BY THE MILLION

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 732, 3 August 1929, Page 6

BY THE MILLION

BIG SALE OF OYSTERS' SINCE SEASON OPENED SAMOA WANTS A SACK Auckland certainly likes oysters. Since the oyster season opened a fortnight ago, approximately 1,655,000 oysters have been disposed of at the Government depot. During the past fortnight something like 1,750 sacks of the shellfish have been sold. Each sack contains on an average 85 dozen oysters, so that the total number is easily compiled. At £1 4s a sack, the Government price, the revenue from oysters has reached more than £2,000. It may be more, as large quantities have been sold in sugar sacks and paper bags. Auckland oysters are in demand in many parts of New Zealand. Some go as far south as the West Coast of the South Island. Christchurch and Wellington retailers also write for supplies, and of course quantities are sent to towns nearer the city, such as Hamilton, Whangarei, and Rotorua. When the Maui Pomare sails for Apia on her next trip, a sack of oysters will make up part of her cargo. Samoa is the only territory outside the Dominion to which Auckland oysters can be sent. Government regulations prohibit the export of the Auckland delicacy to Australia or to any other of the Pacific Islands, principally because it might cause a shortage for the local market. Samoa is favoured because it is controlled by New Zealand. Supplies of oysters from the beds are keeping up this year, and the quality of the shellfish is much higher than it was last season. By far the oiggest supplies come from the beds at Russell, the next best being from Ponui and Waihcke, in the gulf.