COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15686, 13 August 1914, Page 5

COMMERCIAL.

FOOD SUPPLIES. • STOCKS AND PRICES. [BT TEXEOItAPEI.—spECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Wednesday. Business letters from the South, dated as lato as yesterday, says the Post, indicate the position then with regard to flour, wheat, and oats, and bran and pollard. At Tirnaru orders for flour at £11 per too have boon accepted, but at that figure delivery must not be looked for before September. Soma of the Southern' mills have done business at £11 10s, and it is understood that in consequence of tho firm holding of v wheat there is a disposition to raise tho prico to £12. These prices, it must be borne in mind, aro free on board at Southern ports. To the price has to bo .added, of course, tho cost of carriage, handling, and other charges. Some farmers aro reported to be holding out for 5s a bushel for wheat at thenown railway stations or sidings, but 4s 9d appears to bo tho top price paid, 4s 4£d being reported as tho rate at Tiuiaru. Oats havo made a substantial advance. It is understood that they could command a very high price if they could be shipped out of tho country, as they are believed to be urgently wanted for the Imperial Array. It was reported to-day that an inquiry was being made for 3000 sacks of bran for oversea shipment at £7 per ton. From Australia to-day 379 sacks of flour arrived, and more is on the way. Mail advices from Melbourne and Sydney show that on August 4 flour in Melbourne was £9 7s 6d per ton, and milling wheat 4s 4d to 4s 6d per busheL Tho Melbourne Association prico for flour on the above date was £10 per ton; pollard, £6 10s; and bran £6 per ton for prompt business only. It was then most difficult for miller's to procure wheat at all. . Australia is sending to Wellington, to arrivo nest Friday, some 470 sacks of flour. From inquiries made to-day in trustworthy sources it was gathered that theuj was no likelihood of the wholesale pricelof butter and cheese being advanced. There aro ample supplies in hand independently of the quantities that will soon bo coming in from the factories, which will in any case ba\o to deal with the season's milk supply. The local merchants' stock of dried fruits are reported to be quite exhausted, and there is no immediate prospect of them being replenished. This applies particularly to American and Australian fruits. Australian advices received today show that all Mildura stocks are exhausted, and that there is no chance of the grades which were available for New Zealand, or any other grade, being sent here. Sultanas and currants are particularly mentioned. Dates which wero recently offered in Melbourne at 10s 6d per cwt. wholesale, havo now advanced to 16s. General merchants distributing groceries aro already making their "heretofore maximum prices their present minimum prices. Tho future of prices and supplies will largely depend upon the keeping open of tho principal sea routes of the Empire. —&__- ,— PROPERTY SALES. Messrs. Richard Arthur and Co. sold by auction at their rooms yesterday the block of two shops on the corner of Edendale Road and Burnley Terrace for £1050, STOCK SALES. AUCKLAND. Messrs. Alfred Buckland and Sons leport:— On Thursday, August C, at Wostficld, dairy cattle were rather dull of sale. Best cows brought from ±7 10s to i'lo 10s; others, £5 to £7; empty cows, £2 10« to £4 10s; yearlings. £2 16s to £3 4s; calves, £1 7s to £2 8s; 18-month heifers, £3 5s to £4 Bs. . Un Thursday. August 6. we held a clearing sale on hecount of Mr. C. Tarrant, Woodhill. There was a largo attendance, ana a most successful sale resulted. .The. cows, wnich wero grado Jerseys, and in nice condition, elected keen competition, and realised nigh prices, selling at from £9 10s to £13. The whole herd averaged £11! 