THE METAL MARKETS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 May 1906, Page 3

THE METAL MARKETS.

THE RISE IN TIN. [BY TELEGIUffII—SPECIAL TO THK sr.ut.] WELLINGTON, This Day. The Tost has been making enquiries regarding the price of tin. To-day s.quotations show an advance in price ot bU 10s within the past week. A tradesman said that some twelve months ago his Sydney agent advised him that :the price would-go up to £2OO within a short time. The New Zealand merchants deal with Sydney, and their supplies come from the Tasmanian mines. Sydney bases its sellins price on London quotations. lie price has been fluctuating throughout Uie tear In March it went down, to bibb, and during the past few weeks there have been £5 advances. "But the metal business is full of curiosities," said one merchant. 'H'ere was sheat-load, for instance. lor a period of four weeks recently we could not get even a quotation for it from Svdnov Why? Because of a fire in the Irok n'H 1 mine. This time last vor, sheet lead was quoted at £ls 8s 9d per ton. Last Saturday the price was £l9 b, 3d, and during the far the price has fluctuated, going up to £2O 5s lOd. It was generally agrred that the principal cause of tin going up to such a high figure was that the demand was greater than the supply. Metal industries were nil busy ffnow in Great Britain, and tins had an effect upon the tin market. Comparatively little pure tin comes to Wei lington. "How about the tin mines in Stewart Island?" the several gentlemen interviewed were asked. The reply was that nothing was known by them of the tin industry in New Zealand. Asked if the high price of tin would affect the tinware market, an expert replied that all kinds of hardware were going up in price. "But," said one gentleman, "these fluctuations no more affect the price of a pannikin than the rise in the price of wool affects the price of my suit of clothes.

A party of shooters who went up Te Auto way in search of ducks had made elaborate preparations for their comfort before leaving Hastings. They purchased a new tent, patent folding beds, and pluntv of provisions, including a quantity of bread and biscuits. On arriving lit their camping place tho shootors pitched their tents, spread out their blankets on their patent beds, and rigged up a table, on which they lay out their bread and biscuits in readiness for breakfast. They were up before daylight, and .hurried away to their shooting place. They had some sport, bnt nof nearly bo much as a cow that happened to fincl the tent. She marched right into the open door,, upset the beds, ate all the bread and biscuits, and as tho tent was narrow she. did not double to turn round but walked clean throuch the back. She got away before the shooting men returned, thus showing her more t£ui bovine inteuigence.-Her' ridi .