MARKETS AT A GLANCE

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 300, 20 December 1938, Page 8

MARKETS AT A GLANCE

fINAL CHRISTMAS RUSH. BUSINESS "STEPS INTO HIGH." SUGAR ADVANCED. "Auckland Star" Office, Tuesday, December 20. 1938. Very heavy business has been reported during the past week and general trading is exceedingly heavy in all departments. The rush period has also commenced in earnest throughout the retail shopping aieas, and with the schools now closed for the Christmas holidays, the already heavy elnwds will be further augmented with whole families coming to town for their Christmas shopping. Shop trade during the week-end was exceedingly heavy and is expected to gain in momentum as the week progresses, and the public will find it very hard to obtain anything near the selection that could have been got a week or two ago. General News. .Mid-month tobacco deliveries commenced last Friday ami heavy deliveries are being made on all lines, as tobacco, cigars ftid cigarettes are much in demand lor picsents, etc. I'he auival ot further shipments of Singapore pineapples during the week proved very welcome, and good business is reported on all packings. A smali quantity of new season's w.limit meat arrived last week, but unfortunately certain portions of this shipment h "re short-shipped from Sydney so that stocks on spot ate definitely insufficient lor immediate requirements.

A portion or tne shipment of new season's Smyrna iigs previously over carl ied wclc expected back by the Sydney >t'aiiier, the s.s. Kairanga. last night. Ail Christmas commodities and packings aii' meeting with a very heavy demand and most of the special packings unexpected to be cleaned up within the next few days. Contrary to previous reports, dates which were expected to arrive b\ the Sydney steamer last Tuesday and missed their connection, arrived by the Korowai on Friday last. Every endeavour is being made by merchants to distiibute retailers' indent orders from this shipment as quickly as possible.

Of particular interest on the local market just at present is a line of 16oz cellophane pitted dates, which are proving of excellent quality, and as the pack is most attractive local consignments ex this arrival aie expected to be quickly cleaned up. Supplies of another popular brand which always sells well on this market also came to hand by the same steamer and are selling extremely well.

A further small shipment of Australian anil Calitornian prunes have just arrived. The demand for all these lines is now at its peak.

Sales of all varieties of canned fruit are particularly good just at present and it is expected that sales will continue well into the holiday period. .Merchants advise that some houses' report short supplies of a well-known brand of Norwegian Brisling with further c onsigiiincnts not expected to arrive Ix*!ore ;il>out December 25. Merchants arcalso waiting on tin t her supplies of a wellknown brand of English meat and fish pastes, which are expected to land here in about tell da) s. All indications to date point to a record Christmas both in wholesale and retail houses. Merchants' deliveries for till grocery lines and also tobacco and cigarettes as January account commence on Wednesday. January 4. Mid-month tobacco and cigarette deliveries will commence mi Monday, .January 16. Supplies short in some quarters at the moment are small-size Knglish \\ ore-ester sauce, sliced pears in all brands, tinned crab, pitted cherries, tinned sausages with pea.*, green peas in some brands, 3 ,4's Chum salmon, etc. Australian millers report that quotations for table rice remain unchanged and that orders are still beiiift accepted for delivery at buyer's convenience over the next three " months. In tapiocas, Australian shippers report that the market is stagnant, with prices so low that it does not seem probable that they can recede further. . The quality of new season s Cochin ginger is reported to be very good. Prices advised are much lower than those ruling last year and a certain amount of business is passing. In coffee, prices for all grades of Mocha have firmed up owing to small supplies coming on to the market. It is anticipated that prices will ease when supplies of new crop become more plentiful. In seeds the market for Manchurian seeds is film. Sellers are holding the market on the grounds that forthcoming new crop is later than usual. Canned tomatoes have been particularly short on spot, and although it will not bo long before the new season's pack of fresh fruit will be available at low prices, there is still a very heavy demand, particularly from country districts, with the result that a small shipment which came to hand last week is moving rapidly into consumption. . A new line on the market is being offered by a Xew Zealand manufacturer in Stilton cheese packed in %lb stone jars, to retail at 2/11 each. This packing will appeal particularly to those stores having a high-class trade but with not sufficient volume of turnover to warrant purchasing the 151b Stilton loaf cheese. The packing season for whitebait has now come to a close and most of the pack has been booked for export orders. A small quantity, however, was held back and offered to Xew Zealand merchants as a limited demand for this line exists right throughout the year and as no further supplies will be available, merchants have been compelled to take into store their requirements until next season. The wholesale price of a well-known brand of 4oz tins of fish and meat paste, usually retailing at 6d per tin, has been advanced bv .'ld per dozen. A line of Canadian biscuits in lib tins has been advanced fid per dozen. . It. is quite Apparent that the trade is likely to experience an acute shortage of a number of lines later next month owing to the impossibility of obtaining import licenses in time to have goods shipped by boats leaving within the next few weeks The Xiasara leaves Vancouver about December 22. an<: in the ordinary course of events normal shipments of various lines would have been coming down by (lil« boat, but under the new regulations epiite a number of orders have had to be cancelled as import licenses cannot be obtained in time. Arrivals from overseas ,Tnd coastal ports during the- past week comprise consignments of halves and ones pilchards: halves and ones Sock eye salmon: tinned tomatoes: twos tinned peas: tinned apricots in Soz and 17%0z tins. Soz tins Bartlett pears, tomato juice, tinned strawberries. raspberries, loganberries, etc.. tinned beans. Singapore sliced pineapples in I%'s: twos and three. Java kernels. Siam Harden rice, haricot beans. Rangoon rice bulk white and black pepper. slb tins 30/40'e prunes. ITb cartons extra large prunes, boraeic acid in bulk, powdered borax in bulk. 40/50 V prunes, etc. Sugar. An advance of 10/ per ton for sugar and a "coriesponding increase in the price of syrup and treacle was advised last Saturday. Most retailers had already made provision for their Christmas requirements. so that actually it will be after the holidays before the advance is really felt. Soap. Local soap manufacturers advise that first and second grade soaps are now reduced by £4 per ton. and third grade by £3 per ton. This reduction has been anticipated for some time on account of reduced tallow prices. Figs. A new pack of tinned figs is offered by London principals on the Xew Zealand market for the first time, at particularlv attiactive levels. It is too late for these'

