COMMERCIAL.

Evening Star, Issue 14037, 19 April 1909, Page 6

COMMERCIAL.

♦ THE MARKETS. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, April 18. (Received April 19, at 9.30 a.m.) Frozen Meat: Sheep, Canterbury medium 3|d, rest unchanged; lambs, Canterbury light 4|d, medium 4fd, heavy 4|d, rest unchanged ; beef, fores 2 5-lrkl, hinds 3 3-16 d, rest unchanged. Rabbits : Almost unsaleable. Smithfield quotations :—Best large Melbourne, 13s to 14s. - Hemp : Steady. April and June shipments, £23 10s. Copra : A fair business in South Seas (bags) at £l7 17s 6d. Copper : Spot, £57 Is 3d; three months, £57 15s ; electrolytic, £SB 15s. Tin : Spot, £133 2s 6d; three months, £134 ss. GRAIN AND PRODUCE REPORT. Messrs Donald Reid and Go. report as follows:—We held our weekly auction sale of grain and produce at our 'stores to-day. There was a large attendance of buyers, to whom we submitted a full catalogue. There was fair competition for all classes of produce, although prices for chaff showed a decided decline on late rates. Values ruled as under: Oats.—Consignments are not coming forward so freely as might be expected, and in most cases growers are not readily disposed to Mcept'current prices. In consequence, the quantity, on offer locally is small, and any Jots arriving for sale have been readily quitted at quotations. Prime Cartons and sparrowbills have good demand at quotations. Medium and inferior oats are not so strongly inquired for. We quote: Prime milling, Is 5d to Is good to best feed, Is 4d to Is 4£d; inferior to medium, Is to Is 3Ad per bushel (sacks extra). Wheat.—The excitement in America and other markets has tended to keep local buyers operating, and prime millino- lines especially are more in favor, at "prices which show an advance on late quotations. Fowl wheat is offering more freely, and has not advanced to the same extent.' We quote: Prime milling, 4s 2d to 4s 3d; choice velvet, to 4s 4-Jd ; medium milling 4s to 4s best whole fowl wheat, 3s 9d to 3s lid ; medium. 3s 5d to 3s 8d • broken and damaged, 2s 9d to 3s 3d petbushel (sacks extra). Potatoes.—Fair supplies continue to come forward. Most of these have found an outlet during the week at about £2 7s 6d per ton. At our sale to-day competition was better, and best freshly-picked lots realised £2 10s to £2 lis; medium are worth £2 2s 6d to £2 5s per ton (bags included). Chaff.—Supplies have come forward so freely that the market is to some extent glutted. In view of the quantity offering, a decline in prices was inevitable, and except for special quality values are about 7s 6d per ton below those lately ruling. Prime bright oaten sheaf is first in favor with buyers. Inferior and discolored lots are difficult- to deal with. We quote : Best oaten sheaf, £2 7s 6d to £2 10s;" extra prime, £2 12s 6d; choice old chaff, £2 15s to £2 17s 6d ; medium, £2 2s 6d to £2 ss; inferior and discolored, £1 15s to £2 per ton (bags extra). Straw.—Fair supplies forward. We quote -. Oaten, 32s 6d ; wheaten, 30s per ton (pressed). NORTH OTAGO MARKETS. (Special to the Star.] OAMARU, April 19. There has been considerable activity in wheat since.business was resumed on Wednesday, and fully 2,500 sacks have changed hands at prices that have steadily advanced until a level of 2d a bushel over last week's closing rate has been reached. The sales embrace a number of lines of from 4.000 to over 5,000 bushels. One transaction covered 1,500 sacks of mixed varieties,"" the rates being 4s Id for velvet, 4s for Tuscan, and 3s 10£ d for redchaff (less commission at_a country station). A straight line of 1,300 sacks of velvet was taken at 4s 2d (subject to commission, at a country station), while 4s o£d net on trucks was* given for 1,100 sacks of the same variety, this price being beaten by £d for another line of 1,000 sacks. A line of 1,100 sacks of mixed velvet and redchaff (chiefly velvet) changed hands at 4s net at a country station. Other substantial lines sold" were 800 sacks of mixed velvet,, Tuscan, and redchaff (velvet predominating) at 4s net on trucks; 800 sacks of velvet and redchaff (in the proportion of three to one) at 4s l£d, less commission, at a country station ; 700 sacks of velvet at 4s 2d net, delivered by cart in Oamaru; 500 sacks of Tuscan at 4s l£d and 500 sacks of velvet at 4s Id, both subject to commission, at country stations; 400 sacks of velvet at 4s 2d. less commission, and 300 sacks of Tuscan at 3s lid net, both at country stations; and 320 sacks of mixed Tuscan and velvet at 4s Id net, at a country station. The market closed firm, with net prices to growers at country stations as follows, according to railage":—Velvet 4s to 4s Id; Tuscan, 3s lid to 4s; redchaff, 3s to 3s lid. Very little business has been passing in oats. Purchases have been made at from Is 2£d to Is 3d for Gartens, and Is 2d for prime Danish. A little shipping business has been done at Is s£d and Is 6d f.ob., s.i. There is practically no sale for barley. Transactions in potatoes have been limited—for Up-to-dates. from £2 to £2 2s 6d net at country stations' and £2 5s delivered in Oamaru, while prime Derwents have been taken at £2 5s net. A few shipping parcels have been placed at£2 12s 6d and £2 15s f.o.b.