COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19027, 26 May 1925, Page 7

COMMERCIAL.

NEW ZEALAND APPLES. ADVERTISING IN LONDON. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] LONDON, A pi. 21. Travellers by tho Underground Railway during tho last week could not help noticing tho excellent posters in nil tho important stations advertising Now Zealand apples. Tho design of the poster is quite simple but none tho less attractive. It consists merely of an exceedingly rosy apple with tho inscription, " Now Zealand apples; the standard of excellence." Tho splash of colour, however, stands out among the other advertisements. A very lino display of fruit is shownat the Nation's Food Exhibition at Olympia. This is a combined appeal to tho people to eat more fruit, and it is supported by all fruit traders except New Zealand. Now although Mr. T. W. Attvvood is doing his own advertising for the Dominion the advertising firm which has undertaken the display of fruit at the exhibition has included several boxes of New Zealand apples in the group. This surely speaks well for tho quality of tho New Zealand fruit. It appears that rather than leave tho Dominion apples out of tho display the firm in question is ready to give them a free advertisement. " Splendid apples grown within the Empire should bo available at more shops and at lower prices," says tho Daily Telegraph. "Quantities are coming to London from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada, but retail rates are far too high to appeal to the majority of consumers. Even in the West End it appears to be beyond reason to price the smallest Cox's Orange Pippins at 3d each. The finest New Zealand Cox's have been sold at Covent Gardens at the rate of Is per lb, and those marked at 3d each would have cost less. Even if the wholesale price was Is the profit would be too much. Counting eight of these small apples to tho pound, the price would bo doubled between the wholesaler and the public. " If one takes an apple from a case fresh from New Zealand it is difficult to credit the journey it has had. It breaks and eats like one just plucked from tho tree. Enormous expense and care have resulted in fruit from tho most distant parts of the Empire being landed perfectly fresh and crisp and of perfect flavour, and it is unfair to the growers and others concerned if its distribution to the public is delayed, with a view to securing an unreasonable profit, until it has depreciated in quality. It would he unfair to give tho impression that all retailors are making extravagant charges for Empire apples, but a good many are, and the purchaser should care fully consider prices and qualities at different establishments, favouring tho retailer who plainly marks his goods with not only the price, but also the source of origin. Willi the exception of American apples all now on sale are Empire-grown, including some of the finest kept English culinary varieties ever seen at this period of the year." CULTIVATION OF TOBACCO. SLOW AUSTRALIAN PROGRESS. Reference was made recently by a Sydney merchant to the slow progress that is being made in New South Wales in the cultivation of tobacco. There is, ho said, an enormous and growing demand for superior leaf, and Australia should be able to- grow high-class tobacco in greater quantities than she was doing at present. He pointed out that England imported two hundred million pounds of tobacco on an average each year, and out of that largo quantity only 9,000,000 lb comes from within the Empire. A lesson was afforded, this merchant said, in the fact that Canada, which five years ago did not export tobacco to England, now did a large and valuable trade. Since 1920 her tobacco exports had grown steadily, and to-day British manufacturers were in the market for all the Canadian high-grade leaf that could bo produced. AMERICAN COTTON CROP. A SHORTAGE PREDICTED. That tho cotton crop of America will not exceed that of last year is the opinion of Mr. Frederick A. Tomlinson, president of the Manchester . Cotton Association, who recently made a two months' visit to the United States, where he was the principal British delegate to the Cotton Convention held in Washington in March. "The general Reeling," said Mr. Tomlinson nn his return (o England, "is that although there will be a larger acreage and better growth east of the Mississippi this year, there will be an equally big deficiency west, unless thero is immediate rain in this sector. The land is in good shape for planting, especially in Texas, but in spite of reports about rainfall the streams were absolutely dry when I left Texas and Oklahoma three weeks ago. In the event of that drought continuing it would be folly to expect a larger cotton crop than last season." THE COST OF STRIKES. AUSTRALIA'S HEAVY LOSSES. The loss forced-on Australia each year through strikes is enormous. Some years ago a suggestion was made that industrial strife might to a very large extent be eliminated if the workers were familiar with a few elementary economic facts. A Sydney writer remark's:—"A popular belief is that the standard of living can bo raised by an increase in wages. To raise the standard of living is a very excellent, ambition, but it is a mistake to think that it. can be done without any regard to production. It. seems hopeless to expect a cessation of strikes until people arc taught not to think of wealth in terms of money, but in terms of commodities. "If wages are raised without an incraese in production, prices must go up, and the .standard of living will consequently remain stationary. Prosperity is not based on the amount of wages received but on the amount of commodities wages will buy." PROPERTY SALES. Richard Arthur, Ltd., yesterday offered at auction the 14-roomed two-storey residence, "Ivanlioe," at Sentinel Road, Heme Bay, on a section with a frontage of approximately 72ft. and ft depth of about 270 ft. Tho property was withdrawn at .£.'5750. It is understood that negotiations for a private sale are ponding. A large quantity of valuable furniture was offered separately. Following ar details of the more important articles disposed of:—Rosewood granfather clock, £104; Spanish mahogany Queen Anne dining tablo, £34: inlaid rosewood Buhl cabinet, £34; pair old Dresden pot ponrri, 2ft, Ciin. high. £33 each; large pair old Satanma vases, £26; two cherry wood dragon chairs, £l3 each; old Spanish mahogany table, £l3. Mr. George Walker yesterday sold for £BIO a section at tho corner of Nolan Road and Adams' Street, Green Lane, together with a corrugated iron workshop. TJie section, which is near tho Green Lane station, has a frontage of nearly 54ft. to Nolan Road and a depth of 150 ft, Richard Arthur, Ltd., will offer by public auction at their upstairs saleroom, Queen Street, opposite Town Hall, at seven o'clock this evening, 12 home sites at Belmont. Takapuna, with frontage 'to King Edward Avenue; also at 7.30 p.m.. 18 sections at Mangere, part of Mr. Mcßurney'a Greenbank Estatp.