Cook Is. Fruit

Growers Petition NZ Parliament for Price Increase

From Our Own Correspondent

Rarotonga, Aug. 10.

MR. W. P. Browne, a member of the Rarotonga Island Council, pre sented to the NZ Parliament, re cently, a petition which, he declared, has the support of all native members of the Council and the Fruit Advisory Committee. It called for:— (a) An increase in prices for all Cook Islands fruit purchased by the NZ Internal Marketing Division; (b) Recognition of the rights of scien tific and modern growers of oranges, as against the old-fashioned laissez faire native growers; (c) The quick planning and introduc tion of a scheme to revive the banana growing industry, which has not for years approached its previous importance and which was badly hit by a heavy gale early this year.

The demand for an all-round increase in prices for Cl fruit is justified in view of the increased cost of living and of production, since the outbreak of war.

Probably, the bonus of 3d. a case paid on the first two orange shipments this year (later shipments carried too much loss to allow of a further bonus) was meant as a sop in this direction. Such payments, at the whim of the Fruit Control, are not 'so re-assuring or encouraging as the straight-out declara tion of, say. a 10 per cent, increase in prices would be.

Mr. Browne stated that banana pro duction could be soon increased to 10 times the present level. No doubt he was thinking of the 100-odd fertile little vallevs that have relapsed into bush since the Government took control of bananas at the disappointing price of 4/- per case of 87 lb. net.

The recent drought of over two months was not at all beneficial to the sadly-depleted banana crop, either.