COMMERCIAL.

Northern Advocate, 27 May 1921, Page 6

COMMERCIAL.

AUCKLAND KEVIEW. WHOLESALE AND BETAIL. AUCKLAND, This Buy. The wholesale trade is naturally a little brighter this week on aecount of forward booking into June, .?ays the "Herald's ,, eonunerei.il editor. Orders avo on n .fairly generous scale considering :thc cautious attitude of the public, 1 showing that stocks are being kept ; within reasonable compass. In some ■ departments the position is somewhat demoralised by offers from-Austrsilia at low rates. The Dominion is inundated by travellers from Australia, who are offering Britisli-nianu featured goods fit prices far below cost. It is more pro£inl>lo to do this in Xew Zealand than in tlu-ir <nvn country, as they can tnke advantage of two tariffs. When oneo thfy lvavo decided to cut their loss thej' export -to New Zealand, getting the full .L-nwbnck of duty originally paid when the goods arrived, perhap.? a year ago. When the goods arrive here they do not ; pay the «;me duty ns Xew Zealand importations, which pay ad valorem on cost in ' England, 'but they get in at the lower rate cm the price ruling in Australia. From events that have recently happened it looks as if it will sometimes bo profitable for New Zealand impcrter3 to send tlieir good.; i< I Australia, getting the full .drawback of hit" originally paid, and then import ihciii again, paying du!y on the Aus-' trahan v.-ilfie, but in the moan time they have to ,-it down and watch the trade £r<n<?ift' past them. It is reported !hr.' '(ivoinl w.irehouses have sliq-Ml.v reduced their staffs.

Eetail trade is a little quieter this week. The weather is not. so r.:tmotive, ond buyers were laat week parlieutorly attentive to the special price: , - offering.- However,.tlie sales aro being continued, xov\ fair -business is passing. Import and export trade are both quieter this week, and this is another f-tctor reflected in the quieter tons of qenerfil business. Very few steamers are in, and no loading of any consequence taking place. . I Sugar. —Ample supplies, are obtainable. Confidence in <the market has . been restored by the official statement that no £veat reduction, if any, will take place in the price and that it will not com? abou<t- for months. The same i* point of Aiew is now adopted in Aus- \ Itralia, where previously an expected ; :'ollap=e in the sugar market caused a i >harp reduction in such goods si can- , :icd fruits, but the new aspect of the ♦ n'gar market has firmed up quotations i -jonsidprc-My. IFotatoe*. —Supplies on the local r.iar\ct are very low, but ro alteration has token place, in the price. Ample quan- ' tities should be here by the Tasmania - this w-jek, and bookings are already being mndn jvi 7s ex wharf arrive, while the price ex store.is 7s 6d. The quality keeps up iwell, end buyers do not hesitate to got in a fair quantity, but ethers seem to depend on -what 6 they «m get each week, so-that .any n interruption in the arrival of usual quantity-creates a shortage at once. Seed Potatoes. —No improvement is re ported in the demand, biK the diy weather has been preventing fanners - from breaking up their land. The first returji of good weathqr after rain -will see the demand come in for seed potatoes,, and merchants are getting stocks ready" in anticipation. Onions. —Selling , slowly at' 7s M to 8* ex store. Quite sufficient for nil purposes are arriving, nnd full stocks ' arc held in the South. Growers are rHready looking forward to next season, !inu the. curliest sown seed? are corning mi well. Oat?. —A plight reaction bas taken p'-acu-, and the market is hardly as firm* !;s it was at the beginning of the menth. Fair stocks are held here, and quotation is 4s Gel ito 4s 9d ox store in small lots. Oatmeal.—-The shortage in oatmeal am! rolled oats is-most pronounced. The extra winter demand came in with a rush, just as stocks were at their lowest, avA it has been impossible to overlake it. Local is selling particularly well, but heavier., supplies of Southern f; j ehnuld be here soon. Sb Chaff.—Market is firm at 0s 6d to 10s ex store for best Southern, but good H quantities arc offering from most m i sources. Farmers appear anxious to quickly realise on their sticks of chaff, probably on account of the unusual dif- ■ ficulfy in realising.on their live stock, p.nd regular quotations arc coming in from Caiiieibury "and Mr.rlborough, as well as from Hawke's Bay. A little lociil is arriving, ami this is realising l<. Ci! to Sb at the station. Kay.—A fair -lemand ki.rps up based on Cs' to (is 6d at the station in truck i lots. Pastures are getting very thin I for want of rain and farmers will apj predate a few weeks of light warm I rain to give grass a good start before the fr>*ts begin in earnest. It is now getting so late in the season that it ■ looks as if a great deal of hay will be required to make up for the want oi grass. Fortunately a particularly-good hay chop was secured, j Maize. —The heavy arrival from Byd- ' ncy-liis-t week would have fdled up the | market, but the whole shipment held J up in the meantime, pending further inj vestigation by Government officials. ■ This caused an unusual demand for all ' the Bay of Plenty maize . sent in, so I that much heavier arrivals than usual I are disposed of without any difficulty. The price is based on a value of about 6s 9d on the wharf in wholesale lines, but a good deal will depend on whether the Australian maize is released without any difficulty. The quality arriving lately has been very fine, and there seems to be no dif"se ficulty in getting plenty from Aus-

tittlia. It ia reported that stocks aTe getting very light in the Bay of Plenty, but the new season's grain i should be ready beforo long. I Wheat. —Pull qiwniiiies of milling « J wheat have arrived lately, and both the local milh arc turning - out large quantities of flour. The shortage is not overtaken yet, but every week makes the position better. Bran and Pollard. —Both are in good demand, with supplies insufficient in pollaril. Seed Oats.—A fair demand has continue!. Early planted lots are looking well, and tke rain this week will help them along splendidly. Fertilisers. —Demand koeps xip well Sydney bonedust- is now arriving re-g-ulnrly and Calcutta bonedust is selling well. The price should be lower in the next shipment. Salt. —An unusual scarcity exists in both fine and coarse, but several shipments will arrive before long. Fencing Wire. —Demand is not verykeen, in spite of the lower price. Kapok.—A sharp advance is reported, and forward shipments will be landed at a higher cost than the price now ruling in Auckland. Flax. —Market continues dull in Lon- j don and New York, and sales are im- ) possible at present. ; ~~ 1

