PRICES EASIER

Grey River Argus, 1 December 1938, Page 5

PRICES EASIER

ADDINGTON SALES

Heavy Beef Shows Big Drop

[Our Own Correspondent]

CfiRISTCHURCH, November 30.

At the Addington sales to-day, score sheep made a small yarding, comprising mostly wethers and mutton. Hoggets were in keener demand, with 1 values slightly better for withers. 1 Hoggets were selling at from 8s lOd to 14s Id and wethers to 21s. Ewes and rams sold to 15s 9d. There being a! better demad of lambs, there was a 1 smaller entry of 400. The sale opened ceenly, but continued erratically, the) best lambs selling at 8d to BSd per lb., i and best lambs fetched to 30s id. I The fat sheep entry comprised 5,000, The sale opened better with wethers a shade easier than ewes. As the sale progressed, values receded,, wethers and lambs being easier by Is 6d, and heavy ewes by 2s; butchers being unable to take the yarding. | Best wethers sold at 27s lOd and best ewes at 19s lOd. I

The fat cattle entry comprised 450 head. The quality was poor. Cull cows and store steers were prominent with sale values slightly easier. Middle weight steers were easier by 10s. The heavy weights' drop was more pronounced. Best beef sold around about 40s per 100 lbs. Extra prime heavy steers fetched £l7 2s 6d; prime heavy steers £l5 5s to £l6 10s; prime medium steers £l4 5s to £l5 10s; ordinary steers £ll to £l4; light steers to £lO 10s. Extra prime heifers reached £l4 7s 6d; prime heifers £lO 10s to £l2; medium heifers £9 to £lO ss; light heifers to £8 15s. i

Extra prime heavy cows sold to £l3 12s 6d; prime heavy cows £9 to £ll 10s; medium cows £7 5s to £8 15s; light cows to £7.

The veal entry comprised 250 head 1 of which the quality was poor. Values! were definitely easier in all classes, with a drop in the vicinity of 10s a I head. | In store cattle, there was a fair, entry. An excellent showing of good ■ quality 12-month to 2-year Red Pole steers sold to £9 19s. Thirteen and-eighteen-month to 2-year Poll-Short Horn cross reached £8 8s 6d. Other steers sold at £7 8s 6d to £9 ss.

There was a good sale of graziers’ cows and yearling heifers. In fat pigs and pork, there was a large entry, the quality being fair. There was a general easing in price by 2s to 3s a head, doubtless due to the pork and bacon schedule dropping.

Baconers were forward in smaller numbers, values easing further on last week’s rates by 3s to 5s a head. Choppers sold at £2 10s to £5 8s 6d; light pork 37s 6d to 42s 6d; medium pork 43s 6d to 46s 6d; heavy pork 47s 6d to 52s 6d; extra heavy pork 54s 6d to 59s 6d. The price per lb. was 6Bd to 7d.

Light bacon reached 57s 6d to £3 7s 6d; medium bacon £3 9s 6d to £3 15s 6d; heavy bacon £3 17s 6d to £4 14s 6d, the price per lb. being 61 d to 63d.

the delegates returned to the position ’that the' ring must be operated with the same number of men as the chain, namely 35, and they would continue the discussion on no other basis.

_ “The company pointed out that the ring is three times the length of the chain, and in other countries is considered, from the point of view cf convenience to the workers and also mechanically, an advance on the chain or any other method of handling the large numbers of sheep and lambs which it is necessary to kill at the peak of the season. Especially ’is it so for the rush of bobby calves, often up to 9,000 or more a day in the calving period.

“The union has called out every worker in the factory, approximately 733 men and 134 boys and girls, although there are only 70 men involved in the operation of the ring at the present time. The company offered to facilitate the setting-up of a disputes’ committee or reference to the Court.”

Secret Ballot

TO BE HELD TO-DAY.

AUCKLAND, November 30.

Eight hundred idle Westfield freezing workers will decide by secret ballot to-morrow morning, whether or not they will return to work. This was the decision reached by a further mass meeting, this morning, when the failure of yesterday’s negotiations was discussed.

It is stated that, if the vote is in favour of a return to work, it will be put into effect only under protest, and that work will not be resumed until the following day. Immediate steps are to be taken to refer the disputed clause in the award to the Arbitration Court again, by way of an appeal against the interpretation given by Mr Gilmour, S.M., it is likely that the Union will ask the Court to remedy any defect which it might decide exists in the award. Mr W. E. Sill, Secretary of the Freezing Workers’ Union, said to-day that the workers’ grievance was not only the result of Mr Gilmour’s decision, but was also owing to the fact that, because of pressure of work on the Arbitration Court, they would be unable to have the matter rectified within a reasonable time.