COMMERCIAL.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18148, 11 August 1924, Page 10

COMMERCIAL.

—♦— — HALF-YEAR'S TRADE. , The imports into New Zealand for the first half of the current year show increases compared- with the corres ponding terms of 1923 and 1922, but a very 'great contraction compared with 1921. The figures, -which include imports of specie, are as follows: I'lrst half. £ .1924 22.644.403 1923 ... ... 21.190.732 1522 16,188 472 1921 28,190,867 The average over the four half-years Torks out at £22,053,618,- so that the past half-year's total is well abovo the average. Comparing the totals of the various groups of imports, the position is as under:— 1924. 1923. £ £ Hofb goods ... 4,199,121 4,888 536. Hardware .... 3.192.588 2.680,029 Foodstuffs ... 1,634,050 1.200.120 Beverages ... 891,122 907,20!) Miscellaneous 7.404.445 6.426 680 Other goods ... 5,322.927 5,076178 Good-, . ... 22,644.253 21,176,752 Specie .. 150 11,980 22,644,403 21,190,732 ! The merchandise total discloses an in-j crease of £1.465.501. equal to about 7 j per cent., and of this amount motor vehicles account for £697,683, or nearly balf the total increase. For the year ended June 30th. the exports amounted to £48.445.826, and the imports to .■€44.832,164, the excess of exports over imports being £3,613.662. This was not sufficient to meet our obligations in respect to the public debt (says the "Dominion"). The interest payable in London on the amount borrowed there by the l State is £4,977.563. and £307,718 is repayable annually in respect 7 of the funded debt to the Imperial Government, and £86,828 is payable in Australia as interest on loans raised there. Then there is the interest on the local bodies' loans raised in Lon- ' don and Australia, not to -:mention freights, insurance, dividends to share-, holders residing outside cf New Zealand, and a variety of other payments. PRICE OF SUGAR. . Some days ago the Colonial Sugar Refining Co., Auckland, announced a reduction of £3 per ton on sugar. A leading city grocer informed a ' Tress" reporter on Saturday that his firm had- decided to reduce the price of eugar equal to Jd per lb, which is rather more than the wholesale reduc- . .fcion. Canterbury consumers will therefore reap the full advantage of the . drop in the price of sugar. THE ENGINEERING SLUMP. CHRISTCHURCH FIRM'S . EXPERIENCE. J were quoted" by Mr George .'£> wen Wilson,, manager of Andersons, , jLfcd^.. manufacturing engineers, of . <C3iristdiiirch, before the Arbitration ■.€k>wrt- at Wellington on Friday to show ;■ extent of the slump in New %ea--5 the engineering trade. Hie '(.foHo*?ing hours, stud Mr Wilson, had V .worked, in hia concern:- -....._ 399,758 . -.1922-23 283,8Q1 • f'" of reduction" bit the Ws-were a3 follow: 1921-22. ■st'SQ-.Si. peri cent; ; 192-23,. 29 per cent.: • 1923-24j 22..1 p4r cent. In .June, 1920, f'finn: employed in its Christehurch '. ,220 men; 129. were employed in .' - and 1,53* in -192 i. -In one line -.ifactared 1181 :in aid there J --^r^ imported• tp--the country 761 simi- • ?9giDes. .In 1921-22- their manufaoWPes iiad . been -316. and imports • were : - 398 ;, m 1922-23 manufactures ' were ' 4l4j ; jwxd imports 609; in 1923-24 the. 489 .atird ■ 747 respectively. FIXTURES- and offerings. * •; ' • ' Bales. , Soptembar. lat—Brisbane .. 40,000 ; SsptejbW. .. 52,000 . ,:I 'September 19th—Adelaide -.. 30,000 ' r ..September jStlv—Melbonrne .. 15,<)00 ' ''*• September' .. 15,000 < -SWli—Brisbane 43,000 ' ; Uptobe?—Srdney . .. 125,000 ; Tf : ; Vietona • .... .. 65,000 j ;. . ..■ 35,000 ' ; Qbtobcf—Perth ,20,M0 : 'joO.ODO -Victoria,^.. 75,000 '. ivovemlier—Adelaide .... 27.600 .. .. 15,000 '. .. .. 44,000 * Drcembet : - : -& , dTley'' '.. 72,000 ' ..- .. ' ~" ' Cwambfit—Adelaide : ... as'.OOO - ' ... y 7-'."'.' -' - Total ' ' " .. 886,500 itf '■ given are lie first day roster.

POULTRY MARKET. '.a .-Oxizig .to'- the 6rand National demand-tbo mririeeVvof tha' Canterbury Co-opcratiVe Poul- ■ try. Producers, Ltd,. ha 3 been well ■ supplied' with.-' poultry. There <was a good demand, and high prioea were realised. T&blo chickens were ■ from 4a to 13a, hens 4a to Sa, dn&kß 6b kf So, turkeys 16b to 465; geese 7a. to 9b, pullets-up'to l£s. . v Egg Market , ' ' ; Eggs continue' to' oome forward freely and •"there ia'a" keen demr.nd.. The Canterbury ' Co-operative Poultry. Producers, Ltd., "Chain ";J}iaad'! , 'firßt grade eggs are Is. 7d',- seconds Is sd, and ducks' la 5d per dozen. 6 ■ : THE PROPERTY MARKET. fSouli, Guinness, Ltd., sold bypubsuction on Saturday the freehold farm of ~ ®H. 'aoreß Dunsandel,' the property of Mr ' Cunningham, for, £32 per sere, to Mr iju«can GiU*ndere; also, on account Mr • *-*»uncAD. uulandem,'' his ' residential property .■aMSwnner for£l7oo to Mr Alex. Cunning- ..* The picture appearing elsewhere in ' issue, Rowing the new building to ;.l)e creeted for and C 0.,. Limited, .. "was the last .work of, the late Mr A. e! • LnttrfeHj and forms a fitting and last--ing^monument to his ability, as a de- ' signer of modfern business premises;

; ; BROWN BREAD—is ffiade from just the of whole- • imeal'flour,, hygienically prepared and rareftUly cooked iir the -model bake ovens of v the Sanitarium Health Food Co. Its sweet, natty flavour wins instant favour; its healthful food properties at once proclaim it the ideal ... pread; for Buflfefera from: indigestion. , Sk>ld,in 3d .and 6d loaves at the Sani--7 tiuium." Health Food Depot, 708 . street,. opp. Kincaids. Take .•'sample loaf home to-day. 6 - - TABATT, Share and • debenture Broker (number Christchurch Stock comer High ChtartcHurrh. 'Phone, lUtgons: Chrißtchu-ch." , , > V - , 1*6339.3583