WESTPORT-STOCKTON COAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18641, 23 February 1924, Page 7

WESTPORT-STOCKTON COAL.

NO DIVIDEND DECLARED. . ' —Labour troubles which r resulted ' in. 1 the Westport,-Stockton j Company*# > mines beingi emit ' down- for : about, four months • naturally affected « the earnings, of :. the ?. company. 4 ana the net : profit for i the year > endod December 81, 1928, . was only £312, which, with < £1469 brought forward, carve an available balance of < £1781, which, the directors have, decided to carry forward; this means that the shareholders receive no dividend;'sir , The profit and loss account snows balance from coal account £44,740, transfer fees £14, and : discounts, commission, etc;; 5; £83, making a total' of £44,897, ■ 'Freight and distribution expenses, v! royalty, interest, fees, salaries, h etc., amounted: to £44,525, leaving £312 as a net profit. £ The balance-sheet a show« :i ? Liabilities Paid-up capital. £197,785 ;s6l > per cent, debentures, £45,095, reserve account £7874, sundry creditors £3887, and : credit : balance £1781, total £255,923. ■ Assets—Property : account . £225.667, furniture : £208, tools and stores / £10,352, claims £48, sundry >: debtors ! £551, y house-purchase debtors £6539, 5 War Loan 'and* deposits - £8086, cash 'at bankers and in , hand £4472, total £225,923. The stoppage in the " coal mines; necessitated the imports of coal «from Australia, and . that $ increased f New Zealand's - indebtedness to the Commonwealth, the effects of which will •be felt presently when Australia demands payment for the trade balance.

; MARKET REPORTS. : : FRUIT AND 'PRODUCE: . Considerably higher prices ruled at the Auckland Markets yesterday, for. stone fruits. Tomatoes also showed an increase! m price, ' Plums, peaches and pears realised good .prices and apples, which were j generally in good condition, had . ready sale' :■ -'i . ..U, FRUIT , v ( Apples were ? disposed ?• of at satisfactory rates. - Graven were bought at from # 9s to lis for choice varieties and. 4s to 7b for lower grades. Choice Loemains brought from 6s to 6a 6d a case and others, from 8s to 5s a ' case. Willie Sharps, of ohoice variety brought ,6s and others, from 4s to 5e a case. Cookers were 6s a .case, for best quality; 3s to 4s for smaller grades. Choice eating peaches were 8s to 10a a case and cookers, 4s 6d to 6s 6d a case. , Plums,. are now falling , off in supply. Doris realised lOs.to lis for beet and 8s to 9s for second grades. Satiuma were quitted at from 6s to 9s a case and Orleans from 6s to 7s a. case. ' First-class 'tomatoes had sale at the [ high prce of 10« a case, but others were auctioned from 3s to 7s a case. Bon Cretien pears were disposed of at 15s » case for prime samples. Lower grades brought from 10s to 12s and from 6s to 8s 6d a case and cookers, 5s to 8s a case. Gro-Colman grapes were bought at from Is 6d to 3s per lb., Hamburgs, 9d to Is 8d per, lb., and Albanys, 16a 6d a crate. Prices ranging from 4s to 6s were paid for passion fruit. The high rate of 44s was paid per ca«e of American oranges. No bananas were available. VEGETABLES. " Potatoes were 5' in ; fair > supply and : the demand was keen. For best quality, free from blight and rust, from 10s to 149 6d per cwt. was realised. The supply of onions was short from 10s to 12s 6d per cwt being paid. Kumaras came forward in large quantities being sold.from Ud to ltd per lb. Pumpkin were plentiful, bringing 6s to 9a per cwt. Lettuce were sold from Is to 2& 6d a dozen, cabbage, 4s to 6a 6d & dozen and parsnips, carrots, turnips and beet, 9d to Is ,4d a dozen. From 2d to fa 6d each was paid for rock melons and 8d to la 3d each for water melons. Celery brought Sd to 2s 3d » bundle. Marrows from Is to 4s 6d a dozen, and cucumber from 3d to Is 6d » dozen, also had ready sate. Green peas.' sold at Sid to 5d per lb. and beans at Id I to lid per lb. Rhubarb brought la 6d to 2s a dozen bundles. " POULTRY.'' t ... Heavy cockerels sold at from 8s 9d to 5s 9d; light cockerels, from 2s 6d to 8s 9dj heavy hens, 2s 3d to 3s 6d; light hms, Is 3d to 2s 3d each. Old ducks ■ realised from Is 3d to 2a 5d- young ducks from Is to 8s 9d each; while pullets were readily , sold at from 2s to 7s each.',': X s /' DAIRY PRODUCE. ; . "/.j ' j A fairly good supply ,of eggs was marketed. Hen eggs brought from Qs to 2s 2d a dozen and < duck eggs, Is lOd to Is lid a dozen. Farmers' butter, which was in mediuM supply,'sold at aa average price of Is 5d per lb., from Is 4d to Is -7d being Paid,.':.,. . tj CLAUDELANDS STOCK SALES, : I The Farmers' - Co-operative Auctioneering ! Company, Limited, report aa follows :— At Claudelands on Thursday we had, an average yarding of stock the bulk of which was cleared. Beef was in fair demand and sold at values equal to late , sales, steers making' from £8 *7a 8d to £9 6a . for the, beat; medium weights, £6 Is.to £7; fat cows, £4 Is to £5 for the best; lighter weights, £3 to £8 ,15s. A line of good qualI ity grown steers . made £4 ss, but competition was: not brisk. The same remark-might | be applied to store : cattle generallyA number of pens of calves failing to draw a bid r i Competition for sheep was . also quiet but pigs drew good.bidding,. beet baconers making to £4 148: light baconers, £3 5s to I £3 168; porkers, £2 10s to £8; we&nei ! pigs. 7s to lis. PROPERTY t SALES Mr. C. P. Bennett reports : th» sale at i auction of a i two-ntoreyed Wooden dwelling at the corner of Remuera and Ridings lioada 1 for £1670. Several other properties were offered for Sale, but the reserves not being reached, they were withdrawn.