33

I.—loa.

H. E. NAPIER.

17. What does it work out at, per case ? —l4s. 6d. c.i.f. Montevideo. 18. Is the freight less ? —Yes, ljd. per case less. 19. Mr. Forbes.] The figure you gave us was 10s. 6d. to land a case of fruit in England ?—Yes. 20. Would it cost 10s. (id. to land it in Buenos Aires ? —No, it would cost a little less to land it in Buenos Aires. In London, ,10s. 6d. is the cost of sedling the fruit on the London market. In South America the commission and landing-charges on a c.i.f. sale are paid by the broker. 21. What woulel be the eost of refrigerating? —It would cost 1-J-d. per case more to senel under refrigeration. 22. That would consielerably reduce the, return to the grower ? —Not very much. ljd. per case, not I }el. pe:r pound. 23. Where' does the 10s. 6d. come in? —3s. flat rate; that includes oases, packing-material, carriage to the wharf, wharfage at the Nelson end. Tho freight across to Wellington from Nelson is 7|d. per case;, 10|d. per case from Marlborough; and from any point in the North Island, 6jd. per ease;; precoeiling in Wellington, 3|d. per case; insurance, ljd. per case; our charge for shipping, Jel. per case; ocean freight, 4s. pe;r case; landing-charges in London, say, Is. per case; broker's commission, 5 per cent, on 13s. 6d., equals Bd. ; bank exchange, say, 1 |d. ; bank interest, 2d. on the advance ; anel there are various incidentals. 24. South America—what is it?—Ocean freight, 3s. 6d., plus 10 per cent.; consular fee, Jd. ; the sight-draft rate is 2fd. per cent. 25. You say they get 14s. 6d., leaving 10s. 6d. here in New Zealand ?—9s. f.o.b. Wellington — you deduct freight and insurance. 26. What control have; they in Tasmania ? —They have control under the Department of Agriculture. They are up against a large number of growers who are not progressive. They want some organization that coulel speak anel act on their behalf ; they cannot do very much. The brokers have suggested that they should have some form of control. They are folleiwing New Zealanel in trying to get an orchard-tax, but they are slow. 27. Other parts of Australia export a geioel eleal eff fruit —have they much control ? —Victoria has ineire control than any of them. Queensland has parliamentary control for all fruit; they have a Control Board. 28. On what system is that done ?—The:y have a Board appointed by the producers. They have absolute control. They are all represented on this central Boarel by one or two men. In the; various districts there are district organizations which represent the various fruits in that district. They have absolute control. 29. Have you seen their legislation at all ? —Yes, it is much more elrastic than ours —that is, the control. It has been in operation about a year eir eighteen months. 30. You do not know how it works ?—lt is a long Act, and I have: not studied it very closely. 31. As to local markets ? —We have not done very much in the past. We have co-operated with the Government in bringing in a system of standardization. On the Wellington market it has been noticeable this year that a large amount of rubbish has disappeared, eir practically so. It has been beneficial to the purchaser and the consumer, and to all concerneei. If a customer buys standardized fruit he can get it, at a more reasonable price anel be sure of the quality. If a fruiterer buys bad fruit he: has to charge the loss up against good fruit. 32. As to fruit in either parts of New Zealanel ? —The object of standardization is to classify the fruit. The Board should know what is in the books, and the books should show it. 33. The idea is not to prevent the sale of second-class fruit ? —ln the Nelson scheme the secondclass fruit is being marketed ; they have a third grade- three grades in all. 34. We> heard statements made by those who say they had built up the trade owing to the superior fruit they hael sent away. They thought that this scheme would prevent them getting the aelvantage of the goodwill they had built up ?—I do not think so. The object of the Control Board for the local market weiuld be to extend distribution as far as possible: of first-class fruit. 35. The:y would not be: at a disadvantage, in your opinion ? —The Board would decide that. We take it that they are men appointed by the purchasers the:mselves, and they have got to be reasonable seirt of men. They are men vitally interested! in the industry themselves. 36. We have been told by some of the witnesses that all previous schemes that have been worked out for the purpose of having some; measure of protection have always been disastrous so far as the; growers are concerned ? - There have been schemes for quite a number of years, but I think the foolishness of all those: schemes has been the want of loyalty on the part of the grower. The bond is nothing to him. It is happening every day. Some of'the fruitgrowe'rs will market a contract, and another grower outside the: association will cut in and take less. 37. You think it is necessary to have compulsion on these men ?—Yes, it is absolutely necessary. 38. You reokon this 3d.—how do you calculate: it: is it on the principle of the: Meat Board or the Butter Boarel ? —The Meat Board and the Butter Board are much bigge;r than the Fruit Board is, and they can spend more. We have: little value. It would be' necessary for the Board to meet and consider what was going to be done. But e;ontractors or members would have to be paid. The Board would attend to advertisements, &c. They might send a representative Home. The total cost of the Board would not exceeel £2,000 or £2,500 a ye:ar. It would produce something like: £3,000, eir a little: over. 39. The Boarel would want to do the same as other Boards —take a trip the the Old Country to look at the market ? —The men who are appointed would not be able to afford a trip to England. They have to look after their own orchards. Even if they come to Wellington to attenel a Board meeting they get no expenses. They have to pay men to do the work when they are away. 40. The: fruitgrowers would not spend too much travelling ? —The fruitgrowers will see: that what is being done is for their benefit.

s—l. 10a.