COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18942, 13 February 1925, Page 7

COMMERCIAL.

WHOLESALE AND RETAIL. CLEARANCE SALES IN SHOPS.' THE PRODUCE MARKETS. The retailers are doing their best to attract attention to the special summer clearance sales, and the various bargain prices are meeting with a fair response. It is very noticeeble, however, that the patronage this year is being vary greatly restricted by the health regulations, and it is expected that with the exception of necessities there will be a general desiro to curtail purchases until tho children can again be brought into town, in the numbers that are usually seen at this time of tho year. The mail order departments are getting heavy tx'ade, while telephone inquiries are resulting in larger deliveries than usual in the city and suburbs. Wholesale houses are not yet feeling the effect of the slacker trade in the retail, and tho quieter business put through this week is quite tho usual thing at the middle of the month. Thero is every indication that next 'week thero will bo the usual heavy bookings for forward delivery on March account in the country, but city trado will be quite likely to show a falling off. Confidence in the country districts is very strong, in spite oi tuo cuuuuuai fluctuations in the butter market. Private advices received yesterday from London confirm tho opinion that the lower prices would result in an increased demand, and the latest quotations show a recovery to a little above the level of a month ago. The fall in beef on the local market is disappointing, as the price is now lower than it has been for six months. It was fully expected, however, that the price would have to fall to permit of export. Against the fall in butter and beef, cheese maintains a steady position, the fluctuations being quite negligible since the present level was reached, about six months ago. Building trade is much quieter than had appeared likely in the spring. Residential building is going on in many of the suburbs, but not to the extent that was anticipated, and no great improvement is likely until owners are able to obtain the usual assistance more freely. Building is also not going on as heavely as usual in business premises, most of those in course of construction having been completed, but a rather large business building programme is contemplated in the early future, in addition to heavy public and semi-public commitments. GROCERIES. Prices have received more attention lately, on account of a steady falling market in sugar, and an expected fall in oat products, but against these there is early expectation of an advance in tea and all wheat products. Meantime the fall in sugar is the only change that has actually taken place, and it ia too late to make much difference to fruit preserving, as most householders have now put down about all they intend to handle. It, may possibljr stimulate a little belated activity, especially when it gradually becomes known that all imported canned fruits are going to be dearer this year, and retailers are looking into their stocks of jars, some makes of which are m small supply. A. feature of the fruit season is tho small quantity available .in the special varieties that are regujarly imported from Australia, and the South for preserving, but local kinds are to he had m ample quantities, in spite of all the losses. I eats have been very much in evidence this wr, but some varieties of peaches and plumß have given quite a good output. DRIED FRUITS. It should also bo known that high prices are ruling for California!! apricots, , while the South African crop has been advised a very poor one, so that only a limited Proportion of all orders will be This will make local canned fruits good property, in view of the higher cost nf the dried article, and contracts are now being made for fairly large quantities. On the other hand, Mediterranean fruits are easier. EGGS, Price is firm at Is lid wholesale and 2s retail, with demand Rood. A sharp falling off in aupplv has taken place, which ,is largely attributed to so many birds being killed off, consequent on the hiah prices that have to be paid for all kinds of fowl food and as orices show more sitrns of rising than falling there will probably be a further culling of flocks. Preserved eggs are already being drawn upon. POTATOES. Supplies arc scarcer at the moment, due to the main crop being- about over, but "the later planted lots should be ready before the end of the month, so that no, serious shortage is anticipated. Quotation is 9s Gd to 10s ex store, based on about £8 to £8 10s at Pukekohe. ONIONS, Definite export orders are in at last, although of only small dimensions compared with the hundreds of tons that are regularly being sent from Australia to Canada and tho States. Local price is too high to permit of much export from Auckland, hut there mnv be a few sent next month from the South, where the market is always lower. Market is firm at 10s ex store. OATS. Quite a spurt took place in the South, but part of the rise has been lost and the position is now more normal aimm. Business is very slow, as buyers will not take more than they require to keep going, in expectation of a fall when the mam harvest is in. The onlv doubt is whether the dry wentber in Southland will maternity reduce the outrnit. White oats are ouofed in small lines at, 5s fid ex store, but new season's A and B trade have hardly come on yet. Most bnvers evidently hold that large supplies will soon be on the market. SEED OATS. A demand is already coming in for Algerian seed for winter feed. Australian at (is 3d, and New Zealand seed at Ga. CHAFF. Market shows the weaker tendency that might be expected on the eve of larger supplies coming on the market. Values are only nominal, as Blenheim appears to bo asking too much, in the face of falling quotations from Rangitikei. which. "Rawke's Bay seems inclined to follow. All the time thero is Tasmania with a good supply waiting for the business. WHEAT. It seems that the Canterbury growers will get about 7s 6d for aU the good wheat they can turn out, seeing that,there is a distinct shortage. Fowl wheat is extremely scarce, and quoted at 9s ,9d ex store, this bringing about a, repetition, of the position prevailing occasionally during the war, when it was realising more _tlaan milling. Under these circumstances it is difficult to see much prospect rl increase in egg production such as vtv-ld bring about a fall in the price of eggs. BRAN AND POLLARD. Both are already in short supply, aud there ia some anxiety about the winter requirements being available. Large quantities of "bran are required for pedigree cows, and every effort is being made to increase the stocks of pigs and poultry, but this will be difficult unless larger,supplies of pollard are assured at a reasonable rate. MAIZE, Price is firm at 7s Id on the wharf in wholesale lines, and 7s £td ex store. r the only thing that keeps the price so much below that of wheat is tho hot Weather, and as soon as a turn in the season conies, it may be expected that make will rise fur tbe'r. Stocks will be replenished before the end of the month by importations from Australia and South Africa. GRASS SEEDS. A good demand is now beginning to come in. both for bush clearings and for ploughed land. Prices were expected to recede a little, but the tendency in the South is for firmness, and ryp-arass has advanced almost Is per bushel. For the next few weeks farmers will be bu3y getting in thoir seed, so that it will have a good start for the winter. FERTILISERS. Basic slag is selling for delivery from the wharf as soon as it arrives by each steamer, and super is also booking heavy, ihe local manufacturers have accumulated lair stocks during the past few , s'-ck weeks, and are now in a good posit;'* to auivny super for top-dreSsing. as welt ~-i the various special grass manures. An enormous output will bo railed away during the next three months. CALCUTTA TEA SALES. Australian and N. 5?. Cable Association. (Reed. 5.5 p.m.) CALCUTTA, Feb, 11. At the tea sales offerings were mostly of. an unattractive quality, and the demand was easier. Prices were most irregular and generally lower. Commonest leaf realised from U annas to 11 annas t> pice; commonest broken leaf aud ordinary common Pekoe and Souchong, from tl annas 6 pice to 12 annas; lowest even leaf Pekoe, 14 annas to 11 annas 0 pice.

