GLEN AFTON MINE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22194, 22 August 1935, Page 7

GLEN AFTON MINE

LOSSES EXTINGUISHED COMPANY'S LARGER OUTPUT RAILWAY BOARD PURCHASES [from our own correspondent] HAMILTON, Wednesday A greatly increased output and a profit of £'8573 were disclosed in a review of the business done by Glen Afton Collieries, Limited, during the Inst year, given to the suppliers of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, Limited, by Mr. W. Goodfellow, managing-director of the colliery company. The mines had been fully maintained and were in excellent order, said Mr. Goodfellow. He added that the increased output was due to heavier purchases by the J! ail way Board, and the profit earned was duo to the completion of a five-year agreement between the Waikato colliery companies. The agreement provided for tho maintenance of prices at a payable figure. Provision was also made for the elimination of factors which bad caused friction between the competing companies in the past. Mr. Goodfellow said the Waikato coal industry was now on a safer and more satisfactory basis than at any time during the last decade. During the year 213,270 tons of coal were sold, compared with 172,576 tons for the previous year, an increase of 40,693 tons. Of the quantity sold, 114,396 tons were disposed of to the public, 13,870 tons to suppliers of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, Limited, 40,400 tons to the company's factories, and 44,603 tons to tho New Zealand Railways. After making adequate provision for repairs, maintenance and depreciation, the net profit amounted to £8573. The loss carried forward for tho previous years of £2607 had been extinguished, and the credit balance that had been carried forward amounted to £3966. Concluding, Mr. Goodfellow said if no unforeseen difficulties arose the collieries should be in a position to return quite substantial profits in the future.

PRODUCE MARKETING BRITAIN THE BEST OUTLET IMPROVED METHODS URGED [from our own correspondent] HAMILTON, Wednesday Tho marketing conditions under which New Zealand dairy produce was disposed of during the last year were discussed by Mr. W. Goodfellow, managing director of Amalgamated Dairies, Limited, at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, Limited, to-day. Mr. Goodfellow said the total quantity of the butter and cheese imported into the United Kingdom showed a decline for the year ended June 30, 1935. Butter imports were 469,000 tons, compared with 480.000 tons for the previous year. New Zealand accounted for 125,000 tons, compared with 137,000 tons for the previous year, Australia had sent 114,000 tons, as against 94.000 tons for the previous year, while Denmark had sent 115,000 tons, as against 129,000 for 1933-34. There had been a tremendous increase in the importation of butter into the United Kingdom since 1913, when the total imports from all countries amounted to 200,000 tons. In regard to cheese, the total imports into the United Kingdom during the last year ended June 30 were 143,000 tons, compared with 150,000 tons for the previous year. New Zealand supplied 94,000 tons, compared with 102,000 tons for the previous year, and Canada supplied 25,000 tons, compared with 30,000 tons for tho previous year. The total importation of cheese from all countries to the United Kingdom in 1913 was 114,000 tons. Mr. Goodfellow said there was little prospect of much trade being done with the sale of ghee butter in India. Considerable business had been secured in evaporated milk, especially in Malay and in China.

Eniphasising the fact that the United Kingdom was the only worth-while market for New Zealand produce, and that New Zealand produce was marketed in a very unsatisfactory manner, Air. Goodfellow said apart from the companies with which he was associated no other Empire producer organisation was making any serious effort in the United Kingdom to secure marketing efficiency. It was hoped that the Dairy Board and tho Executive Commission of Agriculture would tackle the proWorn with determination and vigour. Ihe present methods of selling New Zealand dairy produce in the United Kingdom were chaotic.

POSITION IN AUSTRALIA EXTENSIVE 0 RGANISATION Although much more remained to he accomplished, substantial headway had been made with statutory marketing organisation in Australia, stated Mr. A. A. Watson. Director of Marketing in New South Wales, who was a visitor to Auckland yesterday. Mr. Watson arrived bv the Ma ram a from Sydney, via Wellington, and will leave to-day by the Niagara for tho United States. A feature of the organisation in New South Wales was that it aimed deliberately at producer control as distinct from direction by tho Government, Mr. A\ at.son said. Government representation on marketing boards under the Marketing of Primary Products Act in New South Wales was definitely minority representation. It was also to bo noted that the Act, liko similar legislation in Queensland, was purely enabling. It rested solely with the producers whether a board was constituted or not. At the present time there were four boards—the Egg, Rice, WinoGrape and Banana Marketing Boards. In one respect, said Mr. Watson, the New South Wales Marketing Act differed from those enacted elsewhere, in that it provided for the establishment of a State Marketing Bureau, which was, in effect, a bureau of agricultural economics. Iho main work of the bureau, which functioned under the direct supervision of the Director of Marketing, was to collect and disseminate daily news of prices for all primary products. '1 ho information was collected by trained officers, who attended all stock and produce markets and was circulated through tho newspapers and by daily broadcasts. Other work of the bureau included the compilation of seasonal reports, the forecasting of crops, the determination of costs of production, special investigations and the calculation and graphing of prices on both daily and monthly bases. WHOLESALE EGG PRICES Wholesale prices of hen and duck eggs in Auckland are as follows:—First grade, Is Ojrl a dozen; B grade, Hid; C grade, 9£d.