COMMERCIAL

Evening Star, Issue 20985, 26 December 1931, Page 6

COMMERCIAL

FRUIT AND PRODUCE. Bray Bros. Ltd,, Dmvedin, report as follows for week ended’, to-day:— The spell of dry weather that has continued for some fime has caused growers of all lines anxiety.. However, there has been a beneficial fall of rain in some districts, which' will* no doubt relieve the position, but fruitgrowers in particular have lost a Jot' of their crops owing to the iato frosts and dry weather. Strawberries hi particular have been of poorer quality than usual, and raspberries will be- in much .shorter supply than was expected. There is very little interest being displayed in the produce market, and the dry weather js causing a number of farmers to hold back their supplies of chaff, and this is filed y to bring about a shortage of offerings. Best lines are worth up to ££> per ton, ex store. There is no alteration in the oat market. Up to recently sales of A grade have been made in ■jdie Southland district at 2s 8d f.0.b., s.i. Very little interest is being displayed in the milling wheat market. Millers’ prices for flour, etc., are as follows: Flour.—2oo’s, £l7 2s fid; 100’s, £lB 2s fid; fiiO’s, £lB 7s fid; 25’b, £lB 17s fid. Bran, £5 10s.

Pollard, £6 10s. Oatmeal. —200’s, £2O; 25’s, £32. The potato market is unsteady. Larger quantities of new season’s are now offering, and prices have eased. Old season potatoes are now finished. Some good samples of new season’s .potatoes are coming forward from Canterbury. , , The onion market is well supplied,., and prices are reasonable. The egg market is steady. All lines coming forward are readily placed. Hams and bacon are in good supply, and prices lower than usual for this time of the year. Cheese is offering freely, and sales are slow. Some first-class samples of honey are offering, and sales have fallen away. Business in the fruit marts has been brisk dui'ing the week. Most linos, coming forward are low in price. Granges in particular are in good sup'ply. Apples have also been coming forward in larger quantities, and prices are low. Holders of cool store apples will not find them payable this year. Supplies «of strawberries have come forward from Otago Central, but these have not beep as plentiful as was expected, the late frosts having destroyed a lot of the crops. Raspberries are also coming forward. A feature of the market has been the largo quantity of cherries offering, and prices have been on the low side. Tomatoes have been meeting with a'fair demand, and prices have remained fairly steady. Red and black currants are coming forward freely. Gooseberries are also offering. Vegetables have been in good supply, and prices have been irregular. Reas have been offering freely and early in the season sold at lid per lb. The price moved up to fid for good quality this last few days. All vegetables have been offering freely, and prices low. There has not been the keen demand for fruit and ■.vm'hlilos that is usually experienced in the auction marts at this season of the year. The following prices were realised during the week: — Apples.—Dessert, 5s to 8s fid case. Apples.—Small, 2s fid to 3s fid case. Apples.—Cooking, 4s to 7s fid cause. Tomatoes.—CJd to 10-id lb. Gooseberries, lid to 2id per lb. Strawberries, fid to Is Id per pottile. Cherries, 3d to Is 4d per lb. Cucumbers, 2s to 4s dozen. Peas, lid to 3id lb. Passions, 16s to 20s case. Beet, Is 2d to 2s dozen. Local potatoes, lid to 3d lb. Marrows, 17s to 20s case. Rhubarb, lid to 2id lb. Australian oranges, 8s to 14s case.

Lemons. —Missions, 45s case. Lemons. —Australians, 12s to 14s case. Grapefruit, 18s to 21s case. Peaches, 4£d to sid lb. Pines, 18s to 21s case. Bananas.—Samoan, 22s 6d; ripe, 255. Carrots, 2s 6d to 4s cwt. Cauliflowers, Is Gd to 4s bag. Cabbage, Is 6d to 4s bag. Lettuce, 6d to Is Gd dozen. Garlic, ssd to Gd lb. Potatoes, £2 to £3 per ton. Eggs, Is to Is Id dozen. t Peanuts, 3d to 4d lb. Cheese. —Medium, Gd; loaf, 8d lb. Honey, 4d to old lb. Onions. —Australian, £l4 per ton. Beeswax, Is sd, Is Gd lb. Woodwool, 28s bale. Tallow, to 12s Gd cwt. Oyster grit, 8s bag. Butter.—Pats, Is 2d; dairy pats, 8-id to 9Jd lb; bulk, la l£d. Bacon, lid per lb. Hams, Is per lb. Oats.—A Gartons, 3s; B Gartous, 2s 7d per bushel. Partridge peas, 6s to 6s bushel, Pollard, £6 10s per ton. Milling wheat, 5s lOd to 6s 3d per bushel. Fowl wheat, 4s 6d to 4s 9d per bushel. Bran, £5 10s per ton., Wheaten straw, 60s per ton. Clover hay, £5 10s per ton. TUAPEKA MINING NEWS, [From Odr Correspondent.] For some time past a number of gentlemen interested in gold mining and in the development of the mining industry generally in this district have given some attention to the possibilities of opening up the cement deposit, evidently a continuation of the Wetherstones deposit, in the neighbourhood of Forsyth and Paddy’s Point, which lies in a north-westerly direction from Waitaliuna. The Paddy’s Point Gold Mining Company has within its bounds an immense quantity of cement which has been tested in many places and the value of its gold content duly appraised. The company so far has practically not given any attention to the development of the cement on its property, confining its operations mainly to the shallow alluvial ground, which has not called for the same outlay in exploitation. But the great body of cement sooner or later has to be attacked and worked, and its value in gold put to the real test. It is hinted that ouside capial will be available for the undertaking, and all who are interested in the district’s welfare will he pleased when this comes to pass and is actually given effect to. The water rights owned by the company will prove of considerable value when the cement-testing and developmental work are in the forefront.

