COMMERCIAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 28, 1 February 1913, Page 10

COMMERCIAL.

PRODTJCE AUCTIONEERS' REPORT. Business in the froit and produce markets has been exceedingly good throughout the week, and heavy consignments of local frnlt have been dealt with. Prices for all varieties show a very material improvement 8S compared with last season's values. All choice dessert fruit is commanding attention and selling well. It is quite expected that as the outdoor tomato crops ripen values will fall, and yesterday saw an excessive quantity on the market with a decline in prices. Nectarines are increasing in quantity, but choice fruit is still keeping up in price. Dessert pears (Bon Chretien have declined.. Crops in all districts are fairly heavy. Tbe market for bananas Is still poor and only nominal prices are ruling. Potatoes are in good supply, with a moderate demand. Prices are unchanged. Onion crops locally and in the South are exceptionally good, and lower prices than at present are likely to rule. Farmers' butter is Inquired for. and fresh eggs advanced on last week's rates. Poultry was only moderately penned, with little inquiry. Only tbe best-condi-tioned birds meet with competition; light and poor are neglected. FIELD PRODUCE. Potatoes.—Local, prime, £6 10/ ton; medium, 4/ to 4/0 cwt. Onions: Loea 1, 7/ cwt. DAIRY PRODUCE. Bntter.—Farmers', in prints, 91d to lOd lb; prime farmers', bulk, lOd. Fresh eggs, 1/3 to 1/6 dozen. FRUIT. Apples.—Coloured, dessert, 5<C to fi' case; good. 4/ to 3/; cooking, best 4/ to 4 6, good 3/6 to 3/9. Pears: Bon Chretien, best 6/ to 6/6 case, good 5/ bushel; others, dessert, 1/6 to 2/ half bushel: cooking, 3/ busbel. Plums: English varieties, 2/6 to 3/ ease; Rurbanks. best 2/6 to 3/3, medium 2/ to 23, small 1/6, Ogon 1/6 to 2/. Peacbe«: Coloured, best dessert, 4/C to 5/6 case; good 3/6 to 4/; others, 2/6 to 3/. Apricots: Best', 6/ to 6/6 case: good, 4/6 to 5/. Grapes: Hothouse. 8d to 9d lb. Tomatoes: Outdoor, equal to 2d and 3d lb. Lemons: Local, prime 15/ to 15/6 case, rough and coarse 4/. Nectarines: Best 4/ to 4/6 case: good. 3/ to 3/6. Melons: Water, 13/ to 32/ dozen. POULTRY AND PIGS. Hens: Best, 3/6 to 4/ each; poor. I. 1/6. and 2/. Table roosters: Best, 2/ to 3/6 each. Ducks, 1/6 to 2/1 each. Chicks, 6d to 9d each. Young pigs. 10/6 each. NEWTON KING'S WEEKLY REPORT. j On Friday. 24th Inst., for mv annual ~ I—ponga weaner fair and cattle sale I had i a very big -ntrj. and v big attendance of 'If B '.. , Moat ot tnp weaners yarded were small, being whey fed. but were all good i coloured cattle. Bidding throughout was i keen, exceptionally so on a line of picked Jersey heifers, yarded by Mr. Martin Stelner. These were started at 45/? and I were secured by Mr. C. Crowley after I brisk competition, at £3 1/6. The demand ; for good forward cows and bulls was fir—- ; class, everything with the exception of a ; pen of small weanc.r steers being cleared at • the following rates :—Jersey weaner heifers, from £2 9/ to £3 1/6 ; grade heifers. £1 11/6 to £1 17/ C; small, £1 4/6; weaner steers, £1 10/6 to £1 16/; mixed weaners £1 8/6 to £1 l_/6; bulls, from £3 9/ to 6/ according to weight; fat working bullocks, £5 ! 18/; fat heifers, £3 4/: fat cows, £5 10/ to !£0 4/ ; forward cows, from £4 14s to £5 3/ ; -store cows, £3 15/6 to £4 3/ ; small or aged £1 4/6 to £2 10/ : lambs, 9/. | At Urenui, on Monday, 27rh. thore was only a small entry, which sold as follows : —Springing heifers. £4 7/6 to £S 10/ : dalrv •cows, £« to £8 10/; fat cows, £6 1/; forward cows, £4 11/6 to £5 4.': 20-months' heifers. £3 10/ to £4 7/6, 2J-year heifers, in calf, £4 13/ to £3 17/6 ; 20-months' steers, £3 14/ to — 16/6. On Tuesday. 28th. store cows sold at £2 11/ to £3 17/6; forward cows, £4 3/ to £3 3/: 2i-year steers, s mall, £4 7/6; IS months' heifers, £3 10/ ; buils, from £3 13/ to £6 15/.

