COMMERCIAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 45, 21 February 1918, Page 7

COMMERCIAL.

GOOD COUNTRY TRADE. "Auckland SLar" Office. Thursday. February 21. Business daring the week he: been fairly well maintained. As previotusly reported the country has been a little more in r-vi-flenec than the town. Shipping has been qniet, with the exception of a steamer just arrived with a large general cargo, which has mostly been distributed direct from the ■wharf. Included in thLs shipment were a large amount of Lever's goods, chief among which was Lifebuoy soap, which has been extremely scarce, anil was immediately distributed. The new season's honey has now come to hand, and the quality has been well maintained. the distributors being the Honey Producers" Association. Prices this year are extremely high, but a ready gale has been found for the initial quantity available for distribution.

Floor polishes are extremely difficult to obtain nwrnc to the PMircTty of tins, and the difficulty in obtaininc sufficient supplies of beeswax, pomp well known hrnnds being almost unobtainable, except in very small quantities. Rice.—This line is held very firm, and higher quotations are now being asked. Small business only is being accepted, as ( further supplies are not expected until April. °wins: to the extreme scarcity of Bell's No. 4 itinl vestas, orders have been placed with' Queensland for a fairly large amount, and this will help to fill the shortage at present obtaining in New Zealand. POTATOES PLENTIFUL. The market for potatoes is now very dull, owing to heavy supplier beiug Bent in ana no outside demand for the surplus. The price has dropped to £(> per ton ex store, and even lnwer rates are bein" quoted to clear lines. At a time when the cost of. most articles of food has advanced as the result of the war. potatoes ure raling lower in price than has been the case for some considerable period. The first of the new Canterbury crop are on the Monowai, so that if shipping space is available there will be regular lots of bouthern sent up to this market before the local crop is exhausted. ONIONS. Values of onions are still fairly well maintained. La.-k of shipping facilities may interfere with the regular arrivals from MfcffiAjg-wrs- £ r^ Auckland grown supplies. FOWL WHEAT. Supplies of fowl wheat are still short, bnt Au.~tralia, which should tend t(, relieve the pos.tion It will not be lung now before the new Southern wheat should be ready for SSI V,," ,1, s,arclt -v o f shipping may interrfere with prompt delivery to this port. As there was rain during the harvest in some a S,, he Sontll this s *-'a s °n. ft t* probaWe mere will be more grain for fowl feed than was the case last year. MAIZE. . Local supplies of maize aro still short but Australian grain coming forward met Vith ready sale at cooil prices. There wtli not now be much more local maize until the new crop Is ready in Ma,v-Juue Meanwhile there is not much chaut-e of prices easing as lack of shipping facilities will prevent any quantity of maize being sfcnt across from Australia. A little malee has been sent over from Fiji since last report and found ready sale. OATS. The market for oats is decidedly firmer in the South, although locally supplies i.f this «T«un are still ample. Still, Kcarcity of shipping for the coastal trade is interfering with arrivals, ttu d this tends also to UnS pnees. CHAFF. This market is absolutely bare of. chaff at the present time, and consequently prices conunue very tirm. Practically no local chart .s being offered, and what few lots vv!fn' ~ o, b :l, n d sold !lt P°°<i prices. The y> anaki is due with a cargo of chuff, which •Jγ 5° \ nt " fnnsnmptlon from the ship's side to fill orders in hand. The next shinment is not due from South for about a fortujght, which means this market will continue short supplied. Under bucli circumstances prices are hound to coutinuc tirm. The present position fully bears ont the advice giveu in this column last planting season, that local farmers were sure of good prices if they would sow oats for chaffing purposes. GRASS AND CLOVER SEEDS. Demand is now setting in for grass and clover seeds, but what is now sadly wanted is a few weeks - <lry weather u> enable growers to burn off felled areas of bueb Ihe frequent rains hay,- prevented tcii beinc done so far. and the ultimate result must be to make the grass and clover seed maintain demand later thLs season. Prices for all seeds still rule high, and imported lines are naturally dearer owing to high freights.

