COMMERCIAL.

Evening Star, Issue 12068, 14 December 1903, Page 6

COMMERCIAL.

THE MARKETS. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright, LONDON, December 15. (Received December 14. at 9.1 a.m.) Copper, forward delivery, £56 10s. Lead, £ll 2s 6d. Imports, 18,147 tons including 4.625 Australian ; exports, 4,697 ’ Silver, 2s l|d per <>?.. Frozen Meat.—-Mutton and lamb of all sorts arc unchanged. Beef; New Zealand ox fores, 27-16 d; River Plate fores 2 3 d • hinds unchanged. ’ s DUTIES ON SHIPS’ STORES. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright (Received December 14, at 7.25 a.m.) LONDON, December 13.—Sir T. Sutherland, at the Peninsular and Oriental Shippmg Company’s meeting, said that the 1 Councils recent decision respecting the duties on ships’ stores in Australian waters came as a surprise, and upset all their preconceived ideas of the rights of British ships on the high seas. All steam companies had agreed to charge lower tariffs for wine and whisky elsewhere than wlmn running on what was considered the Australian coast; PROPERTY SALE. A land sale which evoked a considerable amount of interest was held to-day at Port Cb.dm .when Messrs Park, Reynolds, and Co. submitted at auction a subdivision of sections 189 and 190, Town of Port Chalmers, belonging to the ‘-state of the late Mrs Clemison. The attendance was large, the loan Hall being crowded, and competition was very keen. The following are the results of the. sale:—Alloiment 1. corner of Mary street and WickJiffe terrace, to Mr R- W. Platts, as agent, £104; allotment o. fronting Mary street, to Mr H. Montgomery, jun., £105: allotment 4, fronting Alary street, to Mr X. M. Gunn, as agent, £125. Allotment 2. with cottage vhoreon. was passed in. GRAIN AND PRODUCE REPORTS. Donald Reid and Co. report:—We held our- weekly auction sale of grain and produce at our stores to-day. Our catalogue comprised prime to inferior oats, good whole and broken fowl wheat, and medium chaff. Then- was a small attendance of buyers, and under moderate competition about half the catalogue was cleared at quotations. Values ruled as under Oats.—During the past week then? hue been better inquiry for undoubted B-grade quality. Stocks of this class, however, are scarce, ;md buyers have some difficulty in supplying orders at late quotations. Lower grades aie still ph-ritifui, and with spusmoaie demand only occasional sales can be

effected. We quote ; Prime milling. Is 4d to 1? sd; good to best feed. Is 2d to Is inferior and medium, 9d to l:s Id per bushel (sicks extra).

Wheat.—The market is almost stagnant. Millers’ operations are confined to the pnrcnusc of small lines of choice quality for immediate requirements, while medium to good sorts are almost neglected. Fowl wheat is in full supply, and only saleable at slightly reduced prices. We quote :—Prime milling, 3d to 3s 6d ; medium to good, 2s 9d to ss; whole fowl wheat, 2s 4d to 2s 6d ; broken and damaged. 2s to 2s 3d per bushel (sacks extra i.

Potatoes.—The market has been fullv supplied with consignments of new potatoes from the North, and in consequence the demand for old Derwents is very dull. We quote ; Bert. Derwents, £1 10s to £2; inferior. £1 to £1 5s per ion (bags in). Chaff.—Prime oaten sheaf is the only class meeting with good demand. Consignments, however, have, not been so heavy as usual, and at present the market is almost bare of supplies. Medium and inferior sorts are still plentiful, and show no improvement in values. We quote: Prime oaten eheai, £2 los io £2 17s 6d ; choice, to £5; medium to good, £2 to £2 10s ; inferior ami light, £1 10s to £1 los per ton (bags extra).

Daigety and Co. report having held their usual side of grain and produce at their stores to-day. The catalogue submitted was a fairly representative one. and with the exception of potatoes there was good competition for most of the lines on offer, and values ruled as under;

Outs, There is still a fair coastal demand for good sound feed oats, but damaged lines are hard to quit, and the market shows no appreciable change :n values. Quotations ; IVnuo milling, ls_4d to Is 5.1 : good to best men. Is 2d to Is 3,td ; inferior and medium, 9d to Is Id per bushel (sacks extra). Wheat.—Millers, anticipating a further fall in values, will only purchase for immediate requirements, and anything like large lines are difficult m place. Medium milling ,a neglected, and fowl wheat is offering freelyat_reduccdrat.es. Quotations: Prime milling. 3s 2d to 5s 4d ; medium, 2s 9d to 5s ; best whole fowl wheat, 2s 4d to 2s 6d ; broken and damaged, 2s to 2s 2d per bushel’. Potatoes.—ln consequence of increased supplies of new potatoes, old Dcrweuts are out of favor, and the latter are slow of sale, at the following prices Prime Oamaru Denvems, 50s to 40s; medium do, 20s to 255. Chaff.■ The market is at present only moderately supplied. Prime oaten sheaf is very scarce, and lias hardened in value. Inferior ami medium quality ha-- not the. same inquiry, hut continues to move, off slowly. Quotations : Prim.- oaten sheaf. £2 12s 6d to £2 17s 6d: extra do. £o; medium to uood. £2 to £2 10s ; inferior and light. £1 lOs to £1 15s i bags extra).