TRADE IN AUCKLAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23060, 10 June 1938, Page 7

TRADE IN AUCKLAND

WHOLESALE AND RETAIB .

EXCEPTIONALLY BRISK WEEKr v.-' - Q

DELAYS TO SHIPPING

Probably on account of the shorter working week, wholesale merchants in Auckland report that business has been exceedingly brisk during the past week. A rush of orders lias been received and in many cases delivery has n been required on the same day. tions point to a heavy volume of retail buying and trade is reported to be exceptionally heavy for this period of the month. .i

Tobacco delivery dates for the period? June 15 to June 30 fall due next week. Orders to the coufjtry will be despatched next Wednesday, and to tha; city and suburbs on the following day. - Few alterations in prices have been'" announced during the week and there has been little movement overseas. In the Eastern market, sagos and tapiocos I are again easier, while pineapples show, . a slight easing on late quotations. - Shipping delays have caused some inconvenience to merchants recently and during the past week there has been a shortage on the spot of Australian' sultanas owing to an alteration in the ' sailing date of a vessel due to leave Melbourne at the end of May. It is expected that the shortage will be re- ; lieved within the next few days. Cer-i tain lines of breakfast foods obtained from the South Island also have been short owing to shipping delays. One merchant reported yesterday that a recent consignment took 23 days to reach Auckland and arrived only three days before an order placed a fortnight later. -

SICILY ALMONDS . There is a tendency for Sicily "almonds to recede slightly in value with the new crop"* i offerings, but according to advice received-, from London the market still remains fairly Arm. •, BREAKFAST FOODS An advance of 6d a dozen in the retail price of a well-known line of breakfast food has been announced. The advance applies to both small and large packets and is reported to be due to increased, costs of production. MUSCATELS : Prices for new season's Californian mn»« cat els recently nominated show a slight re* 1 duction on the opening rates - last year. Quotations for Australian muscatels have beett announced at the same rate as last year. .. TEA ■ , ~}J The quantity offered at this week's Colombo tea auction amounted to 3,250,0001b. The quality remained nnchanged. There was an improved demand for good teas, but other grades were irregular and easier. Common and medium sorts declined by l / A d, while good sorts advanced by a similar amount. The quantity to be offered at next week's auction will amount to 3,250,0001b. f DATES Advices from London state that stocks of'*" old crop dates are practically exhausted andT! only very limited offers are available afr> slightly higher prices than those ruling to date. Cable quotations for new season'* Sep-tember-October shipment indicate higher prices, and it is unlikely that values will recede from their present basis. JORDAN ALMONDS Owing to the uncertainty of the date of shipment from Spain, London exporters have recently cabled to the effect that Jordan almonds required for the Christmas trad® should be covered by old season's rather tha# new crop, which will become" available in September. Owing to tho tendency of old jcrop kernels to become infected with grub" it has been necessary to give a special insurance cover against this contingency and some quite considerable quantities have been booked on this basis. One overseas shipper has indicated prices for new season's Jordan almonds at 4d per lb. higher than the price being quoted with the special insurance cover for July-August shipment of old crop from London.

NEW BUILDING- MATERIAL" There has been placed on the America* t market a new material of interest to iha~ building and furnishing trades. The new pro- { duct consists of a very light gauge stainlesf steel* with a flexible backing of felt" permanently bonded by heat and pressure. It i* designed to make stainless steel available to the avenge householder, builder and mann« facturer, and is expected to invade fields now, using wood, oilcloth, linoleum, and other non-metallic materials. CANNED FRUIT The Australian pack of canned fruits for the 1938 season at 3,030,928 cases, on the basis of 20 30oz. cans a case, again constituted a record. The. previous record waa in 1937, when the pack was 2,328,292 cases. » The total quantity of canned pears processed" in Australia in the season was 860,104 cases. On the basis of 24- 30oz. cans a case, thia,~~ also was a record. The pear pack lor 1936* was 808,387 cases, and for. 1937, 807,244. cases. The apricot and peach packs an* - 3 nouuced were apricots, 380,082 , cases, and peaches 1,790,742 cases. Tha - figures were a record in each case.

DRIED FRUITS Reports from Australia indicate' that it la \ the intention of the Australian Dried Fruit* > Control Board to advance the prices of sultanas and in Australia. No mention v has been made of'the probable date of tha ~ advance, it has been pointed out 1a the South that an increase in prices to Auatralian merchants may not mean an increase to New Zealand buyers aa Australia provides a sheltered market for fcroweva whereat New Zealand is free to import from other 'sources. ■ • . Exports of Australian dried fruit to'data'. tlor the 1038 season aggregate 40,735 tons. ; Of this quantity 32,593 tons were shipped to Great Britain. About 8000 tons were sent to Canada and New Zealand. Sales already made for delivery in New Zealand and Canada amount to about 12,000 tons. Exports are greatly in excess of those in « the same period of any previous year. In the week ended May 26 sales in Great Britain were 1376 tons, of which 821 tons of sultanas averaged £39 a ton, and 554/ tons of currants, £27 5s a ton.

ANTWERP FUTURES H LONDON, June 8 The Antwerp market for "wool future# is easier. Quotations for 64's dry combed tops are as follows, compared ' • with previous rates: — May 3 May 24 May 31 June 8 Per lb. Per lb. Per lb. Per lb. ' ddd . d May .. 24 23% . ' ' July .. 2-i 1 / 23'/ 22% 22% October .. 24% 23% . 23% 22% December - 4 £