AUCKLAND TRADE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22860, 15 October 1937, Page 7

AUCKLAND TRADE

RETAIL AND WHOLESALE WEATHER ASSISTS BUSINESS BETTER DEMAND FOR DRAPERY Wholesale merchants in Auckland have experienced another particularly busy week and from present indications 110 decline in the volume of business is expected for some time. Summer lines. are now selling well and provided tho " more settled weather continues, tho main demand should be felt shortly. The approach of the Labour Day holiday, which is generally taken as the beginning of summer, has added stimulus. Tho drapery trade also has benefited from the fine weather, and summer frocks and beach wear are meeting with more inquiry. • Overseas markets show a firming tendency, although price variations have been comparatively small. > lndentors state that business has recently shown some improvement from the dull conditions which ruled several weeks ago. CANNED PEACHES Packers of canned peaches in Australia have advised that all available stocks of 30oz. sliced have now been sold. EASTERN MARKETS Reports from the East state that sago and tapioca are easier. Pineapples are about unchanged. Pepper is fractionally easier. PILCHARDS Following reports that stocks of Canadian pilchards were almost exhausted, latest advices received state that all packs are reported to have been CASTOR OIL% A trade report sent from Calcutta at the end of last month states that a firmer tendency has been noticeable in the market for castor oil, owing to a scarcity of seeds. APRICOTS There has been a further reduction in the price of South African dried apricots of about 2s Gd per cwt. However, the main selling period this year is almost completed and the reduction is not expected to have any marked j, effect. FIREWORKS With Guy Fawkes Day drawing nearer, > the great majority of retail merchants carrying stocks of fireworks have already noticed au improved demand. However, the main inquiry is not usually evident until about a week before the celebration. WOOLPACKS AND CORNSACfiS ißeports from Calcutta state that business Irom New Zealand for cornsacks, woolpacks and bran bags has been negligible recently. A fairly large trade has been done in cornsacks for Australia, but latterly buyers' quireinents appear to be satisfied. RAZOR BLADES A line of English razor blades selling at the retail price of 2s a packet has been reduced in price, but in order to enable retail merchants to clear stocks bought at the previous rate no alteration will be made in the retail price until next year. GROUND ALMONDS There has been a sharp advance of over £2O a ton m the price of ground almonds for prompt shipment. However, as most of the business for the Christmas trade has now been completed, this increase is not expected to have much effect locally. PEACHES Stocks of evaporated peaches in Australia are reported to be very low and several packers have sold out. The new crop will not be ready for shipment until February and between now and that date it will be difficult to obtain supplies from Australia. CHERRIES Prices for crystallised and drained eherriw for spread delivery during next year have just been named at slightly higher rates than the opening quotations last season. This applies to locally-packed cherries. Considerable business already has been booked by local merchants. CANNED FRUITS Australia's export of canned fruits has grown so rapidly that her sales to England are now only second to those of the United - States of America. New Zealand's requirements are almost entirely met from Australia and exports also are made to Canada. In the past 10 years the volume of canned apricots, peaches and pears exported lias increased four-fold and in a good year these are worth approximately £1,000,000. DRIED FRUITS A report issued recently by (lie Common- • wealth Dried Fruit Control Board states that less than -1000 tons of dried fruits remain unsold in London. The holding there comprises mainly currants and a complete clearance of all lines is anticipated before Christmas, the demand being exceedingly good. Advice has been received locally that shipment Of dried fruits from Australia has been extended for October and November. CujTanta are quoted at unchanged rates, but sultanas and lexia raisins show an increase of approximately Md per lb. ' TEA The quantity offered at (his week's Colombo tea auction amounted to 2,000,0001b. Quality showed a falling off. There was a good general demand, except for good teas, which declined owing to inferior quality. Common kinds were very strong at late rates. Medium sorts sold L at slightly easier prices, while good teas declined by Vstd per lb., owing ;to inferior quality. Next week's auction will comprise *: 2,250,0001b. , , ' . • There was no sale in Calcutta owing to native festivities. •' , A report for August stated that only slightly over 7,000,0001b. were available at the five auctions, crops having been, shorter than usual at the ,time_ of the year owing to very dry weather having been experienced in all tho principal districts. The quality, of teas from the -Badulla and Maturata districts continued to show improvement at the nrst three auctions, and although high prices were paid for really flavoury teas, the United Kingdom blenders failed to give them the usual support. Quality and flavour later declined® although still good, and prices were proportionately lower. , - _ The Uva district had some rain, and from forward musters it would appear that this has brought the season for flavoury teas to an end at rather an early date. There was a continued demand for good quality Dimbula type broken orange pekoes. Australian buyers; were very active. Low-grown kinds continued in strong demand, although there were some fluctuations in price. With the approach of tho north-east monsoon, more favourable growing weather may be expected, and there should be, more tea available toward the end of September and during October and November.

WORKING OF SCHEELITE NEW MELBOURNE COMPANY With the object of taking over a property on King Island, Bass Strait, Tasmania, containing 50,000 .tons of scheelite ore, a new company, King Island Scheelite, N.L ; , has been formed in Melbourne with a nominal capital of £75,000 in 300,000 shares of ~ 5s each. It is intended to operate the property by open-cut mining methods followed by concentration for the production of scheelite. This mineral is a source of tungstic acid, which with tungsten has a wide use in steel alloys and electric lamp filaments. The mining proposition was worked from 1917 to 1920 for 589 tons of concentrates from 67,710 tons of ore and dividends of £25,000 were paid. Whereas the company's product was worth 52s 6d a unit in this period, recent London quotations are about £6. Scheelite is being wotked in New Zealand by the Macraes Flat Gold and Scheelite Company in Central Otago.

SYDNEY PRODUCE MARKET (Received October 14, 7.56 p.m.) SYDNEY, Oct, 14 Wheat. —Silo lots: 5s 4}d; bagged, 5s 6d. Flour: £l2 10s. Bran and polled: £7 10s. Potatoes, Tasmanian: £o l"s; others, £4 10s. Onions, brown: £l4; local white, £lO. Maize: os 6d.