FRUIT ASSEMBLING AND EXPORT.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 59, Issue 34, 12 March 1930, Page 8

FRUIT ASSEMBLING AND EXPORT.

"JONATHAN."

(To the Editor-J Sir It seems to ine to he a great pity that while the people of Hastings and the fruit- groweys of the district are discussing the folly of placing the fruit assembling shed where it has been erected in Karamu road; they do not consider the matter m the hght ot future developments. Is ib the mtention. of our fruit-growers and those who represent us to always rau out export fruit two hundred mil§s to Wellington,'' or will they not, at some not distant date, reach a more satisfactorv stage of export by simply l ailmg it the ■rivelve miles to Napier and placing it over the wharves there? We are told that this year Hawke's Bay. will produce close on a quarter ot a miUioii cases of apples, yet the whole of this huge crop will he raued to Wellington, ls not this a remarkabe position' Direct shipments from Wellington wer« for a time tried with Nelson fruit hut the unsatisfaetory treatment, delays, etc., soon terininated this inove and Nelson continues to ship its _ fruit through the port of Nglson, which is both economic and commonsense. 1 am told that this year no Jess than 750,000 cases of apples will be exported through Nelson, yet we are railing tHe whole of our Hawke s pav apples to Wellington. I notice that in the next few wecks-the liner Otaki wi J take 64,000 cases of apples from Ne - son,- and the steamer Zealandic wnl take the second shipment of 30, cm Three further direct shipments TBf being arranged. Why are not direct shipments of apples arranged for Hawke's Bay export apples? I am told that many of the overseas vesseis t'hat come to Hawke's Bay could berth at Napier. I agree with those who; claira that the whole position needs investtgation and I am strougly of the opinion that the Karamu road shed over which there is so much fuss should be placed in the most liandy locatioxi for future trade through the port , oi Napier. It seems a wicked thing, that we should be put to the expense and lnconyenieiice, to say uothing of delays and unsatisfaetory handling overwbicJ we have no contrql, in sending the whole of our apple crop through WelJihgton when it could be shipped via Napier. Perliaps some ahler pen than nune will take th§ mritfer up At any rate this shed that there is all the tju» about should have been built on the Napier side of Hastings, not the Wellington side. A final question: \\hj is it that motor Iorries are not permitted on the Breakwater wbarf at Napier If this were possible we could take the. cased apples right to the vescol'c Kirlo — T siTH. etc.«

Hastings, March 11, 1930. e