NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10412, 9 April 1897, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE NOTES.

[FROM OUR OWN CORBESFONDENT.j

London, February 20. WOOL.

There ia a sort of interregnum iu the wool market just now, it being the interval between the sales, and it is not easy to predict what will happen when the next auctions come on. But talking over the situation with some of the authorities on the subject, I found the general opinion prevalent that there was a tendency to improvement rather than the reverse. America, of course, is the chief stumbling-block, and until some definite settlement shall be arrived at as regards the fiuancisl policy of the United States, especially in the direction of tariffs, it is uulikely that any permanent stability of values can be arrived at in the wool markets, where American competition issoimportanta factor. Yesterday I had a conversation with a Yorkshire manufacturer of high standing and long experience, who gave a decidedly cheering account of the tone of bnsiuess in Bradford, Dewsbury, Huddersh'eld, and other northern centres of the woollen trade. He expressed a strong conviction that prices would shortly improve, and that_ at the worst, there would be no retrogression. As showing the activity of the woollen trade, he mentioned to me that in the case of one of the large manufacturing firms, in which lie holds a substantial interest, the profits for the past year had been so large, that after paying a riivideud of 7i per cent, and a bonus of 2\ per cent., placing a considerable amount to reserve, and carrying forward a substantial sum, the directors still had so much money to dispose of that they decided to recommend its application to taking up all the additional uncalled capital of the company, thus making th« shares fully paid-up. This, of course, was agreed to. All the Dewsbury manufacturer! have their hands quite full, I tor with good orders, and on the whole the current year seems to have begun so well for the woollenmanufacturing trade that there should' be Rood reason for hoping that the prosperity may be extended to the wool producers as well. The second series of sales of woolled sheepskins for the current year took place on Wednesday, when there was a satisfactory attendance of buyei'3, and cotnpniition was on the whole animated, The prices realised did not differ materially from those obtained at the previous sales. Full-woolled merino skins in light condition, coarao crossbreds, au'il crossbred clothing maintained exactly their former rates. Clothing and shorn merinos went up Jd, but "wasting merinos dropped a similar amount, and fine full-wool crossbreds were quoted |d lower. The next sale is fixed for April 8.

NEW ZEALAND MEAT. With regard to the frozen meat market, the C.C. aud U. Company write to me to-day as follows about New Zealand mutton:— " Trade remains in the same stagnant condition, and, if possible, has been slower this week even than it has been, an alwost total lack of demand which low prices fail to stimulate, though all sorts of fresh killed mutton, British and foreign, have risen considerably in value, and find a fairly ready sale. Parcels, even of the best brands, are so varied in quality as to show a range of fully fil per lb. A very few of the best Canterbury sheep marketed may make 3}d per lb (quality alone often does not regulate high values), but far more make 2{d and some 2Jd per lb, so that returns are seldom much over 3d per lb." For fresh, bright, good New Zealand lambs there is a fair and increasing demand, but not mauy in this condition have yet been placed on the market. Prices range trom 5d to 5Jd. Last year's lambs, which are still plentiful, are stale and faded. They are very slow of sale, and realise generally about 3Jd per lb. The C.C. and D. Company say with regard to these lambs, " They are a kind not wanted, and are no advantage either to owners or tho trade generally."

DAIRY PRODUCE. Writing to me from Glasgow to-day Messrs. Dempster, Peterson aud Co. say :— " Oar market is somewhat quieter, and sellers are very anxious to clear what stocks they have ou hand, anticipating a further fall in the Copenhagen market to-morrow. Choicest Australian butter is offered freely at 96s and 98s, and other qualities, not so line from 92s to 945. The weather is very wet, and has quite a depressing influence on the trade. Cheese is somewhat easier iu toue, and may be quoted at 2s per owt leas." KAURI GUM. . Messrs. S. Figgis and Sons write to me that the sales of kauri gum held yesterday were again large. Prices were somewhat irregular, but on the whole fairly well maintained, and out of 3963 packages offered, about one-third found purchasers. Good re-scraped sold at 6s to 10s advance. Ordinary quality was steady. While three-quarter scraped was Is to 2a per. owt lower, half-scraped was firm, and pickings were rather dearer. Fine quality of dark brown realised extreme prices, but common was neglected. Bush was in good demand at full prices, but chips were irregular, though sittings and dnst were firm. 150 cases of re-scraped sold at £5 to £10 j three-quarter scraped, 100 cases sold, fair to good, £4 12s to £4 15s; half-scraped, 100 cases sold, mixed and small, £3 to £3 3s; pickings, 140 cases sgld at £2 to £2&; chips, 260 cases sold at £1 2s to £4; siftinga and dnst, 75 packages sold at 14s to £118s 6d; bush, 140 cases sold at 18s t« £6 (a lew cases of fine selected sold at £7 2a 6(1 to £712s Gil); dark brown, 80 cases sold at £1 6a to £5 per cwt. The next sales will be held by Mnssrs. Figgis on March 25. The assortment offered was about:—29o caies re-scraped, 870 cases three-quartet' scraped, 470 cases hiilf-soraped, 200 cases pickings, 210 cases bush, 290 cases dark brown, 640 cases chips, 80 packages dust and sittings. Piicesourreiit per owt: Dial,fine white picked, £13 to,-614; fair andgood, £11 to £12. Re-acraped, good and fine pale, £7 53 to £1010s: pale amber, £6 to £6 15s; amber, £5 os to £5155; dark amber, £4 15s to £5 s*. No. I—J-scraped, good and fine extra, £4 133 to £4165; fair little mixed, £410 ato £4 12s. l<o. 2—J-ecraped sorts, fair to good bold, £3 3s to £3 53; smaller ordinary to fair, £2 183 to £3 2s. Sorts-Good ordinary unsorted, small to bold, £2 4s to £210 a. No. 3-Pick-ings, good bold not very drossy, £2 to £2 8s; interior, woody to fair, £1 5s to £1 19s. Chips, bold pale cleau, fair to fine, £3 5e to £4 7s [ pale yeliow, small, £2 10s to £3 3s j middling, part coated to fairly clean, £1 17s to £2 14s ; drossy, inferior coated, part diggers, £1 2s to £114s, Sittings, good to,fine pale clean, grainy, £110s to £2; dull and more foul, 18s to £18s. Dust, ordinary to good, 183 to £18d; common flour and inferior, 12s to 17s. Dark brown, selected re-scraped, £4 103 to £5 ss: No. 1, S scraped, fair to fine, £3 to £4; No. 2, £ scraped, mixed to good, £116s to £212 a; No. a, drossy, mixed,, pickings, 18s to £18s; chips, ordinary drossy to fair clean. 16s to £2. Bush, No. 1 selected, re-scraped, £4 14s to £7 10s, No. 2, part scraped and sorts, £218? to £4: No. 3, pickings low drossyto fair, ISs to £2 6s; chips, drossy to good clean bold, £18s to £3155. ■ ■■■'. Imports. Deliveries. Stock. Ist Jan. to 31st Jan. lstKeb. tons. tons. • tons. 189?.. say(nett) 381 - (nett) 243 (nett) im* 1806.. „ 254 ■ „ 294 „ 1402 1895.; .'. „ 295 „. 240 (l 2530 * To be aiMeil to this, after deducting dellyeries, [ S6O teas; since. ' - '■■' "'•': v>-