COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15233, 21 February 1913, Page 5

COMMERCIAL.

MARKET REPORT. ■gEISEER BUSINESS EXPECTED, PiSXEAi merchants are still experiencing a "at state of affairs, but late reports indibrisker business during the next week, •—A bookings for March supplies. Trade ' V lji country districts re-mains (steady, orders to hand in fair volume. Soft goods louses report a change, and inquiries are * '* coming in moro freely. Retailers have lA' a busy period with summot sales, '.ych are reported as highly satisfactory. ' Hardware merchants have months of steady ' Ljness. ahead, and trade in no way shows ./•;■;-:•:- Produce merchants aro busily "mploycd, aud with heavy inquiries now ■ coming forward a brisk season is antici- • - pated- ■ . . 'Rico: All reports concerning this comity seem to express the opinion that ', fj.{j' prices are likely to bo well main- ■ ■ Jnsi during this year. • ■ Cream of Tartar: Market is. difficult to follow.' Prices are irregular, and buyers ■ lad best exercise discretion before placing •:. toward contracts. ■■ • ; Glucose: }|arict is slightly easier for croffiPt and forward shipments. Canned fruits aro in good inquiry, and stocks in first, hands aro meeting with ready '■J-. Salmon: Ail grades of better class salmon •'im now ' practically been withdrawn. jTsrkefc for lower grades is slightly easier, paused Asparagus: This article is now rjfag with an increasing inquiry. Stocks hand aro rather low. _ Lima Beans: From advices received -stocks on the San Francisco market aro js&er light, and prices are more likely to advance than decline. . Potatoes: Supplies aro not .equal to the ' Attand still, and the'market is firmer. It i-Eot expected that this will continue long, ■' »mut mouth purchases from Canterbury ijfi bo in course of delivery. Price. iS £?

As reported last issuo, the maxill very firm. Tho inquiry for AusvSKa spears to: haw upset calculations stowthcT.lt is entirely unlocked for, as Victorian main crop -which is brown SLishTis loeking particularly. well. Stocks 55SSlaad arc low, and bigness is. only

'rf a hanito-mouth character. Prioo ia

' Offerings arc increasing, and, are ouch- larger than they wore, a.week STo back. It is quite apparent that-thero • -£* considerable quantity of oate in Canter- '■: ■Si tobe dealt with, and as freights now )Aw prohibitive for export .it would look £ an-early market when Southland com--j£cS deliveries. Local, demand is good, .-'- Stocks are low and the price 3s. Hw&i ::-'Chaff is about the same, -Very HUte business is passing in new chaff. Ship- . Saw stiU .coming up from 31enbe*n The price remains £5 for. total, £5 15s tor There is no change toreTO rt ' The market ia not ™U supplied. demand is only Price 4s 6d. TiT-iie- -■ Owing to the scarcity of arrivals ■'fi£the coast, the local market is now J £bare, and the em**! l«t» that have fewfSd are being Bold at fa,6d,«c, - wharf for-wholesale lots. ; ~ Bran: i There is very good demand at fco. - St Sarf ii°moTing off at 2fc 10s, with an T&ll quantity that is comirjfewtd is readily sold. Good sample* «* rerJjsm? 41d. _ - :„ ro tU - Fiov>: The Southern quotation is £3 IM fob. The Auckland Roller Mills quote '■'■■'■■• ,; '(£lL : ■ :;: '-' ; '' ■ ■■'-'• '''■ ■ '■■ - : :;■.-. ■■ ; ■: i. -\ Far: Deliveries are Steeping up well, •u?i the. latest cablegrams from tendon ' wW to a very dull market there. . Specu- %£ are holding back, and consequently .-: the amount of passing business is extremely imm The local quotations remain: K; £26 15s; £».q. £25 ss; common, Tow. is still arriving in fair quantities, ■ "!Is»averace price is about £9. „ - _j : Ceyloa Teal The crop for 1912 snows a . malf increase over 1911. **??£. -' tho fear the increase looked : like- being ' ■retyiauch more, In* reduced supplies dur'Kfcffiß last two months have prevented £le demand for Ceylon tea .from all :countries of the. world, except Russia, shows "ft study increase. The .latter .country, is mds a larger, quantity of 1 * trials - reported, on account of the better - Saafactoe- of Indian tea. Prices for CWob tea during, the; past year have . iSsnu* good, all tew abore comam having maintained tae prices of jot: ' coi-vcars and in some cases even, higher . I rfo We been reached. ; Fine flavoured 1 Pekoes particularly have been in demand, . m' price! for them have never been .so ■i high r Semi-brokens with , tip have also Stained a higher level of Ift^than < • oven. before. On the other hand, common grades have fallen to lower range of msA&s, owing to a somewhat larger proportion of badly-manufactured, - undesirable , teas bein<r oroduced. The reason for ,*> - much badly-made tea, no doubt, .is its temporary.: shortage of .labour m : Ceylon. This shortage, it is •to do hoped, will '.': gradually ■- be ; ;, remedied. Quality generally has been lrrt-gular, for k I while, as mentioned above, there has been a large 'proportion ■■• of ■carelessly-made, unP; desirable teas, there has been quite the usual quantity of really fine tefe available. There 13 much room for ; improvement m ' "the manufacture of Ceylon. tea,--; but whne there are many planters who continue, to ■ neglect the important work of supervising their factories there are an increasing number •of estates where improvement in this department:» noticeable. v' ; '

