Grocery Review

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 604, 5 March 1929, Page 14

Grocery Review

The Sun Office, March 5, 1929. The wholesale grocery merchants report that business is still fairly good, although the heavy March orders have now all been dispatched. The chief alteration in local products this week was a reduction of Id a lb in the price of butter. Most of the bacon-curers have also reduced their prices of firstgrade sides and rolls by Id a lb. A well-known manufacturer of boot polish advises that dark-brown quality will be packed in large size tins in future as \vell as medium size. A welcome arrival last week was a shipment of California dried fruits by the Golden Bear. These included seeded raisins, bleached raisins, prunes and a further quantity of extra choice golden bleached raisins which have been in short supply for some time. The same vessel also landed a small quantity -of Mexican and Californian rice, which has been wanted rather badly. The first shipments of the new season’s Ling fish also came to hand last week and is meeting with usual demand for the Lenten season. Canadian clothes-pegs have been short for some time, but further quantities will be arriving by the Canadian Winner next week. BEANS London shippers notify a further sharp advance of £8 a ton in new season’s Madascar butter beans. The continued high prices are attributed to the partial failure of the crops in Madagascar, coupled with a heavy demand in Great Britain and elsewhere owing to adverse weather conditions. Crops of both Californian and haricot beans are also short. Stocks on hand at present are almost exhausted, but the first shipments of the new crop are expected to arrive next week. ACi DS After remaining at a steady level for some time, prices for English citric acid now show signs of firmness, sellers asking an increase of id a lb for both prompt and forward shipment. Little movement has been noticeable in tartaric acid during the past three or four months, but higher prices are being quoted for MarchApril shipment sellers requiring an additional gd a lb. COFFEE All grades of the new crop Indian coffee including Mysore and Neilgherry plantation coffees are considerably higher than the opening prices in December. Best grades have advanced £4 10s a ton and the cheaper qualities about £3 a ton. This brings the Indian coffee market to about £lO a ton above the rates ruling at this period last year. Indications are that the world’s market is likely to remain firm for some time. Owing to the typhoons the coffee season in India finishes about the end of April, all unsold stocks then being sent to London. RICE Present quotations for Rangoon rice are considered very favourable and a fair amount of business has been booked for shipment by the April steamer. Inquiries were made last week for prices for the August steamer, but most of the shipping houses preferred not to quote meantime, only one offer being received, and this represents an advance of nearly Is a cwt. on present ruling rates. EASTERN GOODS Both seed and pearl tapiocas continue firm with an advance of 3d a cwt. notified in pearl. There is little alteration in nutmegs and mace, but the favourable prices for Singapore pineapples have resulted in heavy buying for both the April and August steamers. Only small supplies of cinnamon are available, and prices are showing a strong advance which should be maintained until the new crop is ready in April-May. All grades of pepper continue to fluctuate. Prices are expected to decline considerably before the sailing of the direct steamer. Early last week the market eased to the extent of Sd a lb, but at the end of the week prices had swung back to the previous level. OLIVE OIL

Reports from the South of France state that the olive oil market will remain steady for a further two months. The heavy frosts throughout Europe have killed a large quantity of the olives on the trees, and as a result both Italy and Spain have been forced to buy large quantities of French olives —this would indicate that higher prices are expected. COCOA

Latest reports from Colombo state that offerings of cocoa continue light, and the market remains firm at the recently advanced rates. With the crop season soon drawing to a close, higher prices are likely to rule before long. DRIED FRUITS