BEAK AND POLLARD. These lines are still hard to get, and the prices are namlhally as fixed by the Board of Trade. liice mea.l ss also g-ettlng ih short supply. This hag been used in place or sharps by poultry feeders. Now, however, the cost Of all food Is so high that fowls are being sent in for sale by amnion In larger quantities than has been the case for simo time past. This will probably mean a aaircity of eegs inter on. WHOLESALE CtJRRENT PRICES. Farm and Dairy Produce.—Fafctory btrtter 1/6 per ;b; farmers' butter lid per lb: fanneWs - cheese, 9Jd per lb; factory cheese, 10u\ to l(Hd per lb; hams, VI t"o 1/2 per lb; bacon, I/O* to 1/1 per lb; eras 1/0 per dozen. ' Flour, iilG iless discount of 2* per eentl per ton, in 2001b sacks; Bbarps. £7 i 7/« (nominal) per ton; bran, £4 12/0, less "i per cent luoininali; outtneal (2o'si, ££> lv/ 'Jrain.—Oats, 411 per hushcl; fowl wheat, S, ex store; maize, 7/ (wholesale lines on the wiarfi. Chaff.—Prime, Southern, £10 10/, ci Potatoes.—£R per ton. Onions.—n/ per cwt, ox store. MANUftHS. Stocks or fertilisers are getting low in sOi "'' lines, and lionedust is now in very short supply. owing to the Calcutta Pceamer beluc later this trip. Under phcJi circumstances prices for all manures continue to rule very firm. tl'rpkxtinj:. This article is reported dearer in America o-n-ing to the hig-h<-r prices ruling for Was and also -Umber for cases. The Government having first eail on the railways has resulted in Mocking supplies nf lumber, hence the scarcity of cas>es. P.ROOM corn. A sharp adrnnee in the prirp of brooms is fepnrted from the United States due to a scarcity or broom com this reason. STEEL GOODS. The stale of affairs in the iron trade In America may be gathered from the following extract out of Messrs. Mailler and Qnereau's trade circular: -"The (Joverumeut is requiring more nnd more supplies, until it is now estimated that fully onehalf of the output of the manufacturer? will he required for Government purposes, and every effort is being made to .supply tliid want as promptly as pnselble. Orders for domestic consumption a.nd for export have to take second place, and there Is certain to he continued delay 'In securing goods after orders are placed. In aftditJon to that, the Government Is now, to a large extent, controlling operations on the railroads and giving Government bnsinefts priority in all case?, while merchants' ahipnients have to wait their torn. Mannfncfnr*cS are filled np 'with goods all ready ■for shipment from their works, but cannot get them to tSe «eatooard or to other destinations." ON' 'CHANGE. Business Jias been qxiict on 'Change during the past week, and yet prices of stocks all round have been wen-maintained. N.Z. Insurance shares are now wanted at 103/, ex dividend, but no sellers quoted yesterday. Bank of New Zealand old issue eonld bo placed at 247/ a, and fully paid at 345/, while for Nationals buyers advanced to 107/6. Coal shares were a shade better, 3/8 beta* offered for Northern, and 17/3 for TauplrL Auckland Gae. -ontrlbutlmt issue, were filflced nt 18/6. A further advance hataken place in the price of Huddart-Parker Steamship Co. shares, $6/3 being refused TPstfeflaj. Timber and -woollen shares hAd ■ftetter bnyere this week. bnt. no sales were rejwrted at the rates offered.

AUCKLAND STOCK SALES. Alfred Buckland and Sons. Ltd., report:— At the Ilayniarket on Friday there was no improvement, in the dcmimii for horses. Those sold realised late quotations. We held our monthly sales at Pokcno and Runclman on Monday and Tuesday last, and hHd full yards at both centres, "young cattle predominating. Dairy cows and heifers brought from £S to £14 17/6; empty cows, £T, 30/ to fa 176: two to three-year-old steers. £9 10/ to £X'; yearling to 18----months steers, £0 7/(i to £('; 17/6; heifers. Same age. £4 15/ to £0 LVG: good calves, CI ;>/ tii £4 0/; others, £1 10/ to £'■>: small and weedy. 10/ to £1 7/: bull. £U 10/ to £13 5/. Beef at WestQeld rates.

