GENERAL MERCHANDISE.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18569, 19 December 1925, Page 14

GENERAL MERCHANDISE.

GROCERIES. The wholesale merchants report business as very brisk, necessitating overtime in moat houses. ' The steamer Waikonaiti recently landed transhipment* from several steamers in Sydney, comprising goods which were urgently noeded for the Christmas trade. The Manuka also has on board cargo which is badly needed, bat unfortunately she has overcarried about half of her cargo. The overcarried portion will not be back again until early next week. Peanuts aro in very 6hort supply, shipments ordered months ago have not arrived, and so far no word is to hand as to when they aro expected. A steamer is due from Auckland early next week with sngar. Sho was expected to arrive on Thursday evening, and should ba here about Tuesday. In the meantime supplies are short. Tho "Waikonaiti this week landed fireworks from China via Sydney. There is always a rush at this time of the year for this class of goods, and as •several parcel* were short shipped, there will probably be a shortage of crackers, etc., this Christmas season. Sicily almonds have been very scarce, and inUKirtcrs are anxiously looking for any that may be on board the Manuka or Waikouaiti from Sydney, where transhipment was to be made. The shortage has become a famine, largely due to the shipping hold up in Australia. This trouble held steamers at Perth and Adelaide, and so delayed for several weeks their arrival at Sydney. The demand for confectionery still keeps up, and is likely to become more acute. All factories are working overtime, and orders havo to await execution in rotation. The price of hams has been reduced. Tho last rise in price appears to have been an artificial more. There is one thing very apparent regarding hams, and that is that as soon as the price goes over a certain figure the sales fall away in a.remarkable fashion. This no doubt is the reason for the decline in value this week. The lower level should stimulate sales again. The sale of peel every season seems to grow smaller, whilst the sale of shop-made cakes increases. There is no doubt that tho housewife nowadays purchases her Christmas cake in hundreds of instances, and with the family goes out for Christmas picnics in motor-cars, etc. The use of peel by the professional cake maker is not very general. Jordan almonds are getting short, and most houses are short-stocked, whilst sales are good. Eggs still hold their own at Is 9d a dozen wholesale, but as soon as this month is oat lower prices are expected. i The-Manuka brought supplies of loosely packed dates, and dates so packed are now much favoured. They are dearer than ths usual pressed dates, but nevertheless they command a very large sale.

FRUIT MARKET. CHRISTCHURCH. Generally speaking, prjees of vegetables have not been bo high th;s -week as they were last, most varieties being in good supply. New potatoes were in short supply, and there were not sufficient to meet the demand. Consequently prices were high. Onions are a. little easier in price. All varieties of soft fruit are in good demand, supplies being fair with prices good. Tomato*\'- a ru still in demand, with priceß about the same as those ruling last week. Oranges plentiful and slow of sale this week, and lemons were also in plentiful supply. Pineapples and passion fruit are scarce at present. A shipment of Cooik Island bananas is due in Christchurch on Tuesday, and by the flame boat a small consignment of oranges, tomatoes, and coconuts is expected to come to hand. Quotations are as follow*: Apples, Canadian, per case., 21s; apples, local, per case, wp to 18b, 6d; currants, black, per lb, up to Gd; currants, red, per lb, up to 6d; cherries, dessert, extra, fancy, per lb, up to Is 8d; cherries, cooking, per lb, 6d; gooseberries, per lb, 24d to 6<t grapes, firsts; per lb, 4s; lemons, Soutn Australian, per case, 245; lemons, Italian, per case,. 47a 6d; oranges, Sydney, per case, up to 20s; pears, dessert, per lb, 2d to 3d; peaches, cooking, per lb, 6d; peaches, dessert, per lb, up to la Sid; plums, dessert, per lb, 7d; raspberries, per lb, Is 3d; strawberries, per lb, up to Is 6d; tomatoes, sauce, per lb, Id; tomatoes, -dessert, per lb, la 2d to Is 3jd; asparagus, per bundle, 9d; beans, broad, up to 4d; beet, per dozen bundles, 2s 2d; cabbages, per dozen, 9s 9d; cauliflowers, per dozen, 10s; carrots, per dozen, 2s lid; cucumbers, hothouse, per lb, up to lOd; green peas, per peck, 4s 6d; lettuce, per dozen, up to 4s; new potatoes, per lb, 6Jd; potatoes, per s.b., 4s; onions, local, per lb, . 4d; parsnips, per dozen, spring, 2s to 2s Gd; potatoes, per sack,,3os; radishes, per dozen, 2d to Is; rhubarb, per dozen, 3s to 4s; spring onions, per dozen, 3d to la; turnips, per dozen, 2s 3d; spinach, . per dozen, 3s. AUCKLAND. (BPECUI. TO "TUS PMSSS.") AUCKLAND, December 18. During the early part of the week strawberries realised at auction lOd to Is 2d per chip, hut later flrmod to Is lid to Is 6d. In apples, stored Sturmers are still available in small quantities at 6s to lis, and local cookers (this season's) have come on to the market at 8s per case. Of Oanadians, Jonathans, and Newtown Pippins have brought from 12s 6d to 17s, and Winesaps and Delicious 16s to 20s. Other quotations have been: Stored Barri pears 5s to 9s per case, new season's dessert* (moderate quality) ss, apricots (in heavy supply) 6s to 9s, gooseberries 5s to 8s 6d, plums (cherry) 5s to 7s 6d, coloured dessert 7s to 9s 6d, peaches (poor quality) 5s to 6s, bananas ex Bhip 18s, rejects 15s to 16s 6d, No. 1 ripe repacks 25s to 28s, pineapples 9s 6d to 12s 6d, oranges 9s to 235, lemons 7s to 20s, Fiji watermelons 3s to 5s 6d each, loganberries lOd to llld per lb, cherries (local) 7s to 10s 6d per case. Australian 12s to 13s. Tomatoes increased in price during the last few weeks, and now realise from Is 2d to Is 6d per lb, and outdoor from 6d to llld.

