COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16035, 29 September 1915, Page 5

COMMERCIAL.

IMPORTERS' DIFFICULTIES. SCARCITY OF IRON GOODS. Sf 8 " h ? aixieaß opened rather well in the wholesale this week. Further bookings for October account have helped rather considerably, although orders are numerous rather than heavy. Business from the wharf has been rather quiet except in Southern goods, oversea arrivals being smaller than usual. 8 »JSrt** ! ? he fact *» now dearf y ™*>zof their Hi ffl^f? 5™ OVer th ° worst gttw , tl6B ' and most of- the small m* «f ♦ J° r SeVeral months have been noticiw?* * now available. The most noticeable scarcity is in iron goods and toil! ¥ d the manufacturers at Home being busy with war orders. The unfortunate portion of 7m figures for the first seven months of this figures for the first seven months of this year, compared with the imports during on™? 1 * 6 P6ri of 1914 - &°n import! compare as under :— "m»"iw» Seven Montis' Imports. P«s, *pltj.. * nd rods, tons ...ml 18TO7 corrugated, tons 6222 10263 Barbed wire, tons 1735 0070 Plain wire, tons ... 3782 7? Put and scrap, tons ... Z 5337 ?;497 A|ter such an enormous falling off in these lines it is very annoying to find St week- Chat the Suruga, which has arrived in Wellington with a large cargo from New York, will have to go to Sydney to discharge the fencing wire on ™ W > * xT Som V , thi3 car 8° **» oeen held !2 £ u!" v Y ork , for months > «<* when eventually shipped it was stowed with such an extraordinary disregard for the geography of the South Pacific that it nas to be transhipped from Svdney. Importers are very much disgusted at this further delay in the arrival of goods urgently wanted, especially as communication with Sydney is not now so regular as it used to be. Potatoes : Fairly good shipments have arrived by the Riverina, Wanaka, and Monowai but as these came to a bare market the bulk has been- sold for delivery ex wharf. Merchants in" the South are finding it difficult to get supplies, and in consequence the price has advanced. « is impossible to get accurate information as to the quantity available, and as even Auckland will require a considerable amount ' till well into November the market has an improved tone. Local priceis firm at £8 10s ex store. Onions : Local are selling according to condition, most of them being very poor. Victorian is offering at low rates, but there is too much risk in the condition at this time of the year, and no business is resulting. Australia is also overstocked in American onions, and these are now being resold to New Zealand. In fact Australia seems ; to have over-imported in most lines of grain and produce, and the markets there are quite demoralised. Best American are selling at 16s. Oats : The weakness in the market continues. Although the embargo on export is removed, there does not seem to be any possibility of shipping to Australia, as contracts are still running for cargoes from Chili, which cannot he sold except at a heaw loss. These should have arrived weeks ago, and in the meantime the. whole position has changed with the improved harvest prospects. In some quarters it is thought that there will be only, just enough to last till the new crop comes in, which will be later than usual this season. Local price is weak at 4s 5d ex store. Wheat : Market is weak, with more sellers than buyers. Bran and Pollard : About the same. Demand is inclined to fall off still more, except that the stables are- using more bran since it became cheaper than chaff. Ricemeal : Quotations are arriving from Australia, but importers are not buying Chaff: The Wanaka" has brought a good quantity, but as this vessel is going off the coastal running there may be considerable difficulty in making arrangements for supplies from the South for the rest of the season. Hay : Plenty is offering now, but buyers are scarce. Grass Seed : Owing to reports of a dry season in Canterbury there is already a little speculation in cocksfoot and ryegrass, in case they should again be in short supply. Last year the crop was very small, and the whole position in New Zealand seed is reflected in the import figures for this year, as merchants had to go outside as soon as they saw the crops a failure. For the first seven months of this year the total importation of grass and clover seed amounted to 73.484cwt compared with 22,109cwt during the corresponding period of 1914. Of this quantity 29,015cwt arrived in July. There is a small demand for spring sowing. Maize : Supplies from the coast are still small, and ' market is much firmer. Demand at present is largelv being supplied from stored stocks of South African maize. Fertilisers: All descriptions are selling well. Super is now arriving in sufficient quantities. Calcutta bonedust is booking for November shipment. - Salt : A shipment of 700 tons has been arranged from Australia to arrive early in October, consisting of fine coarse, and agricultural. Butter: Wholesale price has advanced a penny, and is now Is 4d. ' Milk: Wholesale price of Highlander milk has advanced to 23s 6d. __ Flax \ The tone of the London market is a shade better this week. Shippers are giving £24 for rood fair, £23 for hirh point fair, and £22 for ordinary, while common is worth £20.

