The piece goods market has been Jquiet during the past week, There twas a small miscellaneous. inquiry both for woollens and cottons, very little finding ite way to the order book, and it is expected that it will another month before any general inguiry is likely to be in evidence. Dealers appear rather more opt mnistie regarding future prospects of the market and it is " considered that, with the fall in the Yangtse iver during the past few days and the consequent removal of flood apprehensions, there is now a brighter Drospect of Hankow business for the Autumn "season. "It was recently. reported that of 4,000 Chinese shops {in Hankow approximately only 10 per cent, are at present on a sound ancial basis, the remainder having been badly hit by last year's floods and the resultant wave of Communism in the surrounding' districts.
Clearances are rather slower, in some cases dealers being reluctant to dispose of cargo on the basis of resent market levels, and the best feature of the market now is clear-. Jances for the smaller dealers who }do both wholesale and retail busi-
Yuenfong Auctions Ase "Yoong anton of
ace fy pctee Thursday, the first i, be held siege siderably more so than had' been anticipated, the result being that the speculative element rather took charge of proceedings and forced Prices of most goods down to considerably lower levels than those at ryhich business has been dona luring the past few weeks, Shortage of supplies in some. instances. had the natural effect of strengthening values and amongst these. can' be included velvets, some qualities of black poplins and a few chops of white shirtings. Elsewhere, "how-exer interest was only apparent at greys and whites, with very few exceptions, were heavily depressed and merchants, if they leuders, were not inclined to buy at recent' levels.
Deliveries have been fairly well maintained, but a special feature of the market has been rather heavy purchases of Italians from. Yangts provinces owing to the imminent imposition of new taxes, which has made it advisable for merchants to lay in stocks without delay, Cotton, Yarn, Ete. for American cotton, which has rea: easy, largely influenced by the The market as een guar and
pas hed a point fower than for dead Tu their weekly report Messrs, J, punt & Ca. sta terest" was in evidence throughout Chinese Cotton:—Hardly any inthe past week for the. domestic Staple and" whatever Business" was
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.