WEIGHTS & MEASURES.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18888, 31 December 1926, Page 12

WEIGHTS & MEASURES.

THE NEW LEGISLATION. Business people will be well advised to make themselves acquainted with the provisions of the Weights and Measures Act, 1925, which will become operative to-morrow. Regulations with regard to it have been gazetted, and they will come into force tho same day. Part 111. of the measure brings the legislation here into conformity with that in force in Britain. It is really the important part of tho Act, and provides for a maximum penalty of tlO for the u*e of denominations of weights and measures other than those prescribed. These are dealt with in attached schedules, giving the avoirdupois measures of weight and metric equivalents. This is departed from in the case of milled products of oats or wheat, a ton of which may consist of 20001b. The measures of capacity, length, and surface to be used are also aiven. The section does not apply to deals in connexion with tho importation or export of goods from or to a country where a system of weights or measures other than that fixed by the Act is used.

By Net Weight. Goods sold by retail by weight or measure must bo sold only by net weight or measure, and every person delivering to any purchaser at any place other than the premises of the seller any goods so sold must deliver forthwith or send to tho purchaser an invoice or delivery note showing the net weight or measure of such goods. This sub-section does not apply to bread or milk or to any goods weighed or measured at the premises of tho purchaser. Another important sub-section reads as follows: —"No person shall at his place of business sell or offer or expose for sale by retail by weight or measure any goods enclosed in a package, unless tho net weight or measure of the goods is legibly written or printed upon the outside of the package, or upon a label attached thereto." A similar proviso is made in the case of this suo-section.

Jt is made an offence, punishablo by a maximum tine of £SO, to state the incorrect net t\-eighb or measure on the invoice or delivery note. It is also provided that where any person offers or exposes any goods for sale by retail by weight or measure in a shop or other place, or in any vehicle, pack, basket, or other receptacle, he must have in a convenient place a suitable weighing instrument or measure; and shall, at the request of a purchaser or inspector, weigh or measure them in tho presence of tho purchaser. Nothing in this part of tho Act prevents the use in trade of a weight or measure of the metric system.

DUNEDIN FRUIT MARKET. (srECIAIi TO THE PRESS.) DUNEDIN, December 30. The holiday demand for both fruit and vegetables has cased, and prices in the marts during the week havo dropped. Merchants complain that the business done by them has not been up to that of previous years. Evidently, a large number of people have gone out of town for the holidays. Supplies of cherries havo been plentiful, and prices are lower than usual at this time of tho year. Both local and Christchurchgrown tomatoeß havo sold well. Supplies are becoming more plentiful as a result of the warmer weather. A small shipment of Itarotongan bananas arrived on Christmas Eve. These woro in good condition when they went under tho hammer on Tuesday, and thoy sold readily. The market is again baro of supplies. Another shipment is due next week. Oranges are scarce in tho wholesale markets. Only Californian navels are on offer at present. Strawberry prices wore considerably easier during the wesk. Supplies are t|OW getting into short compass. Black currants and raspberries have a poor enquiry. The demand for jam-making has not yet sot in. Apples have a fair enquiry. Apricots and plums are bringing good prices, and are selling readily. A line of Island coconuts to hand is selling at 20a per sack. Both greon poas and new potatoes have dropped in price, green peas especially. Vegetables of all descriptions, in fact, havo eased. Current wholesale prices are as follows: Apples, Sturmers 7s to 9s 6d, extra choice 12«, small 3s 6d to 4s 6d, Canadian Is; oranges, South Australian 255, Sydney 18s to 225, Californian navels 42s per double case; lemons, Californian, 35s per double case; bananas, ripe, 35s to 40s per case; raspberries 7s 6d to 8s per bucket; black currants, 4d to 8d per lb, choice Is, others 6d to lOd; gooseberries, ljd per lb; cherry plums, Is per case; cucumbers, 8s to 12s per dojen; black plums, 5d to 6d per lb; strawberries, 9d to Is per pottle; cherries, extra choice blacks, Is 6d; apricots, 5d to 6d per lb; cauliflowers, 7s to 0s per sack (choice only), others 3s to 4s, choice to Is 6d; green peas, Ud to 2Jd; white turnips, Is per dozen bunches; potatoes, new Peninsula 2d, North Island 2jd; Christchurch tomatoes Is 4d to Is 6d, seconds Is to Is 4d, local hothouse Is 4d to Is 6d; rhubarb, ljd to 2Jd per lb; cabbages, choice as to 5s per sack of two dozen, others unsaleable; spring onions, to 4d per bundle; lettuce, choice, 2s 6d per dozen; pannip3 and carrots, new season's, Is to Is 6d per dozen bunches. GOOD PRICES FOR CASEIN. Reporting to his company, Mr Win. Goodfellow, chairman of directors of the >e\v Zealand Co-operativo Hairy Co., says:— The markot for casein is steady, with no change. Heavy forward soles have been made at excellent prices. Skim-milk powder sales in Great Britain, despite keen competition from the United States of America, due to a bad ice-cream season, have been satisfactory. The Australian demand is increasing and the company's agent in Melbourne, who has recently taken over the All Australian Agency, haß been doing on increasing business in open competition with tho Australian spray powder and at higher prices. The special vacuum packing machines for packing full cieam powder and baby food have arrived and will.enable the company to place a full cream powder on the oiarket, and this in a container and in a condition which will be second to none the world over The directors have also just decided to instal a milk condensing plant, which will be attachcetl to tho Waitoa dried milk factory. When in full swing this addition will enable the dried milk factories to divert supplies to sweetened condensed, or, as will probably happen, enable these factories to handle a substantially greater quantity of milk than at present, thu3 greatly reducing the manufacturing coats at the company's three powder factories. WOOL OF THE WORLD. The now c"iy» of wool in South Airica gave uncommonly high quality, but prices were abovo what Europe could entertain. The Continent is a spirited buyer of South African woo! if tho price bo at all tempting. England 13 less keen on these types, though London is the best selling place and centre port, distributing to the chief European users. Holland is very faithful t(: its old Afrikander connexion and especially appreciate;' the "Snow Whites" of Capo and Free State farms. The new clip in South America w?3 satisfactory in quality but short in quantity. With systematic and drastic legislation against large sheepruns pedigreo rams are being purchased, flocks reduced, and wool more studied. Xcw Zealand may lose a competitor with her crossbreds and Australia find one with her merinos and comebacks. Complete wool returns for the agricultural year, which ends August 31st, are published at Rome, and show world exports o: 14,841,000cwt., against 12,195,000cwt only in the previous season. Countries presumably well stocked with woo] are Great Britain, Germany, and Italy, while the U.S.A., Poland, Japan, and Denmark are understocked. But, as the Turin Conference has voted, returns of stocks are much needed seeing that in their absence the actual use and vogue of wool as compared with other fabrics cannot be measured. Great Britain and Ulster imported 7,458,800cwt, or a full half of world importation, for the trade twelve month.