Growers’ Association To Market

Their Own Produce

From Our Own Correspondent

Rarotonga, July 8.

(~)N June 2, the Fruit Growers’ Associa w tion held a meeting of all District Committees, over a 100 persons attending a four-hour session during which a num ber of important matters were dealt with.

Mr. William Mcßirney (Chairman) gave a detailed account of the recent visit to New Zealand by the Associa tion’s delegates. One outcome of this was the impending merger with the powerful N.Z. Fruitgrowers’ Federation, an action which the Chairman felt would greatly strengthen their own position.

Continuing, the Chairman said that it was now proposed to appoint Mr. Morrish, of Wellington, who was a former official of the Federation, to act as their dis tributing agent on an Inclusive commis sion of 6d per case for oranges and bananas, and 3d for tomatoes. The only further “charge” members would have, exclusive of freight, Govt, inspection fees, etc., would be one not exceeding 6d a case to meet the Association’s cost of handling. This, together with the pro posed commission levy/ would amount to a maximum charge of 1/ per case against an approximate 2/ under current condi tions.

The Association, moreover, would import its own cases—saving members 5d per box, inclusive of wrapping paper. The first 1,000 cases had already arrived and a further 2,000 were due on the next steamer.

Dealing with space allocations on the Union Go’s boats, Mr. Mcßirney contended that space should be at the command of growers and not, as was now the case, a virtual monopoly in the hands of fruit buyers. There were numerous instances in which growers, not owing money to any of the fruit exporting firms, had been unable to ship away their fruit,

the firms in question preferring to take their requirements from those producers who were in their debt, it was now proposed to submit a scheme to the Union Co. under which the whole of the shipping space would be under the control of the Director of Agri culture, who would make the necessary allocations after receiving notice of packing-shed requirements. This motion met with considerable applause, The last matter discussed was the organisation of the Association on a per manent footing, so that it might be brought into conformation with the rules

of the N.Z, Fruitgrowers’ Federation. It was proposed—and carried—that the capital should consist of 10,000 shares at 57 each, on which it was proposed to make an immediate call of 2/ per issued share. Minimum and maximum holdings per member were respectively two and 200 shares.

Interviewed later, the Chairman explained that it w T as his intention to build

up the Association—which contained over 800 members —to a position where it could successfully demonstrate 'the hand ling of fruit on a basis profitable to the grower. Orders for the coming steamer amounted to well over 1,000 cases at quite satisfactory prices. He could fore see no reason why an average of 5/ a case for oranges should not be steadily main tained.

Opinions gleaned from other sources indicate a feeling—by no means unreas onable —that it is premature at this stage to place the Association upon such a permanent basis. No one is as yet aware what form the findings of the Parliamen tary Committee will take, and there is always a possibility that the whole local fruit industry may come under direct Government control. In the latter case a large part of the Association’s present and suggested activities would automati cally cease. • Pastor A. G. Stewart, vice-president of the Australasian Union Conference of Seventh Day Adventists, returned to Aus tralia from a visit to Central Pacific by the Marama on July 28. After spending a month in Fiji, Mr. Stewart went across to Western Samoa to inspect S.D.A. mis sion stations there.