THE COMMERCIAL OUTLOOK

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 14978, 26 April 1909, Page 8

THE COMMERCIAL OUTLOOK

VIEWS OF AUCKLAND MERCHANTS. “A GOOD TIME AHExYD.” [From Our Correspondent.] AUCKLAND, April 24. “Trade generally is in a much proved. condition tliroughout New Zealand,” eaid the manager of a leading wholesale firm doing business all over tho dominion, when interviewed. “In the provinces there is a greatly improved tone.” The money stringency is not so acute now, tho same gentleman thinks, and beyond the fact that a slight weeding out of the financially unfit lias taken place the period of tightness in the money market has had little offect. . “ What is the comparative position in tho leading centres of tho dominion?” was a question put to tho manager. “ There is an improved outlook throughout New Zoaland,” was tho reply, “but there is no doubt that conditions all along have been better ill Auckland than in any other part of the dominion. We have endless applications from the - south asking us to find position® in tho Auckland . province, which shows conclusively what tho position is in • the southern centres, eo even if wo have not boon getting all we want in this province we at least know that we are better off in Auckland _ than they aro in the south.” “ Speaking from a comparative point of view,” ho continued, “ Auckland is in easily the best position. In tho other centres trade ha® been almost stagnant. Dunedin stands out amongst tbo other cities, but their position is a poculiar one. They are solid business people down there with money. Travellers running through New Zealand always say they can in variably get money there but no trade. Dunedin business people are on a good financial but they de not speculate in tne same way that Auckland and Wellington 'die manager of another wholesale firm doing big business in every part of tho dominion also expressed the opinion that there was every indention that a. change for the better had taken place, although ho qualified his romarks by adding that there would be no noticeable improvement until tho winter was over. “In my opinion, he said, “ we have come to the bottom of things. There is no doubt that wo have been right down on a- commercial bedrock for some time past, but we are now on the turn of the tide, and our information from every quartei justifies the prediction that there is a good time ahead. Thor© has been a prolific season in all parts of tho dominion, and the markets are all holding their own, so that the financial position throughout tho dominion is satisfactory.” Asked whether trado conditions were any better in Auckland than in other parts of tho dominion,, the gentleman in question replied, that the position ha® all along been very much better ill the north than in the south. Dunedin was tho only centre bearing comparison with Auckland, and there they did not show so much progress as steadiness. “ Altogether,” ho added the outlook is exceedingly hopeful. Iho stringent period seems to have been successfully tided over, and conditions for trado generally appear as promising as could bo wished for throughout tho domision.”