COMMERCIAL.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15772, 13 December 1916, Page 11

COMMERCIAL.

(Br Cable. —Press Association. —Copyright.) (Australian s-nd X.Z. Cabto Association.) STOCK MARKET. LONDON, Dpcomher 11. Consols arc quoted at £53. Union Steam. 43s to 465. WHEAT. Tho market is very firm, with little offering. METALS. (Received December 12th. 10.10 p.m.) LONDON, l>rcember 32. Copper —Electrolytic, £166. Lead —Spot £30 10s, three months £29 10s. Spelter—Spot £58, three months £54 10s." Tin—Spot £185 7s 6d, three months £186 16 s 3d. Silver —3GJd per ex. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. • The High Commissioner cabled as follows on December 9th (Note.—Tho quotations, unless otherwise specified, are the average market prices on spot):— Meat. —New Zealand mutton and lamb continue in good demand owing to a small snppl.v of all descriptions of meat. Home-lulled mutton and beef prices are lower. New Zealand mutton (very scarce), BiJd; ewo mutton, 8d; Argentine mutton, B£d; Now Zestland lamb. 9jd; Argentine lamb, Bjd. For New Zealand beef the demand and prices have improved, partly owing to a belief that tne supply will bo small. New Zealand bull beef: Hinds, 7£d; fores, 7%<L Argentine chilled beef: Hinds, 9£d; fores, B£dBntter. —Tho market continues firm, and thero is a steady demand. Danish butter (mutilated word). 2205; exceptionally good. 2225; Irish creamcry, salted, 204s to 2065; unsalted, 210s to 2125; Australian (in good demand at current prices), 20Gs to 208s; unsalted, 208s to 2125; exceptionally good iin--salted, 2145; American creamery,, snlt■od, 192s to 1945; Argentine salted. 202s to 2045; unsalted, 210s to 2125-. Cheese. —-The market continues firm, and prices aro higher. Canadian coloured, 130s to 1335; white, 128s to 130s; English chcddar (market closed strong), white, 136s to 140s; United States flats, white, 12os to 128s; coloured, 126s to 128s; Dutch cheddar (firm, demand), white, 224s to 1265. There.is.no business doing in New Zealand cheese. The Government lias commandeered all the Binrutaka's shipment, and I believe there is some foundation for a belief that future shipments may bo treated likewise. Merchants are greatly unsettled on account of the -Government's action, and are anxiously awaiting a settlement. A definite statement from the Government in reference to the cheese stocks in London, Liverpool, and Bristol are 204,000 boxes, as against 209,000 last year, and of second grade coloured 2500 boxes, as against 2000 last year. Hemp.—The market remains firm, and there is mor© demand. Good fair New Zealand hemp, £54 10s ; fair, £52 10s; Government graded fair Manila, £58 10s; coarse, £56; January-March shipment, good fair New Zealand, £54; fair, £'52; Government graded fair Manila. £5? 10s ; coarse, £55 10s. The outpnt'of hemp at Manila for the week ended laßt Saturday was 15.000 bales. Tho stocks on hand were 710 tons o( New Zealand hemp at the end of November a market is quiet, but firm. The Government offerings are very small. I cannot give quotations during the present condition of the market.

Oats. —Tile market is firm, and there is more enquiry. New Zealand on.spot, 48s.

Wool,—The market is verv unsettled pending a decision by the Government in regard to the auction sales, which will commence on December 14th.

GRAIN AND PRODUCE MARKETS. (BT OUB COJUIERCIAIi EDITOR.., Tuesday Evening. _ The action of tho Minister of Agriculture in having the duty taken off imported flour has brought the wheat and flour market almost to a standstill. One of tho first results was to increaso the offerings of wheat by farmers, and several lines of Hunters and Tuscan changed hands at 5s 6d at country stations. But millers and merchants are now not offering this prjee. Quotations have been obtained from Australia, showing that the Wheat Board thero has increased the price of wheat to os 9d and flour to £12 12s 6d i'.o.b., which would mako tho landed cost of Australian flour' £14 0s 6d in New Zealand. In view, however, of the conference of wheat-growers to be held on Thursday, and that a certain proposal is to bo put forward by the Minister for Agriculture, millers are not inclined to mako further purchases, or would probably not offer moro than os at country stations. It is reported from Wellington that the wheat and flour census, taken on November 30th. shows that there was an equivalent or 1,500,000 bushels of wheat on hand on that date, which would bo about sufficient to last until the new crop comes in in February, but according to trie threshing returns, added to the carryover from last year, thero ought to be a larger surplus, unless the consumption of wheat durin<i the current year was considerable higher than it was ever known before. The quantity of wheat imported during the- ten months ended October 31st was 19,104 centals, equalline 31.&40 bushels. • The following are the priccs paid to farmers, at country stations, free of commission, sacks extra, except where otherwise stated: — Wheat (nominal). Oats (nominal) —2s 8d to 2s lOd for Gartons, axni 2s lOd to 3s for Duns. Barley (nominal) —Malting 4s 6d to " Flour—£ls per ton ; 1001b bags £15 10s 501b bags £15 15s. and 251b bags £16. Bran—£4 5s local, and £4 per ton for export. Pollard—£7 per ton. Oatmeal —251b bags. £17 per ton. Oatsheaf Chaff—£3 10s to £4 for prime. Peas (nominal) —Partridge. 4s 6d to 4s 9d. RAXGIORA MARKET. There were 1328 sheep penned at the Itangiora yards yesterday, comnrisins

197 fats and 1131 stores. The quality of the fat sheep was not high, and pnnw were a shade easier than at previous sales. The rango of prices was: Pritno ewes 26s to l'7s 9d ; lighter 23s 6d to 24s I'll ; woolly ewes 3-ls, Avethers, prime 29s to 30s. others 2os 10(1. Stores—Two-tocth wethers 21s 6d. two-tooth owes 23s fkl. iour-tooth cwt\s 27s 9d", owes and lambs (nil counted) 17s. Owing to tho quality of the sheep prices showed an easier tendency, and several lines were withdrawn. Tho declino is duo to tho continued dry weather.

