TRADE IN AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19663, 15 June 1927, Page 9

TRADE IN AUCKLAND.

WHOLESALE AND RETAIL. QUIET BUSINESS CONDITIONS. PRODUCE MARKETS REVIEW. The general report indicates quiet trade conditions this week, although retailers had a very fair late night on Friday, especially those who are featuring special lines. On all sides, however, there is a tendency to act on the repeated advice from influential quarters to curtail purchases, arid importers are acting on this in restricting their indents for the present. Timber and kauri gurn districts are specially dull, but a little more activity is occasionally shown in dairying districts, although even here the tendency is to hold off as much as possible for the opening of the next season. Fortunately, the production continued into the late autumn at an unusually high rat-e, thus making the payments to be distributed next Monday proportionately high, even though the rate per lb. of butter-fat has been fixed on a conservative basis. This is expected to result in substantial bonuses later on. One bright spot in the dairying situation, so far as New Zealand is concerned, is the cabled intimation that the very backward spring in the Northern Hemisphere is severely curtailing the production of butter, and this may be equivalent to an extra three weeks in which sales of New Zealand butter will continue in full quantity. One estimate suggests that it may make a difference in sales of 300,000 additional boxes of butter. The usual experience is that the heavy supplies in the northern spring make the London price slacken off during April and May, but this year there has been a riso during May. EGGS. | Retailers are asking 3a Gd lor fresh hen | eggs and 3s for duck eggs. Supplies are in- ! creasing and the wholesale price is weak I m 3s, with, every indication o£ an eariy fall. CALIFORNIAN BEANS. | Speculation is reported to be. entirely abj sent from bean trading in and ! the market continues quiet. . Lima beans I generally continue easy, and some slightly | lower quotations are to be rioted even in standard Quality. NEW ZEALAND HOPS. As a result of a favourable crop in Nel- - son, the market is glutted this year, and there seems to be no overseas outlet of any consequence this year. HOPS IN ENGLAND. The weakness in the London bop market has led to a peculiar result. It is only recently that the balance of the 1921 crop has been cleared by sales to the Continent and by destruction, and drastic methods have been adopted to prevent over-produc-tion this year. The directors of English liop Growers, Ltd., have obtained definite undertakings from member and non-member growers to grub or non-crop the required acreage o£ 20 per cent., and that the combine will continue. It has been agreed to reduce the acreage by not less than 4605 acres, and inspection of the gardens will be made and certificates issued to all growers who have grubbed and to all who have non-cropped. The canvass for still further reduction is proceeding, arid nonmembers who have hitherto declined to grub or non-crop are already falling into line. ILLEGAL PRICE STABILISATION. A new law comes into force in America, at the end of this month, which makes it unlawful and punishable by fine or imprisonment to bring about pl'ice stabilisation through the destruction of foodstuffs by dealers, commission brokers or warehousemen. After thajt date the right to destroy such foodstuffs for the reason that they have become unsaleable through age or accidents of climate, or for other reasons, becomes a question which the autnorities oi the Department of. Agriculture must determine The mere excus® that markets would be upset by the glut of farm produce in its various forms will be insufficient, arid a practice which has often imposed a heavy burden upon farmers will come to an end. At the same time it is thought that the new law is not going to be easy of enforcement, and experience alone will decide whether the new statute will be of much use. the agents of the department will have a difficult problem to decide when the deterioration of fruits and other produce has come about through ar overcrowded market and slackness of demand, and when it IB trie result of deliberately induced accidents of climate, IMPROVED MARKETING METHODS. I Recent adviceß from America point to a de-termination to secure better by orderlv marketing, rather than by questionable methods. The first, effect has been seen here in the success m clearing heavy stocks of certain varieties of dried fruits. Instead of quoting indiscriminately for nnj delivery, with a consequent wide variation in prices, the prices are fixed by a central organisation, and no delivery is quoted at present except for June-July. Australian growers seem to be copying American methods, and are booking for monthly requirements only, with a limit of delivery to July. By this method they argue that the producer will get any advance, and not the speculator. CALIFORNIAN RAISINS. The latest news. from San Francisco is that grape maturities will be late this year, probably about three weeks m tie case of muscats and seedless. Ims is rather a good fault, for last year they were about ten days earlier than expected. With the new crops three weeks late, it really means that all dried raisins will, be a month later than last year. In anticipation of last year's crop having to last .for thirteen months instead of twelve, prices are already advanced on seedless cartons, and some lines are withdrawn ihe opinion in San Francisco is that the continued sale of seedlesß raisins at the ad* vance is an indication that supplies are scarce in comparison with the inquiry. Other dried fruits are fairly steady, with a moderate demand. Apricot quotations vary a good deal, in accordance with stocks held There is no prospect of an excessive apricot crop in California this ye.ar, and there may be a shortage in some districts. Prunes have moved off well since the growers organised themselves into a consolidated body to stabilise prices and give confidence. WORLD'S WOOL PRODUCTION. The United States Department of Commerce has issued an estimate of the total production of wool in 1926, showing an increase of about 2J per cent, over the production in 1925. but a reduction of about 5i per cent, from the average of the last five years before the war. Although America bulks very small as a wool producer, Australia producing nearly as much as the whole of North and South America combined, those great divisions are put first in a table showing the change in production during the last two years, and also the pre-war average. The figures are in thousands of lb. (000 omitted) :

