COMMERCIAL

Evening Star, Issue 23753, 7 December 1940, Page 15

COMMERCIAL

SEASON ENDING OATS, CHAFF, AMD POTATOES CURRENT VEGETABLE PRICES Bray Bros. Lid. report: — Odd lots of milling wheat which have been Jate in coming on the market are being cleared up before the end of the month. The fowl wheat market remains firm. Best quality is worth 6s 9d a bushel, sacks extra, on the wholesale market. Small lots are realising higher money. Undergrade is selling at prices ranging from 6s a bushel upwards. Wholesale prices for Hour are; —200’s, £l3 16s 6d; 100’s, £l4 12s 6d; 50’s. £l4 17s 6d; 25’s, £6 7s 6d. Pollard, £6 15s a ton of 2,0001 b. Bran, £6 5s a ton of 2,0001 b. Oatmeal.—2oolb sacks, £27 14s a ton; 251 b, loose, £29 4a; 25ib, packed in sacks of eight, £29 14s The market for oats is about finished, and tbo stores have now disposed of their stocks to make room for wool. An occasional inquiry is still received for shipment to tbo North Island. Values remain unchanged at 4s 9d a bushel for A Cartons, f.0.b., s.i.. with B’s at 4s 6d, f.0.b., s.i. There arc now practically no olferings from the country, and this position will obtain until tbo new season’s oats are available. Tbo demand for chaff is on tbo small side and little business is going through. The stores hold quite sufficient to meet the demand. Best quality is worth £6 10s a ton, sacks extra, with small lots realising higher prices. The market for old season’s potatoes is nearing an end. The stores still hold supplies, but these are difficult to dispose of even at the very poor prices that have been ruling for some time past. Supplies of all good lines of seeds continue on the short side. Several Government orders have recently been placed, fairly substantial quantities changing bands, and this business had reduced local stocks. The quantities now held in the stores are about sufficient to meet the retail demand for the present sowings. FRUIT AND VEGETABLES. Apples are now in short supply, and advico from the Marketing Department indicates that there will be only small quantities on the market for the next week or two. Then the season will bo finished. The condition ot most of the lines coming forward is wasty and the fruit has to be sold at irregular rates. Lemons are iu short supply, and when any shipment reaches the market it has to be rationed to retailers. A small shipment of Samoan bananas have been distributed to the trade. The tomato market has been erratic. Brices dropped early in the week, but they firmed at the week-end to those ruling the previous week. Cherries are in heavy supply. Only choice quality have a demand. Small and inferior grade are on offer at low prices. There is not likely to be any large quantity of strawberries on offer this season. Supplies are coming from Centra] Otago. VVaimate, and Outrara. Gooseberries are in better supply and the market is easier. Cauliflowers are short, but cabbages are plentiful. Largo supplies of green peas are arriving from Waimate and meeting with a steady demand. Potatoes are in full supply from the Peninsula and Outram districts, and prices have dropped. The prices now being realised are about halt of those ruling at this time last year. North Island potatoes are practically unsaleable. Choice lettuce continue to have a ready sate.

New season’s carrots and while turnips arc in fair supply. Other vegetables are in good supply, with practically no change in values.

Wholesale prices are;— Cauliflowers, 3s 64 a case. Lettuce, Is 6d to 2s a. dozen. Carrots, 3s to 3a Sd a dozen Onions, 22s 6d a bag. Spinach, 2s a dozen. Asparagus, 10s to 12s a dozen. Peas, 3d to 3|d a lb. Local potatoes, lid to IJd a lb Gooseberries, 3d a lb. Rhubarb, 2£d to 3d a lb. Cucumbers (hothouse), 12s to 14s a dozen. Tomatoes. —Nelson, Is to Is Id a lb; Christchurch, Is 4d to Is- 6d a lb; locals. Is 6d to Is 7d a lb. Strawberries, Is 2d to Is fid a pottle. Cherries, Is 3d to Is 7d a lb; small, 9d to lOd a lb.

PROPERTY SALES

Messrs Haggitt, Dutliie, and Campbell report the sale of the brick bungalow residence known as 128 Cannington road. Maori Hill, on account of Mrs A. B. M'Cregor, the purchasei being Mrs E. E. Stevenson. The same firm has also sold the villa residence, 13 Be»°- street, Musselburgh, to Messrs A. T and M Russell, the vendor being Mr Robert Walker.

WOOLWORTHS (VICTORIA) LTD.

Net profit of Woolwortlis (Victoria; Ltd, is £40,823 for the year ended September 30, compared with £33,283 for the previous year. The profit is struck after providing £18,438 for taxation, and £19,233 for depreciation, against £11,701 and £16,165 respectively in 1938-39. Ordinary dividend is reduced from 15 per cent, to 12£ per cent., and requires £25,001 on an increased capital. Preference dividend of 7 per cent, amounts ,to £5.600. The remainder of the profit. £10,222. is carried forward. AUSTRALIAN STOCK EXCHANGES Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright SYDNEY. December 6. Trading on the Stock Exchange to-day was restricted, but the undertone of tha market was firm Bank of New South Wales, £2B; Com* merical Bank of Sydney, £l9 12s; Amalgamated Wireless (cont.), £2 ss; British Tobacco, £2 8s 9d; Felt and Textiles, £1 18s 6d; Adams, 14s 9d: Woolworths, 17s 9d; Woolwortlis (New Zealand). 12s 9d: Mount Lyell, £1 8s 7d; Larut, 7s 4d/ MELBOURNE, December 6. National Bank (£5 paid), £5 16s; Metropolitan Gas, £l3: Cox Bros., 7s 4d ; Broken Hill Proprietary, £2 5s 3d: Emperor, 12s; Mount Morgan, 11s 3d; North Broken Hill, £2 Is. . WIIAKATANE PAPER MILLS MET LOSS OF £72,554 A net loss of £72,994, including £33,7971 for depreciation, is shown in the account* of Whakatauc Paper Mills Limited for th® year ended June 30, to be presented to the annual meeting in Sydney this month. A satisfactory upward trend in output is reported, production, which was commenced in July, 1939. having risen from 3,000 lons of board for tbo first six months to 2,550 tons for three months ended September, 1940. Over the same period from July, 1939, tbo average monthly valuo of output Lad increased from £IO,OOO !o £30,000