COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17269, 19 September 1919, Page 5

COMMERCIAL.

SATISFACTORY BUSINESS.

WHOLESALE AND RETAIL.

THE PRODUCE MARKETS.

For the slack week of the month, business in the wholesale has been very satisfactory. This is largely due to the heavy arrivals of overseas shipments during the last couple of weeks, large quantities from England, America and Australia being distributed in an active market. Consumers have become well accustomed to a shortage in manufactured goods from the Northern Hemisphere, but the long interruption to shipping with Australia was so unexpected as to catch importers short of stocks. This applies also to Eastern goods, so that the five steamers that have arrived, or are now on the way from Australia, have in their cargoes a long list of goods that are finding a ready market, including tobacco, onions, currants, sultanas, rice, and dessicated cocoanut, besides jute goods and bonedust from Calcutta.

Rice: The market has never been as bare as it has during the last few weeks, and a shipment now in the harbour will be distributed at once.

Australian Dried Fruits : Owing to the entire absence of Mediterranean fruits, and the high prices for s new season's Califomian, the Mildura fruits now on the water are also coming to a good market. Sultanas have been unobtainable in the "wholesale for some weeks, and currants are also getting low. ' Tobacco: A few brands are in heavy supply, but nearly all-brands of Australian pack are either short or unobtainable. Cigarettes are also in small compass. Fertilisers: Australian bonedust promises to be in greater request nejet year, owing to the heavier cost for importing from Calcutta. The Waitemata is due in a few days with a Calcutta shipment that will be particularly welcome. All descriptions of fertilisers are firm, with an increasing demand. Onions «&nd Potatoes. Onions: Heavy arrivals of Japanese onions from Australia have rather weakened the market, and these are now quoted at 32s 6d a case. Further quantities are offering from Australia, where large importations have already arrived, and the resumption of shipping should enable ample consignments to come across. Potatoes: Only limited" quantities are offering in the South, and the market is firm at £14 10s ex store. Buyers are cautious in only taking for immediate requirements, as the potatoes are not keeping a£ all well. The high price also has a tendency to restrict sales, especially as most householders have a better supply of vegetables than they had during the winter. New potatoes are becoming more in evidence each week, but the price is too high to allow of a general demand. Seed Potatoes : The large a.re.iti have now been planted, but a good demand for small quantities is still reported. Planting will continue for at least a. month.

Southern Oats Irregular. Oats: Quotations from the South are rather irregular this week, different ports having rates differing to such an extent as to indicate very divergent views as to the prospects of export. Locally the market is not at all interesting, demand being quiet at 5s 7d ? ex store. Seed Oats : Algerians are selling very well, but Gartens and Tartarian are neglected.

Grass Seed: The markets are very active all over the world. Heavy buying has taken place in clovers in New Zealand, for shipment to the United Kingdom, and prices have firmed considerably. Fowl Wheat. There is a decidedly firmer feeling, as it is estimated that there is not much left. Threshing returns continue satisfactory, but the acreage under wheat was go much Jess than usual that the total yield was below the average. Up to August 21 6,119,012 bushels of wheat had been threshed, working out at 33.26 bushels to. the acre, by far the best average for the last seven years, but the good yield is probably responsible for only a small proportion being, graded as fowl wheat, most of it being fit for nulling. Fowl wheat is consequently firm, and merchants are quoting 8s 3d, with a possibility of still higher rates. Bran and Pollard: Both are in heavy demand, with bran particularly scarce.

