TRADE OF AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20888, 2 June 1931, Page 5

TRADE OF AUCKLAND.

WHOLESALE AND RETAIL. MERCHANDISE PRICES STEADY. PRODUCE MARKETS REVIEW. With the bulk of the Juno orders de livered, merchants have experienced rather a quiet period over the past few days. Mercantile houses are meeting a fteady demand for plain foodstuff lines, but hardware firms continue to find busircss Well bc-low normal. In retail circles drapery and men's warehouses have already started to clear off certain lines of winter goods at bargain prices, although the normal period for winter sales is still several weeks away. Prices for general merchandise have not shown much movement over the past week. The grain and produce markets also show practically no movement. In hardware circles more and moro cheap Continental tools are being offered, and the general tendency of prices continues downward. During the past week English prices for tin, lead and copper have all eased .slightly. The Golden Cloud, from the Pacific Coast last week, brought a miscellaneous cargo of merchandise, which included the usual shipment of dried fruits. The Monowai, from Sydney yesterday, brought approximately 1000 sacks of pollard, 260 sacks of (lour, 200 bags of rice, wine and several small orders of Australian prunes. The Wingatui from Lyttelton this week brought approximately 6800 sacks of potatoes among other items of general produce. The vessel had only 115 bags of onions on board. COPRA. The r.«arket for copra has eased another £2 u ton during the past week. Although Auckland is not afTected directly by this market, the export trade which several merchants have built up with the Islands over a period of years, has fallen off considerably recently as a result of the decreased purchasing power of the Islanders, due to the lower prices of copra. TEA. Latest cablegrams from Colombo advise that the tea market remains rather irregular and easier, with a fair demand at the lower prices. The present is the time when low-quality grades predominate, however, and buyers are not making bis; purchases. JORDAN ALMONDS. Overseas shippers advise a reduction of 13 a ton in- quotations for Jordan almonds. BRAZIL NUTS. Quotations for Brazil nuts have been ad vanced another Od a cwt., and the market continues very firm, with a rising tendency. TURPENTINE. Overseas quotations for pine-tree turpen tine for prompt shipment have been advanced Id a gallon. JAVA KERNELS. Quotations for Java kernels for JulyAugust shipment have been reduced 10s a ton, compared with the last price for the April-May steamer. PEPPER. Eastern shippers advise an advance of 5d a lb. in quotations for black pepper. The market for Singapore" white pepper is u shado easier. SAGO AND TAPIOCA. The market for sago and tapioca, which strengthened a week or bo back, is easing again. '* PINEAPPLES. The market for canned pineapple continues weak, but quotations for most grades show practically no change. Best-qualit.v cubes are id a dozen easier. RICE. The Auckland market for rice has hardened slightly over the past week. Stocks on the Spot are not heavy, and there is a firm retail demand.

RAISINS. Stocks of-raisins on ilie spot are also below normal and merchants' through store quotations show a hardening tendency. AUSTRALIAN PRUNES. Regular consignments of Australian prunes tire now coming forward. The Monowai this week brought several small orders. FISH. Kipper snacks, a line now fairly well known to most grocers, are being offered for early despatch via London at cheap rates. The coming season will see a good pack of British brisling (sardines) doublelayer quarters available. CHILLIES. Japanese birdseye chillies are now very low. COFFEE. Java coffee beans are attracting buyers, due to favourable quotations. POTATOES. The market continues well supplied with Southern potatoes and prices are unchanged nt around £5 5s to £'G a ton through Auckland stores. ONIONS. Merchants are asking around 7s fid to 8s a cwt. for onions through store. Only small quantities are now coming from the South and the market is waiting for the next Melbourne shipment, due in about a fortnight. WHEAT. Graded fowhvheat continues to p«-' through Auckland stores at around 6s 9d to Gs lid a bushel. Ungraded wheat is selling through store as low as 5s 9d a bushel for particularly poor samples. MAIZE. The maize market holds very firm, Auckland through store quotations ranging round Os to Cs 3d a bushel. OATS AND CHAFF. The market for oats and chaff Bhows practically no movement. B Onrtons are selling through store nt around 3s lOd a bushel. Chaff is soiling at around £7 5s to ,£7 15s a ton. BARLEY. The demand for clipped barley continues steady at around 4s a bushel. LOAN FOR INDIA. ONE-THIRD SUBSCRIBED. LONDON, May 27. The underwriters have been left with two-thirds of the new Indian 6 per cent, loan of £10,000,000. India has borrowed £41,000,000 in the past 12 months. The attractiveness of the loan would doubtless have ensured a larger response but for the large amount of Indian shortterm obligations, says the city editor of the Times. Their volume is due to the unsettled political situation, which renders long-term flotation impossible.

DAIRY PRODUCE PRICES. LONDON QUOTATIONS. Joseph Nathan and Company, Limited, lies received the following cablegram from London:—Butter, 115s; market very quiet. White cheese, 54s to 555; coloured. 575; market firm. TRADE OF FIJI. The Fiji Compttolltr of Customs reports that while the figures for revenue from outsido trade are considerably below the estimate to date, the third quarter should make them normal. The sugar exports would then be in full swing and the merchants would bo importing their Christ mas goods. For the three months ended March 31 (ho imports into Fiji were £222,644, as against £354,308 for 1930. The exports were £250,644, against £366,186 for -the previous year.