COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17275, 26 September 1919, Page 5

COMMERCIAL.

WHOLESALP A ND RETAIL. * LE A ND RETAIL. SATISFACTORY MONTH. ' PRODUCE U ™ E ALTERED. has d?vdS d m * ny y^ rS Since the trade ,u » « it has H Vap,d,y after the winter l T be month that «ati 6 factorv one for I , V P articul » rl >- th „i,„i , r September, so far as nartm „ V' c ™ c -" e d, and most departments ,n Auckland report a most welcome activity. The principal immediate cause is probably the improvement in the railway service, causing a feeling of greater confidence in the country districts, and buying has been resumed on a scale that is almoet surprisIhe improvement in the building trade is making a marked impression on the activities of the hardware houses here, contracts are being let in town and country, and the only difficulty is in getting sufficient supplies. Corrugated iron is again in small compaes, but tiles are now taking a larger proportion of the trade in the more modern style of buildings. Agricultural hardware is in good demand. Fencing wire is firmer again, after a period of falling prices, the recovery being partly due to the higher cost of exchange on importations from America. Dairy utensils have been selling well. Imports have been very heavy indeed during the last month, the arrivals being out of all proportion to the imports during the winter. The wharves nave been exceptionally busy, and the heavy importations have contributed in no small measure to the activity of trade, as every steamer has brought goods that were in short supply. These have naturally sold readily on arrival, and probably at no time in the history of Auckland lias such a large proportion of the goods gone direct to purchasers without being warehoused at all Australian Goods. Australian goods are still in an unfortunate position. Several steamers have arrived since the strike -was over, but the scarcity looks worse than ever. It eeems, impossible to get any quantity of Australian goods over, probably owing to the fact that the wharves are already filled with thousands of tons of transhipments, and the preference is apparently being given to these.

Eastern goods are beginning to arrive in greater quantity since the resumption | of shinping with Australia, but prices j hav e been revised on a scale that shows a sharp advance on the rates of three months ago. The two factore influencing I Eastern prices are the abnormal exchange rate and the Chinese rice famine, the latter naturally affecting all food pro- ! duct*. Rice is quite twice the price that : ruled three months ago, and it looks as if still a higher price will be reached i before the next rice harvest is in. Produce : Merchants report a very fair turnover, with few alterations in prices. Potatoes Unchanged. Potatoes : The price is -unchanged at £14 to £14 10s, ex store, with the de- j mand showing a tendency to fall off. | Buyers are getting a little more critical regarding the quality, which always gets | more unreliable at this time of the year, j and most of the samples on offer have to be picked over. Distributors appear to j have been well supplied out of the numer- I ous shipments that arrived up to last week, so that there is now a reduced inquiry for delivery, ex store. It is ex- I pected that an increased supply of newpotatoes will be coming into' the market after next week, but the price is still so .high that old potatoes will be in request for some week? yet. It is rather remark- ! able that fresh vegetables are still so j scarce and dear. The dry autumn played havoc with the winter supplies, and , , practically all varieties have been selling ; at record rates, but it was expected that I the supply would have increased by now. A few weeks will end the present scarcity, I as growth is very rapid at present, and an I increased supply will correspondingly re- | once the call for potatoes. Never in Recent years have vegetables been as scarce as they have been during the last winter, i and this has been a great factor in increas- j ing the cost of living, as all imported I foodstuffs have been dear. j Seed Potatoes : Most varieties are sell- j ing well. The weather has been perfec- I tion for planting and growing, so th.it a good crop should result. Onions : The Japanese arrivals have been ! so heavy that the selling price continues I weak at the reduction already reported, I and the best quality are selling at 30s a case of about 1001b. Most of the samples are in prime condition, but a few require picking over. Importers are expecting their American onions next month, but it looks as if they will arrive to a poor . market

Demand for Oats Easing

Oats: All ' distributors are noticing a decided falling-off in the demand for oats, a natural result of the continual increase in motor traffic. Heavy sales are now a thing of the past, but small lines are quickly moving off at about 5s 8d ex store for best feed. Southern quotations appear to stills depend on the inquiry for shipment to Australia, and the prospects are hardly as good as they were. j Seed Outs : A heavy demand continues, practically all the trade being in Algerians. Unfortunately,- local stocks are only limited. Wheat : The market ie a little firmer in fowl wheat this week". It is reported that stock will probably be insufficient to meet the demand, and it may be necessary to endeavour to arrange for importation from Australia. Best quality ie worth &* 3d to 8s 4d, ex store. Bran and Pollard : Both lines continue in ijood demand, but it is expected that tlse inquiry for bran will soon decrease, owina to th growth of grass. Chaff: The demand for chaff is decreas- j ing for the same reason, so that it has not been so difficult to meet all requirements, ! even though the supply has been, limited j by the restricted railway and shipping j service. Best Blenheim chaff is worth about £14, ex store. Maize : The demand is steadily falling I riff, so that it has been difficult to place all the quantity that has'arrived from the coast. Nominally the host of it is worth ! 7* on the wharf in wholesale lines, but inferior quality ha« a tendency to'drag: the market down, mid some lines have '■ been offering at 6d lower. South African ' maize is in pood request, on account of ! its superior condition, and a good deal of it is being taken for seed.

