MARKETS AT A GLANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 113, 16 May 1933, Page 4

MARKETS AT A GLANCE.

. QUIET BUSINESS PERIOD. ASPARAGUS PRICES MOVE UP. o 0 CAXX ED Fit [_' IT RATES ANNOUNCED. [J " Auckland Star "' Office, Tuesday, May IC, 1033. Wholesale distributing trade lias shown a considerable slackening off, compared I) with the amount of business done earlier i; in (lie month. Business yesterday opened j .J quietly, and in the main replacements are the only lines sought after. Considerable interest lias been noted in forward busi- !> ness, mainly in Australian dried and canned fruits, the first shipment leaving next J 0 week. General News. AVitli the arrival of the Eastern steamer, tho Nurbada, amongst other vessels, during the week-enj, the port of Auckland is n expected to be very busy this week. This 0 vessel brought Lite following consign men ts j 0 from Eastern ports:—l2,oo7 bags of rice, | f> 1630 sacks of Hiigo find lupioea, 137.1 cases piiieiiprdcfi, 111 sacks white pepper, !) sacks' black pepper, '-'•"> c-nses mac', -U! cases nut-, iiic;;s. 13 sacks fluke tapioca, and J3l iasesj i; rubber boots. Due to all coastal services; t> being disorganised last week, shipping to! tin; various coastal polls is expected to be I very active. With the improvement in thai C> butter market at Homo, local prices have B advanced Id per Ib during the week-end, j A number ot' local and Southern packers g of quality teas have reduced their prices: 2d per Ib to the public this month, while a number of others are following suit on the Ist of June. Due to increased exchange, advances were recorded on wax matches, I 0 plaid, tins and tray packings lute in 0 January last. Advices have now been received by wholesalers to revert to the selling rates previously in -force before the ?. advance, as manufacturers are absorbing the increase;! exchange. Further supplies of walnut meat have come, to band during thu week, and quality is reported to be 5 excellent. Slight reductions have been made in some brands of locally-packed tomato sauce during the week. Pie fniits 5 are in demand, and some attractive offers !.' are now being made for quick buying. [■! New season's quotations for Australian iji canned fruit were advised last week-end, :;! and show reductions on previous rates. A i) comparison of landed costs shows a rcdiic-j S lion of 1/0 per dozen on peaches first l; quality, and 1/9 per dozen second quality;! apricots 5d per dozen first quality and Gd] rj per dozmi second quality. A new line of I (1 locally packed tomato juice is now on the! i; market. This has proved a very popular line in America, ami puckers are anticipat--0 ing quite a good demand, as prices are :* attractive, in comparison with overseas .. importations. Agents for one-of the best j known lines of Dutch cocoa advise a reduc-1 > tion in prices equal to the amount of I 0 exchange. Reports to hand indicate that B the Dominion pack of dessoi't canned fruit, 15 which is of very high quality, has proved! r quite a large oire this year, uud it is esti-j 1 muted that the quantity available will bo l> more than sufficient to eater for the whole of the Dominion's requirements. Drapery. Due to the cold snap experienced last *> week, drapery houses noticed a #rcat * improvement in trade in most departments. 0 A big demand has set in for winter coats, and also for raincoats, which are being offered in attractive styles and colourings. Warm underwear is also selling well, the counters in both the men's and women's sections being crowded during the whole of last week. Another section which is feeling the benefit of the cold snap is the department carrying wool jumpers and cardigans—the popular juniper again proving in strong demand, this season. Tho knitting wool counters have also boon experiencing an exceptionally busy period during the whole of this month some very attractive assortments offered proving very popular. Here again the counters have been thronged. Silk departments have been rather on the quiet side during the last week or two, although it is expected, with tho. near approach of the dancing season, that trade will improve. Velvets are meeting with a steady demand, particularly velvet cordings. Of particular interest this week are the attractive window displays being made of lace flouncings, mostly showing in evening colourings. Asparagus. Low opening prices were named some weeks ago for new season's California!! asparagus. A cable received during the| week-end advises an advance in all grades no doubt due to America going off'the gold standard. With the improvement in sterling, however, landed costs are still con--0 siderably lower than last, season, and some business has been done for early shipment. Pepper. "Poppers showed some slight fluctuations at the beginning of the week, advices being l> received recording a %d per Ib reduction n on Singapore white and %d per Ib on barawak Since this information came to hand, advices were received from one house ot a 0 further reduction of %d on Singapore and 0 3-16 d ' •' Sarawak, which should make 5 businesH quite attractive. Good stocks 1 have arrived by the Narbada, these incur--5 ring the new duty recently imposed. D Nutmegs and Mace. Nutmegs are remaining steady, there bein<r no alteration to record during the past week. Mace, on the other hand, w firmer, present prices showing an increase of %d per Ib. Mail advices state that supplies of nutmegs are arriving in fair quantities, but of a grade suitable only for 110's. Sound shrivelled, therefore, are very scarce meantime Some improvement m demand is noticeable, and the larger arrivals have not affected prices to any extent. Mace appears to be tending upwards in consequence of small arrivals, and some demand from America. Tapioca. Prices for tapioca are very firm, all jn-ades showing an advance of 3d pel cwt last week. Cable advices report a very steady market, but ae the present level is above buyers' ideas very little business is passing at the moment, l< lake tapioca is firmer, a rke of 1/ per cwt being advised. Pineapples. Pineapples are a shade easier, and prices are now coming into line with the new crop now available. The following reductions have been recorded: l%lb cubes, V/-\b sliced flats, l%lb sliced tails, 2Vilb sliced and lVjlb cubes second quality, %d per dozen; 21b sliced, %d per dozen. Heavy bookings are generally recorded for the next steamer, which leaves June-July, due to the fact that shipment by this eteamer just arrives in time for the beginning of the summer trade. Due to the uncertainty and fluctuations that so quickly take place in this market, buyers will require to watch quotations very closely. Desiccated Coconut. Fractional reductions have been noted on desiccated coconut during the week, and prices are considered most attractive for prompt shipment. Papuan, which is usually listed fractionally lower than - Colombo, is, for the time being, not quoted on this market, no offers being ' received at present. It is understood that ' the position in regard to supplies from 1 this source is that the requirements ot 6 Australia are covered for first, and any 5 surplus is then allocated to New Zealand. k At the moment no surplus is available. Australian Dried Fruit. Considerable business has been done with merchants since opening prices on new season's fruit were named some ten days ago. Due to the fact that 2-Crown sultanas are only offered for immediate shipment, particular interest has been taken in this grade, and some heavy consignments are expected to come forward. Resin. Since last week prices on American resin have cased slifrhtly, and it looks ac the moment as if sellers' attempt to hold the market has not been sustained. Gj