KAURI GUM. Supplies this month to date amount to 404 tons. -As this is more than sufficient for present requirements there is some accumulation of unsold lots in store. The general tone of the market seems depressed, sales being rather difficult to make, __ even at slightly lower rates, as there is very little fresh business. Rescraped and white are moving off at a slieht reduction on late rates, black is still weak, and there are very few sales in chips and dust. Good hearty swamp can be placed, but poor is again slack. Sales are continually taking place in good bush, which in many cases is being placed directly on arrival.

WELLINGTON PRODUCE MARKET. [BY TELEGRAPH.— CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Tuesday. A very strong position continues to be maintained for both dessert apples and pears; in fact, all descriptions of fruit are short of requirements. Choice dessert apples, lis to 12s a case; prime, 9s to 10s; cookers, choice, 8s to 9s; prime, 6s 6d to 7s 6d. Pears, choice, 17s to 19s a case; prime, 12s to 15s. Lemons, 8s to 9s a case. Passions, 5s to 6s a case. Jam oranges, 10s to 12s a case. Potatoes : Old, in good demand at 6s 9d to 7s for choice quality; new, large are selling well at 3d to 4d a lb, and 2d and 2sd for prime. Fresh eggs are in good demand at Is 4d per doz. GRAIN AND POTATO MARKET. [by 'telegraph.—PßESS association.] Christohtoch, Tuesday. There has been no fresh development in connection with the wheat, market. So faT no success has attended the movement by millers and merchants to get the Government to allow a portion of the surplus of wheat to be exported to Australia. Flour would no doubt be the best form in which to make export, and sales could, be made to Victoria- and South Australia, but the import of wheat and flour into New South Wales is said to be prohibited by the State Government, which has taken the wheat trade into its own hands. Potatoes are firmer, as there are few offering by growers, and sales have been made up to £5 10s at country stations. At the same time, the demand is not very active.

JjUJNJJON MARKETS. METALS AND PRODUCE RATES. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received September 28, H. 20 p.m.) London, September 27. Copper, buyers £70 17s 6d, sellers £71 17s 6d. Electrolytic, £87. Tin, buyers £152 10s, sellers £153. Lead, £24 7s 6d. WOOL. _ Wool: Good Merinos and crossbreds are "°. There has been a considerable withdrawal of " faulties." The following prices have been realised for New Zealand clips Gerard, top 19d, average 17Jd; Taradale, ton 28id, average 24|d: Dumfree. top IBd, average 17Jd; Muller, top 13d, average 124 d. • WHEAT. Wheat is firm. There is only one cargo of Australian offering. BUTTER AND CHEESE. Messrs. Dalgety and Company} Limited, have received the following cable from their London office, under date of September 24:— * io? utte lU. Market firm - Danish, 192s to lafs. The Copenhagen quotation is 8 kroners higher. Cheese: Canadian steady. New Zealand, 74s to 78s. SYDNEY WOOL SALES. By Telegraph—Press Association— .... , Sydney, September 28. At the wool sales to-day fine Merino wools sold at par, and fine crossbreds and bulky pieces at from 5 to 10 per cent, advance on late sales.