Southern Ohafi Supplies. Chaff : Buyers are giving up to £11 for farmers' lots of best local, bat Southern is a Jittle more plentiful. Both Marlborough and Canterbury are now more ready to sell, and more space has been obtainable lately. Linseed: A busy demand is reported, with only limited quantities offering Maize: The market has been weakened by larger consignment* from the coast than could be absorbed. The quality is not very satisfactory, being generally soft, and growers are up against heavy shipments of South African, the latter arriving in perfect condition. The local article has consequently eased in price and some consignments realised only 7 6 . Salt: Importations during the last few months have been so insignificant that the exceptionally heavy importations of last year have at last gone into consumption. Reports from England and Australia indicate higher costa in all brands. Importations of Tea. Tea: A few small lots arriving via Australia have been very useful to importers? as stocks were getting low. During the first seven months*of "this year only 3,665,0001b were landed in the Dominion, ' compared with 5,816,0001b during the same period of 1918, and as the annual consumption averages about 9,00C,000Lb this importation is far below requirements. During August the proportion was probably still less, so that any now arriving will help matters considerably. The Ceylon market is firm, with a high exchange rate, making the position very difficult for importers. Cheese ; The local market is very badly supplied, as all the available stocks appear to be held for export. During the week before last about 10.000 crates were shipped from Auckland, in addition to about 4000 crates from other porta, yet it is practically impossible to pick up a line of 50 crates in the open market. In another month the position will be easier, as the milk season is now in full swing. AUSTRALIAN" PRODUCE. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed 12.30 a.m.) SYDNEY. Sept. 18. Oats: Algerian, 6s; Taamanian, 6s to Sb 3d; New Zealand, Cartons, 6s 6d. Barley: Cape,. 5s 3&. Maize: 8s 3d to 8b 6d. Potatoes: Tasmanian. £17 to £18 Onions: £15 to £16. (Eecd. 12.30 a m.) ADELAIDE, Sept. 18. Oats: 5s 3d. PROPERTY SALES. Messrs T. Mandeno Jackson will offer for sale at their rooms. Customs Street East at eleven o clock this morning, several valuable freeholds. Fayona homestead. 22 acres and 22 perches, with long frontage to Favona Road, also frontage to Manukau Harbour together with residence of seven rooms and" outbuildings; 27 acres, part. Favona Park Estate, having road and sea frontage- residential site nearly 5-acre, bounded by Favona Road and water, within wa.king dis- ! tance of Otahuhu; The Pines, Epsorn, resi- : dence of eight rooms and over one acre' land ■ having 81ft 11 in frontage to Market Road! about five minutes from cars; 20 sections on Lyncroft Estate, Ellerslie, about three minutes from station and racecourse; section on Tarenki Estate, Buckland's Beach, over half-an-acre, to be sold in one or two lots; corner section at Takopuna, having 75ft to Lake Road and 132 ft to Tennyson Street, few minutes walk from Takapuna .Beach ; and by order of the registrar of the Supreme Court. J-a ere section nt corner of Dominion Road and Queen's Avenue, and house of six rooms. Samuel Vaile ant! Sons, Ltd., will hold an auction sale at their rooms, 83, Queen Street, at 2 p.m. to-day, when the following properties will be offered for sale: —House of seven rooms, situated at No. 19, Dominion Road, Mount Eden; property at junction of Wellington and Union Streets, comprising two shops, with dwelling and three coottages at hack; and house of sis rooms at No. 0, Maxwell Avenue, Grey Lynn.

' LONDON WOOL SALES. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 8 p.m. - LONDON, Sept. 17. There was keen competition at the wool sales to-day, especially among -American and French buyers, who paid extreme prides for fine Merinos. All other sorts realised the fall opening rates. New Zealand Longrow clip obtained Qs 7id, top price, and 2s 3d, average, price.

HIDE AND, TALLOW MARKET. The Farmers' Co-operative Auctioneering Co., Limited, report: —We held our weekly eale of hides, skins, and tallow, prices being" as follow:— Hides: Light ox. to lid: cow, to lOJd: yearlings,, to lid. Calfskins, best 18d, meaty I6d Cut damaged, and dirty hides. 2d to 4d beloW above prices. Horse Hides, 5s to 12s 6d each. Tallow, best 60s cwt. Horsehair, Is 6d per lb.