COMMERCIAL.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16212, 15 May 1918, Page 10

COMMERCIAL.

(By Cable.—Prc«s Association. —Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) METALS. % (Received Mav 14th, S."O pn:.l LONDON, May 13.

Tin—Spot £375. Silver—4S;d per 02. Other metals unchanged

SHARES. "Waihi Junction, buyers los, tcKora ie=.

HIGH COMMISSIONER'S CABLED REPORT.

The Department of Agriculture, Industries, and Commerce has received the 1* olio inns' dated London, May 11th. 19U, from the High Commissioner for New £ea-

Mont —Le.=s imported reiea-see, owing to iccrcassd suoply o; English beef and Scotch aiutton, nil selling at maximum fixed prices. Butter ifr.d Cheese--Svcsll supply; rcuxKe. ar.d pi ices are without change. Hemp—Manila, hemp, superior grades, are in <!c:uacd. owing to anticipated shortage ci inferior 'ouuiitics. Output in fov.r weeks ending April OTlb, IOG.OCO bales. New Zealand is curtailed owing to the abssnc? r; fi'.ight room. . . Wheat and Outs—Offerings small; marnet p.nd prices are without chaagc.

GRAIN AND PRODUCE MARKETS. (BY orit COMAIERCIM. EDITOR.) Tuesday Evening. The market has opened very quiet this Tteek, and there is nothing fresh to report in connexion with grain, chaff, or potatoes. Tho latter arc not offering very freely eince the price declined. £5 to £3 10s at country Btatioriß still being offered. Clean white clover is now worth only Is -Td to Is 6d per lb, the market being easier iii consequence of supplies being larger than was anticipated. On the other hand, red clover i 3 firmer, and Is 3d to Is &d is being 1 paid. White Ivory aud Blue Imperial peas are also lower, and linseed is now quoted a' per tori at- country stations. The following are the prices paid to farmers at country stations, freo of commission, sacks extra, except where otherwise stated: —

Hilling wheat, according to Government price, South Island, May 0.9 lid, Juno o« \l>d, July Cs. Ausrust 6a OJd, f.0.b., North Island, id additional. Oate—Seed Algerians 4s 3d to Is Cd. teed 4a to 4s sd: milling Gartons 4s 3d to 4e 4d, feed Is Id to t s M; see*! Duns 4s 6(1 to ss. liehter Is upwards; good quality Danish to 4s Gd. Barley—Priino. malting 6s 3d to Gs Gd, ni?diu:u us fld to 03. l'louv —£15 10a per ton: IGOlb buss, £16 ss; 50lb bags, £'.0 10s: 25ib ba~R. .£IC Ins. Brau Shipping- £5 10s, local £3 15s per ton. x Pollard— £7 in« per ton. Oatmeal—2slb bags £26 per ton, 71b bags £26 per ton. Oiitelieaf Chad—(Nominal), ben.vy bright £5 10s to £0 15s, medium £0 to £0 os, inferior £4 to £1 10s. Cocksfoot —IOJd to la 3d. Ryegrass—Heavy Perennial 4s 6d to 4a Dd, "lighter 4s to 4a nd; Italian 3s Dd to 43 3d; Westernwolths la to 4s 6d. White Clover—Clean la 3d to Is 6d. Red Clover—la 3d to Is 6d. Peas—Partridge 7s "to 7s 3d, Whito Ivory lis Gd to 12s, Blue Prussians 15s to 16s, Bluo Imperials lGs to 18s. Scotch tares—los Gd. Beans—6s Gd to 6s 9d. Rar>o Seed—4d to 4 id. Onions —£0 sfi. Linseed —£22. Potatoes—£s to £5 10s. RAXGIORA MARKETS. At Rangiora yesterday thcTO was an entry of 3C05 sheep, of which 1680 were fats. Prime fat owes made 31s 8d to 33e Id, good 26s lOd to 2Ss lid, medium 24s to 265, prime fat lambs 28s to 30s 6d. good 23s lOd to 27s id, prince fat -wethers 30s 3d to 355, good 2Ss to 29s lid. The principal eale3 wore: —

