COMMERCIAL.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18221, 4 November 1924, Page 10

COMMERCIAL.

♦ OUT FOR BUSINESS. CARRIAGE OF MOTOR SPIRIT. RAILWAY RATES REDUCED. In furtherance of the Railway Department's policy, the object of which is to capture business at present being done by motor vehicles, a reduction in the rates at which motor spirit is carried by rail is announce/. Up to the present the transport of motor spirit has been practically a monopoly enjoyed by the owners of motor vehicles. The reduced rates apply to motor spirit, distillate, gasoline, naphtha, naphthalene, benzine, benzole and benzolene and they canJe into force yesterday. Lots under one ton will be carried at Clasß A rates, plus 22-i per cent.; and lots of one ton and over will be carried at Class B rates, plus 25 per cent. The following table gives examples of the working of the rew rates, as \ compared with the old rates, from j Christchurch to different centres in Canterbury. The old rates for over 4 cwt and under 1 ton, and for 1 ton and uver were the same: — Over 4 cwt One ton and under 1 ton. and over. Old rate New rate New rate ads d a d To Ashburton .. 46 2 40 5 35 1 ■ To Bakaia. and Little River .. 33 7 » 5 25 0 To Methven .. 49 6 43 3 37 6 -To Culverden .. 55 2 45 10 41 9 s To Timara and "Wainiate .. 27 1 23 8 20 6 "BRITISH EMPIRE GOODS." APPEAL TO PURCHASING PUBLIC (raoic oca owh co&Bxe?on>zj(T.) LONDON, September 26. An association which has for its object the stimulation of trade within the British Empire is to be inaugurated under the title of "British Empire Goods." Lord Askwith, as President, is the head of this new movement, which owes its origin to Mr Godfrey Cheeseman, the - organising secretary. tar Henry Gibson is the hon. treasurer, and the members of the provisional committee are Sir P. HalL. M.P., Sir Harry S. Foster, Mr C. S. Garland, Mr J. Corfield Mr John Walker, Mr E. Harrison, Mr J*. B. Towers, and Mr J. K. Radford. In a preliminary appeal to manufacturers and the general public to support the scheme, it is stated that for some time past there has been a strong feeling that a special effort should be made to direct the minds of the pur- • chasing publio always to ask for British manufactured goods. The organisers point out that there is no up-to-date Merchandise Marks Act, and it is not incumbent upon any foreign firm io stamp their goods with the country of origin, and that ''as things stand to-day we cannot - keep out these foreign finished articles and • can do little.'to protect the wages of our workers,, but we can create a demand for goods manufactured' in this country, thus, at all event?,, saving some of rthe'bnsiness for our British producers and. craftsmen.'' - , Under, rthis/new scheme the .purchasing publio art asked to; sign an undertaking that they w3I ask for, and, as far as> ift practicable accept only goods produced within the British Em- ; pire in preference to foreign imported commodities. # A badge of membership has been de? eigned, .and' this' consists of the letters "B.E.G:."—the-initial letters of th* three words.forming the name of the, organisation—which members will be entitled to idace-'upon thus ■ stamping them as purely British manufactures. To the public the; subscription is to be merely nominal, and there being no overhead charges to provide for, the whole of the proceeds are to be devoted to the promotion of the scheme by advertising in the Press. Influential support by manufacturers and others has already been promised to the Association, whose 'offices are on the premises of the National Union of Manufacturers. In the; course of a day or two further details of the scheme will be available,, and a publicity campaign will be started. LOCAL GROWN STRAWBERRIES. The first strawberries of the season ; iWero submitted at auction yesterday, and, as was to be expected, in,the circumstances, realised a high price. The ~ fruit, which came . from Heathcote - Valley, was, sold to. a retailer by the . auctioneers (Park, Davis and Co.) for i 6s 3d a half-pound/ ' >. .__. THE WORLD'S WHEAT: (BT CASU—PBSSB ASSOCUTIOXT GOPTMOHT.) (Srjwnsr "Sun" aumcot.) M , LONDON, November 2. The International Institute of Agriculture at Rome reports that tho position of the world's wheat ciop is far from favourable. It estimates requirements for the coming season at centals, but adds that supplies during recent years have largely exceeded probable requirements. While there is ho anxiety felt vet, there is a.possibility of the Australian sad Argentine crops not reaching the forecast; then there will be danger of upsetting the equilibrium. Russia will not hare much wheat for export, •ad the new crape of several European countries a» of poor quality. TOMATO CASES. At the monthly meeting of the Chriatfihurch Eruitgroweia Association the following ' resolution -was carried:—"That this association expresses its strong, disapproval of the standardisation of tomato cases (1) because if only one or two standard sixes are used it will mean dearer cases/as the various sues of timber, cannot be. worked in if only one or two sisea are allowed; (2) because merchants have no objection to the present method of casing tomatoes, and they'regard the present sixes w quite-satis-LAN© AUCTION. At their land sale rooms oa Saturday, Messrs H. Matson and Co. offered for sale by publio auction on behalf of Messrs Craig ' and Thomas "Auchengaen Farm," comprising 143 acres and situated on the road between Ohoka and Femside. There was a good attendance of buyers, but though bidding was brisk up to'' » point, the reserve of the owners was not reached. Bidding started at £BO an acre and went to £43. at which price the property was passed'in. FROZEN MEAT MARKET. ' Si\. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile , received the following ■heir London office, under > - unchanged. (Last quota* ther and msiden ewe, light ftUw-Tb. ICwAet'slow.''