COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18927, 27 January 1925, Page 7

COMMERCIAL.

THE MEAT MARKET. PRICES AT SMITHFIELD. The New Zealand Meat Producers' Board has received 4he fefllawisig cablegram from its London ofiicfe, dated January 23, advising Smithfield delivered prices at that date as follows: New Zealand Ewes.—64lb and under, B|d. Now Zealand Beef-.—Ox fores, 4}d per lb; ox hinds, s|d. Argentine.—Chilled beef: Ox fores, 4id per lb; hinds, 6d. Frozen beef: Ox fores, 'Ud; hinds, 6d. Frozen Pork.—SOlb to 120lb, 8d per lb. The board has received a cablegram from its representative at Buenos Aires, South America, advising the following shipments to the United Kingdom for the fortnight ended January 23, from Argentine and Uruguay:--215,356 quarters of chilled beef, 24,289 quarters of frozen beef, 350,907 carcases of frozen mutton, 106,020 carcases of frozen lamb. The quantity shipped to the Continent of Europe during the same period totaiied: — 133.650 quarters of frozen beef, 19,959 carcases of frozen mutton. LONDON WHEAT MARKET. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. {Reed. 8.5 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 25. Wheat.—Cargoes are steady, and occasionally higher. There is continued Continental demand, Parcels opened quiet and closed steady. Sellers are reserved. Liverpool futures; March, 14s 83d (sellers); May, 14s 3d; July, lis Ojd (sellers). CHRISTCHURCH GAS CO. NET PROFIT OF £23,467. The usual dividend of 10 per cent, is recommended by the directors of the ChriStchurch Gas Company in their report for KM,. to be presented to the annual meeting next Tuesday. Sales of gas, coke, tar, etc., amounted to £181,935 (.£382,329 in 3923), while manufacturing costs and administrative expenses amounted to £136.547 (£133,652); interest, .£4293 (£4072); bad debts, 1162 (£63); contribution to employees' endowment assurance, £3204 (—); and depreciation, £11,313 (£13,455); leaving a balance of £28,467 (£27,086). With the balance of £5863 brought forward, there is a total of £34,331 available. The interim dividend absorbed £11,581 15s, and the final dividend will be of equal amount. The directors propose to place £SOOO to the reserve fund, the_ game aa last yei-r, leaving £6167 to be carried forward. The report mentions that during the year the directors inaugurated a scheme of life insurance asji superannuation for employees who had served tbe company for five years and upwards. The eornpany pays half the premium, and the employees the other half by weekly payments. The scheme is working well, about 80 per cent, of those qualified having taken, advantage of it.