AUSTRALIAN PRODUCE* Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 12.15 a.m.) SYDNEY, Fob. 12. Oats.-—Tasmanian, Algerian. 3s 6d tc 3s 3d; white. 4s fid to 4s Bd. Maize.—3s Md to 4s 2d. Potatoes.—Local, to £5; Tasmanian, ££> to £B. Onions.—Victorian, £ll At Adelaide, oats are quoted at 2s 9d. LONDON TALLOW SALES. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 9.35 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 11,. At the tallow sales 728 caslos were offered and 103 sold at Is decline. Fine mutton realised 535: medium, 4Ss; fine beof, 51s; medium, 47a. LONDON WHEAT MARKET. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association (Reed. 0.35 p.m.) LONDON, Fob. 11. Wheat.—Cargoes are dull, in sympathy with tho American market. Parcels are quiet, but closed firmer on better Argentine advices. THE PRICE OF GOLD. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 9.35 p.m.) LONDON. Feb. 11. Gold is quoted at B(>s lOd per oz., compared with 87s 2d yesterday. CHICAGO WHEAT MARKET. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 7.5 p.m.) CHICAGO, Feb. 11. Wheat.—May, 1 dollar 78 cents; July, 1 dollar 52 cents; September, 1 dollar 401 cents. THE PRICE OF SUGAR. The reduction of 30s a ton in the prices of all grades of raw and refined sugars, golden syrup, and treacle operated aa from yesterday. Owing to a printer's error in the advertisement in yesterday a issue, it was stated that the prices were reduced from Wednesday. PROPERTY SALES. Mr. C. F. Bennett will offer for sale by public auction at '2 noon, at bis rooms, New Zealand Insurance Buildings, Queen Street, to-day, Erkton, the well-known home of Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Ferguson, 457, Manukau Road, right opposite Campbell Statue and park. The property will be offered firstly as a whole and secondly in subdivided lots fronting Manukau Road and CorbettScott Avenue; also, a magnificent building site, just off Mountain Road, having a frontage of approximately 132 ft. to Grenfell Road and containing over,half an acre. Five hundred sections on the Shelly Beach Estate, Helensville, will bo offered by public auction by T. Mandeno Jackson, at, their rooms, 9. Commerce Street, at 11 o'clock William A. Home, Ltd., will .offer by public auction at thoir auction hall, High Street, to-day. at I o'clock, the following properties:—The remaining 20 sections at Glendowie, St. Hellers, Bay, adjoining the Glendowie Golf Club links. Also, a 3j-ton Federal motor truck, recently completely overhauled. Samuel Vailc and Sons, Ltd., will hold an auction sale at their rooms, 83, Queen Street, at 2 o'clock to-day. when the following [properties will be offered for sale;—A city ! freehold in the estate of the late Dr. Humphry Haines, at tho top of Shortland Street, having a frontage of 123 ft. Sin. with three-storey residence thereon; also, at request of mortgagee, under conduct of the Registrar of the Court, a farm of 559 acres i at Churchill.