PASSENGERS BY AIR

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22413, 28 May 1938, Page 13

PASSENGERS BY AIR

YESTERDAY For Wellington—Messrs J. Ainger, E. J. Newman, W. Willman, and M. Bell. For Palmerston North—Mrs H, T. Tldswell. For Auckland—Messrs P. C. Boulter and E. IV. Bartleet. For Dunedin —Mrs A. Kerr. From Blenheim —Miss R. Money. From Palmerston North —Miss Marshall. ; From Dunedin —Mr P. Hollander.

GEOCEKY TRADE PRICES AND PROSPECTS The retail grocery trade has had a quiet week. Business is, however, steady and up to normal for this time of the year. Collections are reported as satisfactory. Dried Fruit The position of the sultana and currant market in Australia is very strong, and persistent rumours are afloat there that, price increases are likely before the end of the season. No mention has, however, been made by the Commonwealth Dried Fruit Control Board about any alterations in prices, and no official hint of any sort that prices are likely to harden has been dropped. The chairman of the board, Mr W. C. F. Thomas, in a recent report, stated that up to May 12 the total shipments this season of sultanas to the United Kingdom amounted to 21,932 tons, as well as 7345 tons of currants and 396 tons of lexias. Shipments this year had been earlier than usual as the harvest was early. At the middle of the present month, Australian sultanas were being sold in London at an average price of £39 15s a ton. and currants at £34 2s 6d a ton. The higher •grades were, however, selling at much ; better prices, averaging 50s to 60s per cwt. It appears evident that the huge : quantity of fruit dispatched from Australia to England, to which must be added very substantial quantities sent , to Canada coupled with a strong London market, are the cause of the present opinion in Australia that values are heading toward higher levels. If the British markets absorb each week the same quantity of Australian sultanas as recently, then 22,000 tons will keep the market going for only 17 weeks. One crown sultanas are now exhausted in Australia, and two crown grade is reported to be running short. Cablegrams from San Francisco advise that the outlook for the dried fruit harvest in California is toward a smaller yield than last season. This is no doubt due to very severe weathfer several months ago. Eggs Supplies of fresh eggs have been more plentiful this week and the market weakened slightly. Yesterday, city stores were paying farmers and producers for supplies as follows:—Firsts 2s 3d. seconds Is 9d; ducks 2s, pullets Is 6d; all prices being net. Prunes Shippers of Californian prunes in 51b tins have had tp make a slight advance in the f.o.b. price, due, they say, to higher labour costs In the industry. Cornflour The oversea market for cornflour is reported to be very firm, and in one quarter at least speculative buying is now going on in anticipation of price increases. Almonds Ground almonds for prompt shipment from London are quoted at 4s a hundredweight lower than a few weeks ago. but the speculative prices issued from London for new season Sicilian almonds are up by 5s a hundredweight. Barley and Maize Recent quotations, f.0.b., Melbourne, for prompt shipment are Cape Barley 3s 2d, maize 5s 9d, milling peas 7s. Pilchards The first shipment of new season's pack of Canadian pilchards should be here about the end of June. It is anticipated that this line will land fully 10 per cent, higher than last season. Rice New season’s Australian rice is now ready for shipment, and quality is reported to be normal. Shippers are prepared to book on contract for spread delivery, and this offer should attract business, especially in view of the report just to hand from Burma that rice values there have advanced by an appreciable amount. Tea A recent review issued from Calcutta concerning the Indian tea market for the last year points out that the Australian and New Zealand market is still dominated by the public demand for Ceylon and Java teas. The reason for this is stated to be due to the Ceylon and Java flavour being in better demand than Indian,, especially with, dealers and blenders. ' One feature of the Indian tea trade during the last year was the fact that the United Kingdom took 30,000,0001 b more tea from India than the previous year. This extra demand kept the Indian market very steady up to November, After the first few sales, buyers were more concerned In taking quality lines, especially for the United States. This demand increased as the year went on, and at the close there was very keen demand for all grades of fine tea. The quality last year of standard teas was disappointing, and early Dooars and Darjeelings were not up to their usual quality. Assam did not produce the quantity high grade tea that was expected, and the absence of any material weight of fine tea from there kept prices firm for fine grades generally. The report further states that last year the demand for higher grade teas from the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States was greater than ever before in the history of the Indian tea trade. Buyers from these countries had considerable difficulty in securing at what they thought reasonable prices sufficient tea to meet their requirements, Figs Although no quotations for new season’s figs, September shipment, from the Mediterranean, were available locally yesterday, it is understood that some London agents have cabled prices to New Zealand for this dispatch. This offering may be only a preliminary, and a speculative one, so the trade is prepared to await prices through their usual importing channels. Singapore Markets There is very little business being done in Singapore produce, as importers are now waiting the arrival of the cargo out of the steamer Narbada from Calcutta and Singapore, now discharging at Lyttelton. As soon as this vessel’s shipments of sago, tapioca, spices, and pines are landed, and deliveries made of ex ship parcels, importers wiil again turn toward Singapore for the August dispatch. At present the markets in Singapore for pines, sago, tapioca, and spices are stationary, with a firm tendency in ,sago, tapioca, and pineapples. Salmon A report by mail from San Francisco advises that the salmon industry in Alaska, is having labour difficulties in addition to the fierce competition from Japanese operators. , Last season the packers had to increase wages generally, one report being that the advance was fully 25 per cent. This coming season will apparently not be free from disputes between the packing companies and the labour unions, and the outlook is for higher packing costs for the 1938 season.

