COMMERCIAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 83, 16 April 1901, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

(By Telegraph —Press Association.) Wellington, last night. The Department of Agriculture has received the following cablegram from the Agent-General, dated the 13th: Butter, f 100 s, market firm ; cheese, 47s ; there is good demand for cheese ; New Zealand hemp, good Wellington, 4124; fair cur- ' rent Manila .£33 ; market dull. The , stocks on April Ist were : New Zealand, 362 tons, as against 206 last year; Manila, 16,030 bales, as against 6740. Heavy shipments of hemp are expected from Manila. Cocksfoot seed, 171 b standard, oos; there is better demand for cocksfoot seed. Mutton: There is a falling market. Average prices are : Canterbury, 4(d ; Dunedin, BJd; North Island, 3Jd ; Australian, 2--[d; Biver Plate, ojd. Lamb, market good. Canterbury, 5Jd; others, s,‘d; Australian, 4Jd. Beef is firmer. Hinds, 3gd; fores, 3}d. BANK OF NEW ZEALAND’S BEPOBT. Under date February 27, the Bank of New Zealand’s produce circular has the following : Wool.—The first series of wool sales which opened on 15th January closed on 9th February. There was a good attendance of buyers throughont the series, most of the trade centres being well represented, except America, which sent’only a very few representatives. The net available supply consisted of 339,000 bales, of which 245,000 bales were sold, 145,000 bales for Home consumption, 95,000 bales to the Continent, and 5000 bales to America, leaving 94,000 bales (including 20,000 bales New Zealand), held over for future realisation. Last circular brought the sales down to 31st January. After that date a slightly better tone prevailed for most descriptions, and towards the close of the scries prices were occasionally 5 per cent, above the worst, but competition was somewhat irregular. The coarsest kinds of crossbreds varied in value less than the grade immediately above them, but on the average rates were 1 barely so high as they were at the end of ; the preceding series. The future course of the market is again , obscured by a heavy supply of wool carried I over. At one time there were fair prospects that the old stocks would have been i greatly diminished at the recent sales, but , the auctions revealed once more that , buyers were not in a position to take the • whole quantity off this market, except at a further reduction in price. Holders 1 therefore deemed it advisable not to force all their wool upon unwilling shoulders, * with the result that about 94,000 bales were withhold, being 36,000 bales less than the quantity brought forward from the 1 November series. The list of arrivals for the second series, which opens on 12th March, closed on ‘ 20th February, the prescribed total of 200,000 bales, fresh arrivals, having then been reached. After deducting the direct 1 shipments, and adding the quantity carried r forward/ the available supply amounts to about 219,000 bales, of which some 52,000 bales are New Zealand. The following ships from New Zealand arrived in time, viz : Wakanui, Paparoa, Mamari, Eiffel Tower, Buteshire, and Tokomaru. Meat (frozen) —Mutton : Notwithstand- • mg the smallness of stocks, prices during the past fortnight have declined. Salesmen have been complaining of the poor demand for Now Zealand mutton for some > time past, due, they -state, to the high prices, which has driven buyers on to Biver Plato and Australian. As soon as the new season’s supplies come forward in larger quantities prices are certain to fall to a considerably lower level. In consequence of the great disparity between the prices which c.i.f. buyers are prepared to offer and what sellers expect to get, there is very little business passing in “ forward ” contracts. Lamb : Up to within the last few days the weather has been too cold for the lamb trade. Prices for New Zealand are more or less nominal owing to the small number sold. Beef : American chilled has been plentiful of late, which has kept values of . frozen beef rather low. > Friday’s Auckland Herald has the following in regard to the Auckland markets : Just at this moment the market is very bare of potatoes, and it is with difficulty 1 shipping orders can be filled. The price C to-day for good lots ex store is £3. The holidays have checked deliveries. How- ■ ever, the scarcity can only be temporary, as Southern Denvents are expected to land at the end of this week. * Good business in oats is being done locally, at full rates. There is a good demand for onions, without any change in price. Fan- business is being done 'in oatmeal at late rates. Good chaff is worth £2 12s 6d at the rail. Farmers are pushing this line on the market ahead of requirements. On anything that is not really good concessions have to be made to clear. ' Currants, sultanas and elemes have been in better demand. The rice market remains unchanged, with good inquiry at the ruling rate. Lard in squares has been meeting with l ready sale. No. 4 tin vestas are again in short sup- : ply, owing to the Wellington factory not being able to fill orders. 1 A large sale is reported in tinned milk. With the days drawing in, kerosene is moving off more quickly at present low rates. The leading brands of whisky have 1 been in very full demand, and colonial bottled beer has been going out very freely. In the local produce market, several changes have to be noted. Factory butter remains at lOd, best farmers’ has advanced to 7d, and second quality to 6d per lb wholesale. Eggs have declined to Is per dozen wholesale.