We held our annual ram fair at Wostfleld on Friday, and penned 2T.1 ramp of all breeds and ages. There was a largo attendance, and prices for good sheep were on a pur with lust year's values. Inferior rnms were neglected". Stud Romnoys from the Ho.i. Mitchelson made L'.jgns: two-toolh fiock Roinlieys, from the same breeder, ill 11/ to £15 18/; best two-tooth Roinncys. from others breeders. £S 8/ to !i»gns: useful two-tooth Roinneys. £5 n/ to £7 7•': other two-tooth Romncys, £1 2/ to £4 4/: best two-tooth Lineolns, £7 7/ to Uijgns. The latter price was obtained by Mr W. Sharp. Kamarama. other two-too'lh Lineolns, £« 3_ lo £G .1/: two-tooth I.eicesters. :!Jgns to p 5/. A line of four-tool h Border I.eicesters made £4 4/; two-tooth Shropshires, £- -/ to £3 ,">, ; aged rnms. 10/ to £- -/. "c held our annual sheep fair at Westfield on Thursday, and I'nkekohc on Monday. Scarcely the advertised number were yarded af Westfield, but at Pukekolip the yards were full to their utmost holding capacity. S7!>s wethers, ewes. lambs, and rains being penned. There waR n large attendance at both yards, and rnlues were very similar to those ruling at Tuakau on the 4th Inst. Best two. four, and six-tooth ewes marie from £1 n/ to £1 13/6; same ages, lower gnide. £1 3/ to £1 8/: largrsame age: ewes, smaller framed. £1 1/ to fl 3/; best soumi-moutbed ewes. 17/ to £1. others 12/6 to IR/: aged and cull ewes. 7/6 to 11/; fat and forward wethers. £1 5/ to fl 18/: fnt. ewes, £1 '</ to £1 IS/: best woolly lamhs, 15/ to £1 0/fi: smaller woolly ! lambß, 11/ to 14/; small and weedy. 0/ to 0/: best shorn lambs, 11/ to 13/(1. smaller 8/ to 10G. small and weedy 4/0 to "/. At Pukekohe we offered 58 rnms. Two-tooth Lineolns, £i :?/ to £l."> 10/. according te quality. The latter price was realised for a ram of Mr. J. R. McElwain. Knmneys. £3 :!/ to £7 7/: Leicester*. £1 2/ to £4 4/: blackfaces, £1 10/ to CI -/ ; aged rams. 15/ to £1 15/.

At our monthly ■VVaitakurnru sale on Friday the yards were well filled, and a good clearance was effected at ruling prices. Kat cows made from £10 12/ to £11 n/: store cows. £G 7/(5 to £!> T/B: IS month to 2i year-old-steers. £ti 17/0 to £11 LV6: heifers. Ratne age, £8 6/: calves, £1 5/ lo 14 6/. Lambs, 7/G to 12/6.

The New Zealand I/oan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, report:—

At Albert Yanle on Friday last and at Pukekohe on Monday horses wen: yarded in average numbers. At Pukekohi: the competition wa« keen, and we report a good sale. Heavy draughts, £20 to £35; medium draughts. £15 to £31; light harness sorts. £'.l to £17; hacks, £7 to £1G 10/; ponies, £;t 15/ to £10; weeds, 10/ upwards.

On Saturday at Waiuku we had a full yarding, a good clearance being made at satisfactory prices. Dairy cows and heifers, &l to £14: empty cows and heifers. £(i to £S 5/; bulls, £7 to £10: weancr calves, £1 10/ to £4: yearling to IS-montbs steers. £."5 10/ to £7 5/: ditto helferß, £4 5/ to £C 10/: a large quantity of beef at fully Westtleld rates; weanpr pigs, £9 to £15; porkers, £1 10/ to £1! 10/.

At Wt'stfield sheep fair on Thursday more than the advertised number came forward, all being sold with the exception of a few odd pins. ;:T7l being yarded. Competition mil prices were ilrmer thnn late Bales. Two-tooth ewes, £1 4/0 to £1 11/: four and six-tooth ewes, £1 .1/ to £1 10/; f.f.in. ewes, £1 to £1 0/!>; full-month ewes. 12/ to 17/: failing-mouth ewes. 5/ to 11/8; four end nix-tooth store wethers, £1 6/C: four and six-tooth store wethers. £1 (S/6 to £1 12/0: woolly lambs. 10/ to 17/: shorn lambs. 7/ii to 12/8; inferior lambs, 4/ to 7/.

On Friday we held our ram fair at Westfield. Kxcept for blackface rams Competition wan good, and we report a good sale. Two-tooth llomney ewes, 4gns to llgns; older ditto, -iims to Ggns4 I-inntln rams. 4gns to lOgns: Border Leicester, Sgns to Glgtis; English Leicester, 2gns to inferior ditto Jgns to ljgns: Shropshire ligns to 4jms: Southdown, ljgns to 3}gns: Merino, lgn to 2sgns.

