COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18320, 9 February 1923, Page 5

COMMERCIAL.

WHOLESALE AND RETAIL.

THE PRODUCE MARKETS.

iITJSTRAUAN ORDERS EXPECTED. Wholesale trade has fallen off considerably during the week, and is now very quiet. It would appear that the heavy renewals of stocks, after the good Christmas trade, are now •satisfied, and deliveries promise to be very small until forward booking again commences. In the meantime the heavy arrivals from overseas enablo old orders for new goods to be executed, and these are adding to an otherwise small turnover. Retail is in quite a different position. The drapery clearance sales are taking the public fancy, and many other departments have caught the infection, so that cheap quotations are almost general throughout the city. These are stimulating trade to large dimensions, to the neglect of the few lines in which bargains are not offered. The rapid extension of bargain sales is attributed in some quarters to the great increase in businesses recently opened in some of the Suburbs. There is no doubt that Auckland has Been a general move in this direction, especially during the past 12 months, and city retailers are putting forward the most attractive offer to retain their large connection. ;<

Groceries.— goods are - selling well, assisted by cheap Quotations, which are occasionally cut right down to cost. Prices in first hands show very little, change. New season's quotation for Australian currants came to hand this week, the fig". being favourable in comparison with Greek costs. A shipment of the latter, ordered for November and December shipment, is eupposied to be on the way, but exact details are still awaited. In the meantime the demand is quiet. The position is not very clear in sultanas. California is going to make a big bid for the trad* this year, but Australia may be expected to meet the. quotation. Canned fruits are selling well. New reason's Australian are now offering for early shipment. Peas are going to be a good crop in Nelson and Marlborough this year, and lower quotations than for several years are expected. It is doubtful if there will be any export for either partridge peas or blue Prussians, as the London market has collapsed.

Australian Conditions Produce.— markets are still influenced by wet weather hero and dry weather in Australia. Fortunately a great improvement has taken place here during the week, but the conditions are still unsettled. In New South Wales the position is getting very bad in the interior, and. advices thi* week confirm the earlier reports to which reference has already been made. The" rainfall has been quite insufficient to keep dairying going on the Coast, and this fully explains the cancellation of orders for butter-box timber reported in this column on Wednesday. In Sidney during the whole of January only 1.83 in. of rain fell, compared with 7.01 in. during January of last year, and an average of 8.67 in. since the records were taken. This followed an equally dry December, when onlv 1.45 in. foil, and the whole yaar has been •well below requirements. In some parts-of the interior the whole country is dried up;' having had no rain for. the best part of the year, and this is causing the usual attention to be given to importing fodder from the neighbouring States. Victoria and Tasmania have had a fair season, but orders are expected in New Zealand for fair quantities of fodder. - Potatoes and Onions. Potatoes.—Supplies are Irregular, probably on account of the broken weather, but in the aggregate more have arrived than could be roadily sold, especially as so many householders still have a fair Quantity in their own gardens. This keeps down the price, and best quality is selling at 6e fid to 7s ex store. An enormous crop has been grown in the neighbourhood of Pukekohe. and fanners are doing their best to got rid of it before the Canterbury supplies "still further depress the market. Renorts from that quarter are a little conflicting, but forward quotations are at a low rate, indicating that there is not much damago from blight: ', ■ -', Onions.—These are also weak, and are quietly selling at 7a 6d to 8s ex store. An export demand ia badly wanted to relieve growers of the large quantities on hand,, but it is unlikely that any substantial orders will be booked, as Australia is quoting at low rates. It is expected that a few will go by the next steamer, but it would take an order for 10,000 cases to make much impression on local stocks, and it will not bo long' before the Southern are ready. .- " , Oats.—The market appears to be weaker, for what reason i* not known. It may be that the improvement in the weather has quickly altered the appearance of some of the crops in North Canterbury that appeared to bo ruined a week afro, while there is every indication of a very good harvest in Southland and Otwro- Local quotation is 4s 6d ex store for B grade. Ch*ff.—The arrival of a large shipment by the Wanaka eased the position considerably, and buyers are not now quite so anxious. Best Blenheim is quoted at 10s 6d ex store, and there are also a few offers of local chaff, fair quality realising about £7 10s at the station, in truck loads. -v. Wheat.— Nothing is yet settled in Tegard to the price after thw month, but Canterbury growers are bringing forward all the argument!, in favour of a high price •jf&in. In the roe«ntime buyers are holding off, ao th»v look for a fall.. - - • F'our. — position tends to jwstrict trade, as all buyers ar« trying to ma>e stocks last as long as nosaible. «> that they will not suffer if a fnl l ta v es race. - Brand nnd Pollard.—Business is rather quiet, with ample stocks to meet all requirements.

