TRADE OF THE WEEK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20649, 22 August 1930, Page 7

TRADE OF THE WEEK.

WHOLESALE AND RETAiL. SMALL FORWARD BUYING. PRODUCE MARKETS REVIEW. The wholesale houses have been a little more fully occupied during the week, as orders for execution on next month's account have been coming in, and those from the country are now being delivered. The higher costs which must inevitably come in before long on many commodities, due to tho higher rates of duty, have not induced large orders, and this applies particularly to forward ordering of Christmas goods. These are being booked very sparingly, making it difficult for importers to estimate the quantities they will require for the season. Everything points to indents being carefully cur tailed by importers, many houses preferring to take the risk of being out of stock to importing too much. Retail business is still only moderate. More than the usual attention is being given to tho display of new season's drapery, but otherwise only a normal amount is moving out. Hardware is dull, except in the new season's dairy requirements. The usual wintor demand for materials for farmers' renovations and extensions is over, while it is too soon for implements. Building material is quiet, as most of tho large contracts are completed, and very little new work :s being undertaken. A fair amount of corrugated iron has been going out, mostly to the country districts. Bricks and cement are in smaller demand. Constructional steel is reglected. Provision houses arc fairly busy, especially in tho usual extra requirements for tho winter. Oatmeal is selling well, although a large proportion of the old trade in this lino is gradually turning toward the special proprietary preparations in breakfast foods. Eggs are now so cheap that large quantities are selling, with a corresponding increase in orders for bacon. Vegetables are meeting a better inquiry for both tinned end dried. Tho usual winter demand for canned fruits has been disappointing this year. CANNED TOMATOES. Local packers are sold out, as thore was a very small output from the factories this year, owing to the crop being damaged by the incessant rain during January and February. A little is being imported from Canada and the United Stales, but not so much is now required during the spring ns in former years, owing to the facilities for obtaining regular quantities of fresh tomatoes from the Islands. CALIFORNIAN VEGETABLES. Importation is taking place in a few re gular selling lines—beans. Bpinach. asparagus—but the total quantity is falling off. as ample quantities of fresh are being offered in most varieties. Asparagus is the only exception. CANNED AND DRIED PEAS. A good crop has brought low prices for dried peas, in both bulk and packets, and good sales are resulting, as these aro appreciated for their convenience. Canned are rather scarce, and are being imported lo sell at a little less than tho locally packed. MACARONI AND VERMICELLI. Demand is only moderate. The chief trade is in Australian, but Canadian is imported fairly regularly for tho cheaper trade, although prices were up a littlo for tho last shipment. EASTERN GOODS. The direct steamer should be hero in about a fortnight, and most commodities aboard will come to a good demand, as importers have been indenting carefully for some time, waiting for the bottom of the market. Sago and tapioca will both be wanted at once, and they are coming at favournblo prices. The latest cabled advices make the quotations firm in Singapore at tho recent slight advance. Popper is weaker again, and is now down lo an exceptionally .low level, pointing to lower prices locally when the cheap stocks are to hand. Zanzibar cloves ore a littlo dearer. Desiccated cocoanut is still moving downward^ TEA. At the Colombo auctions on Tuesday the quality generally was unchanged, with an occasional lino slightly inferior. The mar ket was strong, common teas advancing considerably, the rise ranging from three to fivo cents. Light liquoring kinds were irregular, and mediums were somewhat unsettled, but others were in strong demand, fino being generally dearer. CANNED PINEAPPLES. Singapore prices are a little dearer again this week, confirming previous advices that irregular quotations did not -indicate the true value, as they were duo to weak holders wanting to quit. The supplies on the direct steamer were well bought, and will move off at favourable prices. RAISINS. Californinn recently to hand are sellinc well, as the prices are favourable, and there is still some expectation that the long spell of dry weather in soveral States in America will harden fruit prices generally. New season's muscatels havo opened a little dearer, possibly due to this cause, but im portation will not be very heavy this year. Seedless are obtainable in such excellent quality as to divert a good deal of the former demand for muscatels. DRIED APRICOTS. South African are offering at a very reasonable price, coming in under the preferential tariff, but the demand is not very pronounced. PRUNES. Importers are following the market down, as recent quotations are exceptionally low. The very best quality are being offered in San Francisco at rates that would have been considered quite reasonable for small sizes a few months ago. Tho output is not likely to have been affected by dry weather in tho United States, but it was thought that tho prico would be held up by the fact that there was no carryover of last season's fruit. POTATOES. Tho market has eased considerably since the beginning of tho week, being apparently very much depressed by the heavy supplies on the spot, since tho arrival of tho Waimarino. Buyers are holding off, although merchants aro asking only £6 10s to £7. Southern quotations are weak, with an abundance of supplies in sight. Altogether the position does not look very promising for local growers who are depending on their early crop realising a good return. Seed potatoes aro soiling in most districts, there being iv slight increase in the demand for the main crop varieties. ONIONS. Stocks ure getting low and buyers aro inclined to curtail their purchases in anticipation of Canadian and Californian arriving next month, theso being offered at 20s to arrive. Australian are in very small compass, and repicked are now quoted ut ■ls 6d, but the quality is bo unreliable that not many more will be imported, if any. OATS AND CHAFF. Very limited demand, hut southern quotations havo the effect of keeping oats steady at <ls lOd, ox store, for B grade. Chaff is moving off very slowly at 10s fid for southern, and 10s for Tasmanian, the latter commanding tho bulk of tho trade. WHEAT. Fowl wheat is firm at 8s ox store, but is meeting a steadily decreasing demand. BRAN AND POLLARD. Exceptionally good pastures for this time of the year aro keeping the demand very small for both lines, and stocks are over done. Attractive quotations from Sydney havo led to small importations of pollard, although there was no shortage here, and these aro selling at the same prico as local MAIZE. South African is now about over, and tho business is virtually limited to Gisborno and Bny of Plenty now season's grain at Os 3d ex store, with a steady business doing in orders by rail from Bav of Plenty stations FERTILISERS. Merchants report a good demand for topdressing fertilisers, chiefly super, and these aro boinS delivered from tlio local mills nt late rales.

DAIRY PRODUCE PRICES. Tho New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company, Ltd., has received the following cablegram from its London oflice, dated August 20:—New Zealand Imtler: Choicest salted, 132s to 1345. CheeseWhite, 75s to 765; coloured, 80s to 81s. Markets weak.