KAURI GUM.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 128, 2 June 1938, Page 4

KAURI GUM.

HIGH-CLASS QUALITIES SCARCE.

! LINOLEUM GUMS IN DEMAND. April has been another month of short j supplies arriving into Auckland, only 85 | ! tout) coming in from the lields, and this i compares with 105 tons in March and 55 I toiia in February. Only t ace, auou. six j years ago, lias the quantity smaller : than in February, and the total supply for I the three months is less than has ever i come into the city in a similar period : since detailed records were compiled. | i Various causes have probably brought I this result, such as the comparatively low ■ returns, the knowledge that the American demand has fallen off during the violent "recession" of business in that country, and the expectation that higher prices may rule when American trade improves, ! but in other quarters it is frankly conI tewed that kauri gum cannot be expected to attract the usual number of diggers , when they know that they can get better pay in public works, with shorter hours and more comfortable conditions. ; Just at present there is a better demand j for linoleum gums, but white gum is neglected for the simple reason that stocks in hand and supplies arriving are so small that they fail to attract the attention.of manufacturers. The position is different in the cheap linoleum gums, for these are always obtainable in fair quantities, and stocks in the hands of overseas manufacturers have apparently ' been worked down sufficiently to induce I replenishing orders, chiefly from England : and the Continent. I Officially, the exports for April are j given as 65 tons, the smallest quantity i ! shipped during any month in modern | times, and this had a narrow distribution, I ~").) tons f-'ning to the United Kingdom, five I '■■ tons tn Fiance, four tons to Germany and j one ton to Australia. The total invoiced value was £3418. equal to an average of C.V2 12/ per ton, which compares with I €31 15' in March, and is the highest average value since last November. However, i no striking significance can be attached to the quantity, nor to the average value, for it is known that during April fairly large ■quantities were put aboard steamers at ! Auckland wharves, which were to continue loading at other ports, and their consignments will appear in the official statistics only on the date of final depar-1 turn, parly in Slay. A similar overlapping' ornuTPrl between February and March, , duly Sii tons being credited to the earlier ; month, and 200 tons to March, although i about the same quantity actually went ! abroad during each month. j Auckland stocks held by brokers and ■ merchants arc now very low. as the supulies arriving from the fields during the ' last few years have been regularly a little ; less than the exports.