FRUIT AND PRODUCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 943, 9 April 1930, Page 11

FRUIT AND PRODUCE

WELLINGTON MARKET REPORT FROM BROKERS Laery and Co., Ltd., Wellington, report present values as follow: Apples: Fancy Cox Orange, lus, 12s; Jonathans, 6s to 7s: Delicious, 6s 6d to 7s 6d; Sturmers, 6s to 7s: cookers, 4s 6d, 5s 6d bushel. Pears: Choice Coles, 6s 6d to 7s 6d; Nelis. 5s 6d to 6s 6d: others, 3s 6d to 4s 6d bushel. Peaches: Choice dessert, Ss to 10s; others, 6s Gd to 7s 6d half case. Gooseberries: Choice, 5s to 5s 6d halfcase. Passions: Choice large, 6s to 6s Gd; others, 4s 6d to 5s 6d a box. Lemons: Choice cured, 16s to ISs; others, 10s to 13s a bushel. Quinces: Choice, 8s to 10s; others, 6s 6d to 7s Od a bushel case. Grapes: Choice Hamburg, Is 6d to Is 9d; others, 9d to 3 s a lb. Tomatoes: Choice Red, 6s Gd to 7s Gd; coloured, 5s 6d to 6s a half case. Cucumbers; Choice, 10s to 32s banana case; 4s to Gs half case. Pumpkins: Choice Red, 8s to 9s a sack. Celery: Choice, 3s Gd to 4s Gd dozen heads. Lettuce: Choice, 6s to Ss banana case. Kumeras: Choice, 3s to 4s sugar bag. Cabbage: Choice Savoy, 9s to 10s a sack. Cauliflowers: Choice, 8s to 12s a sack. Black Leaf 40: In 101 b. tins, 555; 21b tins, 14s 6d a tin; Mb. bottles, 5s 3d each; loz. bottles, 14s 6d a dozen A.M.P. YEAR N.Z. BUSINESS RECORDS Very satisfactory progress is recorded by the Australian Mutual Provident Society for the year ended December 31, 1929. New policies were written in the ordinary department for £15,107,915, which amount has only once been exceeded in the history of the Society in 1928. New business written in the industrial department was £4,353,91G, a record for tho department. Interest received during the year came to £ 3,807,688 in the ordinary department and £494,370 in the industrial department, both amounts showinf? a large increase over tho figures of the preceding year. Payments made for death and matured claims (including bonuses) in the ordinary department amounted to over three and uhalf millions, and in the industrial department over £550,000. The accumulated funds of both departments have been increased by over £4,500,000, and now stand at the huge figure of £76,779,055. The investment and contingency reserve fund has been increased by £200,000 and now stands at £800,000; the book value of office premises and other assets have been further written down by a sum of £70,665 14s 9d. After providing these ample reserves, the cast surplus available for division among participating policy-holders in the ordinary department is nearly three millions, which will provide revisionary bonus additions of over five millions, and in the industrial department £213_,554, providing revisionary additions of £309,000. The society was called upon to pay very largely increased taxation iii Australia last year, but economical maangement and judicious investment of funds reveal that the rate of interest realised on tho mean funds was £5 14s 4d, as against £5 13s 5d in 1928, and what is more important, that the rate of expenses (excluding taxation) showed a reduction as compared to the previous year, the respective figures being 11.70 per cent, and 12.13 per cent, for tho ordinary department, and 27.30 per cent, and 27.74 per cent, for the industrial department. The New Zealand branch created “a record” in both departments in new business, thus helping in no small degree toward the results which are disclosed in the 81st annual report.