At Ngatea last Wednesday we had a full yarning, lleef: Anything fresh sold well, also calves of good quality. Fat cows, £10 10/ ti» O4 0/: l)Ull>. £11 5/ to £15 10/; empty cows. £7 to £10 2/(1: grown steers. £12 to £i:t :"./; two-year steers, £0 to £11 5/i steer calves. £t to i 4 4/: heifer calves. £2 I.V tr. £3 12/: inferior calves. £1 5/ io c≤ S/: 1 m. ewes. £1 1/: lambs, 13/ to Ifi/rt. The ■..'in- Shorthorn buii, Ituakura Signal, i:4gns. FAT STOCK MAUKKTS. Messrs Alfred Hucklnnd and Sons report:

Yesterday, at our weekly Westtleld fat stock market, the entry of beef numbered 26S head, comprising 142 steers. 114 cowe and heifers, and two bulls. Competition was keen and values on the upward teu-deur-y. Choice ox sold to £2 12/ per 10011>; prime ox, £i >>/ \o CI 10/; rough anfl plain beef. £2 to £: 5/; oowb nnd heifers, £1 to £1 7/. Steere ranged in prlcp from £11' 10/ to £Ti 2/«j cowe and heifers, £7 1(»/ to £10 t>/. The highest averages for steers were: Seventeen ■from South Head, ICalpara, £18. 1.V6; IS from -Mr C. J. Storey, Woodstock, Te Awamutu, £18 19/; eight from Mr M. Dromgool, Aka Aka, Waiuku, £1S 7/0; iiO local, £17 18/; six from Mr J. W. Molr. Ohinowai, il7 17/; two trucks from Waikato. £17 12/S; seven from Mr E. W. Lane, Aka Aka. Waiuku, £16 10/7; 18 from Mr A. C. Khowles,, Ulorit, £10 ltt/; live (■own and heifers from Lyons kstaie, Pokenb, £1(> 1/3; six cow* and heifers from Mr W. O. Park, Te £13 11/8; a line of 30 cows and heifers, £13 I/O. Kat and young calves caino forward in full nilmbers. The lunjority were again runners, and these were easier in prices, while others maintained their values. Iluuners made fl-oin £4 10/ to £(> 1/; heavy vcalerc, CI 10 to £4 5/; medium, £2 18/ to £3 8/; llßht. £1 10/ to £2 15/; small and fresh-dropped. 2/ to £1 10/ (8S sold). We had an average market of pigs, and prices were somewhat erratic and were geucrally slightly easier than late sides. Choppers and heavy baconers made from £5 to £6 12/0; others, £3 12/0 to £4 18; large porkers. £3 3/ to £3 ID'; medium, £2 0/ to £8; light, £1 13/ to £-1 4/: slips, 18/ to £1 10/; weavers, 13/q (2;!O sold). The sheep pens were fairly well lilled with a nice class ot mutton. Prime sheep sold well at slightly better values. Other classes unchanged. Kitra heavy prime wethers made from £1 18/6 to IZ .! ,

the latter price for a pen of very prime wethers from Mr V. C. S. Lawson, Wairamarama; heavy prime wethers, £1 15/ to £1 18/; 128 good quullty. extra well-flulshed wethers from Mr K. H. Parker, Moumoukai. averaged ft 17/0; indium to heavy prime wethers. £1 11/ to £1 140; light fat wethers, £1 8/ to £1 10/; untlnished wethers, £1 0/ to £1 !)/6; best heavy prime ewes, £1 11/ to £1 13/S; good ewes, £1 U/ to £1 0/; lighter ewes, £1 1/ to £1 5/; other ewes. 14/ to lfl/ii (1307 sold). There vu a moderate supply of lambs, all classes selling freely at ruling rates. Heavy prime, £1 8/ to £1 0/; good prime lambs £1 ,\/ to £1 r>/, lighter in/ to £1 2/0; light and stores, 9/ to 14/ l.'ili.'! Hulll.l.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co. report:—