Fat Ewes —D. Chapman, 217 at 253 lid to 33a Id; Fitzgibbon Bros., 38 at 28s Gd; Bell and Sherlow, 39 at 2G3; W. Scoon, 66 at 28s 2d; D. R. Hutcheson. 50 at 27s 7d; R. Watkins, 20 at 275; W. Booker, 22 at 27s 4d; C. E. Cook, 27 at 20s to 27s 4d; J. R. Henderson, 56 at 27a Gd to 31a sd; Charles Topp, 38 at 21a Id; M. FiUgibbou, 23 at 26s lOd: L. and M. Fitzgibbon, ?A at 273 Id; E. Furgusson, 31 at 3ls Bd. Fat Lambs—H. Ludcrman, 46 at 28s 4d; J. Bowden, 32 at 26s 3d; Thoe. Hughes, 79 at 278 Id; D. Chapman, 168 at 26s DOd to 28a lOd; G. S. Smith. 36 at 23s lOd; Fitzgibbon Broa., 98 at 25s to 26a lid; C. E. Cook, 21 at 26s 4d; W. McHugh, 32 at 30s Gd; W. Richards, 73 at 29s Gd. Fat Wethers—A. Pickering, 51 at 28s; W. Scoon, 44 at 31s 7d; D. Chapman, 21 at 303 3d to 33s 9d; T. W. Hughes, 27 at 355; G. Furgusson, 43 at 345. Stores —There was an entry of 1680. Some of the lines sold were: —£5 aged ewes at lis, 35 at 14s 2d, 75 at 12s 3d, 85 empty ewe's at 14s Id, 72 two, fonr, six, and eight-tooth owes 225, 47 at 21s, 86 empty ewes at 16s lOd, 92 two, four, and six-tooth 19s lid, 75 mixed hoggets at 245, 34 wothers at 26a 6d, 95 at 29e 6d, 96 at 265, 100 at 31e. Cattle —There was an entry of 30 head. Fat cow 3 made £8 12s 6d to £14 2b 6d, springers £13, cows in pTofit £12 10s to £14 10s, empty cows £7 2s 6d to £8 7s Gd, heifers £7 12s 6d to £10.

Pigs—There was an entry of 35. Baconers made 80s to 120s, stores 45s to 625, email pigs 10s to 20s. In the poultry department roosters 7s 6d a couple, hens 3s 3d, pullets 4s, ducks ss. In the produce yards chickwheat 5s 6d to 6s 9d a bushel, oats 5s to 5s 6d, Cape barley ss, meal 17s 6d a sack, oatsheaf chaif 5s to 6s, potatoes 10s to 123 6d. swede 3 4s to -Is 6d, carrots 4s 6d, parsnips 2a 6d a- kit, apples 3s to 4s a case, onions 3s a kit. ASHBURTON STOCK MARKET. There was a. good yarding of fat sheen and lambs at the weekly stock sale hold at Aehburton yesterday, consisting of 1060 ewes, 68 wethers, and 1678 lambs. The quality of the bulk of the yarding was exceptionally good, and with freezing buyers and butchers operating there was a good demand ar»l very little was passed at auction. Prices were well maintained. A line of 11 Shropshire Down ewes, the property of Mr J. Cochrane, Elgin, made 38s €d, while a line of wethers belonging to Mr R. Campbell, Dromore, brought 37s 3d. The highest price ruling for lambs was for a lino of 23 the property of Mr Jas. Dwyer, Elgin, which reached 37s Ed. Fat ewes made from 23s to 28s 6d, wethers from 2Ss 3d to 375, and lambs from 24s to 37s 3d.

The yarding of store sheep, totalled 1564, and of these 751 were wethers, 383 hoggets, the balance being ewes in lamb. There was absolutely no demand for wethore, farmers being destitute of surplus feed, and of the yarding 562 were passed at auction. Cattle —Thore was a yarding of about 50 head of cattle, bidding for which was slow at first, though later on some good prices were obtained. Tho top figure was £17 -0s for a fat cow sold on behalf of Mr W. Miller, Beach road, Ashburton. The next highest price was £16 10s for ft fat bullock sold on account of Mr Thomas Wilson, of Seaview.

NOTES FBOM WELLINGTON.

(from a special correspondent.) WELLINGTON, May 14 X.Z. PAPER MILLS COMPANY.