:' KAURI GUM MARKET. ' ; Tie arrivals for 20 days of February are .- 663' tons! This is an increase of 112 tons '.< -on the quantity received for ■ a similar ' - period of last"month, -when the arrivals -were "''455 tons. There is very little change to . " report with regard to the market. : Most of the shippers are active, and purchasing '■''-• nearly all the grades of the different classes .. of gum. Some of the buyers # are holding '.. ■■ off the better grades of white gum on .L account .of.the high price demanded being ■ above their limits, but the scarcity of this ,-' -ck=ss of gum is compelling those that have orders to pay voej righ rates. This state of things cannoi. last, as when existing orders are completed a set-back will probably tako place. The dark grades of gum not being so high ,in comparison _ are selling ' freely, and orders are still, coming to hand , ' for both Europe and America. , Bale select is selling. :_; Ordinary: Rescraped is ■wanted', but ,n buyers require it good. ■ Inferior lots are ;'' realising ; a comparatively lower price. .'• Sorted superior three-quarter-scraped ordin- ' ary :b moving off, tho quantity arriving : being light.' Unsorted superior ordinary is - «lso changing hands. Medium ordinary and '.."extra •well-cleaned washed nuts are in reI cuest," and coated washed nuts are not difficult to place. Most of the shippers are •t ' operating in good swamp with heart in it, iaedium ■ swamp. and poor white swamp, Which are required in drv condition. : " East Coast: Competition for this is not ; '.'■; to eeneral. Good lots ara selling. ?;; Blank: Tloscraped well got up is asked •-or; hold lumps thoroughly sound and well ' cleaned are moving off freely. More busi- . - ness is being done in sorted threo-quarter-isaped steel, but unsoi*ted blacks aro nozt . '-a favour. There is a good inquiry for . ; Medium black and hard black nuts, and sJes are taking place of poor black nuts ; " inixed with white swampy nuts.. , Bush: The greatest demand is for pale bid rescraped, and bold bled bush of good < ,'■' -. colour. ..

r . Chips and Dirst: _ All kinds of chips and ■ '■■«Bst aro meeting with attention, but lower Prices have to bo accepted for earthy lots ?( diggers' ordinary chips and dust and -■■Waok riddlings containing mud, fern root, ' Etc.

. /:, LONDON MARKETS. TALLOW SALES. s lTele2raph.— Association.—Copyright ■ • . Lojjdox, February 19. . M the tallow sales today 1344- casks were •••*f«-ad,,and 717 told. Mutton, fine 39s 6d, Wssm 3 -* 3 9d; beef, fine ' S 3d, medium '::. :>a ; $;.;;' ■■■;'.;; ' .VssjlQN STEAM SHIP COMPANY. ■ ■ HARDENING- OF SHARES. ~-Talu.o of Union Steam Ship shares S J lately M a result of the re--1 -li,*!™ extension of the company's opcra- -.":-:■(#?'-: This week shares sold in Auckland «snA W ?l :50s 9 d to 51s 6d, and late buyers -. S*sos 6d and sellers 51s 3d. The shares ■'; :gW ; Wellington this week at £2_l2s. A ■' tVfej 3 "^ 0 this average mar tot price was " , >""t and the year before that 37s 3d. ■• . ■".•■■ ' ■' -