Considerable interest has been shown during the past week in Australian currants and sultanas, more especially in the latter line as prices are so much below last season. Sales of golden bleached Californian raisins have been very satisfactory and repeat business lias already been placed. There has been a fair demand for prunes (principally the larger size) and reports from reliable sources indicate that supplies in California are now being rapidly depleted. Evaporated apricots are now selling more readily, but the local market is still overstocked and the first of the new season’s supplies of South African qualify will arrive per Raranga in a few weeks’ time. CHERRIES The continued high prices ruling for both French and English whole drained cherries have somewhat restricted sales, but as further indication of the shortage of supplies in France and England cables just to hand notify an advance of about Id a lb in all grades. Crystallised cherries are also getting short and definite information on the prospects of the new r-roP is anxiously awaited. ALMONDS Lower quotations for the new crop of soft shell almonds are now available, prices having receded by £4 a ton for shipment in August-September. Sicily almonds, both old and new crop, continue to advance, London shippei-s having again advanced their ouotation in some instances, as much as £5 a ton additional being asked for both prompt and September shipments. cantor on Cables from Calcutta last week indicate a continued firmness in prices for shipment by the March-April steamer. Australian thirds in both half cases and drums having advanced 5-Sd a gallon. RP^INI The weakness in the market for American resin still continues, last week's cable notifying a further decline of 5s a ton for prompt or forward shipment. TARANAKI OIL FIELDS CO. Press Association GISBORNE, To-day. The Taranaki Oilfields Co., Ltd., reports:— Gisborne No. 2 Well.: Drilled to 2,432 feet in shale; diameter casing to 2,407 feet. MINING NEWS ALBURN I A.— The manager reports as follows: The drive north on the leader from the crosscut east off the top of the rise on the dropper has been extended 10ft; a total of 29ft. The leader here averages 6in wide, but is still mixed up with mullock and flint. The country rock is •still of a firm class. The rise on the main Sons of Freedom reef from the drive north from the top of the rise on the dropper has been risen 11ft, a total of 30ft. The reef here averaged oft wide, and was a fine body of stone carrying mineral b’end and silica. At. this point we holed through into the 70ft level, but. it will take a few days yet to complete the connection.

NORTHERN DAIRYING COMPANY OUTPUTS The output of the Whangarei Dairy Factory last month was 154 tons 13ewt, against 102 tons 19cwt for February, 1928. The total output for the season to February 28 was 1,157 tons 15cwt, compared with 918 tons 19cwt for the eorlesponding period last season, an increase of 268 tons 16cwt. In spite of the very dry weather and a rapidly-decreasing supply, the Maungaturoto factory increased its output from 2S tons in February, 1925, to 47 tons scwi last month. The total output for the season has been 384 tons, against 283 tons last season. Although last month was the driest February for 10 years, the output of butter from the Northern Wairoa Co-operative Dairy Company factory shows an increase of 49* to-ns over that for February, 1925, the figures being 243 tons last month, against 193£ tons in February, 1925. The total for the season to date is 1,804 i tons, against 1,597 tons, an increase of 207 tons, The output for the season ending in May should easily reach over 2,000 tons. This, added to the output by the Ruawai company, is expected to make 3,000 tons from the Northern Wairoa district for the season, a total which easily surpassed that for any other single dairying district in North Auckland. COMPANY REGISTRATIONS Three public and two private companies, including one of the largest undertakings entered upon this year, were registered in Auckland yesterday. Details are as follow: Public Amalgamated Brick and Pipe Company, Limited. Objects: To carry on the business of bric-kf tile and pottery manufacturers of R. O. Clark, Limited; the New Zealand Brick, Tile and Pottery Company, Limited; Gardner Brothers and Parker, Limited; and Glenburn Fireclay and Pottery Company, Limited. Capital: £350,000, in £1 shares. Subscribers: T. E. Clark, C. F. Gardner, J. Fletcher, T. Miller, A. Crum, R. O. Gardner, J. Stanton and L, J. Stevens, one share each. Marky Films, Limited, producers and exhibitors of motion pictures and “talkies.” £IO,OOO in £1 shares. Subscribers: Alexander Marky, Zoe Varney, R. FI. McCallum, C. R. Smith, A. M. M. Greig, C. E. Clinkard, and R. G. H. Manley, one share each. Blythswood Flats, Limited, proprietors of flats and apartments. Capital, £20.000, in £1 shares. Subscribers: W. J. Fletcher, James Fletcher, A. G. East, Andrew Fletcher, Helena Taylor, Margaret Stewart. Fletcher and L. J. Shrubsath, one share each. Private Ot orohanga Motors, Limited. Objects: To take over the motor engineering business carried on in Otorohanga by Clement John Emmett. Capital: £1,500, in £1 shares. Subscribers: Alfred Percy Gray, of Otorohanga, 1,000 shares; Dora May Patterson, of Otorohanga, 500 shares. Al. Bagwash, Limited, laundrymen and dyers. Capital: £BOI, in £1 shai'es. Subscribers: Alfred Jarman, Ada Emily Jarman, Thomas Robinson and Ruth Robinson, all of Hamilton, 200 shares each; Dudley Norton Chambers, of Hamilton, one share.