Pigs—l2o woro entered. Prices wore considerably lower than last week, liaconers mado 65s to 80s, extra prime 105s. vorkers 40s to o7s. small pigs 13s to 225.

Cattle—Fifty head were yarded. Fat cows made £9 10s to £14, fat heifers £9 to £11 10s. two-year-old heifers £7 10s to £9, yearlings (mixed) £4 to £4 18s, dairy cows £9 to £13, and score cows £6 to £9 10s.

In tho produco yards, heavy crossbred sheepskins made 7s to 10s 7d, modium 5s to 7s, pelts Is to ss, merino slcins 6s to 10s. calfskins 3s 3d to 5s 7d. yearlings' slcins 8s 6d to i)s 9d. hides 7ia to 10-Jd, tlecco wool I'ld to lfi 4d, pioces 7d to lOd. liorsehair Is. and fat 2d to 2id. Chick wheat 5s 6d to 6s a bushel, oats 3s, grass seed 5s 6d, bran Cs a sack, sharps lis 6d, pig and wheat meal 15s, oatshcaf chaff 4s, straw chaff 2s, potatoes 15s, and onions Id lb. Poultry—Roosters 5s to 7s a couple, hens 2s 6d to 4s 6d, ducklings 6s to 7s, goslings 9s Gd. ASHBURTON STOCK MARKET. Thero was a yarding of 1621 sheep at tho weekly -stock salo held at the Ashburton yards yesterday, as against 1941 last week at tho Tinwald yards. This included 247 fat ewes, 263 fat wetfiers, 14 fat hoggets, 187 fat lambs, and 910 stores. With freezing buyers operating, together with local butchers, thero i was a very keen demand, and every lot snbmitted was sold by auction at full

market rates. Shorn owes mado up to 31s. woolly ewes to 33s 3d. shorn wetliors to 325, woolly wethers to 345, woolly hoggets to 32s 3d. lambs to 30s. Tho following was tho range of prices obtained: —Best butchers' ewes (shorn) 27s to 30s, extra heavy 31s, others 22s 6d to 26s 9d, woolly ewes 33s 3d, heat shorn wethers 29s to 325, others 26s to 28s 9d, woolly wethers 345, hoggets 32s 3d, lamba 25s 7d to 30s. Thero was very little demand foS store sheep, and moro than half the yarding was passed at auction. Thero was a fair yarding of fatcatfcfo, which sold as follows: —Cowsi £15 12s 6d. £11, £10, £11 15s, £8 17s 6d; heifers, £12, £9 12s 6d. £6 7s 6d. £9 sa; steers. £8 los, £8 7b 6d, £15 ss, £17; vealcr, £2.' Store cattle sold as follows: —Cows and calf £9 5s ajQ<l £9 10s, staro heifers £3 10s, £3 15s, £5 7s 6d > bull, £6..

CLEARING SALE. Tho New Zealand Farmers! Co-opera-tive Association hekl a clearing sale at Ashley Gorgo on Monday on account of Messrs F. C. Cottam and Thos. Gundry. There was a largo attendance. and satisfactory prices were realised. Dairy cows in profit made £8 to £16, fat cows' to £14 17s Gd, young cattle 23s to £4 12s 6d, store pigs 41s to 6Ss, breeding sows £4 15s to £8 15s. weaners 58s to 325, and a gelding at £29. Five bantam fowls sold for Miss Gundry for the Red Cross Fund realised £2 ils Gd. > CHRISTCHTTECH STOCK EXCHANGE. LATEST QUOTATIONS. Buyers. Sellers. £ e. d. £ s. d. BXnks- "" National — ~ — 5 10 Union m »- — 64 0 0 BREWERIES— Ward i o 15 0 — COAL— Stockton — — 0 6 4 — FINANCIAL— Dalgoty ... 610 0 — SHIPPING— Huddart-Parkcr ... — 146 Huddart-Parkcr (6 per cent, preference) .. 110 — Union (cum div.) .. — 2 3? WOOLLENS— Kaiapoi .. 6 5 0 — Kaiapoi (preference r© dir. only) .. 6 0 0 — MISCELLANEOUS— N.Z. Drug Co. (£2 pd.) 2 7 6 — N.Z. Paper Mills .. 019 0 — MINING— Wailii Grand Junction — 0 15 6 YESTERDAY'S BUSINESS ON OTHER EXCHANGES. (hiess association" tei,egiUms .) WELLINGTON. Sale reported: Wellington Gas (preference), 19b. DUNEDIN. Sales:—Union Steam. 43a 6dand 435.