WHOLESALE AND RETAIL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 18141, 5 July 1919, Page 9

WHOLESALE AND RETAIL.

GENERAL MERCHANDISE. The price of soap nas been auvanced £5 psr. ton. This is duo to Uio phenomenal prices being'realised tor tallow on the London market. The quotationfor sago and tapiooa for diroov shipment has finned up another Ss per cwt. The Government has withdrawn its gazetted price lor rice, but as merchants’ stocks are oomplete.y depleted this oannot affeot the situation until further stocks arrive. The advance in the price ol sugar of 35s per ton has caused considerable inquiries for those lines in which sugar is a substantial ingredient, viz., jams, jelly crystals, condensed milk, etc. A shipment of Lotus Madras curry powder is showing an advanced cost of nearly Is per dozen small and Is 6d per dozen large. Caustic eoda is’ in short supply on the local market. “ Gold Leaf ” and “ Tiger ” 2s 2d grade teas have been withdrawn from the market. There has boon an advance of 3d psr lb in the price of Bell tea. Sylvia starch iB now being quoted at 100 s for 6lb packets and 102 s for lib packets. The southern manufacturers are not at present quoting. Castor oil is unprocurable in Christchurch at present. There is a small pared on the Mosraki which, however, has not yet left Sydney. A shipment of Cerebos table salt and Bisto large and small is arriving ox the s.s. Weimana. HARDWARE. Reports from overseas just to hand state that there is no doubt whatever of the fact that a very much better feeling in the iron and steel trades exists to-day, and there is more optimism being shown in every place where iron and steel are made and sold than has existed for a long period. This feeling of optimism is not based simply on prospects of the future, but has a sounder footing from the increased volume of business in nearly all linos of iron and steel that has been received by the mills during the past few weeks Ono remarkable development of the quiet conditions that have existed in the iron and steel trades since the signing of the armistice is that prices have been so uniformly maintained. It would not be true to say there has been absolutely no shading, but the amount of cutting in prices has been very small and has boon done only by a few of the smaller mills who desire to move their stock out more promptly. It is generally agreed that there is no room for any materia! decline in prices unless reductions in. labour were made, and this was not desired. On some lines of products manufacturers are producing and selling them at very little profit,and probably in a few cases at less than cost. It is said that absolutely there is no profit on wire nails at the present base per keg on present cost of rods, and the indications are that the trade need not expect very much lower prices on steel supplies over this year at least. fruit and vegetables. Vegetables have been in fair supply during the week, prices generally being high, especially for roots. A few lines of pumpkins from Wellington met with a keen demand and fetched high prices. A shipment of Cook Island oranges, bananas, and tomatoes arrived during tho week and sold well. Bananas were in short supply, less than 200 cases being for Christcliurch. A large proportion of the oranges were in bad condition. By tho same boat a quantity of ban Francisco lemons and valoncias came to hand. Very few poorman oranges are coming down from Auckland, and it is reported that the crop there is a very light one. A small line during the week fetched high prioos. Nothing is doing as far as shipments from Australia are concerned, owing to tho shipping strike and the uncertainty as to when vessels will leave. Current quotations are as follow Apples, dessert, per case 11s Gd to 14s; apples, cooking, per case, 9s to 12s; bananas, per case, 27s €d; lemons, ’Frisco, per case, 60s; oranges, Cook Island, per case, 21s 6d; oranges, marmalade, per case, 17s Gd; oranges, Valencias, per ease, 88s 6d; passions, per case, lGs; penis, per oaso, 8s to 10s; toma’oes, per lb, C. 1., Gsd; tomatoes, local, per lb, Is; walnuts, per lb, lOd to Is; beet, per dozen bundles, up to Is 6d; cabbages, per dozen, 3s 3d to 7s; cauliflowers, per dozen, 4s to 14s; carrots, per dozen bundles, Is 3d to Is 8d; celery, per bundle, 7d to Is 2d; leeks, per bundle, Gd to Is; lettuoe, per dozen, 9d; marrows, per dozen, 14s to 20s; potatoes, local, per 5.8., Ss 6d to 4s; onions, local, per cwt, 12s to 13s; parsnips, per dozen bundles, Is 6d to 2s; potatoes, per sack, 15s Gd to 17s Gd; pumpkins, peT sick, 18s Gd; turnips, par dozen bundles, Is to Is 6d; swedes, per sugar bag Bs, per sack Ss. POULTRY. Good entries of poultry continue to come forward and high prices are being obtained. Table chiokens have realised from Es Gd to 12s • 9d, hens from Ss 6d to 8s 4d, ducks 6s to 11s, pullets 5s 6d to 16s 9d, geese 9s to 11s, and turkeys 13s to 43s Gd, all per pair. •eggs. Owing to tho nhipping shortage the demand for eggs has eased considerably and prices have a downward tendency. Canterbury Egg Circle first grades are quoted at 3* and seconds at Is lOd per doz«>-