THE FLAX TRADE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 279, 26 July 1889, Page 3

THE FLAX TRADE.

. The New Zealand Loan and- Mercantile Agßnfy -ifi ; their circular of June, Say '— Under* pressure of- exceptionally heavy»Bupplies, the value ofNe\yZ9alandfibre,notwithstanding a risje in the quotations' for- Manila, lias declined' during. *he ; past^ifionthto the extent o£-GQs«t*- 70sr|>er too, and at the fall itiHae-tweu'Somewha difficult to 'mose»- Seles at . auction s and privately 'amount to abaut-. l'Boo--b'aiqg, the bttlfc COnsistiog of &ood niediam descriptions, which i have' realised' about • £34 ; per tton^'f tilling efehfuaHv .to '£18* per. 1 , ton, > whilewe^b -caned fibre kas chaiigeiLharidk i|t£B2 per ton. But. a? Awaited enquiry has e&isted -'fotf^^taaionv .coai s'e, "'■ and strawy parcels;,- and transactions have'takepplace'at £23* pet ton, In the present ■ iinsfetifeletl/ Btate x>i the market, btiyfers' i sh(Mr» -no: dia^po^on to, opefftte,. fw- forward , sHipinent 1 . ' With reference ti^e. re- '■) Biark^.co^tauiedin '-o\ff i^u'o. N<?. ; 357, | with respeot to &c #e<sspity for care; being eierxsised hi. the-, preparation of, Kew Zealand hemp for thift njarket, 5 che condition in., which, niuchf of the " -fibre has rcently cpme to hand; (! both; J on CQpwgnnient and in satisfaction of C; fovward (iohti'acts, renders it: (lesir- :- " able agiin to bring this subject' under the notice of shippers. la | partipular we may .mention that many 1 parcels sold to arrive on, the basis of. 5 " fair " quality have fallen much 5 below that standard, principally ' owing to imperfect dressing, thus in* ■ volvihg appeals to arbitration and 1 a>yards against sellers Apart al--1 .together from the friction and lo s ' thus occasioned, it niiist' be in ■ mind that unless greater regularity is ill own in suflh.^deliv-etfes buyers will .decline to purchase New Zealand : Hemp on this basis, arid the efforts to abtain for this fibre a larger area ': of cbnSumptiou will be counteracted. Tow'oontinues slow of sale and ( values, are only uoininal. Ma.uila 1 closes steady at £51 per ton on t!(e spofc, and by distant steamer £50 P^'twl 1 O-irf. Sisal under forced sales to £48 to $4s ;:seas, ion,:, at which price 100 bales have fceen . .sold in Liverpool. "We; quote:— r Sftperioi' soft, bright h^ni!>, £35 to £3(5 . per t« n; good quality well '„ dressed, £32 to £33 perton; medium. , fair to good' £81 -to '£Bl 10s per ton; ; common— coavso and strawy, £23 ■ per ton.