COMMERCIAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 105, 2 May 1908, Page 8

COMMERCIAL.

-BTJIT AND. PRODUCE MARKETS. Business on the local fruit and produce markets during the past week has beeu again very good, and supplies for the seasou of the year were generally heavy, for which there was a good demand. The potato market.was fairly supplied, including consignments from Waikato, aud the tone of the market was firm. Onions showed no change iv values, and good stocks are being held by merchants ip anticipation of a rise in price. Grain and fodder were unchanged in value. The first consignment of maize from Fiji for some time past arrived by the Talnne on Tuesday, consisting of 106 sacks, and, owing to the extreme scarcity, realised high prices. Vegetables were in moderate supply, and sold at high prices. In dairy produce the supply of fanners' make of butter was slightly In advance of last week, and lower prices are expected to rule. Ow ing to the extreme pi-ices lately ruling locally the trade for the Islands has been practically lost. Fresh eggs were in limited supply at late values. Cheese, bacon, nnd hams were unchanged in value. Fair supplies of seasonable fruits c-ame to the auctions, there being a marked decline in the prices for apples owing to the excessive values ruling of late greatly curtailing the consumption. The prices ruling were, however, higher than at the same time in previous years. Shipments of Tasruanian and Canterbury apples arrived during the week, but there w_re no shipments of fruit by the Sydney steamer on Sunday last. The Talune arrived from Fiji on Tuesday, bot she only brought a small consignment of fruit owing to the late hurricane, and all realised high values. Poultry was in good supply, and where the birds were in good condition good prices ruled. Young pigs, owing to the scarcity of feed, were in poor demand. The following were the ruling prices at the auction sales yesterday.— Field Produce.—Potatoes: Local, prime, £3 of to £3 10/ ton; do., medium to poor, £3 to £4; do.. Southern, £6; Indifferent, £1 lto £5. Kumaras, 5/ to 7/6 cwt. Onions: Local, Jd to Id lb: do.. Southern, 8/6 cwt; do., Victorian. 8/6. Chaff: Local, prime, ' 6/6 cwt; do.. Southern, 6/6. ] Dairy Produce.—Farmers' and separator bntter. 10_d to 1/_ lb; do., milled, in bulk. I for export. If; do., pastry, lOd to lid. Eggs: Fresh, 1/6 to 1/7 per dozen; do., pickled. 1/. Cheese: Factory, large, 6d lb; do., loaf, 6_d to 7d. Bacon: Factory, 9d. Hams: Factory, Od to 9_d. Fruit.—Apples: Local dessert, extra choice, 12/ to 13/ case: do., good, 10/ to 11/; do., others. 7/ to 8/; do., cooking, superior, 10/ to 10/3: do., others. 6/ to 8/6: do., Hobart, dessert, 12/ to 14/; do., do., Canterbury, 8/ to 10/2. Pears'. Local, superior dessert, 14/ to 15/: do., good, 30/ to 12/: do., others, 6/ to 8/; do., cooking. 6/ to If. Grapes: Indoor, superior, 1/8 to l/9_ lb; do., medium, lOd to 1/3; inferior, 6d to 7d; d 0.,, outdoor, over-ripe. Id to 2d. Oranges: Island, 6/ to 7/6 case. Lemons: Local, superior, 12/ to 14/; do., good, 8/ to 10/. Passion-fruit: Local, 5/ to 8/ per small box. Peanuts. l_d to 3d lb. Bananas, 3/ to 6/ buuch; do., repacked, 2d lb. Poultry.—Hens. good. 1/6 to 2/ each; do., poor, 9d to 1/3: table roosters, extra, 4/ to 4/6; do., good, 2/6 to 3/6: poor, 1/6 to 1/9; ducks. 2/ to 3/: chicks, 6d to If. Turkeys: Gobblers. 4/ to 13/; do., hens, 3/ to 8/ (according to condition). Miscellaneous.—Young pigs, 4/6 to 10/3 each. LONDON MARKET. By Cable.—Press Association.—CopyrightJ * LONDON, May 1. Three months' bills are discounted at 2 11-16 per cent, shorter loans 23 per cent. Bank rate 3 per cent. Paris market rate of discount 2J per cent, Berlin 4i per cent.. Consols £86 10/.' New South Wales 4 per cents £109, 3i per cents £99 of, 3 per cents £88 5/. Victorian 4 per cents £104.10/. Queensland 4 per cents £506. Tasmania- 3J per cents £99 15/. West Australian 3 per cents £86 15/. The wheat markets are firm owing to i reduced Argentine shipments and increased Continental demands. Cargoes are firmly held. Australian January shipments are quoted at 37/6; March steamer, spot, scarce at 38/13 to 39/. The American visible supply Is 46,704,000 bushels. w Flour is quiet, patents offering in London at 26/6, and in Glasgow at 26/0 landed. German sugar 11/10, first marks 13/6. The Bradford wool market Is flat, with little business doing. Butter is very firm and in good demand. Choicest Australian brings 108/, and occasionally 110/; New Zealand 112/ to 114/, Danish 114/ to US/. ' HIDES, SKINS, ETC. C. B. Kiugswell and Co. report:—Ou Tuesday we again cleared an extra large catalogue of hides, skins, tallow, etc. The market is firm for all well flayed and conditioned lots. Hides, extra stout 7d to 7ld, stout 6Jd to 7d, medium to 6Jd, light sd"to s_d; cow, best 4_d to 4_d, good 4_d, seconds 3d to 4d, inferior Id to 2jd; well flayed _d to 4J_, scored 2d to 3d; calf, first quality 4d to sd, badly shaped 3_d to 3Jd. scored 2d to 2_d per lb. Sheepskins: Butchers' lar _ 1/8 to 1/9; good lines, 1/7; small. l/_ to 1/4 Lambs at the same price. Tallow market easier; best, in shipment casks. 26/; in broken casks and packages, 23/ to 24/* inferior, 16/ to 17/ per cwt. Bought fat,' l*d per lb. Horsehair: Tail, 1/4 to 1/5; mane, 9d to lOd per lb. Bones: Dry, £4 _£/ per ton.