TRADE IN AUCKLAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22966, 18 February 1938, Page 5

TRADE IN AUCKLAND

RETAIL AND WHOLESALE STEADY BUSINESS DONE INDENTORS' QUIET PERIOD Steady business is hcing done by tbe majority of wholesale houses in Auckland. Orders on March account are stated to be numerous and the range covered is wide. Although summer goods still predominate, lines such as cordials and jollies are not so plentiful, lhe retail trade has been hampered by the wet and oppressive weather. Indentors are experiencing a particularly quiet period. SULTANAS Substantial reductions have heen made on present season's stocks of Australian sultanas. JNew seasons prices are expected to be announced early next month. WHITE LEAD Recent cablegrams from London show a decline in the price of white lead. Values were advanced in January, but they have now returned to about the original level. HONEY Supplies of the new crop of New Zealand noney are now appearing on the market, and the quality is reported to be good. The prospects are for an abundant supply for the season. Merchants now have stocks of lib. cartons, 21b. tins and slb. tins. STRAWBERRY JAM Present indications point to the output of strawberry jam this year from New Zealand lactones being limited, and in at least one case no supplies will be available. Supplies in Australia also are not plentiful, and prices ha.'e been advanced. JAR RINGS An advance in the price of rubber jar rings has been announced by manufacturers. The fine weather this season has resulted in a particularly large amount of bottling and preserving being clone, and some difficulty is being experienced in obtaining prompt delivery. FRUIT SALAD As a result of a particularly heavy demand for lOoz. and 30oz. cans of Australian fruit salad this summer, some merchants have completely sold out of stocks, it is expected that further supplies will arrive shortly, and the shortage is not expected to be serious. DRIED PEACHES Orders placed in Australia for new season's dried pouches as long ago as November have not yet been confirmed. It is reported that there is a possibility of no peaches being shipped this season, and in any case it is expected that shipment will be made of only a portion of the orders placed. DRIED FRUITS The Australian Dried Fruits Control Board has announced that tentative orders placed for dried pears, peaches find nectarines have been accepted and confirmed, but no further quantities are available in the meantime. The first deliveries of new season's Australian dried apricots have arrived. CIGARETTES Deliveries of cigarettes for the period from February 10 to 28 were made by the trade on Tuesday and Wednesday and orders were heavy. The heavy demand is evidenced by the fact that numerous repeat orders already have been received. RICE ' Limited stocks of rice are now available for shipment from Australia as the season is drawing to a close. The new crop is expected to be ready for shipment toward the end of April. A mail report from Rangoon states that overseas markets are adopting a cautious policy. Rain has damaged the crops, but the extent is not as serious as was at ( first thought.

TEA A total of Q,125,0001h. was offered at this week's Colombo tea auction. There was a strong demand for good teas, which were firm I in price, owing to small supplies being availi able. Common kiids were a shade easier, vthile medium teas were very steady. Quality generally was good, but there was a slight falling off in some grades. The quantity catalogued for next week':: sale is 2.000,0001b. CANNED FRUIT Bookings foi new season's Australian canned fruit have beet, heavy since opening prices were announced, and one firm has announced the withdrawal of supplies of second quality apricots. More than 1,000,000 cases of Australian canned fruits have been sold to Great Britain thi;< season. As minimum prices at which the fruit could be sold were not announced until toward the end of last mouth, the sales are considered to be very satisfactory. It is estimated that the apricot pack this* season will aggregate 380,000 cases. Jt is too early to estimate the peach crop, but crops appear to bo satisfactory. Fewer pears will be canned this season. Altogether a smaller quantity of fruit will be available for export this season, owing to the absence of carry-over stocks. QUOTA ON IMPORTS NEED FOR VIGILANCE BUSINESS MEN'S DISCUSSION A recoinmendatiou to the incoming council to exercise the utmost vigilance with a view to immediate action if thought necessary in regard to the possible imposition of further restrictions on legitimate business, whether in tho form of import quotas or otherwise, was passed by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce yesterday. This decision was made following considerable discussion in committee. Introducing tho subject, Mr. W. A. Boucher referred to the statements made by manufacturers, and said there was an attempt to introduce quotas, a policy which had been discarded by other countries as being useless and dangerous. Extreme care was required, as somo years ago New Zealand producers were faced with tho bogey of a quota on the United Kingdom market. and a reaction on these lines might easily follow an attempt to erect a barrier in New Zealand against imports. The president, Mr. W. It. l'oe, said it was a principle of the chamber not to use one section of its members against another, and he suggested that any further discussion should take placo in committee. This action was taken. ORDERS FOR STEEL v UNITED KINGDOM SHIPMENTS In replv to a cablegram. His Majesty's Trade Commissioner in New Zealand has been informed by the Department of Overseas Trade that orders for structural steel placed in the United Kingdom during February will be shipped during April, May, and June. GOLD AND SILVER QUOTATIONS IN LONDON LONDON, Feb. 10 Fine gold is quoted to-day at £6 19s 9d nn ounce, same as yesterday. Silver is quoted at 20(1 an ounce spot and 19 11-16 d forward, compared with 20 l-16d and 19 11-16 d yesterday. Tho quotation for silver at per fine ounce is 21 9-16 d, compared with 21 Jd yesterday. HERD TESTING NATIONAL SERVICE URGED [BY TET..EGRAFH —I'RESS ASSOCIATION J WELLINGTON 1 Thursday The dairv conference passed a remit recommending the Dairy Board to givrf consideration to the establishment of herd testing as a national service and to report to the next conference. It was also decided that the board should give everv encouragement, financial and otherwise, to efforts for the collection of herd statistics in relation to animal diseases..