COMMERCIAL.

Evening Star, Issue 11943, 20 July 1903, Page 6

COMMERCIAL.

The quantity of coal exported from Greymouth last week was:—Blackball 2,248 tons, Brunner 2,145 tons; and from Westport the quantify was 12,311 tons. NEW ZEALAND - MEAT. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, July 18.—The War Office has ordered all contractors supplying New Zealand frozen meat to the troops to show with each carcass a tag. giving evidence of the place of production. Indelible marking is recommended. THE MARKETS. WELLINGTON, July 20.—The Department of Industries and Commerce has received the following cablegram from the Agent-General, dated the 18th inst.:—"The mutton market is firm, -with a hardening tendency. The average price to-day for Canterbury brands ia 3Jd per lb: for Dunedin, Southland, and WJ&E. Co., 3gdj other North Island Iwaada, 3§d; Brvar Plate mutton, 3|d. The lamb market is steady at prices cabled last week. The beef market is dull. Average prices to-day: Hind-quarters, 4|d; fore-quarters, 2§d. The butter market is steady, with a moderate demand. To-day's quotations: New Zealand, 93s per cwt; Danish, 101s; Siberian, 82s; Canadian, 91s. The cheese market is very slow. The price for New Zealand cheese to-day was. nominally 555, and for Canadian 48s. The hemp market is quiet and steady at the quotations cabled last week There is no alteration in the cocksfoot market, while the market for crossbred wool is firm, with an upward tendency. Merino is steady." Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, July 19. (Received July 20, at 7.30 a.m.) Copper: Spot, £56 12s 6d; three months, £55 17s 6d.' I/ead, £ll lis 3d. Kauri gum sales: 1,955 cases offered; 1,200 sold at full prices; three-quarter scraped, 150s. Frozen Meat: Sheep, Canterbury light, unchanged; medium, sfd ; heavy, 3|d; Dunedin _and Southland, 3 13-16 d; North Island, Lambs—Canterbury, light, sfd ; heavy, 5 3-15 d; Dunedin and Southland, sgd; North Island unchanged. New Zealand beef, 1801b to 2201b, fair average quality, ox hinds, 4Jd; fores unchanged. River Plate sheep, heavy and light; 3 7-16 d. Beef fores unchanged ; hinds, 4^d. At the wool sales merinoes and fine, crossbreds were firm at par to 5 per cent, below opening rates, and greasy £d above. Silver, 2s Id per ounce. THE WOOL SALES. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. (Received July 20, at 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, July 19.—At the wool auctions good merinoes sold well, and competition was eager. The top prices realised for New Zealand cross-brads' sales included the following clips:—Woolerina, 20|d ; Hill River, 10^d; Talpan Panikana, 7-Jd. To date 126,604 bales have been catalogued, and 116,128 sold. BANKING RETURNS. WELLINGTON, July 20.—The banking returns for the June quarter show the gross aßsets to be £19,710,416, the liabilities £21,054,701,- deposits (free) £8,937,545, ditto (fixed) £8,809-,064, advances £13,210,352, com and bullion in hand £3,598,245 (showing considerable increase), notes in circulation £1,501,247. Deposits in detail—Bank of New Zealand, £8,145,883; Union Bank, £2,562,580 ; New South Wales, £1,760,751; Australasia £1,593,654; National, £2,683,740. GRAIN AND PRODUCE REPORTS. Dalgety and Co. report having held their usual weekly sale of.grain and produce at their stores to-day, when they offered a fair catalogue to the usual attendance of buyers, the bulk of which (with the exception of chaff) was cleared a't prices well within values.

Oats.—During the week little business las been passing. For A and B grade shippers find no difficulty in fulfilling any small orders they may have ex.store, and there is only a_ very moderate demand at present for milling and seed lines. Qjotations: Prime milling, Is B£d to Is lOd; good to best feed, Is 7d to -Is 8d; inferior and medium, Is- to Is 6d (sacks extra). Wheat.—There is no change to report in this market. Owners of prime milling liaes

(offering chiefly from the Oamaru district and northwards) are still holding ont for valnes i which local millers, say are beyond their limits with flour at present .prices, and sales made during, the, week haye been on a small scale". A fair business k bein j done in fowl wheat,. principally for shipment to Northern ports. Quotations: Prime milling, to 4s 2d; good whole fowl wheat, 3s to 3s 2d; broken and damaged, 2s 6d to 2s lOd (sacks extra). ChaS.—Consignments this week have rot been so heavy, although at today's sales competition for.lots on offer was very poor, and sales made were on basis of values ruling last week. Quotations: Prime oaten sheaf, £3 2s 6d to £3 7 6d; choice do, £3 10s : medium to pood, £2 12s 6d to £3; inferior, £1 10s to £2 5s (bags extra). Potatoes.—The demand is chiefly for prime Oamaru Derwents and good seei lines. The market is well supplied with Canterbury potatoes, and last week's quotations are fully maintained. Quotations: Best Derwents, £4 to £4 ss; medium, £3 20s to £3 15s; seed sorts. £4 5s to £5 (bags in).

Donald Reid and Co. report.:—We held our weekly auction sale of grain and produce at our Stores to-day, when we submtted a large catalogue. There was a full attendance of buyers, who were not, however, disposed to operate freely, and a large proportion of the catalogue had to be passed in, not reaching our valuation or buyers' reserves. Prices ruled as under:—

Oats.—There is fair inquiry for prime milling and choice seed lines. The market for good to prime feed continues to b n rather quiet. Buyers are not disposed to operate, except for actual orders, and these are not being fretly received. Inferior and damaged • oats are offering in larger quantities, and can only be placed locally at low values. We quote : Good to choice seed lin°s, Is lid to 2s 3d; prime milling-, Js B£ri to Is lOd ; good to best feed, is 7d to Is 7JM; inferior to medium, Is to Is 6d per bushel (packs extra). Wheat.—The market is unchanged. Choice milling lines continue to have most attention from millers, but for medium sorts there is only a limited inquiry. Fowl wheat is steady at late values. We quote: Prims milling, 4s to 4s 2d; medium to good, 3s 4d to 3s lOd; whole fowl wheat, 3s to 3s 2d ; broken and damaged, 2s 6d to 2s lid per bushel (sicks extra). Potatoes.—The market continues to be fairly well suppbed with good Derwents from Canterbury. Prime Oamarus are strongly inquired for, but are offering sparingly. Kidneys and other s?ed sorts are in good demand, and offering in small quantities. We quote: Best Derwents, £4 to £4 ss; choice Oamarus. £4 7s 6d to £4 10s ; medium to good, £3 to £3 15s; kidnpys. Early Roses, and other seed sorts. £4 to £5 per ton (sacks in). Chaff.—The supply of prime quality has ret been so heavy, and this class is in good demand at quotations. Medium sorts are "till plentiful, and unchanged in value We quote: Best oaten sheaf, £3 5s to £3 7s 6d ; choice, to £3 10s; medium to good, £2 10s to £3; inferior, light, and straw rhnff, £1 15s to £2 5s per ton (bags extra).

Turnips.—We quote: Ba*t Swedes, 15s to, 15s 6d per ton, loose, ex truck.