TRADE IN AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19517, 22 December 1926, Page 11

TRADE IN AUCKLAND.

WHOLESALE AND RETAIL. BUSY CHRISTMAS BUSINESS. PRODUCE MARKETS REVIEW. The anticipations of a heavy retail m Friday were fully realised, for people locked into tho city from the suburbs md many of tb.o country districts, this resulting in a rush of business during :he whole day, vrhilo tho late night Drought a further extension of the counter irade ic. all the shopping areas. Some radcKpQople had such a good day that ;hey say they have already had their Shristmas Eve rush, but most of them are • axpecting to continue just as busy during :he whole week, and that there will ho. tho usual culmination of activity on Friiay, in spite of the continual reminders A t lie past few weeks to shop early. With all this eleventh, hour activity, :iowever, there is a general estimate that .ho total takings cannot very well equal those oit last year, and this is attributed •<o various causes. Very few connect tho "ailing off in city trade with the low irices for dairy produce,, for it is claimed :hat this influence is too distant to make my direct impression on tho spending city residents. It ia stated that the nliuenc-3 has to bo more intimate and iirect, and that the most important faeors are the state of employment and the : ime-payment purchases. Country trade in general is decidedly setter than appeared likely a month or wo ago, tho rise in butter and cheese n London being the chief influence in his direction. Dairy farmers received an moxpected Christmas box on Monday, ,vhen the payments for November supplies if butter-fat were made at: the ngher rate which it was first intended o"apply to December supplies only. The treat increase in production will also mean i. much greater distribution of cash than ippearod likely at tho beginning of the eason. A pronounced feature in. the grocery rade just at present is the amount of utting that is going on. Some lines are leing retailed „at well under tho vrholtv ale prices, being used as a catch line,, md there is some uneasiness as to how ong this will last, asi well us tho nltinate out com ei. It is thought im soroo quarters that there will bo a reduction in ho number of retail grocers soon after he holidays, and that thus may be efiectrd >nly at considerable loss. This applies •articularly to the outer districts, where irocers have opened up in numbers apparently in excess of requirements' and n excess cf the number who can pay tho •ent and ma'ko a living, The wholesale houses "are still engaged n the Christmas rush, but the. rest of ho week is •; expected to introduce the tsual slackness. Tho lateness; of the vfesh s Barfly attributed to tho unexpected improvement in tho prices for dairy prohico, while tho better prices lor wool are ilso giving more confidence. General hardware is only moderately )usy. Occasionally there are signs of a ittle improvement, but the farmers nee mying sparingly, and tho quietness in •evidential building is also an adverse 'actor. EGGS, The retail price in now established at'is. md there is such ft keon dempd for the imited quantities coming m that up to a lid has been paid wholesale this week, t is confidently expected that the- iwico , vill recede after tho holidays, for at imv lent there is tho combined demand from ho bakers and tho hotels and boarcUriK louses for" the holiday®. Afterwards this will fs.ll off. and there will also he » tolaced demand on account of- the number )f families away: at the seaside and- qlhftt '.ampins places during the schools Iwulays. Against this pronounced reclxiction in demand, it is not likely that, tteie will be any substantial reduction in the s»i>ply, 119 this will only gradualls tall on during: the coming months. SUGAR. Tho rise of I.os a ton in . tlw wholesale price of sugar announced on -Monoas mu become effective' at once in tho retail. •POTATOES, The attention given to haymaking has again produced a shortage in potatoes, and the price is firmer at M 15s on trucks at Pukekohe, and noigtibounnß stations., while £lO 10s is quoted ex. itora Aucklija- Oc--asionally even moro is paid at auction, fn order to secure unroot requirements. A rather unexpected trade has come j.n tin wek. in the form of extra orders tor he [BlaTidß to fl'o by tho Niagara. IMp is due' to tile fiish price rulmif »n 13 yd lev e;o that Auckland m igetfcmff all tho inters at present. The Price >s rewly so' n Sydney that an export to that " npected, hut eovero .restrictions have to 3e overcome, and shippers will. not uho ho risk. The quantity row comiM >n is ,-ory stood, there being no sign o| nh|,h •- mt growers could grade them better. ONIONS. Canadian are selling *>t tin to t 18s a •rate Locally crown will be reausj aitfly n fiuniarv and in th.B, meantime, a few if the new season's Globe aire bwiK ,un>ort,ed from Sydney. Ihis is ? ot 11,0 'f s rood keeping variety. . ."'"d. the i-J.c» J, iot tmy attractive, as it will not be inder Canadian. OATS AND CHAFF. ilso selling regularly at £U. HAY. A record crop is being liftweisted in almost perfect weather in most districts and t is expected that the market will-open at about £A ' ioij on truck# at country stations.. OL< rs Of well-harvested hay at such a low pnee mil rio doubt reduce the quantity of i-oatf required. WHEAT. Fowl wheal; in short on the spot, .and tho only supplies torn .Sydney are mIUw at 8s <Sd <*x store. Cheaper wheat will uo fiesu able when supplies can be drawn from Adelaide or Melnourno -by a direct steamer, but the prospects for mi early arrival are not very bright. The Wmpon was supposed to load a week or two ago, bet has been delayed, and will not now le«ya tell January, while a further delay, will be occasioned by this steamer palling at ..Mverai ports round the coast before conu&st to Auddind. F1.0178, Th-8 spectacular fall of £2 IPs a ton in the local price-is a «l««r indication thatthe local mills are determined to dea.l with the requirements of the district. Ine direct cause of this drastic reduction is the» low price of Australian, which is. quoted for New Zealand at a .dumping price,, and has been imported by severe,! merchants,. chiefly at Southern ports. The reduced price for flour is expected to tiettle the price that will be paid for the new season's wheat, BRAN. ~ The local price has been reduced this week by '£t per ton. and is now quoted at £9 10s. POLLARD. Remains ver? firm, and is quoted at the unusual margin of £3 per t;on abovifl bran, Tt is pointed out .that the importation 0.. flour from Australia" meanß that lesa bran and pollard i« prod;jc<icl her®, ana ti«i pneo for pollard speciality high on tb<3; aid©. tws'*2li MAIZE. Only small supplies are arriving from the coajit and these are realising Cs lid t# ill on the wha.rf in wholesale: parcels, .us thet South African is nearly, till gone, tho local arrives to a good demand. FLAX. Much larger quantities are now coming; in and regular ea!«s are tlearinn most o tho arrivals at onc». Ihe London market ia a, little irrectolar, recent features being a better demand for th« lower srsKies, someiaauiries even calling for "common." LONDON! TALLOW SALES., Dalgety and Company, Limited, report having received the following cabkgram from their London house, dated December--20; —Tallow t The ne.tt safe will take place on January 7. WHEAT CARGOES, Australian and N.Z. Cabl» Association. (Bleed. 5.5 p.m..) LONDON, Dec. 20, Wheat cargoes -are firm. Sellers si»'<» asking threepence • to .sixpence advance, bat the demand.is inactive. Parcels were in moderate request at a similar advance, but closed with the market quiet. Australian loading is quoted at 655. Liverpool futures: December, lis 3gd; March, 10s e«<I; May, 10s 3£d. AMERICA'S WHEAT CROP. A, and N.Z. WASHIKGrOK', I><lC. 20. * The Department of Agriculture' hits annoupced that the ire vised sstisiafeß lb.o 2926 wheat crop is 832,305,000 btu>iiels.