The Flax Market

Feilding Star, Volume X, Issue 128, 4 May 1889, Page 3

The Flax Market

C Spurling's New Zealand Flax Market Report 27, Ijead-eniiall-street, London, 21st March 1889. My last advices, to which I beg to refer, were of the Bth instant, since which our market for New Zealand ilax has been very dull, aud in some f»w cases— in sympathy with the dec'.ite in Manilla hemp — holder* have accepted rather lower prices for h> commoner descriptions of Wellington ; good and. well cleaned sorts, although <juiet, show but little if any decline in either as regards Auckland or "Wellington. The only arrival worthy <tt note since the 21st instant is th< t of the Banklands, with 1288 bales flax and 205 bales tow. At present only a small part of this cargo has been, exposed at auction ; the bulk, bow-ever, being sold for arrival, and ■a. considerable part passes into consumers hands. It is worthy of note that several parcels imported by the Banklands show a decided falling off in quality, together with a want of proper cleaning and preparing. Many of the marks are of poor, coarse fibre, and would lead to the inference that, stimulated by the high rates which have ruled here some months, shippers ~* are sending away flax of old growth, the fibre— improperly steeped or rotted— Bho wing great hardness and want of vegetable sap and nature. Having already in my circulars of 21st JFebruary and Bth Mar U directed attention to the various points necessary ior the improvement of New Zealand flax— pointß which I must again press on shippers' and exporters' notice— I .seed not now say more than to express a hope that our market will aot be overloaded with low and ordinary sorts of flax, and thus bring into disrepute an article which is still gaining in public favour. The public sales of flax during the fortnight have been very unimportant, and consignments have been mostly disposed of by private contract. During the past week about 100 tons, " guaranteed fair averag' s," Wellington, have been sold afloat, February-May shipment, at £31 per ton, c.f. & i., equal to about £34, landed London terms. Our market closes to-day quiet for common flax, whilst good and fine are sill enquired for. Wellington— Fine, L3B to L 39 ; good, L 36 10/- to L 3 7; mid., L 36 to X36 10/ ; com. and mid. (nom.). L 34 10/- to L 35 10/. Auckland— Fine, L3B 10/- to L 39 10/-; good, L 37 10/- to L3B ; mid., L 36 10/- to L 3 7; com. and mid. (nom.), L 35 10/. to L 36 10/.