COMMERCIAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 105, 3 May 1917, Page 3

COMMERCIAL.

EFFECTS OF COAL SHORTAGE. j "Auckland Star" Office. Thursday, May 3. 1917. General business in the city just now is satisfactory on account of the bulk of the monthly orders going through, but apart from these all forward bookings are great'y restricted owing to ruling conditions ot war. Our country trade, which is always of the greatest importance, has been suddenly struck out owing to coal sb.ert.ig?. and only the bare essentials wUM be accepted at present by the Railway ment. This will make a striking difference to the month's turnover, and we trust conditions will soon revert to normal. American Trade Conditions.—Since the first shock of the brea_t_g of diplomatic relations, the speculative markets have held their own with remarkable firmness. The most noticeable general ■ oudition t» an inclination to consider with unusual care all commitments for the f-nure, and many, perhaps most, contracts which a", c now entered into contain clauses designed to avoid complications in case of action bj the Government that might interfere wi. li ordinary business transactions. Eoodstuffs ir. particular are now at almost famine prices, and there have been sever.il demonstrations in New York (written up by the newspapers as "food riots'") on ac:n.nt of the excessive prices asked by >ie_icrs for meats, poultry, vegetables, etc. There have been strikes in many of the sugar refineries, and this, on top of all the other causes, has resulted in sugar seßing at reti ; l as high as ten cents a pound. Flour retails at 52/ per barrel of l»6lbs. potatoes at 10-' to 18/ per bushel of 601b. and, in spite of the high wages which generally prevail tie working classes have great difficulty in making both ends meet. The Railroad Situation.—The st?;.s which have been taken by the Government for the distribution of rolling stock, etc.. are beginning to show good results, and there Is much less complaint of difficulty :n se^nriu? fuel and other raw materials. Freights.—During the past four or live months, while freights to all other parts of the 'world have been advancing. *_c rates to Australasia have deciined. and there seems every reason why the lines that are interested should get together on some agreement as to rates. Just at present they all profess to want higher rates, but there is no certainty that an agreement will be reached. There is the chance, also, that rates will be cut stfil further, but the pilce at which steamers must be chartered and the expenses of loading and operating are so very high that this would seem quite unlikely. POTATOES. Four steamers from Sonth have arrived since last report, and further cargoes are expected at the end of this week. The local market is, therefore, well suoplied. The price keeps steady at £S to £S 10/ ex store. As shipments are likely to be short again after this week, any surplus stocks here will be readily absorbed during the next two or three weeks. ONIONS. Small shipments of onions continue to come forward from the South, and the market keeps firm at late figures. Shipments from Melbourne w_l come forward during this month and June. July, and August. Owing to heavy freight and other charges incurred, the local market must advance for forward business. MILLING WHEAT. 'Papers advise a shortage in the South, but it is suggested that farmers are sail holding stocks. FOWL WHEAT. The market is firm, but supplies are ample locally. The price will advance with increased freight. OATS. Supplies coming forward have been ample for all requirements. -The -market j Is tinner, -with the advance in freight. The | Southern market continues firm, and Aus- I tralian prices are a shade higher. Algerian seed oats are meeting with small sale for green feed purposes. bran; and sharps. Both' these lines axe firm, as stocks are not heavy and the demand better. Therefore It is likely that prices most advance. iMAIZE. The market for maize is steady, with no alteration since last week. Supplies are sufficient for requirements. Further lines from Australia are expected next week, which, will have the effect of keeping this market steady. CHAFF. The -market for this Une continues very firm. Shipments have .arrived since last report; therefore the local market is much better supplied now. The price has advanced to £S 5/ to £3 10/ for best quality Southern. WHOLESALE PRICES CURRENT. Farm and Dairy Produce.