SOUTHLAND MEAT COMPANT. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) INVERCARGILL. Friday, -c directors of the Southland Frozen Meat Company, In their annual report, state that tho net profit for the year is f7.529, which, with the amount carried forward, leaves _0,460 to be dealt with. The directors recommend a 5 per cent, div.deud and a 3 per cent, bonus on the paid-up capital, absorbing —..4—; that £4000 be placed to the fire insurance reserve; and that the balance of £10,998 be carried for- , ward. HAWSE'S BAY RAM FAIR. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) HASTINGS, Friday. The annual ram fair, under the auspices of the Hawke's Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Society, was concluded on the show groui ds to-day. Compared with previous years, theie was a falling off in prices. The quality of the sheep, both as regards flock and stud rams, was not up to last year's staudard. A line of 276 flock Komncys, penned on behalf of Mr E. Egliiigton. of FeathersU.n. realised the highest price of the day. One peu brought ISJ guineas. Iv studs, the top price reached was 41 guineas, at whicn figure a shearling bred by Mr W. Perry, ot Te Mahlnga. was sold. The same price was paid for a two-shear Romney. bred by the late Mr E. J. Ridiliford. Bidding on the second day was more spirited. In Hock rams a line of English Leicestcrs, bred by Mr G. E. Rhodes (Canterbury), realised from four guineas to eight guineas. Southdowus, from Lincoln College, realised from five guineas to 71 guineas: Shropshire Downs. two gnineas to three guineas; Lincolns from 21 guineas up to eight guineas. LONDON MARKFT. LONDON. January 31. Money —Bank rate, 5 per cent: short '™; 4 * P, pr <cut; three months' bills, 43 ?■,,«. 2? 1 '- larie rate - ** P er <*-*= c— uu rate 43 per ceut. -__- (Quoted'on U f a Colo ° ial Stocks—Consols quoted on January 24 at £75 2/6) £75 Colonial stocks are unchanged r.2/ k< ' s , of Metals.— Silver. 2/44 per o_ Copper: On spot, £«>; three months. £60 'i-Vtn Tti "' £75 5/ ' ***•• OT Spot •t-30, at three months, £235 10/. Pig iron] wi— r '"~- ier _" ln ' 9,15: nrst marks, 11/10. oulrWo7 A n Bradf °<-d <*ere strong inquiry for all top sorts at advanced prices. AnJncrease of id all round is reported. Wheat and Flour.—The wheat market Is _£ W » _,n,i prtce l are unchanged. Thirtyeight shi lings has been offered for Vicisl« n f„u^ n,ary _ sl>ipment - Australian spot to l^ r demand at 39/6 to 40/6. Moderate Ze jfc»"ng berried 38/. In ferior 30/ to 37/. There is no forward business in flour. ,nJ Onts.—There are large supplies but eood Sr IneSS Ko doin ~' A Cartons. 24/6 to _V' to FehTni" 5 ' to 24/6: Pl-ta JanufrV to Fehrnary shipment 15/9 * be^ nS n , ni' :t<;^r Tllere is v s'ood demand for beans, and prices are firm d. 1 ?l" t with Ch s eC n P n ;.f'!, P -T TJIe market is ™<7 wh eh Is c,Li, mlte<l demand for colonial, -3 lo J S . at ~a falr rate - Dani- ?_,. J-'/- Australian choicest, 100/ to 105/ .a few \ ctorian lines have been sold at 110/: unsalted Australian. 108/ to 110/° New Zealand ljcy to 112/, with a few lines at 114,■'; unsalted New Zealand is scarce and commaud-s lie/, and occasiO_.lv iTsT' The Cheese market is steady. Prices are ,[ about 60/ to 61/ for New Zealand Zealand I„>an and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited and Reduced their , the follo l i °S cablegram froi their London house under date 20th ult • "Tallow.