COMMERCIAL.

Evening Star, Issue 12606, 11 September 1905, Page 6

COMMERCIAL.

CANTERBURY FARMERS* CO-OFERA-TTVE ASSOCIATION.

The annual meeting of bharoholckrs in the New Zealand Farmers' Co-opera4ave Association of Canterbury, Limited, was held on Saturday afternoon. The bal-;vnoe-sheet showed that the net profits for the period ended July 31 (fourteen months) amounted to £22,558 12s sd, to which had to be added the sum of £1,934 16s, brought forward from last year, making a total of £24,473 8s sd. It was recornmended that this sum should be disposed of in the following way :—Dividend of 6 per cent, and a bonus of 4 per cent, on the capital, a bonus of 4 per cent, on shareholders' purchases of morobaodiße during the period, and a boons to the staff of the same rate on salaries and wages earned, refund of 25 per oeub. on all nets commisKionfi earned, to carry £2.000 to the reserve fund, and £I,OOO to special contingencies, and to write ID per cent, off machinery, fittings, ete-, and the halanoo to be carried forward. Tbe Chairman, in moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, said the qoestion of Liyttelton railway rates was steH troublesome. The price of wool hod been most ssAiafactory to growon. The local sales of dips were growing annually. The Association had sold nearly a quarter of a adHkm liteep for rj;»T»foi during the year.-—A shareholder said a matter reqruiring attention was tbe refusal of the Woofhaokera' Association to sQow a rebate on -commission.—The Chair-

man said the directors of the Farmers' Cooperative Association had struggled against the Woolhrokers' Association for many years, and if shareholders would support them the atruggle would end welL GBATN AND PRODUCE REPORT. Donald Reid and Co. report:—We held our weekly auction sale of grain and produce at our stores to-day. There was a good attendance of local buyers and others interested in the trade, to whom we submitted an average catalogue. For nearly all. the lines on offer there was good competition, and neaxly all classes of produce met a fair sale. Prices ruled as under r Oatse—There was keen demand during the past week for all milling and good slopping lines, but offerings are so small that buyers have some difficulty in supplying their orders. Local stocks are in small compass, and in view of present inquiries the market will ppobhly oonticae firm. Lower grades are also inquired for, but there are no quantities offering. We quote-: Prime muling, Is 104 d to Is lid; good to best feed, Is 9£d to Is !0d; inferior to medium, Is 6d to Is 9d per bushel (sacks extra}. Wheat.—-There is no change to report either in demand or in values. Prime Tuscan has most attention from miTlera, but for other sorts there is little inquiry. Fowl wheat is still scarce, and orders are being generally supplied with second -milling quality. We quote: Prime miffing, 3s Id to 3s 2d; good ditto, 3s; whole fowl wheat), 2s Ktd to 2s broken and damaged, 2s 5d to 2s 9d per bushel (sacks ex-

tzaL potatoes^—Consignments, although not large, are more numerous than usual, and the market is therefore fairly weH supplied. Produce ma-chants report a noticeable shrinkage in the consumption at present values, and in consequence sales of wholesale lines are not so readily effected. Derwents continue to meet with most favor, but for all sorts last week's prices were basely maintained at to-daVa sale. We quote: Best Derwents, £ll to £ll 30s; kidneys and white sorts, £lO 10s to £11; small potatoes and medium quality, £8 to £lO per ton (sacks in). Chaff.—-The meal demand is almost entirely confined to prime oaten sheaf, and chaff of this class has ready sale at £3 5s to £3 10s; good qnaliby has some iiKpriry for shipment, and is saleable at £3 to £3 8s 6d; but yi'fi*"" and inferior, at £2 10s to £2 Iss per ton (bags extra), ate difficult to qaxL Straw.—The market is bare, and good oaten worth about 35s to 40s; wheaten, 30s to 35s per toa (pressed). Turnips.—Supplies have slackened, and best Swedes are now worth 13s per ton (loose) ex track. Hay.—-We have fair inquiry for good to prime clover and ryegrass at £2 10s to £3 per ton (pressed).

THE MARKETS. ' Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, September 10. (Received September 11, at 9.12 a. m.) Frozen meat : North Island sheep, 3 15-16 dto 4d; the rest unchanged. New Zealand lamb—Canterbury small, 5 5-16 d; Dimedin and Southland. sd; North Island, sd. Beef—Hindquarters, 3fd. River Plate beef—Hindquarters, 3£d. Rabbits : Quiet. Retail prices, Australian. 12s 6d to 15s. At the rabbitekin auctions 1,970 bales were offered and 1,599 sold. Thane was an active American demand. Winter, incoming skins advanced 2d to 3d; ligu~, poorly furred. Id". New Zealand hemp : Firm; good fair October and December shipments, £29 lOs - ________