COMMERCIAL.

Evening Star, Issue 14554, 1 May 1911, Page 6

COMMERCIAL.

AUSTRALIAN POSTAL RATES. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. MELBOURNE, April 30. The new postal rates will operate from to-morrow. The rates to New Zealand and the Pacific Islands will be :—Letters, Id per Jloz; post cards, Id; magazines, Id for 8oz; books, Id for 4oz; commercial papers, printed papers, paterns, and samples, id for 2oz; newspapers, 4xl for lOoz. SYDNEY, May 1. (Received May 1, at 8.34 a.m.) Penny letter postage throughout the Commonwealth to Great Britain and ah the Dominions operates from to-day. THE MARKETS. ?rew Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, April 3d. (Received May 1, at 8.15 a.m.) Wheat: Two cargoes of Australian sold at 34s 3d, and three others at 34s 4^d. Rabbits : Flat and unchanged. Hemp : Inactive and unchanged. Cotton, 7.96 id per lb. Rubber, 5s 3d. Copra : Firm. South Soa, bags, £2l ICe. Antimonv, £9 10s. Silver, 24 9-16 d. Copper : Spot, £54 ss; three months, £54 17s 6d. Tin : Forward, £193 15s. DALGETY AND CO. . Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, April 30. (Received May 1, at 8.15 a.m.) Dalgety and Co. havo declared an interim dividend of 8 per cent. THE WHEAT SUPPLY. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, April 30. (Received May 1, at 8.25 a.m.) The total quantity of wheat and flour afloat for the United Kingdom is 3,590,C0D quarters, and for the Continent 3,510,000 quarters. The Atlantic shipments were 67,000 quarters. The total supplies are : Europe, 1,335,C00 quartere; Argentina, 295,000 quarters; Russian, 605,000 quarters ; Dannbian, 120,000 quarters ; India, 86,000 quarters; Australasia, 74,000 quarters. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. [Pi* United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, May 1. The High Commissioner's cable from London, April 29, is as follows: Mutton.—The market is very dull, a River Plate large supply being pushed for sale. Canterbury, 3jjd ; North Island, 2gd. Lamb.—Tho market is depressed. Canterbury, 4Jd ; other than Canterbury, 4d ; River Plate, 3|d. Beef. —Market quiet. New Zealand hinds, 3Jd; fores, 2§d: Butter.—The market declined 4s for Danish, and Siberian is unchanged. Colonial choicest New Zealand butter, 109s; Australian, 102s; Danish, 112s; Siberian, GBs. Cheese.—The market is quiet, with prices slightly weaker. New Zealand, 61s. Hemp.—The market is quiet, but rather steadier. New Zealand good to fair, on spot, £2O; fair grade, £l9 ss; forward shipment at some price; fair current Manila, on spot, £l9; forward shipment, £l9 15s. The output from Manila for the week was 25,000 bales.

Wheat.—Market quiet and steady. New Zealand long-berried wheat, on spot, ex granary, per quarter of 4961b, 325; shortberried", 41s 6d (nominal). Oats.—There is a general active demand for New Zealanl oats. Short sparrowbill, ex granary, on 6pot, per quarter of 3841b, 20s; Danish, per quarter of 3201b, 17s 6d. Beans.—There is more demand. New Zealand beans, f.a.q., old crop, per quarter of 5041b, 355. Peas.—Market firm, the demand only moderate. Nev Zealand peas (partridge), per quarter of 5041b, 445. GRAIN AND PRODUCE! Messrs Donald Rcid and Co. report; We held our weekly auction sale of grain and prodece at our stores to-day. Our catalogue comprised most of the iinos in demand locally, and except for chaff was cleared at prices on a par with late quotations. Values ruled as under : Oats.—Moderate quantities are coming forward, and in most cases meet with ready sale on arrival. Special seed lines—duns, Tartars, etc. —are strongly inquired for, but are not offering freely. Wo quote: Prime milling, 2s 3Jd to 2s 4d; good to best feed, 2s 2Jd to 2s 3Jd ; inferior to medium, 2s to 2s 2d per bushol (sacks extra).

Wheat.—Prime Tuscan and velvet-ear suitable for export has had strong inquiry during tho past week, and values have advanced slightly. Prime velvet is also in good demand with load millers, but is not competed for by shippers. Fowl wheat has become scarce, and good whole fowl wheat is readily dealt with. We quote: Prime milling, 3s 4jd to 3s 5d ; medium to good, 3s 3£d to 3s 4d ; best whole fowl wheat, 3s 2d to 3s medium, 2s lOd to 3s Id; broken and damaged, 2s 4d to 2s 9d per bushel (sacks extra). Potatoes. —Supplies are coming forward steadily, and all prime lots are readily quitted on arrival. Medium quality is nut so saleable, while doubtful lots are dillicuit to place. We quote : Prime Up-to-Dates, £4 5s to £4 7s 6d; extra choice lots, £4 10s; medium to good, £3 10s to £4 2s 6d ; inferior, £2 to £3 5s per ton, bags included.

Cliaff.—Tho market has been much oversnpplied. In consequence it has been difficult to deal with consignments ex truck, particularly as railway regulations regarding demurrage charges on delayed trucks are stringent. Considering tho quantity coming forward, prices have not suffered so much as might havo been expected, but in order to avoid sacrificing them it has been necessary to put many lines into store. We quote: Best oaten sheaf, £4 5s to £4 7s 6d ; medium to good, £3 15s to £4; light and inferior. £3 to £3 10s; straw chaff, £2 5s to £2 lCs per ton (bags extra).

Messrs Dalgety and Co., Limited, report as follows: —Wo held our usual weekly auction sale of grain and produce at our stores on Monday, the Ist May, when we offered a representative catalogue to a full attendance of buyers. For oats and wheat there was keen competition, but chaff was slow of sale. The following are the prices realised.

Oats. —There k a good demand at the present time for seed lines of heavy Gartons. Millers are buyers of good feed lines at priceg on a par with late rates. Any consignments coming to hand are quickly quitted on arrival, and there is also a good local demand. Prime milling, 2s 3-£ dlo 2s 4d; good to best feed, 2s 3d to 2s 3£d; inferior to medium, 2s to 2s 2£d per bushel (sacVs extra). Wheat.—Owing to tho rke in, value in London wheat has advanced correspondingly here, and there is a good demand at tho prices now ruling. Fowl feed k readily saleable in small lots to the local trade. Prime milling, 3s to 3s 5d ; medium milling, 3si 3d to 3s 4£d; whole fowl feed, 3s 2d to 3s 2£d; broken and damaged, 2s 8d to 3s per bushel (bags extra). Potatoes. —Supplies coming forward from the country are about equal to the demand, andvprices remain on a par with late rates. Best sorts. £4 5s to £4 7s 6d ; medium, £3 5s to £4; diseased, £2 to £2 15s per ton (bags in). Chaff.—The arrivals from the country }>n\- sl'ckmed oil vei>- |> •■r.eptioly within the last few days, and all lines in store are iunny held by farmers. The demand is not by any means keen, as tho bulk of the merchants hold fairly heavy stocks. The consequence is that there k not a great deal of business passing. The following are quotations ruling : —Choice chaff, £4 10s; good chaff, £4 2s 6d to £4 7s 6d ; medium chaff, £3 5s to* £3 15s; oaten straw chaff, £2 10s to £2 15s per ton (bags extra).