THE JUTE INDUSTRY.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19668, 11 July 1929, Page 10

THE JUTE INDUSTRY.

SEARCH FOR A SUBSTITUTE. Interest has been shown from time to time in fabrics designed to replace the use of juto as containers for wool and oilier purposes. Experience ha 3 shov,-n that no progress of importance has been made, although experiments, it lias been said, have been satisfactory. Last year it was believed that further progress would be made in the development of Van der Jaght'e coir fabric woolpack. Mr J. Van Cooth, a Melbourne merchant, who waa then investigating the process for a syndicate of Australian financiers, was optimistic concerning the use of coconut fibre to replace jute, but apparently the establishment of works in Australia to carry out manufacturing operations has lapsed in the meantime. It is understood, however, that a French company is erecting a plant at Eouen to manufacture bags and other materials of coconut fibre and is confident of success.

BURNSIDE MARKET. (press association tblegbam.) DUNEDIN, July 10. There was a slight reduction in cattle values at the Burnside sale to-day, but the demand for Bheep was good throughout. Store cattle showed no appreciable change, but pigs sold well. The fat sheep penning numbered over 1700, the quality being from medium to good. There was only a moderate supply of heavy wethers, ewes predominating. The proportion of fine-woolled sheep was large. Heavy wethers did not sell quite so well as was the case last week, but ewes remained firm at late rates. The fall in wether values was scarcely Is a head. Extra heavy wethers made to 48s, prime heavy to 41s, and prime to 375. Extra good ewes made to 40s, and prime heavies from 35s to 375. There was an entry of about 425 fat lambs, comprising fair to medium quality. Values were unchanged. The store cattle entry of about 120 head comprised largely medium stock, with a few pens of good young steers, which sold well. Other lines were unchanged. There were 207 head of fat cattle, heifers and cows making up the bulk of the entry. Average bullocks were in fair supply, but there were " very few heavies. Competition for all prime sorts was keen at the commencement of the sale, but as it progressed values fell until most lines were cheaper by from 20s to 30s a head. Prime heavy bullocks made tc £23, medium to £l& 10b, and best cows up to £l6. The pig entry comprised 114 fats and only 22 stores. Baconers and porkers sold fairly well, and stores were a shade firmer than last week. BLENHEIM STOCK SALE. ISPKCIAI, TO THE PEKS3.) BLENHEIM, July 10. There was a small attendance at 'this week's sale and the market was patchy. The yarding was about tho average for the time of the year. There was no demand for fat wethers, and only three pens changed hands, a consignment from the Sounds making 29s to 31s, and a small pen of exceptionally good wethers making just over 325. Fat ewes, of which there were Beven to eight pens of good quality, realised from 23s 6d to 28s 9d, and only a few fat lambs were penned, and they sold at under current rates. In the store division a small entry of breeding ewes sold well at late values Odds and ends of wethers and hoggets and merino tail-ends of mobs were hard to dispose of, and sold at low values. A nice line of 200 crossbred wether hoggets was passed at 20s, and sold privately. Goodmouthed ewes sold at up to 27s 6d and failing-mouthed ewes from 17s 6d to 21s. DAIRY PRODUCE. i Messrs A. H. Turnbull and Co. report as follows: —The following are the top London quotations for the past five weeks: Danish butter, June 7th 1745, June 14th, 1735, June 21st 1725, June 23th, 178s, July sth 1775; New Zealand unsalted, 172s 1725, 170s, 1725, 1725; New Zealand salted, 1725, I.os 170s, 172s 1735; cheese, white, 935, 935, 935, 925, 925; cheese, coloured, 955, 955, 955, 955, 94S * BUTTER. The market has remained steady throughout the month. A slight check occurred after the first week, caused by the increased Continental production at the peak of their season and which, Messrs W. W«ddel and Co., Ltd., cable, more than countered the seasonal decline in shipments from New Zealand, Australia, and the Argentine. In the meantime, there has been some accumulation of stocks in London, but not sufficient to affect the market and our principals look for a steady market' at round about present values. Usually at this period of the year we have enquiries for forward offers, either for the United Kingdom or in recent years for Canada but although Canada purchased a limited quantity early in June at round about Is 5d f.0.b., buyers later reduced their limits to Is 4Jd, at "which figure no business has been reported so far. CHEESE. The market has been particularly =teady during the past five weeks. The warmer weather experienced through the United Kingdom had the effect of increasing consumption, whilst the high prices asked for Canadian cheese favoured the selling of New Zealand Chedd3r. On the other hand, increased shipments caused the further accumulation of stocks, resulting in a lack of that speculative demand usually experienced at this period. The demand has in consequence not been sufficient to absorb the heavier offerings made of released stocks, and the market has weakened slightly to the extent of Is per 0 -K-t Recent Canadian cables quote new season's cheese at 86s to 90s c.i.f.e., being a decline of 6s on former prices. With these factor" before us, we cannot look for any material improvement in the near future. fadings and stocks (in tons) —Butter graded durine June. 1350 (1927) 1450 (1928). T>43 MQ29); butter graded eleven months to t.:* 3oth 71,100, 73,800. 80,850; butter in store at June 30th, 5800. 3200, 3812; cheese traded during June, 1550, 1900, 2072; rheese graded eleven months to June 30th, , 7fi mo 75,500, 86.050: cheese in store at I June 30th. 3050, 2300, 4370. 1