KAURI GUM.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 272, 16 November 1935, Page 4

KAURI GUM.

BETTER QUALITIES SELLING. LINOLEUM GRADES NEGLECTED. Exports of kauri gum during the month of October amounted to 245 tons, which is just a little above the average for the previous months of this year. However, quite apart from tile quantity, there are several features of the trade which are of more than usual interest. A rather welcome sign is a stronger demand for threequarter white gum, after having been neglected for some considerable time. On the other hand, although fair quantities of chips have been shipped, stocks have accumulated greatly during recent months, owing to a decreased demand. The result has been that prospective buyers were able to pick and choose, leaving inferior lines and medium quality on sellers' hands. The demand for chips for linoleum manufacture has been distinctly below normal during the last few months, and it is reported that some of the regular buyers are refusing further supplies from the country. Sales of B2 for the month must have been a record for some years past. B1 also sold in fair quantities. Scraped black enjoyed a particularly ready sale, and inroads had to be made into some very old stocks in order to satisfy the demand. Nubs and B3 were wanted in fairly large quantities, but the demand was spasmodic. Only very small quantities of scraped white gums are being received into stores, and although the demand is only for small quantities there is not sufficient being produced to-day to satisfy current demand. Bush grades .are quite neglected again. The following table shows the number of tons exported to each country during October, the total declared export value, and the average yalue per ton:— Destination. Tons. Value. Average. £ £ s. d. United Kingdom .. . 149 3457 23 4 O France B 352 30 8 u Holland 5 04 IS 10 0 Italy 1 00 00 O O Australia 15 241 10 1 4 U.S.A., East Coast.. 08 3700 J « U.S.A., West Const . 2 110 58 0 O Totals 215 7880 32 3 9 For comparison it may be mentioned that the exports during September j amounted to 170 tons, and the total value | was only £4345, due to the American purchases being unusually small at 31 tons, and these were mostly of low quality, averaging only £29 10/ per ton. Last Month's Returns. The returns of gum arriving in the city during October were completed this morning and these show that 220 tons came to hand from the gumfields, compared with 134 tons during the previous month. This information enables the usual table to be compiled, showing the number of tons .received and exported during each of the first ten months of this year and last, and for comparison the corresponding movements during the first ten months of 1930, before the slump in gum developed:— 1930. 1934. 1035. Rec. Kxp. Hoc. Kxp. Roe. Kxp. Jan. . . 371 235 105 204 312 222 Feb . . 412 433 325 209 274 249 March . 503 -142 289 190 330 323 April . . 441 475 212 288 221 144 MaV . . 374 42:3 231 238 211 238 •Juiie 247 258 348 434 104 200 .1 illy . . 30!) 257 150 341 258 157 \u" . 194 318 193 349 172 .107 Sept. . 214 289 201 208 134 170 (let. . . 328 173 307 243 220 245 Total . 3,453 3,305 2,221 2,770 2,302 2,315