16b. Yearling heifers, £4 9s to £5; two-year-old Heifers, £8; horses, £14 5s to £32; cart. £17; gig. £7 15s; tine harrows, £2 7s 6d; discs, £6 .10s: S.F. plough. £5. . - I We teld a clearing sale on behalf of Mr. C H. Mellsop. at Takanui on Tuesday, 11th. There was an extra large attendance, and everything Bold well. The cows made from £10 10s to £18 18s for best; those milking Eomo time, £7 10s to £9 10s; bull, £11; cow covers. 43 to 10s 6d; horses. £25 and £28; spring carls. £11 to £18;. plough. £3 7s 6d; drill. £24 10s; fowls, 4s Id to 6s lOd; ducks, 3s 3d; buggy, £15; three bucket plant L.K.G. milking machine, £40. On Wednesday, August 12, at our weekly Westfield fat stock market, our supply of beef numbered 425 head. The demand was a bit irregular, and prices erratio generally. There was a drop of about 10s per head. Choice ox sold to £1 12s; prime. £1 8s 6d to £1 10s 6d; cows and heifers. £1 2b to £1 8s; steers ranged in prico from £8 10s to £14 12s Cd; cows and neifers, £5 to £11. A truck of choice bullocks from Mr. B. Reed, Waerenca, averaged £13 13s 9d. There was an average entry of fat and young carves, which sold at about lato rates. Runners, to £5 9s; heavy suckers, £3 3s to, £4 2s; medium suckers, £1 15s to £2 15s; lighter, £1 4s to £1 13s: small. 12s to £1 3s; fresh dropped, 3s to 9s. (98 sold.) , The sheep pens were well filled with a .nice class of mutton There was a sluggish demand, with a further decline in values. Extra heavy prime wethers, £1 6s 6d to £1 Ss 6d; heavy prime. £1 3s 6d to £1 6s; medium to heavy, £1 's to £1 3s; unfinished, 19s to £1 0s 6d; best ewes. 19s 6d to £1 Is 6d; good, 17s to 19s; others, 15s to 16s 6d. (1956 sold.) The few lambs penned sold extra well. Best, £1 to £1 2s; good. 17s to 19s 6d. (73 sold ) -Pigs were penned in large numbers, and all classes were lower. Choppers Bold to £1; heavy baconers, £3 12s to £4; lighter, £2 18s to £3 6s; large porkers, £2 10s to £2 17s: modium. £2 2s to £2 8s; light, £1 12s to £1 19s; stores, £1 to £1 lis; weaners, 8s to 168. (278 sold.) On Thursday, August 6, we held a clearance Bale at Messrs. Hancock Brothers, Bombay. There wa3 a large attendance of buyers, and satisfactory prices , were realised. The best dairy cows and heifers sold at from £8 17s 6d to £11 ,ss; others, £5 to £7 17s fid; aged and inferior sorts. £2 12s 6d to £4 15s: calves, £1 las. Pigs: Sows in pig, £3 17s 6d to £4 14s; empty. £1 10s to £2 12s 6d; slips, £1 3s to £1 9a; weaners. 12s fid to 19s; farm horses. £14 to £29. The implements and Bundrio3 brought usual values. At the Haymarket on Friday last wo had ,■> full yarding of horses, and a very largo attendance of buyers. Tho draughts from Dunedin wero keenly competed for. and sold at prices ranging from £30 to £51; aged draughts. £18 to £21; bakers and grocers' cart class, £16 10s to £20 ss; lorry and oxpress sorts, to £33; buggy horses and hacks. £15 to £22; gig ponies, £3 10s to £12. A pony gig and harness realised £28. S.S. buggy. £15. On Monday at Papakura wo had a small yarding of horses, which sold at late quotations. The Now Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Limited, report: — At Westfield Yards, on Thursday last, wo yarded dairy cows and heifers of average numbers, and these met with a dull sale. Best dairy cows, close to profit, sold at from £8 to 10, others £4 10s to £7 12s 6d; heifers, £3 108 to £6 15h ; empty cows, £2 15s to £3 3s; calves, 35s to £2 12s 6d. At Albert Yards on Friday, horses came forward in average numbers, and sold at