be made to it which would enable any one to sell his own fruit; and they would be glad to have this proviso, that they would guarantee not to sell their fruit below the set price of the Control Board. They would like to have a free hand to sell their own fruit; but they are quite prepared to be under a penalty not to sell under .the price fixed by the Control Board, although they would rather not be hampered by a Control Board, at all, because it would always he held up against them. Once the Bill was put on the statute-book it would be put up to us all the time ; and, moreover, it would give no confidence in their trading, because 10 per cent, of the growers under the Bill could ask at any time for a poll to be taken ; and when that Bill was once carried—if it was, but I am sure it would not be: ; at least, it would not be carried in the Nelson District —it means that we would have to get a petition signed by 25 per cent, of the growers at any time after the expiration of three years before we would be allowed to disestablish the Local Control Board. I submit that if we establish a Control Board it is going to be as much a failure as the present voluntary Control Board is, and it would probably mean that in three years the whole of the fruitgrowers in the Nelson District will be bankrupt. Why I say that control in Nelson would be absolutely of no use is because the rest of New Zealand-is not going in for control. Well, as long as every other district has a free hand it would moan that Nelson,