COMMERCIAL NEWS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 187, 21 May 1938, Page 11

COMMERCIAL NEWS

FRUIT AND PRODUCE. THE ASHBURTON MARKET. The Ashburton fruit and produce market was steady again yesterday, and few prices varied. No quinces came forward, while pickling onions rose slightly in price. Walnuts appeared; on the market, and sold at 4d and 5d a lb. Prices are: Bacon—9d to lOd a lb. Hams—lOd and Is lb. Wheat—2os to 22s a sack. Honey—Brl and 9(1 a lb. Onions—2d and 2£d a lb. Potatoes—2s 6d to 3s a sugar.-bag. Chaff—2s 6di to 3s 6d a sack. Marrows —Id to 15 d lb. Jonathans—4s and 5s a case. Wolseley Apples—4s 6d to 5s Cd a case. Delicious Apples—ss and 6s a case. Cooking Pears—2s and 2s 6d a case. Cabbages—3s to 4s a dozen. Parsnips—2s sugar bag. Pickling onions—4-pi to 2d a lb. Carrots—2s a sugar-bag. Swedes —Is 6d a sugar-bag Cauliflowers —6s to 8s a dozen. Walnuts—4d and 5d a lb. GRAIN AND PRODUCE. THE DUNEDIN MARKET. DUNEDIN, May 20. There is likely to be a considerably larger area sown down in wheat in Otago this season, but farmers are faced with the difficulty of getting their land in order following the dry spell. This difficulty is more pronouncced from Dunedin south, where it will not be easy to work the ground unless heavy rains are experienced. Farmers are finding it difficult to secure all their requirements of seed. Fowl wheat is unaltered. There is little life in oats. There are practically no offerings from the country but there is not much inquiry. North Island merchants are not operating to any extent and local millers are off the market as they have sufficient supplies' to meet their requirements; for the time being. The reduction in price of oatmeal has lowered the value of oats in the country. The demand for chaff continues quiet. Otago farmers have not any surplus for sale, as the dry conditions have affected the feed available and they require chaff for their stock. Merchants are now drawing on Canterbury. The potato market is still oversupplied and sales are difficult to effect. Best whites are worth £4 5s a ton, sacks included, and King Edwards, which are not over-plentiful, are bringing higher prices. The outline for the market is still obscured. All the seeds markets are firm, but little business is going through. Certified ryegrass is particularly short, and it is difficult to obtain quotations. Supplies of ordinary ryegrass are also short, and most merchants have just about sufficient stocks to cover their retail requirements. The cocksfoot market is unchanged. White clover is firm following the scarcity of supplies, and cowgrass is also firm.

WHEAT MARKETS IN BRITAIN. LONDON, May 19. Wheat cargoes are steadier and parcels are quiet, but irregular. _ Futures are quoted:—London —May 37s 5d per quarter; November 31s Id per quarter. METHVEN STOCK SALE. There was a small yarding in the fat pens at the Methven stock sale on Thursday. The top price for lambs was 23s 7d for a pen of six. The store sheep market was a very dull one, the yarding comprising mostly station wethers which were yarded in good forward condition. Sales by auction were slow, but a considerable proportion of the offering, however, was disposed of privately. Sales were: —■ Fat Sheep —Foi'ty-three ewes at 11s lOd, 17 at 11s Id 12 at 14s 6d, 30 at 11s sd, 22 at 11s, 58 at 11s 6d 15 at 10s, 6 fat lambs at 23s 7d, 9 at 21s 7d, 32 at 19s 7d, 2 at 22s 6d, 33 at 20s 6d, 1 at 21s 6d, 60 at 21s lOd, 40 at 21s 7d, 40 at 21s 7d, 36 at 22s 4d, 25 at 18s 6d. Store Sheep—One hundred two and four-tooth halfbred wethers at 19s 4d, 60 halfbred full-mouth ewes at 265, 50 at' 17s, 35 four and six-tooth wethers at 18s, 44 full-mouth ewes at 14s 6d, 169 full-mouth halfbred wethers at 18s, 166 at 15s lid, 48 rape ewes at 3s, 59 halfbred wethers at 265, 162 full-mouth halfbred wethers at 21s 3d, 313 at 21s, 107 two-tooth halfbred wethers at 23s Id, 27 at 20s 3d, 82 four and six-tooth halfbred wethers at 25s 7d, 67 fullmouth halfbred wethers at 20s, 8 fat wethers at 275.

