COMMERCIAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 129, 30 May 1908, Page 9

COMMERCIAL.

FBUIT AND PfiODCCE MABKETS. Business on local fruit and produce markets daring past week has been very quiet, owing to mc holiday on Monday buppaes in most instances were fully up to requirement, and in some lines were beyond iinnieitlate demand, in potatoes supplies were ruuy up io, if not Deyond, reuuiiemenia. l'rijuie souuiern lots were pat uirouKh a t a profit upon cost of handling, bat some lots rrom the South and -iasiliania. were sold at a heavy luss to die importers. At present offerings are more free, and it is anticipated that much lower prices will rule.Onions came forward in more tiian sufficient quantities to satisfy immediate requirements, and business was slack at about late quotations. Everything, however, points to higher values ueing obtainable shortly. In dairy produce there was again a marked increase in the supply of farmers' butter, prices falling considerably. Small consignments of new factory make from Taranaki are reported to have been quitted priTateiy witt difficulty at lid per lb in bulls, no sales for quantities for export being beyond llMd. Owing to the high values asked by the local factories, Island business has been practically killed for the time being. Very few fresh eggs were sent into the auctious, but buyers were less eager to operate than'they were last week. Cheese, bacon, and hams were unchanged in value. The fruit market has been very quiet. Only a very small shipment of bananas arrived from Fiji by the Talune on Tuesday, and generally the qaulity was cuily medium. This 13 no doubt due to the recent hurricane in the group and the cutting by planters being before tile fruit had matured. Local buyers had fully stocked from the Tougan steamer last week and were, therefore, not aniions to operate. Consequently much lower prices were the rule for the Fijian cargo. .Shipments from Sydney by the Jlokoia on Monday were on the light side, chiefly consisting of Queensland pines, which, although of unusually good quality, sold at reduced values. In local fruit 3 the supply of apples was fully up to requirements, and prices were generally a shade better than last week, although the demand was slack. Southern shipments fell off somewhat owing to the lower price 3 •ruling as compared with a month ago, and no improvement in values is expected during the nest two weeks. The lemon market, owing to regular shipments eomiug forward from South Australia, added to the increase in local supplies, showed a heavy drop in values, and quotations may be regarded as only nominal. Poultry were in fairly good supplj, and realised satisfactory prices. Young pigs only sold at fair prices , as is expected at this season of the year, tne demand being slow. Vegetables were in better supply than expected at this time of the year, and prices generally were satisfactory. The following were the ruling rates at the auction sales yesterday: Field Produce.—Potatoes: Local, prime, £3 10/ to £6 ton; do. Canterbury prime, £6 5/ to £6 10/; do., others. Southern, £6 to £6 10/; do., Tasmanian, £6 10/. Honiara*: Island, 6/ to 7/ cwt- Onions: Local, choice, jd to Id lb; do., medium, down to £6 ton; do., Southern and Australian, £8 10/ to £9 ton. Chaff: Local and Southern, 6/6 cwt. Dairy Produce.—Dairy and , separator butter best dairy, 9d to 10d lb; do., milled. In bulk, for export, 9id; do., farmers', bulk, 8d; do., pastry, Sd. Eggs. Fresh, 1/7 to 1/B auaeu; do., pickled, 1/2. Cheese: Farmers', 4d to 5d lb; do., factory, large, 6d to 6sd; do., loaf, 7d. Bacon: Factory, 9ja to 10d. Hams: Factory, 9Jd to 10d. Fruit —Apples: Local, dessert, 6/ to 10/ case; do., cooking, 6/ to 10/. Pears: Local, dessert, 14/ to 17/; do., cooking 7/ to 10/; do., Canterbury, dessert, 16/. Grapes: Local, Indoor, Od to 2/1 lb. Oranges: Island, 6/ to 8/ case. Lemons: Local, prime, 6/ to 8/; do., medium, 4/ to 5/; do.. South Australian 10/0 to 13/. Passion-fruit: Local and Sydney, 8/6 to 10/ box. Bananas, 2/ t6 5/6 bunch; do., repacked, 2d lb. Pines: Queensland, 6/0 to 9/ case; do.. Island, 5/6 to 8/. Poultry.—liens, special, up to 2/ each; do., ordinary. 1/1 to 1/9; table roosters, special, 3/6 to 4/6; do., good, 2/0 to 2/10; do., light, 1/6 to 2/; ducks, 2/ to 2/8. Turkeys: Gobblers, 7/ to 13/; do. hens, 4/ to 8/6. Miscellaneous.—Young pigs, 3/ to 10/ each.

