FRUIT GROWERS STILL DISSATISFIED 



HUN SYDNEY FISHER, Dominion 

 Minister of Agriculture, while ad- 

 dressing the members of the Ontario Fruit 

 Growers' Association, at their annual con- 

 vention last month, took advantage of the 

 occasion to explain his reason for placing 

 the chief of the fruit division under the con- 

 trol of the dairy commissioner. The ex- 

 planation of Hon. Mr. Fisher did not con- 

 vince the fruit growers that the arrange- 

 ment he has made is in the best interests of 

 the fruit industry. It would not be far 

 from the mark to say that there was not a 

 fruit grower present who was fully satisfied 

 with the reasons given by Mr. Fisher for 

 arranging his department as he has. 



Hon. Mr. Fisher said in part: "The fact 

 that the chief of the fruit division is under 

 the dairy commissioner does not hinder the 

 work connected with that branch being car- 

 ried out in the best interests of the fruit 

 growers. It is simply a case of adminis- 

 tration for efificiency. The Dominion and 

 Provincial Governments have done their 

 best to help the producers and, by working 

 in conjunction, one department has not 

 duplicated the work of the other. The On- 

 tario department has charge of all educa- 

 tional work, while matters pertaining to 

 interprovincial and foreign trade come un- 

 der my jurisdiction. 



" The development of the fruit industry 

 made it necessary, a few years ago, to ar- 

 range for improved transportation. Cold 

 storage and refrigerator cars were needed. 

 At that time such facilities were used in 

 connection with the dairy industry. For 

 this reason the transportation of fruit was 

 placed under the direction of Prof. J. W. 

 Robertson, who was then dairy commis- 

 sioned. Associated with Prof. Robertson 

 was Mr. Ruddick, who was in close touch 

 with the work. When Prof. Robertson re- 

 tired Mr. Ruddick was given charge of the 

 cold storage and the extension of markets 



divisions. Inasmuch as the work of the 

 fruit division is closely identified with the 

 work of these two divisions it was deemed 

 to be best to have the fruit division placed 

 under Mr. Ruddick's supervision so that the 

 work of all three divisions could be carried 

 on to better advantage and to prevent the 

 work of one division overlapping the work 

 of another. The same stafif was retained 

 to look after the work of the fruit division, 

 and I could not see that there was any need 

 for a fruit commissioner. As long as the 

 stafif continues to give efficient service to the 

 fruit growers I can see no just reason why 

 a change in this arrangement should be 

 made." 



THE growers' views. 



Owing to the fact that Mr. A. McNeill, 

 Chief of the Fruit Division, was presiding 

 at the meeting at which Mr. Fisher spoke, 

 and to the circumstance that Hon. Mr. 

 Fisher was a guest of the Fruit Growers' 

 Association, the growers present did not 

 like to start a discussion on this matter. 

 After the meeting many of the leading 

 growers informed The Horticulturist that 

 they would have liked to have been in a 

 position to have expressed their views. 



The following are the opinions of some 

 of the most representative growers. It 

 should be borne in mind that this is not a 

 political matter as among the growers, 

 whose views are here given, are well known 

 Liberals : 



C. M. Honsberger, Jordan Station, presi- 

 dent Niagara Peninsula Fruit Growers' As- 

 sociation : " I would have liked to have ex- 

 pressed my views to Mr. Fisher as the pres- 

 ent arrangement seems like an unjust trans- 

 action and an imposition on the fruit indus- 

 try. The fruit interests are of too great 

 importance to be dovetailed in with the 

 dairy or any other division." 



Mr. Robert Thompson, St. Catharines, 



(Continued on page 485.) 



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