';.';:■: PROPERTY SAXES. Messrs. Samuel Tail© and Sons will offer by, auction to-day the unsold lots of tho Koyal Oat Estate, Epsom. No lean than six lota wilt be sold without reserve. The new streets have been formed to the requirements of the local authoritier, even to the tarring and; sanding of tho footpaths. Gas and water is laid •on to trie ctote, and the terms tiro particularly easy. Every, lot is level, and the soil is equal to any In Epsom, being rich volcanic, ana free from stone. ■ " .:■ ■■„■ ■■ ■ Messrs. Samuel Vaile and Sons will also sell byauction to-day. without reserve, by order of the official assignee, four- building lots at Takapuna, in the bankrupt estate of. O. E. Farrow. The following properties will be offered by public auction at the Chamber of Commerce by Messrs Smith and Halcombe, at noon to-day: Hackett Street, Ponsonby waterside, a residence of seven rooms, with ground and orchard; fruit and poultry form of 55 acres, Shaw'e Road, Oratia, near Waikumetc; (fruit and poultry farm of 81 acres, with five-roomed house, situated between Waikumete and Henderson Grey Lynn, Browning:, Street, an up-to-date residence of six good rooms, on elevated section, handy to 2d section: in Grey Lynn, 5, Surrey Crescent, good substantial house of seven rooms, and comer section of 52ft by 115 ft, situated corner of Solbourno Street and Firth Road; four building sites, each 42ft by 150 ft, in Sackville Street, Grey Lynn; building ration of 74ft by 133 ft, in Goring Road, near Meant Rosier terminus of tram. AUSTRALIAN PRODUCE . MARKETS. ..By Telegraph.—Press Association.— (Riceivei Februury 20, 9.15 p.m.) iVBNET,' February 20. Wheat: 3s 61d to 3s 7id; flour, £8 15s; bran, £5 10s; pollard. £5 15s. Oats: Tnsraanisn Sp»rrowbills, 2s lCd; New Zealand Algerians, 2s aa to 2s 1M; Grants, 2s Ud to 3s; "A*" Gftrtonjj, 3?. Maize, 4s 3d to 4s 4d. Potatoes' Local, fcto £4; Tasmanian, £7 10s to £8 Its. Onions: Victorian, Spanish, £9. Butter':. Selected. BW, prime, 90-, to 925. Cheese 64a to 6Jd. Bacon, 8d to Sid. ' ~ , m AnUlJilrja, February 20..Wheat: 3s 6d to 7* &jd,rflour. £8 to £8 ss; bran and pollard, la 2a;. outs, a to a <M. Meipoubsk, February 20. Hides: Kips and sloypy lota ore a farthing lower. Other sorts aro fttrr-. - MARKET • REPORTS. . Messrs. Dalg*ty and Co., Mmij<jd, report having held their weekly sale of iti.dos, skins, tallow, etc., on Tuesday, February 18, wher a large catalogue was cleared, all lines meowing with spirited competition. ' .-„ ...,_, Hides.— firm, with keen oomp won K<*» all buyers. Butchers* hides, well iUi.«d ■•>-■«■ eonditioned, extra stout ox, to d\A ; efefui, SJd • 7 3d, medium, BWto 83d; light, VA to Bid. ■■W;-• Well flayed and conditioned, to SJU; _» v conditioned, 7id to 8d; dirty, scored, or, rj«w, , at lower rates; damaged and cut, s*d to Tjfi. Stags, 5d to e.Jd. Kip, 6id to 7d. Calf: Best lines lOd, good Bid to 9Jd. Cut, damaged, and meaty, 6d to 7id. ~ „ . ■ Sneepskina.—Market firmer. Good ooiKiwtjtwn tor all lines. Bry woolly ekins: Largo 7» 6d to 9s, medium 6s to ?s od, small 33 6d to 5s 6d. Brv pelts, 3d to 2s, according to length of wool. Torn pelts, weevil-eaten and weather stained, at lower rates. Salted .p*dts- and lambs : Beat butchers' to 3s 6d. small Is- 6d to 2f od. Tallow.— fjrm. Best> in shipment casks, 2Es 6d; in'4cwfc casks, 25» 9d to 27s 6d; inferior. 22s to 24a 6d; tin?, IBs to 265, according to quality. . Rough fat, l£d to 24. Cowtails, Is Sd per dozen. '■ . Horsehair:. Tail. Is lid to Is 10d; mixed, Is 3d to Is sd: mane, 9d to Is. Good dry bones, £5 per ton. . , ' Wool: In bass and .dumps, soiling under keen competition. Fine crossbred, 9d to lCd; crossbred, bright, Sid to £l*d; eoaroe and dingy, /d to Bid: good pieces, 6d: seconds, «d to &id, lock*,, M to 4|d; crutch, 5d to.od. . .