. The Sailor’s Gully Sluicing Company, with its mining claim in operation at Waitahuna Gully, has just paid its sixty-eighth dividend, amounting to 6d per share. The nominal capital of tho company is £8,400, and it was formed and registered on June 3, 1896. Up to tho end ‘of the year 1930 the company had won 12,6830 z lOdwt sgr of gold pf the total value of £49,906 6s lOd, out of which dividends to tho value of £9,515 Lave been declared. Tho company's mining rights and privileges are held under a twelve months’ option by a group of Wellington commercial men. with a right-to-purchaso clause running

into five figures. It is understood that the syndicate will take steps at an early date to test thoroughly the value of the conglomerate throughout the area held by the present company, and if this proves satisfactory will thereafter decide upon a course of action involving probably considerable outlay in the acquirement of an extensive plant to work the claim to the best possible advantage. The promoters of the Tuapeka River Sluicing Company, who have a strong foothold on the lower stretch of the Tuapeka River, are making arrangements for prospecting their ground early in tho incoming /ear. Those acquainted with that part of the country are satisfied that when an adequate water supply is controlled and brought to bear on its auriferous resources the gold yields will be regular’and substantial. The absence of a good water supply for sluicing purposes has been the chief drawback hitherto to its successful development as a mining centre. Industries Ltd. is pushing on vigorously with the preliminary work for testing the cement in the Golden Crescent Sluicing Company’s claim at Wctherstones. A largo amount of machinery is now on the ground and will bo placed in position without delay. Tho electric power line linking up with tlie claim is all but completed, having been pushed on with all speed. Everything points in the direction that there will be great activity on the Golden Crescent claim early in the New Year. At Monday’s sitting of the local Warden’s Court the application of W. J. Livingston for prospecting license over 30 acres of Crown lands in block VII., Table Hill district, was granted, as. was also George G. Scott’s prospecting license over 20 acres of Crown lands in block XLVHL, Tokomairiro district. Tli© latter applicant’s application for an extension of time for water race No. IjlT’fi was also granted. BANK OF ENGLAND RETURNS. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, December 24. (Received December 26, at 1.30 a.m.) ISSUE DEPARTMENT. Note issue in circulation £370,030,801 Banking department • 35,688,565 £395,719,456 Government debt £11,015,100 Other Government securities 343,121,088 Other securities 1 17,814,475 Silver coin ... 4,049,337 Gold and silver bullion 120,719,456 £395,719,456 BANKING DEPARTMENT. Proprietors’ capital ~. £14,553,000 Rest 3,342,273 Public deposits ... ... .'. 14,641,211 Other deposits (bunkers) ,■ ... 73,281,664 Other accounts ... 38,721,399 Seven-day and other bills ... 1,071 £143,540,518 Government securities £67,505,906 Discounts and advances 13,536,612 Other securities 36,175,723 Notes in reserve 25,688,465 Gold and silver coin '... 633,813 ‘ £143,540,518 The proportion o( reserves to liabilities is 20.00 per cent. Short loans are quoted at 4J per cent., three-month bills at 5J per cent. THE MEAT MARKET. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, December 24. Frozen Meat.—New Zealand ewes: Under 481 b, 3|d. New Zealand lambs: Canterbury—36lb and under 7d, 371 b to 421 b fid; selected North Island brands Australian lambs: Victorian, first quality, 371 b to 421 b, fid. New Zealand Frozen Beef.—Ox hinds, 1601 b to 2201 b, 3*d. Australian Frozen Beef.—Ox crops, over 1001 b, 23-8 d; ox hinds, over 1601 b, 3 3-Bd. Argentine Chilled Beef.—Ox fores, 1601 b to 2201 b, 25-8 d; ox hinds, 1601 b to 2201 b, CJd. New Zealand Pigs. First quality—601b to 1101 b (average 901 b), 6 l-8d; 1111 bto 1201 b, 5 l-8d; others unchanged.

WHEAT, FLOUR, ETC. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, December 24. Cargoes: Sellers are whiling to concede from 3d to Gd, but buyers are not responsive. Parcels, are unchanged. Futures: London December 245, February 24s 3d, June 25s 3s; Liverpool—December 5s ltd, March 5s 4|d, May 5s 7£d, July 5s 9d. Spot trade is slow. Australian, ex ship, 29s 9d to 30s Gd. Flour is steady. Australian, ex store, 20s Gd to 2ls Gd. Oats are quietly steady, and peas and beans are quiet. BRADFORD MARKET, Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, December 24. At Bradford there is a holiday market. BUTTER, CHEESE, AND EGGS. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, December 24 . Butter is slow. Danish, 1365. Choicest salted New Zealand, 96s to 98s; exceptionally good, 100 s. Australian, 95s to 9Ss. Unsalted: New Zealand, 112 s to 118 s; Australian, 106 s to 109 s. ’ Cheese is dull. New Zealand: White, 55s to 565; coloured, 54s to 555. Australian: White; 545; coloured, 54s to 555. Eggs are weak. Australian, 10s 9d to 12s. BEET SUGAR. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, December 24. Beet Sugar.—January, 9s G£d. COTTON, RUBBER, ETC. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, December 24. Cotton. —January, 4.BBd*per lb. Rubber. Para, 4£d; plantation smoked, 3J-d. Jute.—December-January, £l9 2s Gd. New Zealand Hemp.—None offering. Copra. January-February South Sea, £l4 ss; plantation Rabaul, £l4 10s. Linseed oil, £l4 15s. Turpentine, £2 11s Gd. Osmiridinm is unchanged.