LONDON MARKETS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 48, 27 February 1911, Page 8

LONDON MARKETS.

«, HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. The Commerce and Tourists Division of the Department of Agriculture, Commerce, and Tourists has received the following cablegram from the High Commissioner for New Zealand, dated London, 25th February, 1911. (Note— Quotations unless otherwise specified are averag-e market prices on spot): — Mutton — The market is quiet. There |is a. good demand for prime qualities, -which are scarce, but there is a dull sale i for heavy carcases of mutton, which .are in large 6upply. Canterbury 4d, North Island 31d per lb light weight, North [ Island 3^d per lb heavy weight.. Lamb — Tho market is weak and ther6 is a dull sale for all lamb. Canterbury sgd, other than. Canterbury 4gd, Australian 4d, Argentine 4d per lb. ; Beef — The market is dull and there is ■ no change in prices, viz., N.Z. fores 3gd, 'hinds 3fd per lb. Butter — The market is quiet, but rather , .steadier for best qualities. Choicest N.Z. butter 106s, Australian 102s, Danish j 122s per cwt. j Cheese — The market is a shade weaker. Whits 56s 6d, y coloured supplies are in-j creasing, 58s per cwt. Hemp — The market is dull, and very little business doing. Large shipments are arriving. N.Z. good fair on spot per ton £19 ss, fair grade £18 15s, failcurrent Manila, £19. Forward shipment — N.Z. good fair, £19 10s, fair grado £18 15s, fair current Manila £19 10s. The output from Manila for the woek was 23,000 bales. \ Cocksfoot Seed. — The market is quiet, but firm. Bright clean New Zealand seed, weighing 171b per bushel, 74-s per cwt. j "Wheat. — The market is weak and in- i active. New Zealand long-berried wheat j on tpot ex granary, per quarter of' 4961b, 335; short-berried, 32s 6d. Oats. — The market is steady, with an I improved demand. New Zealand oats, short sparrowbills, on spot, ex granary, per quarter of 33Ub. 19a; Danish, per quarter of 3201b, 163 9d. Beans. — The market is steady, but the demand onlj' moderate. New Zealand, f.a.q., old crop, per 504-lb, 35f. Peas. — The market is rather quiet. New Zealand peas (partridge), per 5041b, 455. Wool. — The market remains firm.

LODGE MEETINGS. There was a good attendance at last Friday evening's session of the Eclipse Lodge, 1.0. G.T. Bro. G. Harris, CM 1 ., j presided. After routine business was j dealt with, the item of "'Question-box" j was taken. Many interesting and pro- ! fitable discussions ensued. Items were ] contributed by Sister Harley, Bros. : Morris and Price. Next meeting will take the form of a Mock Parliament, when the acting-Premier (Bro. L. Goodger) will bring down an important Bill. On Tuesday the district meeting will be held.

Mr. VV. D. S. Macdonald, M.P. for Bay of Plenty, is at present iv Wellington. For the last two months Mr. Levien, M.L.A., has been in New Zealand, and a good deal of his time there he devoted to a study of racing and betting conditions. Ab a result he comes back (reports the Sydney Telegraph) a more coniirmed advocate of the machine method of betting under proper safeguards than ever before. Discussing the, question in the light oi his New Zealand experiences he said :—'"l: — '"I must certainly say that I received grea.t courtesy while in New Zealand from all shades of political life, and particularly from tho racing peoplo in Auckland and Wellington. 1 was unable to attend a meeting at Auckland, but I spent two days at the Wellington races. It is one of the principal ra£o meetings of the Dominion, and 1 learned a great deal about the totalisator there, and also from information supplied to me by the secretary of the Conference of the New Zealand Jockey Clubs at Christchurch. I am, as a result, more than ever of the opinion that the totalieator ought to be adopted here, and the sooner tho better in the public interest. When a man backs a horse with a bookmaker he wins only if the horse he backs wins. But on the totalisator he has a second, and perhaps a third, chance. In New Zealand, if 16 or 18 horses start in a race, tho backer certainly ha-s a second chance. 'We in New South Wales often have 18 or 20 horses starting, and third prizes could be arranged for by the clubs. At "all events, there would be the second chance. In New Zealand, also, it is not an uncommon occurrence for a man to have two horses in a race. Hero it is not now common, although it"~used to be. Well, on the totalisator, as it is worked in New Zealand, the betting man backs the owner's nomination. Suppose, for ■ instance, a man has two horses in a race — Crucinella and Primrose. If a bettor puts money on Primrose in the tcrtalisator and Crucinella wins, he is/ paid a dividend just the same as if Primrose had won. Another principle they have in New Zealand is that if two horses run "a dead heat for first place, thejr must divide the stake."