LONDON MEAT MARKET.* PRODUCERS’ BOARD’S REPORT. The New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board advises that the following axe the ruling prices of wholesale quantities of the descriptions of frozen meat mentioned, and are for representative parcels of the goods, sold on Thursday, May 19. Chilled beef prices are averages of the week on which this list is issued. All prices are on the basis of delivered to Smithfield market:— Lambs. Canterbury—36lb and under 75d, 37-421 b 75d, 34-501 b 75(1. Second quality, average about 3111) 7§d. Other South Island: 361 b and Under 7£d, 37421 b 7|d, 43-501 b 7£d. North Island Downs: 361 b and under 7£d, 37-4211)

7£d, 43-501 H 7Jd. ’Second.quality, average about 311 b 7£d. Australian—Victorian, first quality : 29-361 b 7|d, 37-421 b 7d. Argentine—First quality : 361 b and under 7d, 37-4211) Ogd. Mutton. New Zealand—Crossbred wethers and/ or maiden ewes: 481 b and under sgd, 49-5611) skl, 57-641 h 5Jd, 05-7 lib 4§d. Ewes: 481 b and under 4d, 49-501 b 3kl, 57-611 b 3id, 65-7211) 3|d. Pigs. Now Zealand Porker —First quality: 61-8011) 63d, 81-100 lb 6£d 101-'l2olb Old. New Zealand Baeoner—l2l -1601 b 75(1. Chilled Beef. New Zealand Ox hinds, 145-2101 b 43d, ox fores 145-2101,b 35.(1. Australian Chilled—Ox hinds, 145-21011.) 4RI, Oxcrops, weights corresponding 3-|d. Southern Rhodesian—Chilled Ox hinds, 145-210 H) —41(1, Ox fores, 145-21011) 3d. Argentine Chilled —Ox hinds, 145-2101 b 6kl, Ox fores. 145-21011) 3|d. Uruguayan Chilled Ox hinds, 145-21011) 55d ox fores, 145-210 lb 3£d. Brazilian dulled —Ox hinds ,145-2101 b 4gd. Lambs—The recent higher prices have slightly checked demand, and prices are a shade easier. Mutton—Wethers are unchanged but trade is slow. Ewes are dull, with heavy-weights lower. Beef—No frozen hoof is available. Chilled beef prices are firmer this week, owing to reasonable supplies and good demand. New Zealand Pigs—Prices for porkers are lower, owing to the usual seasonal contraction of demand. Baconers are a shade easier owing to the slightly weaker bacon market.

The Bank of New Zealand has received the following advice from its London Office as at close of business this week:—

Wethers.—The market is weaker for second quality. First grades remain steady. Ewes.—The market is dull. Lambs.—The market is steady. There is a better inquiry for lightweights. Wethers, light 5d to, s|d • heavy, 45d to 4|d. Ewes, 23d to 4d. Lambs, 2’s 7|d to 73d, B’s 7*d to 7f-d; 4’s 7|d to 7!d. Seconds 75d to 75d. THE PROPERTY MARKET. Properties in Dobson Stret and Cox Street put up for sale by Mr R>. Stephenson yesterday were passed in. Two 5-acre properties in Dobson Street were put up as a lot and were passed in at £225. A 5-acre property with a two-roomed lean-to thereon was passed in at £llO. A four-roomed cottage with one rood of ground was passed at £125. A 5-acre section in Cox Street West, with a five-roomed dwelling thereon was passed in at £225. LONDON WOOL SALES. The Bank of New Zealand has received the following advice from its London Office under date, May 20. “Sales closed firm all wools. Keen competition including continental throughout.” Current quotations for wools of average condition: —Merinos, super 60-64’s to 145 d per lb; Ordinary 60-64’s 12d to 13d ; Inferior 60-64’s 95d to lOd. Halfbreds 56-58’s 12d, to 125 d; 6’s lljd to 12d; 50-56’s 103 d to; Hid. Crossbreds: 50’,s 105 d to lid; 48-50’,s 105 d to 103 d; 46-48’s lOd to 105d44-46’s 10d to 105 d; 40-44’s lOd to 105 d; 3640’s lOd to 105 d. THE SHARE MARKET. / The following sales were made on the Christchurch Stock Exchange yesterday:— LISTED STOCKS. Salas on 'Change.

Safes Reported. 25 Natl. Bank of A/asia (£5 paid) 6 19 0 UNLISTED STOCKS. Sale Reported. 500 Mining Investments 0 0 1 BRADFORD TOPS MARKET. LONDON, May 19. The Bradford market is quiet, but firm at unchanged levels. .Sellers are reluctant to make concessions. Quotations: —Merinos 64’s 26d, 60’s 25d. Crossbreds—s B’s 22d, 56’s 20d, 50’s 175(1, 46’s 17cl (nominal), 44’s 17d (nominal).

£ s. Q. 100 Com ml. Bank of Aust. 0 16 2 200 Goldsbrough, Mort -1 10 0 - 1 10 7 100 N.Z. Refrigerating (10s paid) 0 8 5 50 Broken Hill Prop, (cum div.) 3 1 0 6 Colonial Sugar 48 12 6 100 Dunlop Rubber 1 1 11 150 Electro. Zinc 2 0 8 2 0 4 2 0 3 100 Electro. Zinc (pref.) .. 2 5 3 2 5 2 400 Taranaki Oilfields 0 8 10 100 Wcolwortlis (South 0 8 11 100 Woolworths (South Africa) . ••• 0 16 10 50 Broken Hill (South (cum div.) 1 10 0 400 Mount LyeU (cum div.) 1 5 2 1 5 1 (2) 1 5 8 2 250 Mount Morgan 0 4 0 8 4J 0 8 4