COMMERCIAL.

Evening Star, Issue 11701, 6 October 1902, Page 6

COMMERCIAL.

The quantity of coal exported from Westport ]usi week was 15,582 tons—a rcord. Breeding ewes in North Devon are making from 5s to 7s 6d a. head more than they did last. year. The Japanese loan is quoted ai- from \ to ppr cent, premium. THE MARKETS. Press Association— Telegraph—Copyright. l/)NDON, October 5. (Received October 6, at 9.7 a.m.) The Frozen Meat Trade Association's Smithfield market quotations for the undermentioned classes of frozen meat are based on actual sales of not less than 100 carcasses of mutton or lamb or twenty-five carcasses of beef of fair average quality. These quotations are not for selected lines, but for parcels fairly representative of the bulk of the shipments now on the market : New Zealand Sheep.—Cross-bred wether and maiden ewes: Canterbury, light (48 to 56 pounds), 4 l-16d; Canterbury, medium (56 to 64 pounds), 4d: Canterbury, heavy (60 to 72 pounds), s|d: Dunedin and Southland (56 to 60 pounds), 3Jd; North Island (55 to 65 pounds), 3 15-16 d. New Zealand lambs -. Canterbury, s^d; Dunedin, Southland, and North Island (28 to 42 pounds), sd. New Zealand beef: Ox fores (180 to 220 pounds), 4£d. River Plate sheep, heavy. 3j}d; light, s£d. Kauri Gum.—The stock is 1,164 cases. Rabbit-skins are in good demand. NewZealand are unchanged. The Antwerp wool sales closed with more animation, but prices were unchanged. 5,255 bales of La Plata wool were offered, and 3,327 sold : ol bales of Australian were catalogued, and 25 sold. Prime merinoes were from 5 to 10 centimes above June rates; other qualities are unaltered, except ■ lambs, prices for which showed a weakness.

T'n-T-Sl'ot' £ U4 ss; three months. £ll3 os.

WELLINGTON, October 6.—The A«eatGeneral's cable, dated London. 4th Sist., says*: " The mutton market is lirni. There is an endeavor amongst holders to raise* the prices of mutton. Average price to-dav • Canterbury nmtton, 3£-d; Dunedin. Southland, and W.M.K. Co. mutton. 3*d; other North Island, 3g(L The lamb market is very firm. Stocks of lamb on hand are light, and are finidy held iu few Lands. The average price to-day for New Zealand lamb is : Canterbury brand, 5d ; New Zealand lamb other than Canterbury, 4£d. The beef market is firm. New Zealand hinds, 5J,d; fores; There is good demand for better and cheese, and the market is rising. Owing to the small supplies of cheese rm hand, the price to-day is 51s per cwt. The hemp market is firm. Good fair Wellington grade on the spot to-day is £34; Oc-tober-December shipments, £32. The stock is 546 tons, against 208 last year. There is a better demund for cocksfoot seed. There are light stocks of cocksfoot seed on hand. New Zealand 171b standard is onoted at 565." THE LONDON WOOL MARKET. WELLINGTON, October 6.—The Department of Industries has received the following report on the wool sales, dated London, 4th :—"The wool sales have closed. Estimated values: Fine cross-breds, all grades, 8d to lOd; medium, 6d to 8d; coarse, 4d to sd; merino, superior, lid to Is; medium, 9d to lid; inferior, 8d to 9d. Market firm at the advance. Continental and American buyers operated freely. - ' GRAIN AND PRODUCiTrEPORTS. Dalgety and Co.. Dunedin. report having held weekly auction sale of grain acftjWWOTw* »t *jk**- «i« w •*-&*.

when they offered a full catalogue of ail lines of produce to the usual number of buyers. Competition, for chaff was keen, but the .demand for potatoes and oats was very moderate, with the result that several lines were passed in. Prices ruled as under:

Oats.—Since our last report there has been a fairly steady demand for shipment, although the amount of business put through has not been on a very large scale. Merchants' requirements have been confined to good sound feed equal to B and C grade standard. Prime milling has also been in fair demand, but the demand for seed is now practically over.- We quote: Prime seed, 2s 8d to 2s lid; prime milling, 2s 7d to 2s 9d ; good to best feed, 2s 5d to 2s 7d; inferior to good, 2s to 2s 4d (sacks extra).

Wheat.—The market is quiet, millers' requirements being well supplied, and tho demand is only for prime North velvet. Medium quality finds no inquiry, but fowl wheat is saleable at quotations. "We quote: Prime milling, -5s 10<1 to 4s 3d; medium quality, 3s 4d to 3s 9d -, whole fowl wheat, 3s to 3s 5d ; broken do, 2s 6cl to 3s (sacks extra).

Barley.—The market is quiet for prime malting, quotations being merely nominal. There is a good demand for feed lines at quotations. Prime malting, 3s 3d to 4s; prime milling, 3s to 3s 3d; feed lines, 2s 6d to 2s lOd (sacks extra). Chaff.—Although consignments have been coining in y little more freelv, all lines are quitted readily off truck lit fully up to last week's prices. Prime oaten "sheaf is st ill scarce, and at our sale to-day wo got £5 7s for ti really choice line. * We quote: Prime oaten sheaf, £5 to £5 7s 6d ; medium to good, £4 5s to £4 15s. Potatoes.—Several small consignments have conic forward during the past week, and prices to-day were in consequence a little easier. Prime Derwents, £4 17s 6d to £5 2s 6d ; medium, to srood, £4 10s to £4 12s 6d.

JiomtlJ Reid and Co. report:—We held cur weekly auction sale of grain and produce at our stores to-day. Tho catalogue offered comprised a. fair quantity of oaln, wh?a.t, potatoes, chaff, and straw. For most of the lines on offer there was good competition, and the prices rcaiscd were fully up to late quotations.

Oats.—A modi-rate export business has been do.ae duriug the past week, but the ncroand has been somewhat limited. Stocks ai-i now much reduced, however, and large quantities cannot bo readily quoted for. Pnmc milling lob; also meet with f;ur demand, and the usual lo<al business continues to be fairly brisk. We quote: Prime millnig and seed lines, 2s 7d to 2s lOd ; good to best feed, 2s 5d to 2s 7d ; inferior and medium, 2s to 2s 4u per busljel (sacks extra).

Wheat:—The market at present is very quiet, and only a few rales of prime milling or good lines of fowl wheat are passinp? Medium quality Lis little attention from millers, and cannot lie placed except as fowl wheat. We quote : Prime milling 3s lOd to 4s 3d ; medium, 3s 4d to 5s ~9d; best whole fowl wheat, 5s Id to 3s 3d; broken and damaged, 2s 8d to 3s per b'oshel (sacks extra).

Potatoes.—Fair supplies have been coming forward, and with steady demand have been placed on a par with the late yalues. Medium Derwents and kidneys also meet with fair demand. We quote : Prime Derwents, £5 to £5 ss; medium to good, £4 5s to £4 15s; kidneys, etc., £3 10s to £4 5s per ton (sacks in).

Chaff.—Prime oaten .sheaf is scarce, and continues to meet with strong inquiry-. Bright, heavy samples are readily saleable at prices fully equal to late quotations, while discolored lots, sound and heavy, also meet with ready 3ale ; Inferior and medium sorts do not receive* the same attention. We quote: Prime oaten sheaf, £5 to £5 ss; good, £4 5s to £4 15s: inferior and medium, £2 10s to £5 10s per ton (bags extra).