—Factory butter, l/6i per lb; farmers' butter. Hd per lb; I farmers' cheese, 9_d per lb; factory cheese, i lOd to 10* d per lb: bams, 1/04 per lb; bacon,' 1/ per lb: eggs, 1/9 per dozen. Flour, £16 (less discount of 2* per cent) per ton. in 2001b sacks; sharps, £7 per ton; bran, £4 12/6; oatmeal .(25"5), £22 10/ per ton. Grain.—Oats, 4/5 to 4/6 per bushel; milling wheat, Tuscan 5/7, Pearl 5/9, Hunter's 5/S, f.0.b.. Southern ports; fowl wheat, 6/6 ex store: maize, 4/9 (wholesale lines on the wharf). Chaff.— Prime Southern, £S 5/ to £S 10/, ex store. Onions, 9/ to 9/6 per cwtPotatoes, £S to £S 10/- _er ton. FLAX AND KAURI GUM. Both, these lines are affected by lack of shipping space. Good fair flax Is nominally worth. £40 per ton, but little business is being done. Most of the kauri gram sent in is being placed on arrival if reserves are reasonable. RISE IN" FREIGHTS. The recent advance In shipping freights made by the shipping companies will necessarily add to the cost to consumers. The freight on barley, bran, flour, maize, oats, onions, pollard, potatoes, rye corn, and j wheat has been advanced 3/6 per ton. on oatmeal 3/ per ton, and on ryegrass seed, cocksfoot, clover, and linseed, 10/ per ton. I Cocksfoot freight is now 43/ per ton, rye- j . grass seed 40/, aud clover 35/. so the farmer will have to pay more for his seed. Chart j : is now 35/ per ton, an increase of 5/. Being light, a ton of chaff necessarily takes np a lot of space. AMERICAN MARKETS. Messrs. Muffler and Qnereau. of NewYork, report, under date of April oth, ad- i vances in cotton seed, ofl (20 cents per gallon., resin, lard oil, cocoanot oIL pig Iron, , white cornflour. Tie only de- : creases are la .turpentine, washboards, and i cocoa be__s. _. , , . , Plsr iron contracts ha-re been made ahead, l into next year. and the United States Steel Comoany is praetk_lly right out of the market, not wanting any easiness before the , flrs and second quarter of 191 S. The Gov- , ferament will require a very large propor- , I tion of its production in many lines, and In time of war has first call. I SHARE-MARKET. Several transactions took place at the late call yesterday on 'Change. Union Steam, preferential issue, changed hands at 20/9, and were still wanted at _0/6. For ordinary shares buyers advanced to 46/9. but holders asked. 4T/t_k Auckland Gas. paid Issue, were placed at 25./9. and Waihi shares were transferred at 34/8. Walhi Grand Junctions firmed in price, being wanted yesterday at 15/2. whereas a little while ago 13/6 was about the buying figure. SeUers of these shares now ask 16/. T_Um___ also finned In price during the week, being now wanted at 0/3. with no sellers -under 10/. -Rifting Sun shares changed ___ds at 1/11, which is also an improvement on last week's rates. Bank shares were all in request this week. £33 being offered for Unions, £37 for New ' South Wales, £11 15/ for New Zealand (old issue), and £17 7/ for fully paid, whße . Nationals conld he placed at £o 5/. Insurance stocks, are also popular with Investors, 140/ being steadily offered for New Zealands, 112/ for Sontlt British, and 54/« for Nationals. This is an advance in the baying rate for South British. Coal shares have received a little more attention since the sett'-snent of the strike. Buvera of Northerns now offer 4/B. while for f anplris 12/ is the buying rate, tint no sellers are quoted of either issue. Westport Coal are wanted at 27/, but holders ask 29/. Shar-

land's- Drag are wanted at 2S/, and N.Z. Drag- at 48.A3. There nave also been Inquiries for War Loan Bonds at a little under par. Woollen shares are in retfnest ZT.jr 3, tor Wellington and 130/ for KalapoL with no sellers quoted. -

STORE AXD DAIRY STOCK.

