FARM AND COMMERCIAL

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 49, 14 October 1918, Page 2

FARM AND COMMERCIAL

AUSTRALIAN BUTTER. ■ , United Press Association —Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association, LONDON, October 11. The Hon. W. M. Hughes, Federal Prime Minister, announces that he has sold to the British Government Australia’s butter for the next season. Mr Hughes cabled asking producers whether they desire the arrangements to cover th© period or the war, which ib at the producers’ option. LONDON MARKETS. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received Oct. 13. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 11. The butter and cheese market is unchanged. Wheat is quiet, little Australian offering. Flour is unchanged, colonial not offering. Oats are scarce and inactive. Beans and peas are in less request and are firmly held. The sugar market is unchanged. LOCAL MARKET REPORTS. Messrs Samson Bros., auctioneers, report as follows on their usual weekly sale on Saturday:—Poultry. Prices remain high and all lines met with keen competition. Turkey nobbier.s 11b to l-5s per-head; small Turkey hens 11s per head, white Leghorn hens 3s 4s per head, silver Wyandotte "hens 4s 3d to 4s 6d per head, black Orpington roosters 4 S per head, chicks Is per head, ducks and drakes 4s. Egg's Is 3s .per dozen. Potatoes: —Reports from the South indicate that supplies are short and prices are likely to go higher. Prime quality Canterbury potatoes sold at 15s per cwt, and ordinary quality at 12s 6d per cwt. Small vegetables sold at usual ratesMr Fred Gray reports a busy day at his weekly auction sale last Saturday. Good entries were received in horses and sheep dogs. The class being good, a fair number of sales were effected. Ail extra large quantity of poultry came forward, and a fair number of buyers being present the lot were sold at satisfactory prices. Sales were as under: — Horses (10 entries): —Hacks £2 to £5 10s. harness horses £4 10s to £9 15s-. Dogs (10 entries): —1 wing and hunt-away £8 10s. Several young unbroken dogs realised from £1 to £2 10s. HarnessI—set 1 —set £3 ss, saddle and bridle £3 sb. Poultry (241 birds penned) : —Hens 3s to 4s 2d, roosters 2s to 4s 3d, ducks 2s 9d to 3s 2d, drakes 3s to 3s 2d, cockerels GcLto 2s Id, gobblers 11s. Potatoes 15s per bag, vegetables (large quantity). Lemons and eggs at market prices. Furnitqre and sundries wei'e sold at satisfactory prices.

In most parts of New. Zealand transactions in land have been very limited of late, but according to reports, properties continue to change hands in Poverty Bay at prices which close students of land values consider very high. Apparently there is a certain amount of speculative buying and the prices paid do not always represent actual values. Never before, said on© man, have such high prices been paid, as much as £ls and £l6 an acre having been given. Leasehold land has been sold for £l7 an acre, including goodwill. This, at any rate, shows a feeling, of security and confidence in the.future. At the same time it is believed by some that price l : for land are far too high and it is thought that the difficulties of financing will be accentuated in the near future. With so much money absorbed in war loans it is contended there will sure to he a shortage and the war is not ended yet.

Most of the mercantile firms are working with short staffs. Many have gone to the front and are receiving liberal treatment from their old employers who have, in many instances, "promised to keep tneir positions open for therm Owing to the shortage of labor it is difficult to fill certain positions and several firms are working with a small staff. Matters will be simplified when the old hands come from the front to reclaim their positions. It must be said to the credit of the existing staffs that they, often cheerfully perform extra duties out of loyalty to their firms and their comrades at the front.