COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14820, 25 October 1911, Page 5

COMMERCIAL.

MARKET REVIEW.

& MODERATE AMOUNT OF TRADE.

There is very little change to report with regard to general business. There is still a moderate amount of trade passing, but this week we look for an improvement. The soft goods houses do not. find matters too brisk. Continued activity is beirs experienced by hardware houses and produce merchants. Sicily Almonds: Market has advanced for prompt shipment and supplies on the spot are rather short. Ginger: Finest Jamaica is quoted at firm rates and market is firm with upward dencyCream of Tartar: Market has advanced further for prompt shipments, and buyers advise that they are unable to make big shipments before the beginning of the new year. Sardines: Extract from cable received from London advises that supplies are extremely scarce, and prospects tor the new pack are not at all favourable. Kent Hops: Cable just to hand advises that the market is firm. High prices are ruling. W'hitclcad: Market has advanced sharply, &nd local stocks aro commanding enhanced prices in sympathy with the forward martot, s

Mattress Fibre: This line still maintains a high level, owing to the scarcity of freight, thinping companies being adverse to bringing the same. down. Candles: Good demand still continues for all the well-known brands. Stocks on hand are in good compass. Linseed Oil: Market is steady at current rates, and replenishing shipments are eagerly awaited. Stocks at the present time are in good demand. Potatoes: The Tarnwera brought 1300 sacks from the South to a market that was very poorly supplied. This quantity is too small for, requirements. Southern growers are now very difficult to deal with. They have advanced their price, and say that unless they can get it they will use their potatoes for other purposes. The price is £5. Onions: The Mancno brought a small ihipment of 300 sacks from Australia, which Be fear will be the last for some littlo time, is the strike is preventing shippers executing orders. Cables have been received from Melbourne to the effect that they cannot ship the onions via Sydney, and it is not quite certain whether they - will be able to tend them by the South. The price of Victorians is :ES, Californians i-io 10s. Oats: The market is very firm in the South. The Ihumata has brought about 15,000 small sacks of feed Algerians. This is considerably less than was expected. The arrival of this shipment has made no difference in the price for New Zealand oats. The quotation .for these is os Sd, and Algerians 3s 4d. Chaff: This market is very bare of stock, and more business could be done were the supplies available. The quotations are £6 10s * for Melbourne, £6 15s for local, and £7 5s for Southern. !

Fowl Wheat: Owing to _short supplies and a good demand the market is very firm at 4s 6d ex store.

Maize: The shipments from the Coast are not very heavy, and last week's arrivals were readily disposed of. The market continues firm. The ex store price is 5s 7d. Bran is selling at £6 10s. The demand is good; stocks are only moderate. Pollard is moving off freely at £6 ss. Stocks are not heavy. Flour: Northern Roller flour is worth £10 15s per ton, and Southern flour £9 15s per ton locally. Fungus: The quantity being forwarded to this market is still very light, and there seems to be no disposition on the part of exporters to operate. This may continue for some time. The troubles in China are not improving matters. The nominal quotation is 3|cL v Flax is arriving rather more freely, but still the quantity coming forward, is only small, and not sufficient to make a market. The London advices point to,the dull feeling continuing. The local quotations are nominally £16 10s for g.f.a.q., £16 for f.a.q., and £14- for common. Tow is still in short supply. Indian Tea: As the season advances those practically interested in tea have every reason to be satisfied with the condition and prospects of their holdings, whether it be tea itself or tea shares, for both are, and promise to remain good property. At the last Calcutta sale there was once more a large catalogue, some 33,000 packages being on show, but the result was a better >• demand and a stronger market, with higher prices obtained all round, the advance established ranging from three to six pies per pound. Looking at the trade as a whole, there is very substantial reason for this improvement, "for demand has got well abreast, if not ahead, of what may be looked on as a normal supply; but in addition the crops this year are likely to fall short of a normal supply, thus creating possibilities of a shortage. Ceylon, it is reckoned, will be tome five million pounds below expectations, owing partly to the drought in the island, and "also to the greater attention now being given to rubber on the tea estates, wnile the South of India is also suffering from the same want of rain, which Is this year afflicting almost the whole continent as a result of defective monsoon currents.

kauri GUM Market. The arrivals for 21 days of October are 348 tons, which shows a faUingkjfF of 105 tons in comparison with the same period of last month, when 455 tons reached here. The market was anything but bright during the week, although rattier more transaclions took place; but prices had to be reduced, especially in the better grades, to induce shippers to operate. Lower grades of ordinary are not meeting with a brisk demand. \. Pale select is salable, but very little coming in. s . Ordinary: Re-scraped, if really good, is salable in small , lines, but there is still 110 demand for inferior lots. Sorted superior three-quarter-scraped ordinary is selling better, but prices are lower. Unsorted lots are difficult to place. Medium ordinary and extra well-cleaned washed nuts find ready buyers. Coated nuts are not so easily placed. Good swamp is only moving off in small quantities. There is very little doing in medium swamp, and poor dry swamp is hanging fire. ' East Coast: A fair amount of business was done during the week, but only in really good quality. Any inferior lots were turned down, and country storekeepers would be well advised if, when buying from the diggers, they insist on all garbs and bush being kept out of their gum; and they require to sift the gum before shipping. Black: Re-scraped really good and bold lumps thoroughly sound and well cleaned are selling. There is very little doing in sorted three-quarter-scraped ■ steel. unseated blacks ar3 not wanted. Medium black and hard black nuts are selling. Poor black nuts mixed with "white swampy nuts are accumulating. ; Bush: Nearly all kinds are still meeting with a fair demand. • Chips and Dust: Bright chips and dust, good ordinary chips, diggers' ordinary chips (sifted), diggers' ordinary chips and dust, good ordinary dust free _ from earth, and cut black riddlings continue to sell, _ but there is no demand for poor black riddlings, and coarse black dust is quieter. %

v LONDON MARKETS. By Telegraph.Press Association^—OopyrigM. 1 LONDON, October 23. ; PRICE of SILVER. Silver is quoted at 2s o£d. ■ • ■ v WOOL SALES. arsts » jS2 offered. Market easier. Good ; wools unchanged. Merino wools, greasy. inferior and faulty, five per cent.',lower. Crossbred wools, greasy, coarse, 7i pet cent, lower.