- WESTFIELD STOCK SALES. BUCKLiAND AND SONS. Alfred Buekland and Son 3, Ltd., report a3 follows: — ' ! On Wednesday, at our weekly West- : field fat stock market our .supply of fat cattlo numbered 379 head, comprising • 308 steers, OS cows and heifers, and 3 bulls. There was a. much keener demp.nd, and values for all classes were decidedly firmer. Extra choice ox sold to £1 IS/, choice and prime £1 I 13/ to £1 17/, plain and ordinary £1 j 7/ to £1 12/; prime young cow and | heifer beef, £1 8/ to £1 14/; ordinary cow 18/ to £1 5/; rough beef, 12/ to 15/. Heavy prime steers ranged in price from £14 10/ to £16 10/; lighter prime, £8 10/ to £11; plain and unfinished, £4 15/ to £S; extra heavy prime cows and heifers, £7 10/ to £9 10/; other cows, £2 10/ to £6 10/. - The mutton pens contained about an average entry of sheep, the quality generally being first-class. There was a steady demand throughout,- arid all frrime multon sold r.t slightly improved rate. , ?. Extra heavy prime wethers, £1 4/ to £3 5/9; heavy prime wethers, £1 2/ to £1 3/G; medium to heavy prime wethers, 18/6 to £1 1/6; light and un- ' finished, 14/ to 17/; heavy ewes, 15/6 to 18/6 (no extra heavy prime young ewes penned); lighter prime ewes, 13/U to 15/; lighter ewes, 11/6 to 13/; other ewes, 7/ to 11/ (1613 sold). The 401 lambs which came forward met with a fair sale, values being unchanged. Best prime, 18/ to £1 1/; lighter, 15/ to i 17/6; unfinished, 10/ to 13/; store-?, 7/ to 9/. ■ Fat and young calves were penned in less than average numbers. There was I a better demand at improved rates for ' all good quality vcalers. Plain and j rough were much the same. Runners I made from £3 15/ to £9 2/6 for a choice .two-year-old heifer; heavy veal-er-9, £2 15/ to £3 10/; medium, £2 to £2 .13/; light, £15/ to £1 18/; small'and rough, 12/6 to £1 2/; fresh dropped, 5/ to 11/ (93 eold). Pigs were penned in average num- ; bers, but the quality was not up to the i standard. The demand for all classes ] of fat pigs wa=i very keen, and values j were considerably firmer. Store pigs j were also better worth. Choppers, £6 ! 1/ to £7 11/; heavy baconers, £5 15/ to ; £(i 15/; medium baconers, £5 2/G to £5 ! 14/; light baconers, £4 10/ to £4 18/; j heavy porkers, 3 7/G to £4 5/; medium ; porkers, 2 16/ to £3 5/; light porker" £2 to £2 15/; small .store pigs, £1 'to ; £2 (3-26 sold)..

ADDINGTON -PRICES. CIIRISTCHURCH, This Day. At the Addington market there was an improved sale in the principal sections. T'r.t and store showed an advance, and* beef was firmer. Fat lambs maintained late rates. Store Sheep.—A bigger yarding and a considerably healthier, tone. Good forward lambs brought 10/ to 10/6; fair wethers 7/ to 8/9, small 5/6 to 6/0, cull 2/3 1o 5/; good ewes, 13/2; forwaril fvnr six, and eight-tooth wethers 1;"/'.), ordinary four and six-tooth 12/ .to 13/0, two and four-tooth 11/0 to ;'O° f l f°" v > ? i x :m( l eight-tooth ewes, coarsc-woolledj 1 <!/'>• Fat Lambs. —Values wei-e practically the same as List week. Extra prime realised 24/ to 2'i/n, prime '19/6 to 22/7, mc'.lium ]<y<J to 19/.'!, %h' V 2/ to 16/. Ff.t Sheep.—A' bi« yarding and an improved sale. Freezers paid up to 4il for wether mutton. Extra prime wethers brought 27/2, prime 20/9 to 25/, medium IS/ to 20/3, inferior light 14/ to 37/0; prime ewes, 17/ li to 20/0, medium 14/6 to 17/, inferior light 9/ tc 13/9. Fat Catilc,—The isale opened weakly but improved, and finished strongly Prime steers realised £13 '>/ to £15 10/ ' medium £9 15/ to £13, light £6 15/ tc £9, prime heifers £7 17/(5 to £10 2/0 ordinary £4 12/6 to £7 10/; prime eowf £7 to £15 10/, ordinary £4 10/ to ft IS/.' Dairy Cattle. —A strong entry, but o slack demand. Good Shorthorn heifers £21, ordinary £12, good third and fourth calvers £15 10/, medium cow* £8 10/, inferior 35/ to £5. Store Cattle.—A small entry and n poor sale. Three-year steers 'brought £5 2/6. Fat Pigs. —Choppers £6 10/, baconera £4 10/ to £6,. an average price per lb of 7d to 7Jd; porkers 45/ to 70/, an average price per lb of 9d to 91d. Store Pigs.—Medium stores 32/ to 40/, small IS/ to 30/; good weaners 13/ to 16/, small 8/ to 12/6.