TRADE OF THE WEEK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22319, 17 January 1936, Page 5

TRADE OF THE WEEK

RETAIL AND WHOLESALE CONDITIONS FAIRLY STEADY ORDERS ON FEBRUARY ACCOUNT Conditions in the distributing trade in the city are steady, with the usual end-of-month laxity. There liave been good inquiries on February account, however, and business " generally continues to maintain a hopeful tone. Seasonal lines, such as school requisites and insecticides, are in good demand. Retail business is still showing the effects of the holidays, as many families are still away from the city, but this should be remedied with the commencement of the school term next month. Most overseas markets remain firm, ' with rising prices evident in vegetable oils, ginger and pimento. TURPENTINE Ihe latest M'icee for turpentine indicate a firming market. COFFEES After declining, quotations for Indian coffees have now reached more favourable levels. IXSECTICIDES With the summer weather, there is a good demand for insecticide.-, and fly-bands, and stocks aro finding a ready sale. RICE Oversea? markets for rice still remain firm. Higher prices are likely to rule before tho new crops are available. SCHOOL REQUISITES With tho approach of the new school year, merchants are being kept busy with orders for school stationery, pens. nibs, pencils, blotters, etc. EASTERN MARKETS Penang quotations for sago and tapioca are slightly easier, while Singapore saeo is unchanged. A reduction of about jd a dozen has occurred in the price of pineapple. Pepper is unchanged. VEGETABLE OILS Cabled reports from London and tho Continent indicate an advancing market in vegetable oils, with a firm tendency. Prices stand at fully 20 per cent higher than those of last year, . GINGER The new crop of whole ginger from Cochin, India, was quoted last month, but prices have since firmed, with indications of higher rates. Both bleached and unbleached have advanced £5 a ton since the naming of opening prices. The market is firm. DRIED APRICOTS Both the Australian and South African markets for dried apricots opened higher than last year. Australian packers advise that the quantity available for export is only about half that of last year's export surplus. Australian prices in some auar- | tors have advanced id a lb., but South African values are not definitely known. PINEAPPLES Singapore reports indicate a firm market for pineapples at last week's quotations, which, although lower than prior to the sailing of the last direct steamer, are' still on a high level compared with values ruling over the last twp or three years. Crop reports show that the Malayan winter pack i will not be a« heavy as usual. If the usual j demand is experienced, the market is not | likely to fall a great deal. PIMENTO Recent cables from Jamaica place quota- ! lions for pimento at a particularly high j level in comparison with those of the last | few years. The market seems likely to go j higher before any relief is afforded by the I crop, which will be picked about Octoberi November. The present situation has been I mainly brought about by the damage done ; to the last crop by hnrrican.es, which are j said to have been responsible for about 75 ! per cent of the berries being unfit for use. SULTANAS AND CURRANTS Further small lots of sultanas have arrived since the holidays, and from the latest advice from the Commonwealth Dried Fruit Control Board it appears that this fiuit is now entirely sold up with the exception of a few small parcels held ud on the Wanganella. There will be no further supplies available until the new season in March-April. As far as is known, supplies of currants are still available from Australia. TEA There was a good demand, especially for medium grades, which advanced id to id per lb., at this week's Colombo tea eale. The offering totalled about 3.000.0Q01b., and the quality was slightly irregular. Common sorts maintained last, week's, rise in price, while good teas where quality showed an improvement were dearer. Next week's auction will be of about 3,000,0001b. Exchange is unaltered. At Calcutta the market was strong at late rites for all grades. A trade report for November states that the demand throughout the month continued to be active, and, although prices for common tea declined u little, the quantity catlogtied was readily taken up. Forward musters indicated quality to be declining, and consequently when these teas were available for the trade, values declined with the falling away in quality, although sellers had no difficulty in disposing of the teas. Shipments to the principal markets showed little change compared with the ccrresponding period last year, with the exception of South Africa, where the quantity wa3 almost twice as much as in November, 1934, and again to the United Kingdom, where shipments increased by about 2,750.,0001 d. This can be accounted for by the larger quantity of tea harvested and available for local sale. The heavy rains which were very prevalent right up to the end of November have now abated, and some teas of very much improved quality should be available. Supplies also should be decreasing from now onward, and the seasonal fine quality teas should commence to be manufactured in January. AUSTRALIAN PRODUCE (Received January 16, 7.35 p.m.) SYDNEY, Jan. 16 Following sre to-day's quotations on the Sydney produce market: —Flour, £l2 12s 6d. Bran, £5 -ss. Pollard, £5 10s. Potatoes: Tasmanian, £9 to £9 10s; others, £6. Onions, Victorian and Queensland Globe, £lO. Maize, yellow, os 9d to 5s lOd. Adelaide prices are: —Whejvfc, growers' lots, 3s Flour, bakers' lots, £l2 7s 6d. Bran, £5 7s Cd. Pollard, £o 12s 6d. Oats, Algerian, .Is 9d. Quotations for wheat at. country sidings are:—Bagged and bulk, 3s 2jd, equal to about 3s 9d ex trucks, Sydney. PROPERTY AUCTIONS T Mandeno Jackson will offer at auction at their rooms, 3 Swanson Street, at 11 o'clock to-day, f'i-roomed dwelling at 6 Ward Street. New Lynn, three-roomed cottage at 29 Peary Road, Mount Eden, sixroomed villa at Pentland Avenue, Mount Eden, and four building, sections at Mount . Smart Road, Mariri Road and Hardinjton Street. Onehunga. C. F. Bennett. Limited, wi'.l offer at auction at its rooms, corner of Queen and Shortland Streets, at noon to-day, fiv»roomed residence at 22 Anglesea Street. Ponsonby, and ten-roonied house at 13 Hopetoun Street, Ponsonby.