State Control

Fruit Export Under

N.Z. Acts In Cook Islands

From Our Own Correspondent.

Rarotonga, May 19.

A PUBLIC meeting of fruit growers was held on April 13, when Mr. S. J.

Smith, newly-appointed Resident Com missioner, described the workings of the “Cook Islands Fruit Control Regulations, 1937.”

Mr Smith said that 34 brokers through out the Dominion would receive and sell the fruit, as agents of the Government, on a small fixed commission per case.

The selling price to retailers would also be fixed. At this end, growers w*ould form an elected Advisory Committee, consisting of the Resident Commissioner, the Director of Agriculture, three Maori and one European representatives. Their election would take place on July 7.

The new regulations empowers the Minister: (1) To control the export of all fruit, so that no person can export, but only the Government; (2) to take control of the handling and shipping of fruit and to sell it on behalf of the growers; (3) to assist growers to reno vate and improve their plantations.

When the grower brings fruit into the packing-shed, and it is accepted by the inspector, he will receive a receipt for the number of cases packed. On presen tation of this, the Fruit Control Office will pay him 2/6 cash for each case. In addition, if the quality is right, the Government aims to pay a further 1/6 when the fruit is sold, making 4/- for oranges this season.

Mr. Samuel Bennett (manager, A. B.

Donald Ltd., Rarotonga) intimated that, on behalf of his own firm and also the Exporters’ Association, he would like to assure Mr. Smith of the support of the local merchants in whatever measures the Government might take regarding the control of fruit.

The meeting adjourned until April 15, to allow growers to consider the regu lations.

On April 15, Mr Smith outlined further aspects of the regulations. Rerferring to native debts, he said the Government would ask the traders to assess the amount of the debts as on April 1, 1937.

The merchant, the debtor, and the Ad ministration would then meet and decide the amount of debt recoverable. If they were unable to agree a tribunal would be arranged. The amount fixed would be put on each debtor’s fruit account sheet, and 6d per case deducted —not from the initial payment of 2/6, but from the subsequent anticipated 1/6.

Mr, Smith said that there was a gen eral desire by growers that the Govern ment take over the banana and tomato crops, as well as oranges. He would like to make it quite clear that the Govern ment intended <%o control these, immedi ately adequate distributing arrangements could be made.

A number of the pricipal native and half-castes, representing the various dis tricts, then spoke briefly, each to the ef fect that they were authorised to say that growers fully endorsed and would sup port the Government’s proposals.

A resolution to that effect was then put by Mr. C. Cowan and carried un animously.