COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17650, 10 December 1920, Page 5

COMMERCIAL.

improvement in TRADE.

THE PRODUCE MARKETS.

LOWER PRICES RULING

Every day now seems to bring an improvement in trade, and it is Evident that brisk business is to last until the holidays. Forward booking is always earlier than usual in December, and deliveries are to commence nest week. These extra orders are keeping i the wholesale houses very busy, as retailers j must lay in stocks for the great rush that ; always comes in December. Country trace is reported in very active condition, eo many districts having their prospects completely altered by the high price of butter, together with the exceptionally favourable season. Inward shipping continues very heavy, and large quantities of goods are being lana-ed eaca weeiL. in many departments -lie so are already far in excess ot requirements, but in others there is still a. shortage. Building is active, as far as supplies will allow, but the shortage of timber is preventing the residential building that would otherwise take place. A number ot jobs are delayed, waiting their turn lor the necessary timber. 1 . _ . Produce.—Dairy produce is rutins at high rates, but nearly everything else is lower. Potatoes.— will no longer be quoted in Auckland, as wholesale stocks Are exhausted. New are arriving in larger quantities, and the price is a little lower this week, growers asking about 10a 6d tor prune quality, while lower grades sell according to sample. For- j tunately the quality is generally very good, and a heavy yield is being, secured. Onions.—The few American still left on hand are moving off slowly to fill urgent requirements, repicked being quoted at 40s per crate. No great quantities will be wanted until the new season's Australian Are available, as these will be at much lower rates. The hot weather is bringing on the local crop well, and some lots are beginning to show signs of being matured already. Oats.—The market appears to be demoralised by the poor demand for the comparatively large quantities still left. Local quotation is nominally 6s Id to 5s 3d ex store, but very little is moving. Consumers are looking for low rates for the new grain. Chaff.Demand is slacker, and best Southern is only realising 13s ex store. Large .arrivals have been difficult to place, for about the first time this, year, but consumers are working on .small' stocks till they can get the ne'er chaff, as it is expected to come in lower. Wheat.—The continued rain in Australia is most unusual, and the wheat areas are now anxious for the spell of fine weather that is regarded as a certainty for harvest. Quite enough rain has already fallen, for any good it can do the crops, and there will be some anxiety if thers is much more. In England the summer was very wet, and much damage was done to the crops. With seasonable weather from now on Australia should have an enormous surplus, and every shilling that can be obtained for it will be badly wanted. Maize.Market is very weak, as a result of heavier supplies and a quieter demand. There has been great difficulty in disposing of recent consignments at 7s 6d on the wharf in wholesale lines. The Australian market has dropped considerably, but it will hardly pay to bring any mora across and face a further fall here. Dairy Produce.—Butter is selling at the ; regulation; price, but in reduced quantities. ' Apparently some heavy consumers armed themselves with a fair stock of old season's, and this is being used up first. The lower price for cheese at Home may cause a further increase in the proportion of butter to bo made this season, but at present cheese is .scarce on the local market, and full rates are asked. Hams and bacon are soiling well, orders for Christmas hams being distributed this week. Eggs are in heavy demand, and .are selling up to 2s 6d wholesale. Tea.—A cablegram from Ceylon shows that the market is still maintaining recent features. Good qualities are firm, and even advancing, but poor grades are lower and difficult to quit. Benzine.Stocks are low until arrival of a shipment; due about the end of the month. This will sell at the 2s advance already noted.

Tobacco , and Cigarettes.— 'wholesale price list has been completely recast. A few figures are lower, but no very drastic change has been made in any line. The general move is slightly upwards. Dried Fruits.—Advices from Sydney this week suggest that it is doubtful whether the new season's dates will be here before Christmas. Local stocks are very light, both in bulk and packets. New. season's Smyrna tigs are here, and the Quality is turning out very well. The cost is not at all out of the way., compared with other fruits. Dried apricots are almost unobtainable in the wholesale and prunes are getting scarce. Stocks of peaches are exhausted. Currants and sultanas are selling well.* Almost the whole trade is to Australian fruits this year as American raisins are at prohibitive prices'

NATIONAL BANK OF NEW ZEALAND

INTERIM DIVIDEND DECLARED. Australian and IX.Z. Cable Association, glecd. 10.30 p.m.) LONDON,* D*a 3. The National Bank of New Zealand has free"oMax 1 m m diTldcnd oi 12 P« cent.! AUSTRALIAN PRODUCE. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 10.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, Dec. 9. Oats: Tasmanian and' South Australian is tV l^' 3d 6 ' milliac - 2 * M ; white. Maize: 5s 6d; Queensland. 5s 3d. Potatoes: Ivew. £10; Tasmaniaa and West. Australian old, nominal. Onions: Victorian, £12. Oats: Nominal, Is 9d. A <Jel«de. Dec " 9. TALLOW MARKET WEAK. ; Australian and N-Z. Cable' Association. (Recfl. 11.30 p.m.) LONDON. Dec. 8. At the tallow sales 1762 casks were offered ana 586 sold. Good mutton and beef acclmed 2s. Other sorts were unchanged. LONDON WOOL SALES. , Dalgety and Co., Ltd., have received the folio wine .cablegram from their London office tinder date December 7: — Number of buyers is large, but competition is . very restricted.- Selection poor. About 20 per cent. sold. A/i compared with, last sale's closing rates. Merino and fine crossbred wools 10 per cent, to 15 per cent, lower when sold; medium-quality crossbred unchanged,. coarse crossbred unsaleable. Next sales will be held on January 11 and February 22. PROPERTY SALES. Mr. C. P. Bennett will offer -for sale by public auction, at hi& rooms. New Zealand Insurance Buildings. Queen Street, at noon to-day, in the estate :of Miss Charlotte Thorpe (deceased), a farm known as Clevedon Farm, containing 1381 acres, with homestead and out buildings. The property will be offered fi-rst as a. whole, and, failing a eale, will then be offered in two lots of approximately 51 'and 85 acres. Messrs. T. Mandeno Jackson will offer by public auction, at their rooms, Customs Street East, at eleven o'clock this morning, the lease on the Glasgow system of 40 sections, being town of Logan Campbell, part of Cornwall Park. One Tree Hill; and. in the estate of the late Sir John Logan Campbell, the freehold of lot 5, Parepare, having 86ft. to Campbell Road, • One Tree Hill, -by 138 ft. deep; Captain Whitney's home, Aratonga, comprising residence of 12 rooms and. 2i acres, situated in Ara tonga. Avenue and Wheturangi Road; two i-acre sections. Wheturangi Road, _ one with concrete house in course of erection, and the other with building of 10 rooms; and a. section, having 100 ft. frontage. opposite Cornwall Park. A number of sections in the West bourne Estate. Takapuna, in the estate of the late Mr. J. "W. James, will bo offered for sale by auction to-day at 2 p.m. by Samuel Vaile and Sons at their land salerooms, 83, Queen Street. Th£ estate is situated just beyond the Bayswater penily section, and extends from the tram line to the waterfront. A large house in Domett Avenue, Epsom, recently known. &3 the Epsom Convalescent Home for Soldiers, will also be offered for lease; and two sections at Takapuna will bf sold at the request of the mortgagee. William A. Homo, Ltd., will hold on auction sale of properties at their auction hall to-day at 1 p.m., when they -trill submit the following:—House and section, Avondale; house of four rooms,, Thames Avenue, Morningside; and two sections at Remuera, one at Point Chevalier, and two at Grange Road, Mount Eden.