CHB.ISTCHURCH PRODUCE MARKET.

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) OHKISTCHUKCH, Friday. . The wheat market is lifeless at present. Buyers have assumed an indifferent attitude, and are only offering 4/6 for any lots submitted, while growers are not prepared to accept less than the rate ruling a few weeks back, so that no business is eventuating. Australian Hour is still coming in, the Hatai on her last trip from .Melbourne haying brought 3298 sacks. Southland ia supplying the coastal and Australian demand for oats, as no supplies are available locally at exporters' prices. Potatoes are duller of sale and lower In price, as there is less demand for coastal shipments. Cow grass is very firm, and is in keen demand, up to IOJd having been paid for best grade seed. Very little white clover has been offered by growers this season, and evidently less than, the usual quantity was saved.

LONDON BUTTER MARKET.

NEW PLTJIOUT3, Friday. Messrs. E. Grlffltiis and Co. received the following cablegram this afternoon from their London principals (Messrs. Hills and Sparrow, Limited): "There is a good steady consumptive demand, and butters are going cm the counter straight away, few, if any, of the retailers holding any stock. Trade continues good. All butters are selling weil, and clearing up is closa. Tlie scarcity of. Une butter is now being felt.

LONDON MARKETS.

(By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) (Received 8.10 a.m.) LONDON, May 29. BANK RETURNS. Bank of England returns: Gold coin, £36,202,000; reserve, £2T,G62,000; proportion of reserve to liabilities, 51.89; circulation, £28,463,000; public deposits, £10,427,000; other deposits, £42,811,000; Government securities, £li,57o,000; other securities, £28,826,000; three months' bills, 1J per cent; short-dated bills, London ij per cent, Paris 2 per cent, Berlin 3J per cent. STOCKS. Consols, 87|. New South Wales fonrs 100; three half a 100; threes, S3. " Victorian: Fours, lOoi; three halfa, 100}; threes, 90. South Australian: Three halfs, lOOi; threes, 87. Queensland: Fours, 106; three halfs, 100; threes, 81. New Zealand: Fours, 1061; three halfs 10OJ; threes. BS. Taemanian. Three halfs, 100; threes 88 Westralian: Three halfs, 98J; threes, 87. METALS. Copper: Spot, £0" 2/6; three months, £57 15/. Tin: Spot, £127; three months £126. Iron, 46/10. SUGAR. The market Is steady. German 11/3; flrst marks, 13/. WOOL. At Bradford the wool market is quieter, high prices checking business. Forties, 101 d. WHEAT AND FLOUK. The American risible supply of wheat la 31,061,000 bushels. Despite flue hot weather the wheat markets are linn, and are hardening, ag prospective supplies are too small for requirements. Buyers are rather inactive, and cargoes firmly held. 30/ is asked for South Australian-February shipmeats; 37/6 for steamer parcels April and Mny. Australian: Spot, 40/ to 40/6 Flour: The market is quiet and steady Australian offering Glaegow landed, 27/ B. BUTTER. Prices are steady and unchanged, all colonial going Into consumption as it arrives Supplies on the Continent are small Encash butter is plentiful. - 8 The wool sales closed flrm, with prie*6 unchanged. The sales included the Titl cIId 9 3-Sd.; Moreaki, 8 5-Sd.; Kuapupu, 5 3-4 d Silver: 24 7-16. |