The balance-sheet issued by tho New Zealand Paper Mills Company has favourably impressed investors, and the value of the shares has almost completely recovered-. It will be remembered that some time ago there was a fir© at the company's works, causing considerable damage and loss. There has been complete recovery from this, and owing to tho good demand for the company's products, tho profits arc beginning to expand. THE WAR LOAN. Sharobtokers are complaining at tho paucity of business. Tho available funds that would otherwise bo invested in indus-' trial shares arc now going into war loans. The threatened penalising of financial shirkers has had good result®, and this, with other causes, la affecting the share market. It is recognised that tho State now needs all the available unemployed credits, and these must bo turned over to tho Government-. Later in tho year another war loan mnet bo floated, and. it is imperative that the people should save a& much aa possible, so that tho savings can be invested in tho next war loan. There is no doubt that many largo firms and joint stock companies have taken up wax bonds to tho limit of their resources, while many have done exceptional service in helping employees to subscribe. It is urged that the Government should endeavour to tap new sources for tho next loan, and not to expect the same clae3 of investors to again find the whole amount. The Government could probably increase tho sale of war certificates by adopting a vigorous publicity campaign. The last Australian • war' loan . yielded approximately £44,000,000, and the Commonwealth Government UGed every possible means for inducing tho people to subscribe. It is interesting to note also that a system of premium bonds was inaugurated with the last Federal war loan. The scheme was run by private firms, but with the support of the Government, for special regtUationa were gazetted legalising the matter. Under this 6cheuic about a million sterling was raised, and women wero among the most prominent ot the applicants. It is not unlikely that new schemes for raising money will be tried

by the Commonwealth, ar.d prcbaoly J'-' other borrowers, for a great deal of money has yet to be raised for war purposes. We must rerogniie that the London money market is closed to us. and will remain closed for some time, even after the war ends. The European nations will require every pinny to meet the'.r own pressing needs. Restoration ar.d repair will demand huge suir.s of money, and though the work must necessarily be spread over a number of years, the demands during tha first few years of peace must be extensive. To be | thrown ci our own financial resources for a time should prove beneficial by forcing us to look at every undertaking very critically, only sanctioning those urgently . needed. It is obviously our duty now to economise and to seve. to avoid waste of every kind, and to forgo pleasures that aie cot of a recreative character. MORTGAGE STATISTICS. By absorbing all the floating credits and the rat-o? of interest, the Government has reduced the amc;>>it 1J!;■ 1 i; =ui rllv went into mo'tgages of rea! estate, a"d j t hia can be seen by the ctatistics. For the | year ended Ma:cii iilat. 191S, '.he amount on i mortgages registered was £18.139,563, as compared with £21.056.871 in tiic previous ye» v , "'bile the mortgages discharge:! aggregated £' !,619.nCf;. as agair.st £10,994,00". I There were 10,335 mortgages registered in IDI7-IS, as compared with 22.-VS in 1916-17, and 1(1.701 mortgages were air-charged as compared with J7.916. The figures for Canterbury ore 2672 mortgages registered for X 2.542.373, as comparcci with 3112 for £3.432.049 in the previous- year. Tlie mortgages discharged were 2486 for £1,967,321, against 2759 for £2,182.032. EGG MARKET REPORT. At the weekly auction sale of guaranteed fresh eggs held yesterday by Messrs Harris Bros., auctioneers, there was a good entry, and every lot was sold at the following Tates: —First grade hen eggs 2s 9.\d per dozen, serond grade 2s 8.-1 per dozen, pullets' eggs 2s 2d to 2s 5d per dor.cn, duck cggr> 2s 2d p<v dozen. " 1

CHRIST-CHURCH STOCK EXCHANGE. YESTERDAY'S TRANSACTIONS. Sale reported:—Kniapoi Woollen, £7, LATEST QUOTATIONS.

■Buyers. Sellers. £ a. d. x «. 0 DKBTCNTURESN.Z. Government li per cent.. IHliS .. .. — 99 S o N.Z. Kefrigerutins' 6 per cent. .. .. — 100 0 0 AVc?tport-StocJ<toii Cop!, 7 cent. .. — 230 0 0 BANKS— now Zealand (willy psid) 17 10 0 — New* Zealand (£3 L'3 P<1 paid) .. .. 12 2 G — BEEWliHlES— Manninj.' .. 3 0 0 3 2 G CEMENTS— Golden Bay .. — 10 0 COAL— Taupiri • • •• 0 10 3 10 0 meatsN.K. F'efriueratir.cr .. 1 18 0 1 19 0 SHIPPING— Hiiddnrt-Pnrker .. 1 19 9 2 0 9 WOOLLENS— Kaiapoi .. .. 7 0 0 — MISCELLANEOUS— Colonial Sugar .. 21 5 0 — Colonial Sugar (Fiji and N.Z. prof.) .. 20 5 0 — Mason, Struthers (£1 paid) .. • • 3 2 3 — X.Z. Drug Co. (£2 pd.) 2 12 6 ' Weeks, Ltd. •. ■ • 5 12 li — "Whitcombc and Tombs — 5 IS 0 MINING— VTaihi •• .. 1 IS 0 —