Maise, Seeds and Fertilisers. Maize. Only a, little arrived this week, hardly sufficient for order**, oven at this q.iief; time of the year. Fortunately fair stocks were held in store, so that there has been no difficulty in satisfying requirements, and the wharf price, remains at 4s 8d to 4s lOd in wholesale lines. A fair demand exists in Australia, on account of the dry season, but the price would.have to fall considerably here before supplies could, be sent over. In the meantime Australia is bringin"' large quantities from South Africa. Seeds.—A firm tendency all round is apparent, largely on account of. bad weather reducing the yield of tho principal lines. Merchants are expecting a good season in seeds, nnd inquiries so far are for. good quantities, indicating that farmers will renew large area* of pasture this autumn. Fertilisers.— autumn demand has not yet commenced in earnest, «f the principal demand, for top-dressing, will not be at its height till next month. Advance orders for the various grass mixtures, for delivery next month, are on a penerous «:ale, and fair quantities are going out already.

AUSTRALIAN PRODUCE. Australian and N.Z. Cable Associrtion. (Reed. 10.5 p m.) SYDNEY, Feb. 8. Oats.— Algerian, feed, 4s (d to <ls 6d; ■white, local and New Zealand. 4» Gd to 4a Bd. Maize.—South African, 6s. _, , Potatoes.—Victorian, £7 10s; Tasnianian, £7 10a to £8 10s. - [' Victorian, £8. ADELAIDE. Fob. 8. Algerian, feed, 8s Id to 8a 2d. < WHEAT MARKET. : Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reod. 9.5 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 7. Wheat cargoes are quiet and occasionally easier. Paroela deolined sixpence to nineponoe ' V LONDON TALLOW SALES. . Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 9.5 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 7. At the tallow sales 1189 casks were offered ando 954 sold, mostly at about 9d advance. The. following prices were realised: Mutton, line 445, medium 38a lid; beef, fine 42s Cd, medium 38s. Dalgety and Co., Ltd.. are in receipt of the following cablegram from their London office, under date February 7: — Tallow.—Offered 1190 castes of tallow; sold 790. Market unchanged to la higher. The advance in prices is chiefly on mutton tallow and medium. We quote: Fifce mutton, 44s 6d: mixed, good colour. 40s. MANAWATU STOCK SALES. Dalgety and Company, Ltd., Palmerston North, report:— , _. At the Feildmg sale on Friday there was a very good entry of both sheep and cattle, and practically a total clearance was effected. All classes of lambs showed an improvement from Is to Is 6d on last week's prices. Grown bullocks were again in keen demand. Fat lambs, 25s Id: fat wethers. 32s 2d: fat. ewes, 25s 4d to 25s 6d; xmall two-tooth wethers, 26s 6d to 27s Gd; cull lambs, lis to 18s: fair lambs, 16s to 18s; w.f, rape lambs, shorn, 20s to 22s 6d: b.f. rape lambs, shorn, 20a to 233 2d; woolly w.f. lambs, 20s 9d to. 225: five-year ewes, 245: four and five-year ewes, 263 to 28a; two-year S.H. steers, £4 18s; two-year Hereford -teers, £4 lis to £5 lis; 15-month S.H. steers. £3 2s; three-year stcars £6 10s; forward bullocks, £7 10* to £8: light fat cows. £4; bulls, to £6.