FROZEN MEAT SMITHFIELD PRICES LAMBS AGAIN SLIGHTLY LOWER The New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board advises that the following are the ruling prices of wholesale quantities of the descriptions of frozen meat mentioned, and are for representative parcels of the goods, sold on Thursday, May 26. Chilled beef prices are averages of the week on which this list is issued. All prices are on the basis of delivered to bmithneld market (previous prices are also shown): — May May May 12. 19. 26. Per lb d. d. d. New Zealand Sheep— Crossbred wethers and/or maiden

The demand for lamb has slowed down a little this week, and some prices are a shade easier. Trade is slow in wethers and ewes at unchanged prices. No frozen beef is available. Prices for chilled beef have improved owing to lighter supplies and to better trade. New Zealand porker pigs are meeting with fair trade at unchanged prices. The market is quiet for New Zealand bacon er pigs.

qwes: 481b and under 05 55 55 49-5Clb 5 h 54 54 57-641b 55 05 55 65-711b 45 45 45 Ewes: 481b and under 4 4 4 49-561b 34 34 34 57-64ib 3,i ' 34 34 65-72ib 34 35 35 N.Z. Lambs — Canterbury: 73 74 71 361b and under 37-421b 74 74 74 43-5fllb 74 7ft 75 Second quality: 72 Aver, about 311b 74 72 Other South Island; 361b and under 73 73 / 74' 7g 37-421b 7fr 74 '43-501b 74 75 75 North Island Downs: 361b and under 73 73 7.3 37-421b 70 74 74 43-501b 74 75 75 Second quality: Aver, about 301b 74 74 74 37-42Ib 74 72 72 Second quality: Aver, about 311b 72 73 78 Australian Lambs— Victorian, first quality: 29-361b 75 75 7 37-421b 7 7 7 Argentine Lambs— First quality: 361b and under 7 7 7 37-421b CO 62 62 N.Z. Porker Pigs— First quality; 61-801b c I 6? 63 81-1001b 65 6:1 63 101-1201b 65 63 65 N.Z. Baconer Pigs— 121-1601b 7 7| 75 (Chilled beef prices are approximate average prices realised for the week.) N.Z Chilled BeefOx hinds, 145-210!b 43 43 51 Ox fores. 145-2101b 34 CO 34 Australian Chilled Beel Ox hinds. 145-2101b 44 43 5 Ox crops, weights corresponding 35 3 j 31 Southern Rhodesian Chilled beef:— Ox hinds. 145-2101b 44 44 45 Ox fores. 145-2101b 23 3 38 Argentine Chilled BeefOx hinds, 145-2101b 53 64 61 Ox a res. M5-2101b 30 3? 3 1 Uruguayan Chilled Beef— Ox hinds. 145-2101b 5 54 54 Ox fores. 145-2101b 34 30 35 Brazilian Chilled BeefOx hinds. 145-2101b 43 45 54 Union of South Africa Chilled beef:— Ox fores. 145-2101b — — 33