' *~_^!l c ? ew ZeaJ and Loan and Mercantile Agency Company. Limited, report — yardin-' a i'^, U " 0n Satar^-T - we had a full tows f_S h 50 " a sood sale. Best dairy £7 3/to_s£ « heUers ' to calTe »n spring. £7 T-'R r_ -n - _ pty cows and heifers, «»» P / i,» bu S iT c ° £12: three-year »_517/_ 'V l3 T 4 6: sood steer calves £3 s_b tr , iX- ,t ra a IT/S to £ * 1T '«; yea*■%»v« .._?_£__*•* ss yardl_- lP _^ a on , Jaesday we had a full Be«ri» ( r. SOl _ at late M Sh values. IV- n^ 7 _7 S and hel '«s, £11 10/ to £15 10/. others, £9 to £11 5/: bulls, 7gs to 13-s----3-year steers. £U 17,6 to £147/6* 2 to year steers, £9 15/ to £U 15/; yearling tifi!?_L Dt s. stee - r . 3 - £S 13 / to £9*12/: steer calves, £4 to fij 5/; heifer calves, £3 to £5 o_, yearling to IS-months heifers, £5 13/ to ±i _/; empty cows and heifers, £7 7/6 to iJ 2/b; aged and inferior* cows, £2 7/6 to £3 Id/; heifers suitable for dairy purposes, _i 10/ to £9. Beef, in large numbers, sold at fully Westfleld prices, fat cows sellingto £15 17/6: cow and calf. £20 5/. The advertised ewes in lamb made from £1 4/ to Messrs. Alfred Buckland and Sons Ltd.. report:— We held our monthly sale In the PukfiKohe yards on Monday. April 30, and had a large yarding, all classes being well represented. Buyers were In attendance and there was a good demand. Dalrv cows and W ,}° 6 10/ for b_est " " thera £9 10/ to £12; old and inferior, £6 to £S 10/; empty young cows, £9 to £10 4/; store cowa. £6 to £S 10/; forward three and a-half to four-year-old steers, £13 5/ to £14 10/; two and a-half to three and a-half-year-old steers, £11 10/ to £13; IS-month to two-year-olds, £S 10/ to £10; heifers in calf, same age, £7 10/ to £S 17/6; best steer calves. £5 5/ to £6; good calves, mixed sexes, _•'. 3/ to £5; smaller, £3 5/ to £4: small, £1 19/ to £3: bulls, heavy, £13 to £15 15/: younger balls, £S to £12 15/; fat steers, £14 15/ to £16 15/; fat cows and heifers, £9 to £14. These prices are equal to Wes_leLl rales (159 beef sold). The advertised ewes in lamb brought £1 12/6 to £1 14/. There was about an average yarding of dairy and store cows at Westfleld ou Thursday. The former are in strong demand, best cows making from £14 to £17; second grade cows, £10 10/ to £12 19/; choice springing heifers, £10 10/ to £11; smaller heifers, £8 to £9 15/; aged and inferior cows, £3 to £S 10/; empty cows, £4 10/ to £10 _/-, 18-month heifers In calf, £7 to ±i; calves. £2 10/ to £3; bnlls. £S 10/ to ±14. WESTFIELD FAT STOCK HAKKET. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency reports:— At Westfleld fat stock market on Wednesday beef was pended in full numbers, and with few exceptions the quality was not up to the standard. Prime qua_rv sold to £2 10/ per 1001b, others £2 4/ to S3 8/, rough ±_ 19/ to £2 3/ per 1001b: cow and heifer beef £2 2/ to £2 7/6 per 1001b; steers sold at from £13 10/ to £21 15/; cows and heifers, £8 10/ to £15 15/. Some of the averages were:—Eight steers from Mr W. Home, £18 7/; 16 steers from Mr Jas. Given, Polloefc, £17 6/; IS small steers from ilr Win. Henry, Tauplri, £15 17/6; S steers from Mr G. Irvii, Awhitu, £14 11/; 12 steers from Mr C_as. Blschof, Waiuku, £16 13/; 13 steers from Mr Chas. Haylock, Kawhia. £15 10/; 12 small steers from Mr E. P. Paul, Mangare, £16; 16 steers from Papatoetoe, £17 13/3. Calves were yarded In large numbers, and prices were lower as a consequence- Runners made from £6 5/ to £S 1/; heavy vealers, £5 to £6 4/; medium, £3 5/. to £4 IS/: Ught, £1 18/ to £3 4/; small and fresh-dropped, 10/6 to 30/; weak and Inferior, 5/ to 10/. Sheep were penned in average numbers, and sold at improved rates. Best wethers sold to £2 1/6, no extra heavy weights being yarded; other wethers, £1 13/6 to £1 19/9; best ewes, £1 17/ to £1 19/9; others, £1 5/ to £1 16/6. Lambs, In smaller numbers than usual, sold at last week's high prices. Best, £1 5/ to £1 10/6; others, £1 1/ to £1 4/9. Pigs were penned tn large numbers, and sold at late rates. No choppers or heavy baconers were yarded. Medium baconers made £3 15/ te £4 5/, light baconers £3 4/ to £3 13/, large porkers £2 . 