EMPIRE BUYING.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20907, 14 July 1933, Page 13

EMPIRE BUYING.

NEW RECORDS SET. MARKETING BOARD'S REPORT. 1 Zealand figures prominently jfrrtong the new records set for quantises of foodstuffs imported into Engloiid for the year just ended, according to the annual report of the Empire Marketing Board, published on June 8.; Four New Zealand products, frozen lamb, butter, apples, and pears, have been imported into the United Kingdom in greater quantities than ever " before, states the report. The pears, thw "butter, and the lamb beat in each *ase the record established in 1931, while the apples beat very easily the record of 1930. Frozen lamb now totals some eight and a half million carcases, while butter has passed the mark of two million cwt, and totals 2,190,000 cwt. Apples have risen from 380,000 cwt to 573,000 cwt, and nears have more than doubled, from 19,500 cwt to 40,000 cwt. These records stand in a list of 24 new records made by Empire commodities in the market of Great Britain. Two-thirds of these records beat a record previously established in 1931, and the table affords striking proof of the growing demand that there is in the United Kingdom for the products of the Empire. Research Programmes. The Empire Marketing Board has been working during the last year on a much smaller grant, the net vote being limited to £300,000. As in previous years, the bulk of the board's income has been devoted to the promotion of scientific research likely to be of value to the whole Empire, and once again the main portion of the annual report is devoted to accounts of the scientific work done with the board's money all over the Empire. The planning of joint programmes of research which the board undertook two years ago, when it invited the different parts of the Empire to put on record what subjects tney considered it most Important for research workers to Investigate, has made further prolast year the board has been precluded by its reduced vote from extending its scientific commitments, but it has maintained with but small reductions its existing and outstanding grants, and the institutes benefited give in the report full accounts of the ■work done and progress made. Among the newer developments may be mentioned tea research in India, where the relevant facts about leaf production have been collected for the benefit of the industry, and tobacco research in Southern Rhodesia. Among new industries mention should specially be made of the pineapple canning industry in Mauritius. In the report of last year it was recorded that the board had made a grant to meet half the cost of importing 300,000 pineapple crowns from Hawaii into Mauritius to help to establish a canning industry in the colony. A comparatively large area has now been laid down, and the export of canned pineapple looks like becoming a new source of strength to Mauritius.

Work of the Officers.

The report, in describing the work of the board's marketing officers, who approach bulk purchasers of commodities in order to interest them in obtaining their supplies from the Empire. shows that all the major local authorities in Great Britain and Northern Ireland have now been approached, and tender forms covering supplies to some 1500 institutions have been submitted to the board for suggested amendment in favour of Empire buying. Most of the principal railway and shipping companies, large , hotels, public schools, and voluntary hospitals have also been approached, and the results have been most satisfactory. ' It is not only foodstuffs that benefit by this work; the board's officers also press the claims of Empire timbers, of ropes made from Empire sisal, of Eng-lish-made glass, and urge the use in hospitals of Home manufactured supplies. The trade advisory committees, ■which help the marketing committee of the board, have been of the utmost assistance in this way. The board spent £60,000 on publicity in 1932-33, its activities including the running of Empire shops at Sheffield and Cardiff. NATIONAL BANK OF N.Z., LIMITED. PAYMENT OF FINAL DIVIDEND. The general manager of the National Bank of New Zealand, Ltd., announces payment to-morrow (July 15) of a final dividend at the rate of 4 per cent, per annum, free of tax, for the half-year ended March 31 last. .This dividend will be payable an New Zealand, at any branch of the National Bank of New Zealand, Ltd., at current rate of exchange for demand drafts on London on the date or negotiation. ' As an interim dividend at the rate «f 4 per cent., free of tax, was paid m January last, the total dividend for thd year is 4 per cent,, which with the exchange added will give the shareholder in New Zealand a return of ,£4 12s lid per cent, for the year. -This bank shows its capital and reserves as under: — £ Subscribed capital . • 6,000,000 Paid up capital 2,000,000 Reserve fund (invested in Government securities) 2,000,000 Reserve liability of share- „ holders 6,000,000 £10,000,000 And in addition there are undivided profits carried forward of £114,742. In the balance-sheet liquid assets stand at £9,307,000, which are equivalent to 56 per cent, or lis 7d in the £ of total liabilities to the public and for every £ l 0 f its own funds the bank is holding only £3 18s Id of the public s money, which is an exceptionally strong position.

CTRUS FRUITS. kbply to dr. thacker. («isa igaOCIATIOV I'/.tEfiß/if.) TAURANGA, July 13. Owing to the agitation in various P*ftß of New Zealand to have the embargo against the importation or : Au#tralian citrus fruits removed, the Tsuranga Citrus Association has telegrams to the Governorthe Acting-Prime Minister, fad the Minister for Agriculture refut- ! statements made by Dr. H. T. •n Thacker in his message to the Gov- : «W«£-General to the effect that in the ®7®nt of an Influenza epidemic confll- •' would be disastrous. K(VVI f, ~ TRe association says that it has SOW ?**•* of lemons in store, which would ; y available immediately, and further Epftendwia crops are ready to pWK. iMOciation further says that the Sjwtry would he threatened with exshould the Mediterranean ®y gat in, and urges the JJW' to maintain the prohibition j JWwt the import of fruit from m|k*WvW, countries.