— 47 — 



about 9 marks was paid, whilst later deliveries remained at the exist- 

 ing level. 



The manufacturers considered the prices very acceptable, and in 

 October-November a very brisk business for forward delivery sprang up, 

 during which the article even had to pass through occasional periods 

 of weakness. When the first new oil appeared it was highly 

 welcomed in view of the urgent shipping instructions from abroad, and 

 it immediately found everywhere such a ready reception that it was 

 not able to exert any pressure whatever on the market and its quot- 

 ations. On the contrary, it soon became apparent that the manufacture 

 could in most districts only be commenced after great delay, and that 

 consequently the market until well in December would have to reckon 

 with only unimportant supplies. 



Under these conditions, the Union of manufacturers and landed 

 proprietors existing in this town decided to intervene, with the definite 

 object of driving up the price of this article to a higher basis. 



It must be admitted that the schemes of the Syndicate have been 

 executed dexterously and with a very correct appreciation of the pre- 

 vailing market-conditions. A similar Association was successfully formed 

 among the manufacturers and landed proprietors in Palermo, and since 

 then the two Associations have hand in hand influenced the market both 

 here and in Palermo, and regulated the supplies to these markets. 



In view of the large harvest of lemons and the favourable possib- 

 ilities of the manufacture, an influence on the market could only be 

 effected by preventing an increase in the supplies beyond the demand 

 occurring from day to day. 



The following comparative statistics may give an idea of the 

 quantities which have been shipped during the first months of the 

 manufacturing season: — 



1906 December 77742 kilos 1905 December 71 734 kilos 



1907 January 144245 » 1 9 o( > January 109392 „ 

 1907 February 1 19463 „ 1906 February 83300 „ 



1906/1907 341450 kilos 1905/1906 264426 kilos 



This shows that in the first three producing months of the new 

 season, already 77024 kilos more than in the same period of the 

 previous year were sent abroad. 



If it is considered that of the old harvest not a single pound had 

 remained behind in the country, and that in spite of this, in the 

 months of December to February, 341450 kilos could be exported, 

 and that this has happened only with the quantity which the Syndicates 

 were unable to withhold from the market, it is possible to obtain an 

 idea of the magnitude of the lemon harvest and of the quantities of 

 oil which must have been produced by the manufacturers. 



