KAURI GUM MARKET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9735, 4 February 1895, Page 6

KAURI GUM MARKET.

Under date of December 28, Messrs. De Lissa, Sons, and Co., London, report:— The December sales held on the 13th we consider much more satisfactory than those for some time past, not that prices were much higher, but because there was a great deal more competition, and freshly-landed shipments fetched higher prices than the preceding sales, bush gums and the higher classes especially, browns alone excepted. The fact that most of October's production had been taken for New York helped to strengthen our market, but it is impossible to get a "bound up" with our heavy stock. Fresh arrivals command much better attention. When a parcel of gum has been offered many times and continually withdrawn, the trade take little or no notice of it and very often barely value it in their catalogues to be bid for, whilst freshly-landed parcels receive the attention. In fact, gums of equal value will often show a deficiency deficiency of 5s per cwt, at least, between old and new.

There were : only 2500 packages offered against 3600 packages in November. The former quantity was 500 more than was expected, but a lot came into the market at the last moment with compulsory orders for realisation. Stock on the 30th November was 2852 tons. As December will probably show but small imports, unless th« Euterpe arrives, the statistical position at the end of the year is likely to be better than it has been for some time past. This, however, will be a little weaker after the arrival of the Euterpe, but as there is a long gap between this and the next sailing vessel, the market ought to get stronger. The following were the prices realised Fine dials, £12; fine scraped, £8 to £8 10s; good amber, scraped, £5 7s 6d to £7 10s ; three-quarter scraped (No. 1) £3 6s to £3 103; some fine lots, £3 12s 6d to £4; halfscraped, £2 2s to £2 6s; bright chips, full demand, pale £3 3s; coated chips, £1 103 to £1 15s ; dust, good competition up to £1 7s 6d; fine browns, £3 4s to £4; half to threequarter-scraped to £2 7s to £2 14s ; pickings, 18s 6d to £1 8s; good bush, £5 to £7 2s 6d; No. 1, £3 15s; bush chips, £2 4s to £2 8a; pickings, £1 2s to £1 15s. . There are no sales until the 17th January, 1895. when we expect a better market. It is oar intention to be firm with all gums henceforward, although the stock here is heavy and the selection not now a good one.