304 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. \'i-0 May, 1918. 



STANDARDIZED PACKING AND GRADING OF FRUIT. 



By Ernest MeeJcing, Senior Fruit Inspector. 

 (Continued from page 240.) 



EVIDENCE OF EOYAL COMMISSIONS. 



The evidence given before the various Royal Commissions on the 

 Fruit Industry has shown that the malpractices mentioned in the 

 preceding chapter occur in all branches of the industry. In all, three 

 Commissions — one Federal and tAvo State — have exhaustively inquired 

 into the conditions governing the industry. The first was appointed 

 hj the Commonwealth Government in 1912, the second by the New 

 South Wales Government in 1913, and the third by the Government of 

 Victoria in 1915. The findings of all the Commissions, on two points 

 at least, were practically unanimous, viz., that co-operation amongst the 

 fruit-growers, and the grading and packing of fruit under standardized 

 methods were essential to place the industry on a proper basis. 



Each Commission took evidence in every State from hundreds of 

 witnesses, representing all branches of the fruit industry, and the 

 summaries of all the Commissions showed conclusively that the present 

 low status of the industry resulted from the non-existence of a proper 

 basis of value between the seller and the purchaser. This disability was 

 manifest all along the line, from the orchardist to the householder, and 

 its influence was apparent throughout the many transactions which 

 usually transpire during the transit of the fruit from the orchard to the 

 household of the consumer. For example, tthe wholesale men, both 

 buyers and agents, complained that, in many of their transactions with 

 the orchardist, the latter supplied fruit which was improperly graded 

 and packed, that is, graded and packed in such a way that fruits, which 

 varied in degree of maturity, colour, and size, were packed in the same 

 case. In addition, cases often contained a percentage of fruit affected 

 by disease. The retailer complained also in a like manner, and naturally 

 laid the blame, or most of it, on the Avholesale men. 



Little or no evidence was obtained from consumers, but had such been 

 called, there is little doubt that a cloud of witnesses, in fact, all the 

 consuming public of Australia, could have testified to victimization in 

 fruit-purchasing transactions, and Avould, doubtless, have laid the blame 

 on the shopkeeper or hawker from whom the fruit had been purchased. 



Each of the parties concerned in the transaction of buying and selling 

 a case of fruit is, therefore, prone to lay the blame on the party with 

 whom he has had immediate dealings, and in this way only partly arrives 

 at the truth. 



Prevalence of Impropek Packing. 



It would seem at first sight that improper packing commences with 

 the orchardist, that he is mainly responsible for its prevalence, and that 

 if he in the first instance packed and graded his fruit properly, the 

 improper packing and grading of fruit would be eliminated from the 

 industry. This, however, is far from being so, as most of our leading 

 orchardists grade and pack their fruit honestly, and as well as is possible 

 under present conditions. Moreover, honesty in the matter of grading 



