BRITISH TRADE.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 October 1924, Page 4

BRITISH TRADE.

FORTNIGHTLY' REVIEW. RUN DON, Sept. 27. Business on Hie ."stock, Excnaiige is (ommeiicing to expand, and the vomme of dealings tins weel; was probably tlie largest lor many weens. ’JLlie giltedged market remains good, and mere mis been a mild btiom m tea and ruliner shares, tollowmg advances m lhe.se eommudities. An outstanding teat lire in the foreign market has been the slump in Dorman bonds, in which there lias been considerable speculation lately. The lleichsag committee decided on a re-assessment ot the avluo ot these bonds, and that the payment ot interest was impossible, fubtication of the decision brought prices down with a run, .T per cents tailing to 2(js, a decline ol Ills (id. Similar losses were marked in 2! per cents and ! per cents. DRIED P it LIT . The Australian dried fruit trade is dull, following weaker reports tram the (deck amt .Smyrna markets. Australian sorts are quoted:—.Sultanas -12 s l-o 18s. <. u rain Is -ejs to 5: is, lexias TIE to To:. Cou.-iderubly higher prices could he obtained tor good quality fruit, but imluittinnU’ly practically none is available.

In order to popularise the Australian Mull-, tile Australian Dried I mils Association has decided to place them on the market in nominal pound cartons, l'hesa will he supplied to retailers at Us a dozen for all fruits. It is hoped that tins convenient package will appeal lo c.-m-nmei s. Reuuleis will be encouraged to make special window displays of these fruits. They being suppled with attractive show cards, lecip.! booklets and handbills, and advertisements, will be inserted ill trade newspapers urging grocers to push these “Empire goods and reap the benefit ol the wonderful publicity caused by the tremendous distribution of sample cartons at Wembley.” Some large wholesale grocers arc not particularly enthusiastic about this method of selling, as they say that previous experience in pushing proprietary articles has not been altogether satisfactory, and the question is whether the public is willing to pay the pries asked. DAIRY PRODUCE. Butter prices cmtiuue lo advance, and with Germany still buying large quantities of Danish. Dutch, Ksthonlim and Siberian, a further rise would not lm sill’prisiiig; The advance chiefly is ill finest descriptions, of which the supply at present is exceedingly limited. No increase in quantity is expected hclore December. The only bearish feature of the market is the huge quantity of butter stored in the United States, estimated on September Ist. 1!)24, at. IoG.O-’MUKIOIhs.. which is o.'t.tliU.UC:) above the quantity on September Ist. 1022, so the United States is unlikely to require any quantity of Danish and New Zealand butters for the next live mouths, which means that Britain will gel a larger quantity of both.

WINES. Following increased sales of Empire wines, as the result of the Wembley Exhibition, the prof: >sal has been revived for holding an annual wine fair in London on the lines of the Pans wine fair. The promoters consider such a lair capably organised would be the finest nropngnmln the medium wine trade could have.

A “SLACKENING" OF TRADE. Describing the state of trade, the “Economist.” says the seasonal slackening, over the summer months seems to he more accentslated this year than last. The tixlilo trades are only ;,f|e ( tell slightly, hut the iron and steel production has been curtailed more scverely than ill 1028. and cmoloymcnl has ’declined during lb" last two tiionllts to a greater degree than mail\ anticipated. Other indications show that the volume of business outside iho coal and licavv metal indnslries is appreciably larger than in September 1722. ainl is fairly well maintained considering the til the year. The coal exnor.t trade is snllVriiig rather from Hi- failure of Ih" demand in many countries than the recrudescence of foreign compel it ion. The same applies to iron and steel. COTTON AND WOOL. The outlook in Lancashire is brighter. the goal American crop holding mil a pre pc- t of plentiful supplie ; <T cot lon during the i nmiiig sea on. H“' uuol iniln-lr\ on the whole is bettei employed, all hong li mamilarl nrers arc unable to pass lo eii-lomers the whole of the recent. increases in ihc price ol raw material.