It is regrettable to learn that petty thieving has been rather rife in some of the shops, and the manager of one large firm states that though his turnover for the Christmas week constitutes a record, the number of articles which this year have been surreptitiously taken constitutes another record. Observation leads to the statement that children of from 8 to 13 or 14 years of age have been the chief offenders, the girls being worse than the boys.
Several girls have been caught with stolen toys, etc., in their possession, but beyond insisting that the articles be at once returned no further action is being taken.
• A shipment of eggs consigned by a large Dunedin firm to Messrs E. A. Lane and Company, of Tooley street, arrived in London recently and was sold to the trade the following day. The price realised was quite satisfactory, being 13s net London per 120. The eggs were brought by the Turakina, and are the first consignment this season.
Messrs Lane and Company told your representative that the packages were a great improvement on previous experiments, but there is still room for further improvement.
The condition of the consignment was very good, and the quality perfect. They were much larger eggs than previously, and certainly had more colour. Both of these points are important with the London dealer.
Having tested the eggs by boiling, they proved to be as good as any it is possible to get on the London market at this time of the year, the flavour being rich, and the yolk and white perfect in colour. The eggs were carried in cool chambers, and had no preparation on the shells at all, and when the cases were opened the appearance was as good at that of any English new laid.
At the moment this trade is in its infancy, but in a few years' time, if the production increases to an extent to enable shippers to see a fair margin of profit, a big trade will be done in the future.
- ODT, 31.12.1912.
