The Hemp Market.

Manawatu Herald, 5 March 1896, Page 2

The Hemp Market.

By the courtesy of Mr Robert Gardner we have been put iv possession of the leading Lindon Fibre Broker's report of the Gth January last, and it is not very encouraging. It is evident that business during the week had felt the effects of the 'Xmas holidays, as we find all the sales of hemp, Baltic, Italian and Manila described as of "limited character," "demand being very limited,'' and "no quotable ohange in prices.'* Baltic hemp quoted at £80 for Riga Winter dried Norwegian Reine, to £24 53 for Konisberg, R.H. ; Italian hemp is quoted at £31 to £82 ; and Manila hemp at £17 10s to £17 12s 6d. New Zealand hemp was quoted at £14 lOi ex stort ; and sisal at £14 10. c.i.f. to arrive. Stocks held in London and Liverpool on the Ist Jauuary, 1896, waa as follows ;— Manila, 78,885 bales, as against 61,950 in 1895 ; N.Z. hemp, 2,182 tons as -gainst 2,208 tons in 1895 ; and Sisal, 4,201 bales as against 8,707. Tbe low price of manila bas led to its increased oonsumption, as the world's record is for 1893, 758,640 bales ; for 1894, 656,848 bales ; for 1895, 808,850 bales. Yet this great consumption left a smaller Btock on hand at the end of last year by 19,---000 bales to the year before: The consumption of Sisal has also increased as the delivery for 1895 to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom was for 1893, 819,148 bales, for 1894, 848,994 bales, and for 1895, 862,000 bales, besides a large quantity exported direot to the continent. It is estimated that the production of sisal in 1895 was some 40,000 bales in excess of 1894. These figures are not cheering as pointing to a speedy rise in prioes, but in the face of the low price for Manila, and the favour. Sisal is* held in, it says something for N.Z. hemp to find it still quoted at the same value as Sisal.

side. The rr. mber of men killed or wounded by thr. i nemy forms but an insignificant proportion of this number. There are 24 officers and men killed and 44 wounded, in all 118 men were reached by the Hova fire.