—We quote present spot, values «//c tbe followln S descriptions: Fine mutton 39/6 per cwt.; good beef, 35/3 per cwt. mixed, „J/6 per cwt. The market is active. TV beat.—We have sold on Australian cargo at 37/. i net. ci.f. The market Is quiet, but steady, owing to increased supplies. Market prospects Argentina, outlook' nncertain. Oats.—We quote Gortons 25/. The market Is fair." ! Messrs. Dalgety and Company. Limithave received the following cablegram, under date January 30th, 1913 :—"Butter : Very quiet. Imports Into United KlngI dom for week ending January 25th totalled 103,000cwt, as compared with 09,000cwt Imported during the corespondlng poriod of last year. We quote: New Zealand butter, at 113/; Danish. 128/; finest Australian. 108/. Cheese: Quiet, but steady, •50/8. Frozen meat : Very quiet. Prices unchanged. Tallow: Low and Inferior I descriptions. 3d to tld higher; good colour I mixed or beef, 6d higher; good colour mut[ton, 1/ higher."

LOAN AND M—OCANTII—'S LIST. j In connection with the final wool sales.| concluded yesteruay afternoon, the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd.. report that they offered 2,-51 bales. There was keen competition for everythlug offered. Several new clips were offered la Auefcla—' for the first time, promluent among which was the Galatea clip, which for the most part sold at an excellent range of values. The competition for lambs' wool, free from seeds, and for pieces and oddments, was exceptionally keen. In sympathy with Southern markets and advices from London, the demand for wool suitable for America was not so keen as at the November sale, and prices for these sorts showed a decline of id. per lb. Coarser and inferior hush wools, of which a large quantity was offered, met a keen demand, and reckoning the heavier condition of the wool offered compared with November, tbe prices paid for such wools fuUy equalled those ruling in November. .^ The following were some of the prices real—cd:—Estate of It. P. McKensle, Owhapa, Herekino, 18 bales fine crossbred, lid-; M. Arapoff, VTaiueke, 3 bales ha_tbred, Hid.: Stoney and Martin Whaka-pu-au, -4 bales fine crossbred, 110.; —air Bros., Rotorua, 3 bales halfbred. 11<L: H. V Rutherford, Waiheke, 5 bales halfbred, lid - Dr. C. V. Knight, Richmond Downs, Walton. 0 bales lamb. Hid.: R Rathbone. Ngaruawahia. 2 bales llicL. Galatea Station. Rotorua halfbred lid., lambs 103 d., crossbred IOJd. and 10Jd.. pieces Sid. _ CHRISTCHURCH GRAIN MARKET. CHRISTCHURCH, Friday. Some new season's wheat is now offering, a number of samples from Culverden, V. aikari, and Omihi districts having been shown. Growers are holding out for 3/6 at country stations, and several offers of 3/4 have been refused. A few sales have, however, been made at 3/3 to 3/44. according to quality aud distance.. The wheat is somewhat on the thin side, but is otherwise of good quality, being firm and dry. There are not many oats offering, as little threshing has been done during the week, in consequence of the rains. Some of the samples of duns offering are very light, and do not command more than 1/8 to 1/9. Uartons are worth up to 2/ for prime samples, and Algerians and good duns 1/9 to 1,10. There have been no Danish offering yet. In other lines there is reported to be no business doing.