BUSINESS ACTIVITY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22344, 15 February 1936, Page 9

BUSINESS ACTIVITY

IMPROVEMENT LAST YEAR RECORD SALES TAX YIELD A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS The close of 1935 saw an improving tone in business conditions generally in the Dominion, according to the latest Abstract of Statistics. The following evidence of expansion in internal business activity is quoted:—• "The aggregate value of bank debits, excluding Government, was £686,500,000 in 1935, compared with £676,200,000 in 1934 and £559,100,000 in 1933. "The total value of building permits issued in the larger towns was £4,452,997 in 1935, compared with £3,529,703 in 1934. The number of permits issued for the erection of private dwellings totalled 3038 in 1935, compared with 2006 in 1934.

"The total value of New Zealand factory products in the, 1934-35 production year was 10.5 per cent higher than in 1933-34, employment in factories increasing by 9.2 per cent. "The value of land transfers registered'in 1935 was 23.1 per cent higher than in 1934, while the value of mortgage registrations increased by 45.5 per cent. These increases are a significant indication of a revival "of confidence in real estate as an investment.

"Sales tax collected in the calendar year 1935 totalled £2,389,939, which is 12.9 per cent higher than the total in 1934, £2,116,573, indicating a substantial increase in wholesale transactions. The collections for December, £223,970, ■were a record for any month since the tax came into operation. "Returns issued by the Unemployment Board at four-weekly intervals disclose a decrease in the number of unemployed males. The averages of the totals shown in the 13 returns compiled for each of the last three years were — 1933, 47,221; 1934 , 39,480; and 1935, 38,572. The 1935 figure is 18.3 per cent below that shown for 1933." THE CITY MARKETS VEGETABLES PLENTIFUL LOWER LEMON PRICES There were heavy supplies of all classes of fruit at the City Markets yesterday, many lines being hard to quit owing to damage suffered in tho recent storm. Plums, oranges, apricots and blackberries met with a ready sale, but the demand for apples, hothouse grapes and lemons was only fair. The recent rise in lemon prices apparently was only temporary, values being much lower again.

In the vegetable section supplies of cabbages, swedes, potatoes and pumpkins considerably exceeded the demand. There were also large supplies of peas and cauliflowers, but these lines sold exceptionally well. On the whole, vegetables are much more plentiful than is usual at this time of the year. The supply of poultry was heavy. The prices of hens, young drakes and cockerels were much lower than those ruling at the beginning of the week. The values of eggs and farmers' butter remain unaltered. Prices were: — FRUIT Apples, Albany Beauty, extra choice coloured, 4a to 5s 6d case; others, 29 to 3s; Cos's Orange, 4s to 7s 6d; windfalls and others. Is to 2s; pears, Williams' Bon Chretien, Hawke's Bay, 5s 6d to 7s; local, 4s to 4s 6d; tomatoes, outdoor, ex choice smooth, 2s 6d to 3s; others. Is up; oranges, Californian, 38s Gd; grapefruit, Californian, 28s to 30s; lemon, choice cured, picked dbunts, 8s to 12s; others, 2s 6d to 4s; bananas, ripe, 12s to 17s; grapes, hothouse, Hamburg, Gd to lid; Coleman, 9d to Is 3d; peaches, Paragon, 2s to 2s 6d a case, 4s to 6s a crate; others, 2s to 2s 6d; plums, Satsuma, 4s to 6s; Purple King, 4s 6d to 6s 6d; Doris, 4a to 5s 6d; Greengage. 7s to 8s; others, 3s to ss; nectarines, choice, 4s to 8s; strawberries, Captain Cook, 9d to Is 4d; blackberries, 5d to 8d; mushrooms, according condition, 15s to 19a 6d a benzine tin; coconuts, 15s. FIELD PRODUCE Beet, 8d to 8d a dozen; celery, cooking. 6d to 9d a bundle; dessert, Is to 2s 6d; carrots, 4d to lOd a dozen; cauliflower, 7s to 9s a sack: cabbage. Is to 3s 6d; on benches, 6d to Is dozen; cucumbers. 2d to 4d: French beans, 23 to 4s a bag; stringless. 4s to 8s; green peas, 3s to 9s a bag; kumaras, new season, 2d to 3d per lb; lettuce, 2s to 7s a case; marrows, 6d to la 3d a dozen: rock melons, 2d to Is each; onions, 2s to 2s 9d a bag; potatoes, No. 1, Is 6d to 2s 6d; No. 2, 6d to 9d; pumpkins, 2s 6d to 5s per cwt; parsnips, 6d to Is a dozen; radish, 9d to Is; rhubarb, Is to 2s; spring onions, 8d to Is 4d a bundle; swedes. Is to 2s Gd a bag; turnips, 3d to 4d a dozen. POULTRY Cockerels, heavy breeds, prime, 3s to 4s each: not prime, 9d up; light prime. Is 3d to 2s 3d: not prime, 6d up; fat roosters, heavy, prime. Is 6d to 2s: light, Is to Is 6d: fat hens, heavy. Is 6d to 2s 3d; light. Is to Is 6d; pullets, heavy, best, 3s 6d to 5s fid: smaller, Is 6d up; light, best, 3s 6d to 5s 6d; smaller. Is Gd up; drakes, young, prime, Is Gd to 2s; smaller, 9d up; old, 9d to Is 3d; ducks, young. 3s to 4s; old, 9d to Is 3d; geese, 3s to 4s 6d; turkey hens, 4s to 6a; gobblers, 6s to 14s; guinea fowls, 2s 6d to 3s 6d. FARMEfiS' BUTTER AND EGGS Eggs, hen, firsts. Is 7|d a dozen; B, Is 55d; C, Is o}d; duck, firsts, Is 6jd a dozen; B. Is sid; C, Is l}d. Butter, farmers', 9d to Hid per lb. CANTERBURY PRODUCE CHIEF INTEREST IN WHEAT [BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION] CHRISTCHUIICH, Friday The wheat harvest is at present keeping farmers -busy, and apart from potatoes thero is not a great deal of interest in the produce markets. "Wheat has naturally not been coming in so freely in the last few days, but a certain amount of fowlwheat is being offered. Sinco the Government announcement of a general price for this season trade lias been stimulated and business has been done at slightly firmer prices. Prompt fowlwheat is quoted at 4s Cd a bushel f.o.b. and spread is worth the same amount * The small seeds trade continues dull with very little interest in any line and not a. great deal offering from the country. Farmers at the moment are more concerned with their wheat than with anything else. Oats are not offering particularly freely. A large quantity of oats has gone* into stack in the meantime, and the quotation has hardened slightly because of the small offerings. The rise is probably only temporary, as the Government forecast of yields shows a very substantial ircrease in the crop. A Gartons are quoted at 2s 8d a bushel f.o.b. for prompt, with spread a penny cheaper. Prompt B's are worth 2s 5d a bushel. There has been rather more interest in the potato market, but all inquiries are being made from the North Island on the basis of 75s f.0.b., which is 2s 6d below the ideas of the local market. A few sales have been made at the lower figure, hut they have all been of very small lots. There has been no great inquiry for onions, which remain at £2 10s to £2 los a. ton for prompt and £2 10s for March delivery. The main" crop is just beginning to come in and should be well under way by tho end of tho month.