TRADE IN AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19924, 18 April 1928, Page 9

TRADE IN AUCKLAND.

WHOLESALE AND RETAIL. EASIER FINANCIAL POSITION. PRODUCE MARKETS REVIEW.

With the holidays over and stocktaking out of the way, tradespeople were looking for more improvement than has set in, but the general experience is that after the first rush to replenish stocks there has been a resumption to about the normal amount of business. During this week export houses are engaged in preparing the usual orders for the lofua, leaving for the islands on Saturday. General merchants are still looking forward to the improvement in trade, which must inevitably follow as a result of the easier financial conditions, but so far they are somewhat disappointed. Their explanation is that although money is now exceptionally plentiful it has not yet found its way into the ordinary channels of trade, while industry seems reluctant to utilise the available funds until in-terest-rates are lower. This is reflected in the comparative quietness in the building trade, among others, for there seems to be a reluctance to undertake financial liability just at present. Farmers are heartened by the very welcome rise in beef and pork, representing probably more to those in the immediate vicinity of Auckland than the rise 111 wool. Against this is the reduction in the dairy output after the season had opened so well, while a larger proportion than usual of the farmers' ready cash has gone in heavy purchases of fertilisers. The resulting financial ease and increased spending-power from these-fav-ourable factors will come before long, but just at present the farmers are disposed to buy cautiously. Hardware houses have _been rather quiet, relieved by occasional activity, but only in small lines. Farmers' wants and building materials will have to increaso to make them really busy. Drapers and clothiers havo been fairly busy, since the holidays and the break in the weather on Monday brought a noticeable run on overcoats and umbrellas. Provision houses report trade active since the holidays. Coal merchants find business rather dull, except for the few who are already making preparations for a colder season. Seedsmen have been busy, seeds and plants being in keen request. CANNED FRUITS.

Californian fruits seem likely to be absorbed before the 1928 crop is ready, but E ackers are already nervous lest there will e more preserved than necessary. The complete returns for the calendar year place, apricots at 574,000 cases exported, which is rather less than in 1926, but pears at 1,375,000 cases and peaches at 1,737,000 cases were more than in the previous year. Pineapples at 1,02-2.000 cases were well over, the export of 1920, besides a very heavy domestic consumption of this popular fruit. Demand for the British market has not been very heavy The preferential tariff in New Zealand is decidedly helpful to tae Australian canners, a3 against American. EGGS. Retailers are asking 2s 8d this week for best fresh eggs, hen or duck, and 2s 4d lor chilled, the wholesale rate being 2s Gd to 2s 7d. It is expected the break in the weather may cause an increase in tho supply of duck eggs, and a. decrease m hen eggs, in which case the prices will probably difler next week. Demand is not very keen. POTATOES. Large quantities are arriving from the Canterbury ports, and the fact that a good proportion are on consignment is taken to indicate that shippers are inundated with supplies which they must quit. ■ However, the quality is steadily improving, and tins is inducing distributors to stock rather more heavily, taking advantage cf the low price at S.l 10s on the wharf. ONIONS. These are also coming from the South in ample quantities, and the local price is dull at £lO, ex store. The quality ib not equal to the locally grown, but the latter are still quoted too high at I u.cekohe to permit of business, and it looks as if they will not sell until the Canterbury crop is exhausted. „ _ OATS. AND CHAFF. The usual demand is coming in, but- it is not sufficient _to make any impression on prices, otherwise a riß« might be expected in oats, having regard to the continued export inquiry in addition. Chaff is not now being used for cows, but_ a good deal of hay is changing hands in the country, largely for dairy cows, and t rather targe quantities of molasses are still being sent out, for use with this fo >d. Very little hay is coming into the city, but a well-harvested crop has proved very useful during a period of dry pastures.