to be available for trade this Christmas, but it is anticipated that they will make an excellent line for sale throughout the year on account of the fact that there is no possibility of deterioration. Tea Report A tea report from Colombo under date November 8, states that supplies during October amounted to 7,687,0831b, being slightly less than during the same period in 1937. All grades of tea were in good demand throughout the month, particularly high-grown 8.0.P.'5, which were distinctly dearer in the last two auctions, Australian buyers being very active. < hiality, particularly from the Lva district, showed improvement, which was appreciated by buyers and reflected in the prices realised. Similarly with a sustained demand from American operators, good quality leaf teas came to strong markets. Medium teas sold well throughout the month, while low-grown types continued in good general demand with rates well maintained. The market for }annings recovered to a certain extent, buyers taking more interest, particularly in medium kinds, which had previously been a very yveak feature. Crop is now coming in more freely, and larger supplies mav be expected during the second half of November, but the quality of forward musters continues to be very useful, although l va teas, which have shown the greatest improvement recently, are likely to decline on account of prevailing northeast monsoon conditions. Shipments to the principal consuming countries call for little comment, being well distributed, although those to Canadian ports showed some decline. Exchange during the month showed little change.

Turpentine. Tli,. market for Pine Tree turpentine remains fairly steady, and prices to-day arc on a par with those ruling a month a"o and rcpresent" an exceedingly low level. Resin. The market for American resin has i-liown emit inued fluctuation over tho past few weeks. Prices, after being soiiiewliat easier, are now showing a firming tone, particularly for X grade. Canary Seed. Quotations for Argentine canary peed to-da.v are at an exceedingly attractive level, and sellers are prepared to quote for .January shipment in either old or new season's crop at the same price. To-day's level represents a difference in favour of buyers of £8 per ton on the rati* ruling for opening quotations last year. Mail advices indicate that there have been certain changes in the Argentine tiovernmeiit's exchange control sale price of sterling, which has had the effect of depressing the market to a certain extent. Shippers say that a proportion of the exchange created by the export of canary seed is permitted to be sold on the free market, so that prices at the time of writing are a shade lower than when they previously wrote. Tapioca. Quotations for tapioca have been fairly steady during recent weeks, with a reduction advised last week of 2/6 per ton on medium Pearl. To-day's level is the lowest seen for some considerable time; the sales of this commodity have declined considerably over recent years, so that imports are in a much lower comparison. Nutmegs and Mac*. Quotations for nutmegs generally are ft shade firmer, latest prices being at an increase of Vfed per lb. Mace, after being quoted at firm rates at the beginning of last week declined about Id per lb in later cables received. Wholesale Current Prices.

Butter. —First grade pats. 1/4% per lb; Hist grade bulk. ]/4%d per lb; second grade pats, 1/iVt, per lb; second grade hulk, 1/4% per lb; whey pats, 1/3% per lb.

Cheese.—Export (80s) crate lots, 994(1 per lb. less 10<l per lb; medium (40's), crate lots, 10d per lb. less 10% d per lb: crate lots (20's), 10% d per lb, less 109 id per lb net. Loaf crate lots, lid per lb net. less 11 %cl per lb net. Bacon.—Ham. 1/2 per lb; rolled boneless ham. 1/4 per lb; cooked whole ham, l/5%d per lb; cooked rolled ham. 2/ per lb; cooked pressed ham, 1/10 per lb; bacon sides. 1/ per lb: rolled middles. 1/4 per lb; Jnrd bulk, 8d per lb: pats, 9d per lb; dripping pats, 4V4d per lb. Honey.—First grade: lib cartons. 10/6 per dozen; 2lb tins. 20/6 per dozen; 51b tins, ."51 / per dozen. Second grade: lib cartons, 9/3 per dozen; 21b tins, 18/ per dozen; 51b tins, 43/6 per dozen. Third grade: lib cartons. 8/ per dozen: 21b tins. 15/6 per dozen; slb tins, 38/9 per dozen.

Flour. —Local: 2001b sacks. £14 15'6 per ton; 100's. £15 12/6 per ton; 50's. £15 17'6 per ton; 25's. £16 7/6 per ton: 12%'s, £17 per ton: 6*4's. £17 17/6 per ton.

Malt. Crushed. 11 '3 per bushel: whole white. 11-' per bushel; whole black, 12/6 per bushel.