Me-isra. G. W. Binney and Sons report as follows _~ Hide*- very ton, with keen oanpototioa, ■■;■ Ox: Extra stout fld to 91d, stout to Bld, medium mto B|d, light BJd to &W, Cow: Srtm good »d to sW, good 8d to- 84*. seconds 63d to7d.: sUg., sid to W. Kipa, 6Jd to 7d. Yearlines. 7d to 7&. Call-ins: Best 9id to 1(W ffoid W to 9dV meaty 7d to 7id, cut and damped 5$ to 6d. Cut and damaged hides, 4M to 53d- per lb. ■ . ..... Market arm, with fcwn ■ competition. Butchers' picked skins, 7a 6d to 8s fed; large, 6s 6d to 7a M; medium, 5s 6d to fis 3d email, 19 9d to 5s 3d. Peltii: Large 5s 3d to 2a 6d, medium 2a 9di to 3s, small. &3d to 2s 6d. Lambskins: Larg«s 3s 3d to 33 fed, medium 2a M to ■«, anwll 2a 3d. to 2s fed. Dry skins: Large 7a to 7s 6a. good 5s 6d to 6s, medium 3s 6d to 4*6 d Pelts. Large, 2s 3d to ?■» 6<i, medium Is 6d to Is 9d, small Is to Is 3d. Lambskins: Large, 2s 9d to 3s, medium 2* 34- to 2s_6d, small 2s to 2s 3d Eat<.at«n and weitvily skins, 5Jd to .4 2 d p".r lb. Pelt* and lambskins, 2Jd to 3d per IV-. . - . Tallow.—Market firm. Best mixed, in shipment caa'te, 28s to 295; jfood, 26» 6d to ..275; medium, 25s to 25s 6d; interior, 22s to. 23s per cwt. Bough fat, : lid to W per lb. : Oowtails, Is 8d per dozen. :■; j - „„„„ Horsehair: Tail," Is 63 to Is 9d per lb; mane,bones, £4 17s 6d to£s per . ton. . Wool: Half-bales, dumps, and. bags selling freely at late rates. ;...'. ■,; '- ''' .■ ■ | . COUNTRY SALES. Tho Farmers' Co-operative Auctioneering Company, Limited, reports:— In conjunction with the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency- Company, Limited wo held a dispersal sale of Mr. John Alien's stud Komneysheep and horses at Ngtruawahia yards. There Was a large attendance from all parts of the North Island, and-all choice lots of stud sheep sold well; fioek sheen very well, and horses especially so. Stud Borrraey ewes ranged from agn-io 13gns; ewe lambs, Ign to 63gns; ram lambs, 3gn to 13gns. The chamoion ram Palmero made 67gns, being bought by Mr. Arch. McNicol. of Clevedon. Fifty of the stud ram 3 made from. Mens to 52gns; two-tooth rams, sgna to 17gns; two and four tooth flock aw?*. Ign: sixtooth flock ewes, 17s; full-moifth ewes, 12s 6d to 15s 6d; medium draught horses, from £17 to £36; cobs and hacks, £12 to £30. At Tirau, on February 13, we had - a fairly good entry, all pens being occupied with 1500 sheep and 510 cattle, and have to report a very good sale. Fat ewes were a little easier in price, making lis to 14s 6d; good store lambs. 83 3d to 10s 4d; cull lambs, 5s 6d; fat cows, £5 to £6 17s; fresh three-year steers, ■£5 15s to £7 8s; store cows. £3 to £3 12a 6d; li-year steers, £3 10s to £3 16s; good weaner calves, 36a to 395; fair sorts, 27s 6d to 30s. At Te Awamutu, on February 15, we had an entry of 457 bead of cattle and had a fairly good sale. Fat cows sold from £5 5s to £6 7s 6d; fat steers, £8 18s; 16-montbs steers, £3 7a to £3 103; good weaner calves, ,33s to 395; medium sorts, 24s to 30s; bulls, from £4 to £7 15s.

: BURNSIDR • ' [BY TEI^EGBAPH.—KRESS ASSOCIATION.] . -, Dttkedin, Thursday. There was a small entry of fat cattle at Buraside yesterday, 118 head being yarded, consisting mostly of medium-weight bullocks and lieifers. Prices showed an advance of 103 per head as compared with last week's rates. Best bullocks made £12 to £13, extra to £14, good £10 5s to £11, light £8 to .£3 15s; best cows and heifers £9 to £9 12a 6d, good £7 15s to £8 10s, light £5 10s to £7. Fat Sheep: 2374 were penned. The yarding consisted chiefly of medium-weight ewes and wethers, with, a few pens of extra good sorts. Prices were about the same as last •week, but there was a, little better demand for-heavy sheep. Best wethers made 21b to &3s, extra to 265. medium to good 18s fid to 20s, light 163 6a to 178 6d; best ewes Ufa 6d to 20s, extra to 24s 3d, medium 16s 6d .to 18s, light 13s to 15s 6d. Fat Lambs: 459 were penned. Competition was keen, and prices advanced fully Is over last week's rates. Best made 17s 6d to 18s, extra 18s 9d, medium to good 14s to 15s 66. Pigs: There was a fair yarding, and prices were on a par with last week's rates. Suckers made 14s to 18s, slips to-'23s, stores to 275, porkers 335. to 455, light baconera 48s to 565, heavy haccnera to 735. " WANGANUI RAM FAIR. [BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WAS&ANtn, Thursday. The first day of the Wanganui ram fair was held to-day, when Lincoln and Southdown rams were offered. Tho highest price for Lincoln stud rams was 51 guineas for a ram of W. H. Wybourne's, while flock rams were only in moderate demand, making one and a-half to nine guineas. Southdowns were in good demand at three to six guineas. The sale continues tomorrow.