With the exception of the drastic falling off in the production of Russia. European and Asiatic, which is largely a matter of guesswork, the most ■ notable change 18 the reduction in South America, and the slight increase in Europe, in spite of the heavy reduction in the three principal belligerent countries. As illustrating the different breeds of sheep in the United Kingdom and New Zealand it is to be noted that although the sheep in the former country number slightly more than in New Zealand tna annual wool production is less than half. Commenting on the production in Europe, the Bradford Wool Record states that a few years ago Spanish sheep farmers received considerable encouragement to increase their flocks, both from the Government and from agricultural organisations, and the above figures are the result. Germany's production is thought to be permanently declining, and that will largely account for the heavy Continental buying in recent spies both in London and in Australia and New Zealand. It has been noticed for several months that at oach series of wool sales in London new representatives have been sent from Germany and Central Europe. Continental buyers seem to be taking far more interest in the Coleman Street auctions than ever before, and in recent months they have been the main support in most classes of fine combing wools. \t the April series France paid the highest pricee and took the finest wool, but Germany secured a greater weight of fine wool than France, the demand from the latter country being more for spar.ialjties. A noticeable addition to the ranks of German buyers was a firm from East Prussia, _ which has hitherto been chiefly interested in German-

crown wool, and also in wool imported through merchants. Apparently this firm has now decided to buy a certain amount itself in the auctions and it took a few hundred bales of croßubreds. It is understood that several German wool users in East Prussia are interested in Russian and Polish trade. POTATOES. Spot stocks have worked down so well that the Wingatui and Kurow arrived to an almost bare market. The price is firm at £7 10s ex store, but a further rise seems imminent, for the replacement quotation for prompt shipment would warrant £8 here. ONIONS. Pukekohe onions are suffering from" the damp weather, and show such a tendency to 6prout that most samples have to be repicked. These are quoted at Ga -ex store. A line of hard onions arrived from Melbourne in sound condition, and is selling fairly well at 12s. OATS. Market has held firm, on account of the Australian demand, and B gradi are now <juoted at 4s 3d to 4s 4d ex store. CHAFF. Plenty of Southern chaS is available, and although shippers ore endeavouring to establish an advance local merchants are Belling Canterbury at j29 and Blenheim at £9 10a to £lO. WHEAT. Fowl wheat is firm at 7s 6d es-* wharf j and 7s 9d ex store. FLOUR. Australian millers have been supplying ■ bakers in Melbourne at £l2 10s less as delivered, but the price has since risen to £l3 10s. and this has resulted in a rise in the price of bread. Bread had been selling in Melbourne at varying prices, 10id, Hid and Is for the 4lb loaf, according to locality, but _ the bakers took the opportunity of the rise in flour to recoup themselves for the new rates of pay recently arranged, and advanced bread a penny the 4lb loaf. Wheat is reported very firm on the other side, POLLARD. A little is being imported from Australia although it has to sell above the mill price. MAIZE. New grain is arriving in small Quantities but most merchants are frightened of it, as it is too new to store safely. The poor demand has resulted in low prices having to be accepted, and some lots have j realised only 6s 5d to Gs Gd on the wharf. Old stocks of local and Java maize will have to supply requirements for a few weeks, until the new grain is sufficiently matured to store. FUNGUS. The disturbed state of China .s at last producing a direct effect on fungus, for whereas buyers have hitherto been giving lid for best dry samples the top price is now lOd. Not very much is coming in at present. FLAX. Nearly all the mills are closing for the winter, and although the London inquiry is very dull at present it is expected that stocks will all be cleared before the new season opens. KAURI GUM. A few orders have been continually coming in, although at low price limits, and the net result is that so far this year there has been the same tendency as last year, slightly larger shipments than supplies. The exports for May are not yet available, but up to the end of April the shipments' amouc'od to 1548 tons and although this was 316 tons below the 1864 tons shipped during the first four months of last year, it was 327 tons greater than the 1221 tons received. This confirms the general impression that Auckland stocks are gradually diminishing under the Bettled policy of merchants to work on stocks and curtail their purchases as much as possible. _ Very little rescraped white has ! been coming in. but some was recently shipped to London which it was fhought would eventually go to Kussia. Bled bush has been almost entirely absent from recent consignments, but garbs have been coming in. and finding a market at about £25 to £3O. Black chips, hard and sifted, have been placed at £22 to £25. but good chips and dust are not selling, although offered at JZI6 to £lB, and medium are most difficult to quit, even ot £l2 to £34. It is thought that the supplies coming in hardly represent the total production just now, for those who are able to hold on * little longer ore keeping back their itocks, in hopes of a better market. DEMAND FOR CRUTCKINGS. FIRST SALE OF SEASON. KEEN BIDDING AT WELLINGTON. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PP. ESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Tuesday. The first crutching sale of the season was held to-clay, when about 2200 bales were offered before a good number of buyers. Competition was exceedingly keen. The range oi prices was as follows: Merino crutchincs, to ll£d; halfbred, 7£d to ll£d; pieces and bellies, s|d to 12d; hocks and stained pieces, 3jjd to 7d; superior crossbred crutchings, lOd to llfd; medium to good, 8d to 10d; seedy and inferior, 4jd to Bjd: lambs, to 14|d; dead, 7 l-8d to 15jd. NEW ZEALAND FRUIT. EXPORTS TO ENGLANT3. CRITICISM OF PACKING. [from our own correspondent.] LONDON. May 7. The lonic shipment of New Zealand fruit consisted of 27,567 cases of apples and 3730 cases of pears. That this large con-, signment shouid have arrived not in the best condition was rather unfortunate. Had both the lonic fruit and the Pakeha fruit been satisfactory, the general average of prices for the season would have been kept on a fairly high level. Much depends on the early shipments when the opposition on the market is not very strong. However, considering that there were a great many wasty cases the prices obtained are good. Cox's were very _wasty. Some of the Delicious and Ribston Pippins were also wasty. The pears on this occasion were rather a failure, some of them being unsaleable. Complaints were made regarding the packing of both apples and pears. Now that Canadian cases are being used with the bulging sides for apples, it appears that packers are not making full use of the bulge. In some of the cases, it is said, there was room for another row of apples. According to various critics, the packing of the pears was distinctly bad. The Vicars pears were an exception and they arrived in good condition. Under the heading of "Pure Cussedness," "Periscope," writing in the Fruit, Flower and Vegetable Trades Journal, has something useful to say to New Zealand growers. He evidently writes with authority:—"We think we are very clever —in fact, we are confident that we know it all. We have an Empire Marketing Board, whose mission is to guide, instruct, advise and 'assiduously assist' the promotion and advance of Empire trade. Perhaps their function is not intended to cover the question of packing in a sensible way, or of directing the methods employed by our Colonial brethren, but the case in question is obviously one in which the purest common sense only is needed. I saw this morning some excellent quality Doyenne du Cornice pears from New Zealand, which were simply spoiled by sheer neglect in packing, the neglect involving a direct Joss of 80 per cent, of their (otherwise) market value! "A somewhat lengthy investigation took place, and I found that New Zealand possesses the wood required, but cuts it wrongly, and Australia does not possess the right wood, persists in using an improper substitute, and refuses to import what would make far better results and completely justify the expense. Cape Colonv does not possess the wood necessary for her export of fruit, but wisely bows to the inevitable, imports the wood, packs 99 per cent, of efficiency and reaps the proper reward, or at least knows that if a poor price is realised it was not for lack of sense and effort in packing. "The grower-packer in New Zealand and Australia should simply wake up. The Cornice I saw were just laid naked in the box, the wood being as hard, coarse and unsympathetic as possible. They would have probably realised £1 per tray, for the quality was A 1: but the neglect —the utter, cussed, obvious neglect—brought the price down to 5s and 2s per tray. It served them right, but the shame of spoiling such luscious fruit, the disgrace and the sin, remains! Why is it that people who are clever at- growing finest quality stuff are sometimes utter, lunatics afe packing?"

Country. Pre-war. 1925. 1926. United States . . 314,110 292,362 310,910 Rest of N.A. . 18,210 20,082 22,430 Argentina . 358.68S 312,400 314,840 Uruguay . . . 156,968 117,000 125.000 Rest of S.A. . 62,370 63,617 62,854 France . 80,688 44,974 47,619 Germany , 62,000 50,160 41,710 Spain 72,000 83,469 105,792 Rumania . 13,228 54,940 57,000 Britain . . . 131,000 96,132 99,600 Rest of Europe . . 190,431 211,720 206,884 South Africa . 365,888 185,000 180,000 Rest of Africa . . 53,806 84,137 63,349 Australia .. . 705,146 732,807 768,000 New Zealand . 198,474 199,731 207,801 Russia (approx.) 380,000 195.000 195.000 All othei'3 (approx.) 292,470 234,030 231,950 Total 3,248,000 2 ,982,000 3.060,000