EMPIRE PRODUCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20843, 9 April 1931, Page 7

EMPIRE PRODUCE.

NEW MARKETS OPENED. NORTH OF ENGLAND CENTRES. " REVOLUTION IN STOCKING." The great public interest which has been created in Empire produce in the north of England and in Scotland following official criticisms that that part of the country lags badly behind the south in Iho demand for Homo and Empire butter, lias caused something of a revolution in the stocking of retail grocers' shops in that area, says the Scottish Grocer and Provision trader. According to reports received by the Empiro Dairy Council, the representative body recently organised to coordinate tho practical work of popularising Home and Empiro products, there lias been a marked increase, during tho last three months, 111 tho demand for New Zealand and Australian butter, and the number of northern shops now stocking these Empire products is the greatest ever known.

Many influences have been at work to give an impetus lo the demand since the economic section of the Empiro Marketing Board issued a special report revealing the extent to which tho public in the north was restricted in its opportunities for buying Empire butter. Largo supplies of Empire butter of attractive quality and price have been made available for the north, whilo the Empire Marketing Board, experimenting along entirely new lines, has commissioned canvassers to visit retailers to induce them to give tho Empiro product a trial. Great success is attending this innovation. In Manchester, for example, it was the exception a short time ago to find wholesalers stocking Empire butter, but latest reports indicate that practically tho entire wholesale trade is cooperating in the campaign by having ready supplies on hand to meet, the requirements of the retailers. Ships of the Empire " butter fleet" aro being sent to northern ports to discharge cargoes direct in order to meet tho new demand. " Wo are delighted with tho news from tho north," said Sir William Wayland, M.L'., chairman of tho Empire Dairy Council, in an interview. " It is obvious that the desire to buy Home and Empiro foodstuffs knows no geographical divisions when housewives aro given a free choice. Tho question recently put by Captain Osbert Peake, M.l'., through tho press, 'Are northern housewives patriotic?' is being answered by a splendid affirmative."

THE MONEY MARKET. FOREIGN EXCHANGES.

SOUTHERN FISHING GROUNDS. OYSTER-CAN NINO. WORKS. Some good catches of fUh were brought to Bluff last week from the various fishing grounds round the Huapuke and Stewart Islands. The oyster trade is improving, and the canning works are in steady woik. The products of the works are meeting with ready sale, a matter which is of great importance to Bluff. The majority of the rnuttonbirders are now on their respective islands, but there are still a few natives to go down later. BRITISH RAIL RECEIPTS. - MARKED DECREASES. A correspondent of the London Daily Telegraph writes: —A heavy decline in railway traffic receipts for the first eight weeks of this year, compared with the corresponding periods of 1930 and 1929. is shown in the figures issued for the four great groups. For all classes of traffic receipts totalled £22,519.000—£2.672.000 less than in the first eight weeks of 1930, and £2,363,000 less than in 1929. The South Wales coal strike and the Lancashire cotton lock-out were particular causes of reduced traffic. In spite of the industrial depression reflected in these receipts, the four groups and the Metropolitan Railway have in pro-m-ess plans for development and modernisation estimated to cost £30,000.000. These include preparations for electrification by the Loudon, Midland and Scottish of the Barking-Upminsler and BarkingDagenham sections and the completion by the Southern Railway of the major portion ( if the electrification extensions to Reigate, Brighton and West Worthing at a cost of nearly £3,000,000. CHICAGO WHEAT MARKET. CHICAGO, April 7. Wheat.—May, 84 cents per bushel; July, 603 cents; September, 59J, cents; December, 62i cents. KUALA LUMPUR TIN. Owing chiefly to the fall in the price of tin, the net profit of Kuala Lumpur Tin N.L. decreased from £48,069 in the year ended September 30, 1929, to £6650 for the year ended September 30, 1930. Only one dividend was paid last year, but the company has substantial cash reserves, ami it is probable, according to the directors annual report, that a dividend will lie paid in May. The company's dredges will continue for some time to operato in poor ground, and the co-operative restriction plan, lately adopted by the Governments of all tin-producing countries, will not permit of larger individual yardages being treated to compensate for poorer returns. Shareholders, however, will take comfoit, in the fact that the richest part of the company's area is not being depleted.

LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE. LONDON, April 7. On 1110 London Slock Exchange to-day, Dnlgcty and Company's sharos are quoted at £6 7s 6d, and 4 per cent, debenture stock at £6B.

British Wireless. RUGBY, April i. The following rates 011 foreign exchanges are current to day, compared with the cabled quotations 011 March 26 and par: April 7; March 20. Par. Montreal, dol. .. 4.80J 4.80 5-112 4.800 New York, dol. . 4.85 •1.85 29-32 4.800 Paris, fr. .. -1'2-i.'2'23 121.225 124.21 Brussels, helga .. 34.915 34.915 35.00 Geneva, Sr. .. 25.215 — Amsterdam, 11. .. 12.12 12.10 Borne, lira .. 92.815 92.755 92.40 Berlin, r.111. .. 20.11 20.385 20.43 Stockholm, kr. .. 18.15i 18.1 li 18.159 Oslo, kr. .. IS.Hi 18.10 18.159 Copenhagen, kr. . ' 18.10] ltUr.l 18.159 Vienna, sell. .. 31.355 31.505 3i.585 Prague, kr. v 101 Hvl 21.02 llclsinsfors, mark 193* 19,'15 192.23 Madrid, pes. .. 11.1 •15.1 25.225 Lisbon, e?ru. .. 108.25 108.25 •11 Athens, dr. _ .. 375 3 75 375.00 Bucharest, lei. .. 817 817 25.225 "J'io de Janeiro, mil. 3 'J 1 -U'2 ;(ii-ir, 5.899d .Buenos Aires, dot. .'SI) 1-1(1 :in 5-132 .17.57 rl Montevideo, dol. 352 :t5: 4 7.57d Calcutta, rupee . 17 13-10 17 27-32 18d Shanghai, tael .. 11.; ■15} — Hongkong, dollar 11? 12! — Yokohama, yen . 21 13-32 21 13-32 24.58(1 Batavia, tl. 12.13, 1 12.10