COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15260, 26 March 1913, Page 5

COMMERCIAL.

MARKET REPORT.

If EFFECTS OF THE HOLIDAY. ! * t

1 ';¥, . ,:■-■. c ; "TaEBS are very few striking features to j ■ ' teport since last week, the holidays having j 7 practically brought business to a standstill, j */' The loading of the Navua, and Tcfua this . week (or tho Islands, and also the usual * heavy deliveries of orders booked for the c 25th of the month, have naturally caused s business to be resumed on a heavier and l more active scale than is usual after holi- > i'days. In a general way, however, _ trans- I • ./"• actions aro to a certain extent limited at l~y present by the proximity of bank-balancing, /''' and the fact that so many houses select K the same time for their stock-taking. f, The Opawn lias arrived with a largo ship- ; ; cent of general goods, and has filled up a * i number of linos that were in 6hort supply. 1 In the produce market rather heavy i ■-" gales have been made for delivery from i :■■■' the Maitai and the Monowai, both these ' steamers arriving with largo consignments. , Maiie: The Kaeo ha* arrived with a , /■ - shipment, of maize, and coming to a very ' bare market full sales have been made on ' the basis of 4s 5d on the wharf. J Potatoes: Locally grown have been com- ] ■ ing in rather freely during the past week, i and these with the addition of regular small » shipments from th© South have kept the , marker, better supplied. There is very . r .' little likelihood of a shortage from now . ' on, as Canterbury-grown will bo coming . forward by every steamer. A large quan- ] . ■ titv which was bought for March shipment from tho South has still to arrive. Tho price remains at £8 10s ox store. Y" Oats: Southern reports are still to the /effect that the crop is turning out lighter { than expected. The statistical position is . luring its effect on fanners, who are holding out for full prices in view of the expected shortage, while merchant* in turn .are disinclined to sell for forward delivery. VVlt is exceedingly difficult to forecast the market this year, for against . the light ' harvest there is the fact that Australia is ; enlv likely to rehire small quantities, while the, advance in freight to London from 15s to 55s is enough to block export to the United Kingdom. Good shipments : have arrived from the South, which have 'come to a bare market, and the local price "*A remains at 3s ex store for best feed. Oatmeal l»as been dull of sale during the hot weather, and in the small trade that has been passing a preference has been V shown for tolled oats and the various other substitutes. ~,•,. Wheat: Rain has delayed harvesting somewhat, but from what we can gather there has been no damage done. It is ex- , " pected that the quality will be good this / year, bat at present there is very little new /■/' wheat offering. ■ . :.':','■, - ' ~ - Fowl wheat » offering freely for ship- '" ment from he South at slightly higher ■ prices. Locally the quotation remains at ? - 4s 6a ex store, at which figure the market £"%'-'» very" firm. .:■;■'-■• '■',;:■ '/.' .: ■■*»>'";' ■>"-■ r ' Flour: The market a firm, in sympathy > with the strong position of wheat Very few millers are'keen on selling, and none will now book forward for more than two or three months. ._,,,. Bran and Pollard: Both these lines commaud full rates on account of Australian i ■• orders in hand. . . ~ :. ~'' Chaff: There is a better feehng in- the market since the advance which has been made by Marlborough holders. At ' the fe moment there is rather ascarcity/ in local ' ' stores, but heavier supplies of local chaff should shortly be in. -' In th© meantime the chief trade is in Southern, which roles at ?' £6 ex store. ... ~ . i Onions: : Local ? stocks : were very light *'' until arrival of the Monowai with 422 hags, and this has relieved the market. Demand !f - is not very heavy/at present, and with - mote regular shipment* from; the South there should be ample ; supplies , for •, the :-;' ■ future. Price remains at 8s 6a « store.- .'■; K-. " : Salt A large' shipment has arrived by the Opawa, and heavy sales have been made •-■ for delivery from the ship's side. / Flax London is not buying at present, i cables to hand ■'~ last week indicating that prices are purely nominal, as buyers have ceased operating. / Supplies have been comi ing in more freely daring the past few weeks, and these have been taken up under old contracts, fresh business being held up by the in London. There is : also a considerable quantity of unfinished Bar lying out, which only requires to be scutched and baledV so w» may look for a large increase in tbearovals during April and May. This has been delayed to some extent by the difficulty in securing suitable ] labour, and this is rather unfortunate, for while merchants have sometime* > found difficulty in getting sufficient supplies for their freight commitments, next month when 1 heavier supplies are anfccipateok an advance of 25s per ton in the freight to London has to he faced.-' - - a , ...'•-" Indian Tea: At the Calcutta tea sales & No. 31 some 20,558 packages were catalogued. Of this quantity some 1628 pack ages were withdrawn trader hid, or.did. not v arrive hi time. The rest sold, ahqnilß,§3o ; ' packages massing the hammer. Selection - and duality were very vaned, a, large pro- ' portion of the invoices lieing ctosing ones ■ SlbWy mixed leaf; here and there some /' attractive cup lines from Assam and Dooms were shown. There was generally * better demand for all teas with ; .any appearance or *; cap, the tendency for which was upwards. (/-,:.<-*/'l'-* KAURI/ GUM MARKET. , ,',/'■'., The arrivals for -the 25 days of March are 806 tons, which, .in comparison with the t corresponding period of last month,^enow : anincrease of *37 tone. The buttc of gum '*--■ coming forward still consists cmefly oftow made gam and dark chips, and dust, which meets with fair competition if free -from Pale select is only coming, forward, in verv small consignments, and is easily dtt- " posed of on arrival at late "tes. . nh-ainary: All grade* well ,got up meet ; with ready sale if prices asked are not too '■ "."' - c*horbitant. There is a tendency in some cases t6 put on too high reserves,, which shippers have to turn down as they cannot possibly do business on higher quotations. , East Coast: The high prices ruling have confined business to one or two shippers, and comootition is restricted. ... '• ,' >' Black:" The general demand is stall firm &: '. for rescraped and bold lumps of good V: rSloxxr, thoroughly sound and well cleaned. (Tnsorted blacks are not so easily disposed r of unless at a fall in price. . _ |' Bush is in short supply, and consignments l v coming forward meet with ready sale. ■ ~r. Chips and dust of all grades sell readily, but lots containing earth only command low ! : : --j\ ■ Fungus: For good dry lots 4Jd is obtain* i 1 - able. . ' ■ .