62 JVEW SOUTH WALES. 



attention^ witli an increasing- demand for American goods. The con- 

 sumption of canned salmon in Australia is about 60,000 cases per 

 annum, of wliicli 20,000 are taken by Sydney and 25,000 by Melbourne. 

 Prices this month (December) have reached the satisfactory level of 

 5s. 6d. for pink, 6s. for red Alaska, and 7s. for Skeena (Id. per 

 Hi. duty paid) . Cheap sardines have also been scarce and in request 

 at 2s. 9d. for quarters. Demands for these goods have, on the whole, 

 fallen off owing to the lighter observance of the Lenten period, com- 

 bined with the cheapness of other classes of goods and the larger 

 supply of fresh fish from our local waters, as well as from New Zealand 

 and America, which has largely affected the European trade. 



Oil and Kerosene. 



English brands of linseed oil have had to meet strong competition 

 with Calcutta. The present position is, as compared with £19 10s. per 

 ton (f.o.b., London), 2s. 6d. per gallon for English and 2s. 4d. for 

 Indian (each half and half raw and boiled). Castor, China and other 

 kinds are on a parity of value ruling in the East, although more often 

 than not they are below the level of the ever-shifting markets at 

 producing centres. The kerosene market has been mainly at the bid 

 of the American Standard Oil Company and American speculators, 

 while local manufactures from shale have had trifling attention at 

 Sjbout 2d. a gallon under imported oil. Even protected to the extent 

 of 6d. per gallon^ the manufacture of kerosene has not paid except in 

 the matter of by-products. The local market being supplied by sailing 

 ships from New York, provides ample opportunity for local speculation 

 with the 40,000 or 50,000 cases generally held in bond, but the results 

 are not as satisfactory to importers as might be expected, owing to the 

 large number of small holders who keep prices at l3ed-rock levels. 



Candles. 



It is a remarkable fact that antipodean manufacturers absorb our 

 tallow staple, and return in the form of candles at lower prices 

 than they can be manufactured for on the spot, and this is even more 

 to be wondered at when it is known that local makers of these goods 

 have laid down the most costly and perfect machinery and plant known 

 to the trade, but without effect so far as competitive prices with Ger- 

 many are concerned, although the colonial article leaves nothing 

 to be desired either in quality, appearance, firmness, or illuminating- 

 power. Prices for the better grades of local stearine candles range 

 from about 5.kl. to 5|d., as against 4|d. in bond or 6|d. duty paid 

 for the best imported kinds. A large number of inferior goods are put 

 up on the spot, selling as low as o.\d. Germany, both direct and 

 through London is by far the largest contributor to this Colony^s 

 requirements, although, as will be seen above, Victoria and South 

 Australia lend a good deal to our imports. The extension of the use 

 of gas, electric light, and kerosene, and the low charges for these fuels 

 and illuminants, have considerably curtailed tlie demand for candles, 

 and during the past two or three years especially the falling off in 

 trade has been very pronounced. 