grade shows a reduction of 3/ per ton, and I X .VG per ton. Trench, on the other hand, continues to show a firm tendency, • late cables advising N as showing a further , advance of 5/ per ton. Stocks locally fire • well held, and business is therefore quiet [ at the moment. Turpentine. The market for pine tree turpentine has been quoted on a firm basis up to a few days ago. Prices now show a slight j easing, find a reduction of %d per gallon, • is announced. There has been very little turpfi coming into the country lately,! and it looks as if buyers will have to come on'to the market for supplies very! shortly. j Brazil Nuts. Trices have advanced a further 2/ peri cwt. It i.s anticipated that with the iin- • provement in the home consumption trade j in America, the demand for these nuts' will increase, and the present prices,! 'which are nnrcmunorative to growers, will) ■ therefore advance rapidly. Dates. •! _ Siar Dates.-Clood quality Siar dates . j for shipment from London are not in plentiful supply, and prices on any good | j offers have shown slight advances. At this, time of the year buyers are prepared to. , pay a slight premium on account of . quality being the main consideration, the ' dates being required to keep until new M season's are available in December. I Carton Dates. N •! Prices for present season's native pack i >!carton dates show a reduction of 3/ per 'jewt, and quality in cables to hand is stated itu be excellent. At this time of the year, I 1 however, carton dates are very slow, tho 'majority of business being experienced '; during the spring and early summer 'j months. i 'I Jordan Almonds. . J Quotations for now season's Joidan i' almonds just to hand by cable show a ivijduction of 15/ per cwt on last year's j opening rates. As the price difference .! between Sicily and Jordan* is not now so marked, it is expected thnt an increased , I demand will be experienced for the finer , quality Jordan almonds. Prunes. Some small quantities of Australian prunoH which have been recently offered ; to nicreliand-i have been rapidly snapped I up. In comparison to prices on Cali- • I'ornian they show a very material advan- : tyge, a* California!] have recently advanced from 3/ to 5/ per cwt, according to size. Large sizes, however,' are unprocurable I 1 from Australia, these being sold out for 'j some considerable time. Wholesale Current Prices. Butter.—Virat grade factory, booked, ll'/4d per Ib, and 10d per Ib for prompt leash; second grade factory, booked lO'-id per Ib, and )0d per Ib for prompt cash; I farmers' separator. 9d per Ib. ] Cheese.—First giiide factory size (80's), •I (i'/fcd to TVid per Ib net; best quality i medium (40'k), 6%d to Tlid per Ib; tirt-fcj ' quality, 7d per 11): loaf, 7!id to B%d per Ib; tinfoil, '/41b pats, 1/3 per Ib; burs, ' 1/ per Ib. : Honey. - Bulk white, 4d per Ib; light I amber. ;>%d per Ib. ■' Bacon.—Ham, 10d to lid per Ib; rolled ' J ham. 1/1 per Ib. cooked ham, 1/3 per Ib; 'Cooked pressed liainw, 1/5 per Ib: bacon sides BUd to !)d per Ib: rolled sides, 10d i i to lid per Ib; middles. 10d to lid per ib; [ !.shoulders. VAd per Ib; rolled shoulders, • !)',id per Ib; lard, bulk. 7d per Ib; pats, ! 8d per Ib. Linseed.- Whole. 16/3 per cwt. Linseed Meal.— lo/11 per lOOlli. Flour.--Local: 2001b sacks, £14 J2./6 per ■ ton; 100'e, £15 10/ per ton; .jo's. .<:;o per ' ton; 25's, £!<) 15/ per ton; 12V4's, £17 • 2/0 per ton; (iH's. £18 2/G per ton. Malt.—Crushed, 11/3 per bushel; whole ' white, 11/ per bushel; whole black, 12/0 • per bushel. 1 Twines.—Seaming, first quality. 2/6 per i Ib; second quality, 2/3 per Ib; binder, 50/ per cwt. Peumeal.— lo/ per lOulb. ; Bluestone.—36/3 per cwt. Linseed Oil Cake Nuts.—l 2/3 per lOOib.