15/ to £3 5/, light £1 15/ to £2 11/, slips £1 to £1 12/," weaners 10/ to 17/, suckers 5/ to 9/, -Messrs Alfred Buckland and Sons, __d.,----report:— Yesterday- at onr weekly- WestfieH. fat stock market our entry of fat cattle totalled 365 head, comprising' 317 steers,. 142 cows and heifers, and six bulls. The majority of the steer beef was «gT.fu o£ exceUent quality. The demand was less keen than recent sales and generally _____ receded slightly. Choice ox sold to £2 S/6 per 1001b, prime £2 6/6 to £2 S/, ronghi and ordinary £1 16/ to £2 3/; cows and heifers, £2 2/ to £2 6/; steers ranged ia price from £12 10/ to £25, cows and heifers £9 to £17 12/6. The highest averages for steers were:—34 from. Messrs FriedlandeBros., Surrey Hill Farm, Pokemo, £20 13/5; seven from Mr Joseph Slater, Pukefcawa. £20 6/5; 12 from. Mr H- E. Reed, W_K_e_«a, £17 5/9; 19 from Mr G. Coxhead, »la___.rewa, £17 1/8; 13 from Messrs Young Bros., Opotfla, £17 1A0; eight cows and heifers from same vendors, £12 1/7; 43 choice three-year-old steers, from. Messrs T. Wilson and Son, WaimaL £15 7/1; nine tram Mr Jones Smyt_ie, "We-stord, £15 5/6: nine from Mr C. J. Storey, Woodstock, Te Awamntn. £14 16/; 16 from Mr "W. J. Ralph, Tauplri, £14 15/6; 11 cows and heifers from _r Geo. NlccoL Papatoetoe, £12 2/S. The steer donated _y Mr Geo. Nlccol, of Bemuera. to the Red Cross yund. realised £25 -(equal to £3 5/ per _Polb>. and was p_rc_ased by (Messrs R. . and W. Hellaby, Dtd. The steer presented ; by _Ir John McCarroll to the Y.ILC.A. Trench Fund brought £14 10/, and wa3 . bought by Mr D. XeOson, Onehunga. Mr j Geo. Coxhead, of _I_n_rew_, also presented j a steer to the last-named fun—, for which. i Mr iH. A. SwaffieM, of _»_pato-toe, paid £15 5/. There was _bout an average entry. ot mutton, including" several co—sig—meats of extra prime sheep. Competition was steady throughout, the recent advance being sustained. Extra heavy prime wethers, £2 2/6 to £2 5/: 88 from ilr Isaac Gray. Gray Earm, Papatoetoe, _£vexaged £2 o/io; : 86 from Messrs rixrr_._ri: Bros.. Karaka. ' £2 3/2" 81 nice quality two-tooth wethers i x-om 7 Mr Geo. •SlcoL Papatoetoe, . STs/-0: medium to heavy prune , _i 16/ _» £i ie/6: ia^^'J S £1 15/6: smaU S. 8/ to a. _£/; kxtra heavy £2 0/3- SO from Messrs Kiura-a. -t IS/"'- good ewes, £1 14/ to £ T< ewes. £1 5/ to £1 32/; aged 2 17 _1_S£-«/*_ £1 2/- ("57 «° l<L > Th « l&rtes. __£ ___f___*S, A 4/S to £1 7/6-; Rgirt and _S_ls_S 15/6 to £1 3/. Young and fat Icslveiwere penned In full numbers, and SSHtt slightly under tat we|k> quotal.tlons (Runners brought from ffi./to £10 15/- heavy vealers, £5 2/ to £6; medium. £3 il/ to £4 15/: light, £2 to £3 1/: small _nd fresh-dropped. 11/ to £1 16/; weak and inferior, 3/ to 10/. <124 penned.) A lull vaxdi—g of pigs met with keen competition at last week's Improved values. Choppers and heavy baconere sold at from £4 fo £5 3/: others. £3 S/ to £3 19/; large porkers **» 14/ to £3 5/, medium £2 5/ to £2 12/6, small £1 .12/ to £2 3/; slips, 16/ to £1 10/: weaners and suckers, 5/ to 14/; runts, 3/, upwards. (367 sold.) ilessTS Dalgety and Company, —hnlted, report having held their weekly fat stock: sale at Westfleld on "Wednesday, 33 under:— Beet. —An average yarding, and prices ■were on a par with late rates. Choice pens of extra prime ox sold at eq__l to 50/ per 1001b. ordinary prime ox up to 48/ per lOOib. cow and heifer beef 39/ to 44/. YeaL —A good yarding, .which sold at late rates. 'Extra heavy runners made up to £10 '12/6: heavy sucters, _p to £6 10/; small ditto. 37/ to 49/: others, 16/ to 28/. Mutton. —A _ie_iu_i yarding, and pricewere equal to last week's rate 3. Heavy 'wethers made np to 36/ to 44/, mediumweight wethers 34/ to 36/6, light and un__is_ed up to 32/9 to 35/6, extra heavy fat ewes up to 3S/, medium-welgnt ewes 26/ to 34/. •Lamb.—'A small yarding, and prices were equal to late rates. Best heavy prime woolly made up to 28/. medium-weight 21/ to 24/. Ught aad unfinished IS/ to 23/. heavy shorn up to 22/. medium-weight siorn 18/ to 19/, light and unfinished 13/ to 20/. Port. —A medium yarding, and pricewere equal to last week's rates. Baconers made up to £4. choppers up to £4 S/. porkers 35/ to 49/, stores IS/ to 28/, small weaners S/ to 15/. ~-^--__£ :