FOWL WHEAT. Selling very well at 7s 3d on the wharf and 7s 6d ex store. The quality is very good, and poultry farmers are using it in preference to other grains. FLOUR. Local and Southern milling are moving off in the usual quantities, with no alteration likely in the price. BRAN AND POLLARD. Both are selling well, but supplies of bran are now proving (juito equal to requirements, as less is being taken for dairy cows. In pollard, however, the scarcity is so pronounced that in addition to Southern, which is being imported to supplement the local milling, merchants have arranced to import from Australia. The latter will have to sell here at £ll, against local at £9_los, but farmers cannot do without it, as it is essential for feeding pigs. The recent rise in the price of fat pigs is a big inducement to bring them on quickly, and in a season when the milk supply has fallen considerably it '-is found necessary to make up to some extent with pollard. MAIZE. Full quantities are arriving from the coast, but the demand is not heavy, now that good wheat is obtainable at a reasonable price, and the latest consignments have not realised more than Cs on the wharf.

GRASS SEEDS. The rain on Monday brought in a number of hurried messages to send on orders for grass seed waiting instructions. Some farmers were determined not to sow until the rain came, and now that there has been a heavy fall they anticipate the seed will spring up very quickly after sowing. It is expected that after this week no orders of any consequence will come in. FERTILISERS. Farmers still have until the end of the month to take delivery of the large quantities of local milling which they booked last year at the low prices. These are being sent along as required, and the rain is hist what was wanted to produce the most benefit. FLAX. Export inquiry is very dull, especially from /the United States. London has been taking a good deal, but this demand has also fallen away, and the usual buyers are cabling to the New Zealand millers, advising them to close down earlier than usual this season. Shipners are giving £25 to £27 for good fair. £23 to £25 for high point fair, £2l to £23 for low point, and £l9 to £2l for common Recent arrivals have been of the usual quality, grading only common and low point fail. A good deal of tow has lately been sent to Australia, but that market is now very dull, nnd shippers are giving £9 to £l] for No. 2, and £7 to £8 for No. 3. A fair amount is being taken up locally, largely for furniture manufacturers.

HIDES AND SKINS. PRICES AT AUCKLAND SALE. Prices of hides were much the same at the fortnightly sale of Ifl<Tes and skins hel?

m Auckland yesterday. The market for sheepskirm was a trifle erratic, but better grades brought consistently good prices. Tin sympathy with overseas markets, the demand for tallow was on the whole a little better. The following prices were realised : Cowhides.—Best grade, light, I2sd per lb.: medium. 12Id to 12»d:heavy. l?id; second grade, light. Hid: medium and heavy, lid; rough and slippy, 7Jd to 3d: ox, best grade, 12Jd: second grade and cut, lOd to lljd; kip, best grade, 13d: second grade, 9}d: yearlings, best grade, heavy, 13d; light. 13} d; second grade, 9«d to l(Hd; calfskins, heavy. 13id: medium, lG}d: light. 15Jd: cut and meaty, llid to 12$ d: slippy, !f}d to 10} d. Sheepskins.—Dried, three-quarter to fullwool, medium to fine crossbred, 13d to-14d; coarse, 12d to 12|d; damaged and faulty. IOJd to Hid: badly damaged and broken, 9d to 9Jd; half-wool, medium to fine crossbred, 13d to 13Jd: coarse, 12d to 12id; damaged and faulty, BJd to lOd; pelts and quarterwools, sound, IOJd to lid; faulty and unsound, 7d to BSd; salted sheepskins, half to three-quarter wool, large, 8s 6d to 9s 2d each: light to medium, (is 8d to 7s 3d; quarter to half-wool, all weights, 4a 3d to fin 9d; cut, blood-stained and sweated, relatively lower. Tallow. —In barrels, ecod mix, 2Gs to 2Gs Gd per cwt.; second grS.de, 22s to 24s Gd; inferior and gut-stained. 19s to 21s: in tins, good mix, 24s Gd to 255; inferior, 18s to 19s.