COMMERCIAL.

Evening Star, Issue 15308, 7 October 1913, Page 6

COMMERCIAL.

Silver is quoted at 28£ d per pz. The fourth annual meeting of shareholders in South Otago Freezing Company was held at Balclutha. The report presented seated that the stock put through for the season amounted to 19,265 sheep, 63,837 lambs, and 9,145 crates of rabbits, which must be taken as satisfactory, considering that the season was an unfavorable one for fattening. The retiring directors (Messrs John Begg and William Marshall) were re-elected. With the present prices ruling for kauri gum, many workers find it more profitable to engage in search of gum rather than proffer their labor to employers (writes the Auckland 1 Herald’s ’ Dargaville correspondent). In various portions of Hobson County diggers are making high earnings, in some cases as much as £1 per, day. A few weeks ago some Austrians took £l5O worth of gum from a small gully, ;«nl last week some Maoris, digging on the Kohuroa Estate, unearthed a patch of half a ton, valued at £IOO.

Our Invercargill correspondent wires:— Practically all the Southland dairy factories nave now commenced the season’s operations, and given favorable weather a successful season is assured. All but two or three factories in the province have sold their season’s output at satisfactory prices, from 6£d per lb f.o.b. to on trucks, the former being the more common figure. Keen competition exists between factories for supplies of milk; that is, in cases where a proprietary concern overlaps a co-operative supplier's district, and this competition has resulted in good prices being paid for milk. FROZEN MEAT. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, October 6. (Received October 7, at 10.10 a.m.) The following are the River Plato shipments : —Mutton, 92,000 carcasses: lamb, 15,000 carcasses: frozen beef, 46,000 quarters; chilled, 254,000 quarters. THE WOOL SALES. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, October 6. (Received October 7, at 10.30 a.m.) '■At the wool sales there was a poor selection, but good competition. Prices were unchanged. Messrs Dalgety and Co. report having received the following cable from their Melbourne office, dated October 4 :—“ The wool sales continue active, with brisk competition. As compared with closing rates of last series, scoured merino wools par to 5 per cent, higher, slips wools unchanged. Partly owing to American competition, greasy cross-bred wools, fine and medium quality, to 5 per cent, higher: greasy coarse cross-bred wools, 5 per cent, higher.

SALE AT LOVELL'S FLAT. Yesterday the National Mortgage and Agency Company, Limited, conducted a clearing gale at Mr W. B. Jones’s farm, “ The Remote,” where the farming fraternity of the Lovell’s Flat district attended in largo numbers. Bidding was fairly brisk, and horses realised substantial prices. The sheep were in poor condition., but the horses were a first-class lot. A miscellaneous collection of farm implements and general stock sold well, and the house furniture was auctioned at reasonable figures. Chief sales were as follow : Sheep—l 79 ewe hoggets 17s Id and 17s 2d, 148 mixed sex hoggets 15s 6d, 301 wethers 20s 3d, 160 half-bred mixed sex hoggets 15s, 95 two-tooth wethers 15s lOd, old rams 10s, and cull hoggets ss. Horses— Bonnie (eight-year-old draught mare, by Lincoln Tom) £3B, Kate (7yrs) £39 10s, Jock (7yrs) £39, Dick £25, Dolly (three-year-old ' filly, by Raniurly Yet) £3B, three-year-old colt £39, aged mare £lO, two-year-old filly (by Ranfurly Yeti £2l, two-year-old filly (by Western Lad) £l7 10s, harness gelding (Byrs) £l6, and hack £lO. Harness, drays, and farm vehicles also brought fair money : —Spring cart £4 10s, dog cart £8 ss, ploughs £6 ss, grubber £5, Planet Jun. £1 15s, grass mower £2 15s, harrows £3 15s, Massey manure drill £3O. P. and D. Duncan cultivator £ll 10s, P. and D. Duncan disc harrows £7 10s, Storrie ridger £ll, and Massey and Dsering hinders £6 each. Cows £9 15s and £l2 5«, sheep dogs 9s and £2 2s 6d. Mr Jones, who has resided at “The Remote” for two years, has sold the farm, which comprises 1,100 acres of land, and intends to make his way north.

THE SHIPPING OF DAIRY PRODUCE. Some months ago a special .committee of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce was appointed to make investigations regarding the shipment of dairy produce, particularly in reference to the agreement between the National Dairy Association and the shipping companies. A report was presented to the council in July, and this in turn was considered by the Dairy Produce Exporters’ Committee of the chamber, who presented their findings to the council yesterday. The committee stated that they had discussed tlje matter at some length, and dissatisfaction was expressed at the nature of the report After having considered the report of the special committee of the council the dairy section of the chamber resolved as follows—(1) That the special report is unsatisfactory, inasmuch as it expresses no opinion on the facts; (2) that as it is a self-evident fact that the National Dairy Association is a trading concern competing in everyday business with independent exporters, a strong protest be made to the shipping companies against an exclusive contract for a number of years being made with such a competing organisation to the probable detriment oj the exporters who do not belong to it; (5) that the council be requested to ajjprove of the resolutions and forward No. 2 to the shipping companies. After discussion, a motion was carried to the effect that the same arrangements that existed between the National Dairy Association and the shipping ’ companies should be available tc all exporters, whether they belonged to the association or not, and that a copy of the resolution be sent to the shipping companies.