EGGS FOR BRITAIN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21359, 7 December 1932, Page 7

EGGS FOR BRITAIN

DOMINIONS' LOW EXPORTS FOREIGN COMPETITION [from our own correspondent] LONDON, Oct. 28 Mr. J. B. Merrett, of the Australian egg marketing organisation, writes to the Poultry World, upholding the claims of Dominion eggs. His letter is a protest against another letter which deprecated business relations with the Dominions. "Our Dominions," lie says, "have a right to trade in this country. It is remarkable. that foreign countries, who take a pound from this country and spend back 4s 6d are applauded, while Australia and New Zealand spend practically a pdund for every pound received. From 1931 Australia bought from Great Britain £586,000,000 worth of goods. Surely this does not look as if their only object 'is to get rich at our expense' ? Our Dominions send about 30 out of every 1000 eggs consumed in Great Britain, while foreigners send 430 out of 1000. "Great concern is frequently expressed at the encroachment Dominion eggs are making on the English market. In a sense it is to lie regretted because the homo producer loses good prices in winter, while he tides over the summer season at cheap rates. The market is not affected solely by Dominion eggs. Foreign conntries unload in enormous quantities, even though exchange and duty are 35 per cent against them. China sends over £3.000,000 worth of frozen eggs to Great Britain. If this section of the egg business were transferred to our .Dominions and the foreign shell eggs, wero inoro heavily taxed tlie English producer would have the market to himself.

"What about an adjustment of this kind ? Are your readers ready to support it? Tho plan suggests itself to me, but we shall need the support of the home producer for a quota against China in order to encourage a rapid production in the Dominions to supply the frozen eggs 1 needed by Great Britain. DEMAND FOR GAS INDUSTRY STILL GROWING EXPERIENCE IN AUSTRALIA In his presidential address at the annual conference of the Australian Gas Institute Mr. S. J. Janes said although, owing to the depression, gas production of the peak year, 1929, had not since been reached, there was evidence that the gas industry was still growing. New avenues of business were continually opening. . "The Australian gas industry," said Mr. Janes, "has more than quadrupled its output since 1902. Its output, has increased by 79 per cent since the war and during the same period the number of consumers has risen 81 per cent.« There are now more than 764,000 gas consumers in Australia."

Mr. Janes said that during 1931 no less an amount than £856,433 was distributed in wages and salaries by the gas companies in Sydney and upwards of £1,750,000 by the industry in the Commonwealth. The importance of the gas industry to Australia was further shown by the purchase of nearly 1,000,000 tons of coal a year and the fact that practically all the materials required in the construction and upkeep of the gas works and the appliances used for the consumption of the product were made in Australia.