COMMERCIAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 20 February 1926, Page 8

COMMERCIAL.

MELBOURNE MARKETS. BY CABLE-PRESS ASSOCIATION COPYRIGHT. MELBOURNE, Feb. 19. Wheat, 5s ll*d to 6s lid; baney, English 4s 6d, Cupe 3s 9cl to 3s lUd; potatoes, £9 10s to £lO- onions, £l3 10s. MARKET REPORT. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., Hawern branch, reports as follows. At Opunake on Monday, 15th inst., we held the usual fortnightly sale and disposed of a medium yarding. Prices realised were; 18-niontli in-calf lieiieis £3 10s, weaner steers £1 15s to £2 ss, weaner heifers £1 7s 6cl to £1 10s. At Hurleyvilie on Wednesday, 17th inst-, we conducted a sheep fair, when a good-sized yarding changed hands at & satisfactory prices. Sales included: 2-tooth ewes to 255, 4 and 6-tooth ewes at 24s 2d mixed .aged wethers 22s 9d. woolly lambs 21s 3d. Romnev rams 2 guineas. On Friday, 3 9th inst.. we held the fortnightly Palmer Road sale, when a fair-sized yarding was submitted to a good attendance of buyers. Prices ruled as follows. Forward cows, £2 7s 6d to £3 10s, store cows £1 10s to £2, aged cows 15s to £T, bulls to £3 14s. lambs 11s 3d to 14s 4d. BURNSIDE MARKET. DUNEDIN, Feb. 17. All classes of fat stock at Burnside to-dav were easier. Extra heavy wethers sold at from 34s to 36s 6d, prime from 28s to 31s. lighter from 26s to 27s Od. Prime heavy ewes realised from 23s to 255, mediums from 18s to 20s. and light from 8s to 18s. Lambs.— Butchers were taking heavv-weight jambs, and prices general, iy were quoted easier by 2s per head. Graziers showed small inclination to take forward lambs at rates from 20s to 22s 3d. Prices were on the basis of 8d to Bid per lb. Fat Cattle. —Prime bul.ocks brought from £ls 15s to £l7 ss. lighter from £lO 12s to £lO 15s, heifers from £6 5s to £9 10s, and cows from '£ t to 49 S jpigs sold fairly well, though prices were little changed. HIDES AND CALFSKINS.

DEPRESSION OF THE MARKET. The overseas market for hides, and calfskins has been steadily weakening for some weeks, according to advices received by a local firm. Cablegrams received vestordav advised that the selling prospects in Europe are very unfavourable, and that prices in the United States of America are still declining. . The situation in Europe is extremely unsettled. In fact, the German raw stock dealers and shoe and leather manufacturers are practically going through a crisis, and prices have declined considerable, particularly for calfskins. There have been a , great number of bankruptcies in the shoe and leathei trade. As far as tlie United States is concerned, the position is very serious in both trades and far from satisfactory. There have also been a number of failures. During the past calfskin season m New Zealand skins which are still unsold, or have fallen into the hands of oversea dealers have recently been offered at very low prices, representing considerable loss to holders, without sales being made. The European calfskin season is now commencing, and the extra supplies available will not help the sale of these New Zealand skins, which were held over. Tlie depression in this commodity is due to the,fact- that suede leathers are not selling'at all well, and furthermore the demand for liglit-weiglit grain calf is dull, as the vogue'is for kid or patent.