At Westljeld fat stock market on Wednesday beef was penned in average nuuibtrs. Competition was keen, prices Improving for good quality. Choice 01 sold to £2 13/ J.er 1<X)1I>, prime £2 !•/ to £2 1t!. , , rough to i 2 5/ to £2 8/: cow and lieiler he-el £2 W to £2 12/ per 1001b. Steels sold nt Mr R, A. ISerit, Waipa Estate, I*ufccliini:i; cows sold at from £0 to £13 12/0 lor a cow fatted by Mr (Jeo. Itobinson, Ellerslln; lieifers sold :it from £10 to £1!) for n hcifci fatterl by Mr Chas. Haylock, Kinoliaku. Some at the averages were: Iβ steers fruiu Mr R. A. lient. Waipa Estate, Ptlketllriin, £10 8/: 14 steers from Mr e'tias. Haylock, Kinoliaku, £1S 14/; !) small steers from Mi Jbo. McUouolii, Ouewhero, £14 «/; 12 smajl steers from Mr W. llardle, £15 7/3: 7 cows and heifers from Mr Chas. IJayJock, Kiui»haku, £15 12/; 2 cows from Mr Geo. Robinson, EUerslle, £18 10/; 8 cows frbta WainttL £13. GftlTes were penned in average number's, and sold at lower rates. Runners, £6 to £S in/; heavy £4 12/ to £Ti 17/. medium £Tt 5/ to £4 8/, light £2 to £3 4/; small and fresh-<iropp<!<l V to £1 17/; IS heavy venlers from Mr T?. Mullliui, Anlmor* 1 , iH 10/0. Sheep wert peirnnd in average numbers, and for good quality competition was keen, prices being very firm. Others sold at late rates. Best wethers £1 16/ to £2 2/, others £1 11/ to £1 IS/fi; best e-n-ps £1 n/R to £1 15/, others fl 4/ to tx B/i Inferior ewec, 10/ to £1 3/: hoggets. £1 1 /to £1 10/. Lambs, in average nnniberfe, sold «r roneldprnhly adranced prices. Best, £1 6/ to fl. 12/3; others, 18/ to £1 5/9. Twenty-three lambs rrorii Mr Fred. Maillns, Ardmore, averaged £1 U/fti. Piffs: An

average yarding, with prices about the same as last week's quotations. Choppers and heavy baconers sold from £3 7/G to £7 7/6, medium and light baconers £4 to £5 «/; large porkers £3 5/ to £', 1!)/, medium £2 10/ to £3 4/, small 3?./U to £2 0/; slips. £1 1/ to £1 10/6. ADDINGTON. ißy Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURUH. Wednesday. At the Addington live stock market the yurdiugs ot stock were not as large as those of last week, the falling off being iiiosl noticeable in iat lainiis. 'ihere was again a large attendance, especially store shecji buyers. The late rain improved the demand for more sheep, the entry of which included some consignments from the .North Island, Chatham Islands uml Ihe West Coast, l'riccs were linn at late rates, ana lambs, if anything, showed a littlu improvement in value. Kat lambs opened tinner, but went back to last week's rates. Fat cattle met wiin a good sale, the yarding being a moderate out' and chiefly made ui> of cows and heifers, the foriiu-r showing some advance in price. Exporters again found that values were beyond their Hunts. Fat sheep wun> very linn at prices above export level, the market easing towards this end. There was a moderate demand for store cattle, and pigs of all clasatrs were a little easier. Trices: —

Store Sheep.—Two and lour-tooth ewes to 06v6; four and sdx-tool.h ewes, 24/ to 34/4; six and eight-Loot l> ewes, 27/ to 80/; Kounc'.-inouth ewes, 24/:; to 30/: two aud four-tooth wethors, 27/ to 32/; four and six-tooth wethers, 30/7; rape lambs, 80/ to 27, ; medium lambs, 17/0 to 1»A>; lijrhler ami cull lambs, 14/ to 17,0.

b'al Lambs.—Kxtra prime to 'M/'J; prime, 20/ to 2i»/7: lighter, 21/3 to 2S/6Kat Sheep.—Woolly wethers, to 48/: extra prime welhers, to 40/; prime wethers. K4' to 3K/1: lighter wethers, 'J!t/l> to tfß/U; Merino welhers. 20/9 to U-'t/l. Kxtra prime ewes 37/}-: prime ewes, 32/0 to :w/»; medium ewes, -7/6 to !iU/; lighter ewes, 23-'H to 27/. Fat Cattle.—Kxtra prime steers, to £21; prime steers, £17 to £19; ordinary steers, £13 1"/ to £lti 10/. I'rimc heifers. £11 5/ to £1". .-./; ordinary heifers, £0 T/6 to £11. I , rime cows. £12 10/ to £l.j 5/; ordinary cows, £!) 10/ to £I' 2. Store Cattle.—Eighteen-month heifers, £•> 12/G io ts 10/: three-year steers, £11 to £11 10/; dry cows, £(i to £U.

Plrs.— Choppers £4 to £G 15/: baconers, £4 7/ lo £<> 10/, oqual to Sd to 84d per lh; porkers, £2 15/ to £3 18/, equal to 9*(l to Hid per lb: large stores, £3 to C\ "/: small stores, 37/ to £2 2/; weavers, '2.2,' to &!/■