WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17859, 3 August 1918, Page 11

WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE.

CHRISTCHURCH, August 2. HARDWARE. Business during the week has been on very much tho same line* as during the previous one, *ho feature of the trade being tho increasing shortness of supplies in ral lines, and tho consequent steady advance in quotations. Tho shortage of galvanised iron and wire linos continues to become more and more acute, and to a very larsro extent the same remarks apply to all classes of copper goods, which are becoming daily rcoro difficult to procure. Judging by the few inquiries for fencing wire it must be concluded that comparatively littlo is being done in connection with the ntbdivision of estates or the orecfion of new fences. Supplies, however, are very short, and quotations, although unchanged, aro very firm.' Supplies of while lead a.nd linseed oil are very short, and wi'.h little immediate prospect of augmenting supplier, everything points to nn increase in tho present relatively hign prices. At the moment littlo building is going on, but in spite of this there is a fair domkind for all classes of wire nails, and with some classes almost if not impossible to procure and stocks low, prices remain very firm. GENERAL MERCHANDISE. In roply to cable orders for dried peaches and prunes for those grades of which tho Uni*od Stales Govornmcnl had previously not prohibited export, advice has been received that no prunes or dried peaches will be available for export this year. Naturally this has had a timing effect on the local market. The latest advices from Vancouver, written on July 11, regarding the salmon market, state that it mav not bo possible this season in olitani soekoyo in pound fin's, aa nearly all tho psckcrs have this eeason put up pack either halvo flats or pound tails. A limited amount of forward business is bsintr done with Canada, but nono with Britain, France and Italy in consequence of no shipoins spare beinr available on the Atlantic. No action has yet been taken in Canada either to rcuilate prices or requisition sa'mon for the armv, but the American Government has requisitioned a large portion of the American rack or Pills tails, Cohoo tails and Alaska Red tails, with a smaller proportion ■ of other varieties. This means thai there " r ill bo no salmon kr export lo t^ ow Zealand and other overseas markets. It is announced that the export of cream of tartar from tho United Sfa'es and Franco has been prohibited, Regarding the orabarsro from the United States it is understood that no cream of tartar will' be permitted io leave even if ordered some months ago, the order having been made retrospective. The latest market report, dated Colombo, Juno 30, states that during the early part of the month thero was a sharp decline in

' prices, followed by an equally sharp rise, and at the time of writing the current price was 2d above tho level of the values when at their lowest. The Tea Commissioner is again buying, henco the fall in output for ordinary trade purposes. Tho first shipment of the new season's eaiton dates will arrive next week and should meet with a ready sala as tho market has been quite bare for some months. It is anticipated that there will be a considerable demand in spite of the higher prices which will rule. Hrown and Po'son's cornflour has been in short supnjy, and the agents are unable to give definite shipping dates for indents, as the Sydney factory is unable to cope with tho business which is offering. It is expected, however, that, a shipment will reach tho Dominion some time during tie present month. The following advances in prices are announced:—Loose coffee Id per lb, 6oz_ tins Is per doz, 3oz tins 6d per doz; cassia id per lb; ground cinnamon, ground cloves, around ginsor, ground nutmeg, in 7lb and 141 b tins, all by id ner lb; ground pimenta in 71b and 14ib tins. Id per lb; mixed bud seed 3d per lb. SOFT GOODS. 1 Nothing oi great importance has happened in the'soft goods trado during the week, only that there has been additional evidence of coming shortages. Morchants state that week by week the position is becoming additionally acute, and that there can bo little doubt that unless there is a speedy improvement in shipping facilities many lines will bo soon entirely off tho market. Everything possible is beinc done to meet the great emergency which has arisen, but the shortage of shipping places a barrier in the way which cannot be removed except by the Imperial Government. Many New Zealand firms have in store in London and other ports large quantities of merchandise ayrai'ing transport, but at present tho outlook is dark indeed. The na'ural result of short supplies has boen that prices havo advanced, but thoso in the trado are reluctant to take advantage of the peculiar nositien which has arisen, and although advances have taken place in many instances, merchants as far as possible are ondoavouring to conserve the supplies whicb they have in hand, with a view to spreading tho stocks over as long a period as possible. • FRUIT AND VEGETABLES. During the week now drawing to a close. the supplies of vegetables showod an improvement, and pricos have boen rather [< wer w th ibe exception oi cauhfltlowers, tho price' of which hardened a little uuaug tho last few days. The current quotations for apples and pears remain unchanged. ..there ha« been a good demand lor overseas .nut, and values' haro shown a decided iuciina- ion t-i advance, Tho supplies of Sydney fruit during tho week have not been equal to the gomaud. The following were the prices current

PIGS. The yarding of pig 3 at the city saleynrds to-day was a medium one, the animals offered being practically of one class. There was. a good demand, prices being on a parity \with those current at Addington on Wednesday, running' up to JEI 6s. POULTRY. Supplies of poultry during the week have been fairly good, and there has been a free demand for the time of tho year. The api » aching Grand National meeting and tho festive season observed on that occasion has had the effect of attracting entries with the result,,as stated before, that pood prices have ruled for all descriptiono. Current quotations are:—Table chickens Gs 6d to 10a Bd, liens 3s 6d to 7s 4d, ducks 5s to 9si 3d, pullets 8s to 12s, geese 8s to lis and turkeys 13s 6d to 335. all at per pair. EGGS. Supplies of eggs have come forward fairly freolv during the week, and in coneecuenco of this thore 'has been a decline in quotar tions. Had it not been for the increased demand in consequence of the approaching hoh day, it is highly probable that there would have been a further decline on quotations: Canterbury Egg Circ'e e-r-., first grade, ate quoted at Cs per dozen, fhe supply of preserved eggs is nob large, and these are quoted at Is -Id ".o Is 5d per dozen.

during tae weo& :— s. d. s. d. Apples, dessert, per case 9 0 to 10 0 Apples, cooking per caso Bananas, Fiji, per case . 7 12 0 0 to 9 0 to 16 0 Lemons, San Francisco, per 40 0 Lemons, Mildura, per case , IS 0 Lemons, South Australian, per case- ....'. 16 16 0 0 Mandarins, per case Oranges, Cook Islands, per case 22 0 to 24 0 Oranges, Sydney, per ca6e . 13 0 to 19 G Oranges, navels, per caso 17 0 to 25 6 Oranges, Valencia*, per caso . 30 0 Pineapples, per caso roars, per case 13 0 0 to 27 8 to 17 6 Walnuts, per lb bioj Best, per <lo7. bdls . 0 < to 0 8 Crbbages. per doz . . 0 9 to 2 0 Red cabbages, per doz • . 0 6 Cauliflower, per doz . 3 0 to 8 0 Carrots, per doz bells . 0 10 to 1 0 Celery, per bell . • 0 7 to 0 9 Lettuce, per doz 0 ■1 to 0 6 Marrows, per doz 3 0 to 4 0 Onions, local nor cwt . 20 0 to 22 0 Parsnips per doz bdls . . 0 8 to 0 10 Pota'ocs, per sack . 14 0 to 18 0 Radishes, per bdl 0 6 to 0 7 Turnips, per doz bdls . 0 8 to 0 9