DUNEDIN. (StICIIL TO "TH* PKiaS.") r/DNEDIN, December 18. Tho fruit market has a plentiful supply of oranges. The supply of strawberries is oqual to the demand:** Tomatoes are in better supply, and prices have eased. Canadian-frown- apples meet a ready demand. The latest wholesale prices are: Apples, Sturmerß 12s to 14s per case, American 21s; oranges, Yalencias 18s per case; pearß, dessert 7s to 8s per half-case.; lemons, 21s per case; bananas, ripe, 355; tomatoes, Ohristchnrcb. Is to Is «d per lb, local Is 3d to Is 6d; cherries, dark Is to Is 2d per lb, light 6d to lOd per lb; strawberries, extra choice to Is 8d per pottle, others lOd to Is 6d per pottle.

MAORILAND KAWARAU GOLD CO. A larger? attended extraordinary meeting ol oitarehoideTß of Maoriland Kawarftu Gold, Ltd., derided unanimously, at a meeting in Sydney last week, to authorise the directors to enter into an amalgamation or otherwise co-operato with other claim holders in the formation of a company for the general working of tho river. Tho draft of the proposed amalgamation was agreed to. Mr G. L. D. James submitted a report concerning his recent visit to New Zealand, in which ho Raid ho 'believed there was much to bo gained in making a muTi'mnni concentrated effort by consolidating interests. He would not mislead any of the sharehoMcss into thinking that the river was going to make millionaires over-nifjht, but his opinion of the river was that it had the potentialities of equalling any gold venture of a like nature aa a general scheme. and that possibly eome of tho individual deposits might be phenomenal FURNITURE SALE. Tones, McCroetie Company, Ltd., held a successful clearing Bale on account of Mr Gow, on the premises, Weston road, tit. Albans, ou Thursday. The following prices were realised:—Piano by Siernet £l6, carpet £9 6a, chesterfield and easy chairs £lO 2b 6d, easy chair £2 8s 6d, Morris chair 43 2b 6d, occasional table £1 16s, occasional chair 82s 6d, musk stand £1 10a, mirror £2 14a, piano stool £2 Ss, bookcase £2 12b 6d, couch £7, oak clock £l6, dining table £2, six dining chairs £7 10a, sideboard £9, ice chest £2, lawnmower £3, roUtop desk £l3, rag £4 17s 6d, rug £5 10s, bedstead £5 sa, pari fredttuum aatto £8 10a, dnobeese. chest £5