RABBITSKIN SALES. HIGH PRICES IN LONDON. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. 'Feed. 9 p. ; n l LONDON. Sept. 24. Record prices. showing an advance of 100 to 125 per cent., were realised at the rabbitskin sales. There was strong American competition. New /.enland furriers received £1 5s a lb for skins LONDON WOOL SALES. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 11.30 p.m.) LONDON. Sept. 24. Record prices wore realised at the wool sales to-day Scoured wools reached lOOid and greasy and Merino wools 70} d. LONDON. Sept. 23. A firm tone was fully maintained at the wool sales to-day. Croaebreds were slightly dearer. American and Continental buyers are operating in Merinos. The following prices were obtained for New Zealand clips: —Woodlands, top 30»d. average 26d; Kiwu, top 15d. average 36d. NEW ZEALAND LAND COMPANY. A. and N.Z. LONDON. Sept. 23. The New Zealand and Land Company has declared a nnal dividend on ordinary shares of 5 per cent., with a bonus of 3 per cent, free of income tax.

AUSTRALIAN PRODUCE.

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 11.30 p.m.) SYDNEY. Sept. 25.

Oats: Algerian, 6a; Tasmanian, 6s to 6s 3d. Barley: Cape, 5s to 5s 3d- . Maize: 7s 9d to Bs. Potatoes: Tasmanian, £18; New Zealand" ■£17 10s to £18. Onions: £14 to £15.

(Reed. 11.30 p.m.) ADELAIDE, Sept. 25. Oats: 5s 3d to 5s 4d. (Reed. 11.30 p.m.) MELBOURNE, Sept, 25. Hides are firmer all round. Kips hare improved from a halfpenny to a penny. PROPERTY SALES. si^"*^"',)?• Mail<leno Jackson will offer for sale at their rooms. Customs Street East, GlmiLw 0 «.^ th -"- naornll >e. a freehold at S' d ' , comprising over 2{ acres fruitw?h?,t. Mli and aeven-roomed dwelling oufhnl r al conT enienoeß and large range of ke^nea^wfa.r" tUated *™ mUeS from Bir " HIDES AND TALLOW MARKET. rJmL Farm i'Tj' c< >-oPerative Auctioneering wSekiv n J;u Lt f V5 eport , haviDg . heid th^r \v?aL 7 a of hid ? s - sluilß - and tallow on Wednesday as under: — Hides: Light ox. Hid; best cow 10? d•' •damaged cow, 61d to 8d; best kips, lid! IT S ?*a kI P B, 7 i d : ,beet calf, 18d; meaty calf 16d; heavy calf. 13d; cut calf, lOd to 12d; dry calf, 12d. Tallow: 60s per cwt. Horsehair: 18d par lb.

Abraham and Williams, Ltd.. report on their weekly sale of hides, skins, and tallow, bold on Tuesday, as follows: — ,? I . des , : „ l s' b ! Bat md *« 10H. medium lOd to 10$ d, rough 9d to 9id. scored 76d to aid, cut 8d to B*d. damaged 6d to 64d; ox extra heavy 12Jd to. 13d. heavy 12d to fakl, medium Hid Ao 12d, light lid to U}d, cut 91d to lOd, cfamaged 6*d to 7d; yearling, 9Jd to lOd, cut 7ld to Bd. damaged s|d to 6d. calf, good 16d to 18d, medium 14d to 15d, heavy lid to lUd, damaged 7Jd to 94d, cut 9}d to lOd: horse. 9s to 10s, medium 8s to 8s 6d, small 5s to 6s, cut 4a to 4s 6d. Tallow: Casks, best 56s to 60s, medium 50s to 555, ordinary 45s to 60s per cwt; tins, best 42s to 455, ordinary 40s to 455; dreegy and burnt, 85s per cwt. Bones: Good, dry, £7 10» to £8 pet ton. ft