lato rates. Heavy draught horses sold at from £27 to £18, modium ditto £17 to £27; hacks, £5 to £12: light harness horses, £8 to £16. At Pukekoho Yards on Monday wo held a special dairy salo, when .the advertised number came forward, and prices were lower than at late sale. Best cows, closo to profit, sold at from £7 10.) to £9 10s, others £5 to £7 7s 6d; heifers, £6 to £8 10s: aged and inferior cows, £3 to £4 10s Tho pedigree Holslein cows realised £15 15s. At Pukekohe, on Tuesday, we held our usual monthly sale of store stock. Thero was a full yarding of stock of all doscrip tions, which sold at late rates. Three to four-year-old steors, £7 10s to £8 lis; two to three-year-old steers. £5 to £7 ss; yearling to 18-months steers, £3 15s to £5; good steor calvo3, £2 10s to £3 ss, others 33s to £2 8s: heifer calves, 30s to £2 ss; empty cows and heifers, £3 16* to £5: bulls, £4 to £8 10s; 98 head beef sold at Westfield rates, and dairy cows and heifers sold at Monday's prices. At Westfield Yards on Wednesday, fat cattlo camo forward in larger number than usual, and showed no improvement in price. Best oxen sold to 33s per 1001b, othors 29s to 325; cows and heifers, 27s to 30s. Steers sold at from £B>los to £11 os; cows, £5 to £11 ss; i draft of 3G cows averaged £9 4s; 17 steers from Mr, W. Vospor, Cambridge, averaged, £11 17»;' a truck of steers from Mr. E. Allen,, averaged £13 Is 3d. Calves were penned in average numbers, and sold at late rates. No heavy-weights yarded; medium-weights.' £3 10s to £4 4s, lighter £2 10s to £3 Bs, smaller £1 6s to £2 6s; small and fresh-dropped 3d to 20s. Sheep wore yarded in smaller numbers than usual, and sold at lower rates. Best wethers sold at from 25s to 26s 3d, others 20s to 243,' store wethers, 16s 9d to 18s Gd; heavy ewes, 18s to 20s, others 16s to 17s Gd; hoggets, 15s 6(1 to IDs. Pigs sold at late rates. Baconers, £3 2s Gd to £3 8s; large porkers, £2 10s to £2 19s; porkers, 30s to £2 8s; slips, 20s to 265: weaners, 10s to 18s. At Arapohue, list Wednesday, we held a clearing sale of dairy cows on account of Messrs Wilson Bros. There was & large

attendance of buyers, and a, most successful sale was held. Best cows sold at from £12 to £15 10b, others £8 10a to £11 10s. The 31 cows avoraged £10 19s ijd- Heifers sold at,from £5 to £9. Sundries sold at ruling prices ' . At Warkworth and Wade Yards on E'riday and Saturday wo hold our usual monthly sale. There was a fair yarding, and prices woro the samo as late sales. Messrs. Dalgoly; and Company, Ltd.. report having hold their usual weekly fat stock sale at Weslfield yesterday, as under:— 1 Beef: A largo yarding. Prices were on a par with last week's rates. Choice pcnß of extra prime ox sold at equal to 32b per lOOlb: ordinary prime ox at 28s to 80s. Cow am. heifer beef sold at 255. to 'IPs, according to quality. Veal: An avbrago yarding, which sold it kto rates. Heavy runners made up to £5 12s: heavy suckers, £2 8s to A3 10s; choice suckers made 25s to 455; others, 3s to 21s. Mutton: An average yarding, and prices woro Is to 2s lower than last week. Extra heavy wethers made up to 28s 3d; ordinary heavy wethers mado 23s to 25b; unfinished, 18a to 22a: heavy ewes mado £1 to £1 2s; medium-weight do., 17s to IDsLambs: Only a' few yarded, which sold at late rates. t ■ Pork: An average yardint;. Heavy pigs were lower but medium-weight good Quality made cnual to late rates. Baconers made equal to 5d per lb; porkers equal to 6d to 6|d per lb. MARKET REPORTS. The JJew Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Ltd., report as follows:— We submitted and sold average catalogues of hides, skins, and tallow on Tuesday. Hides: Market lower. Wo auote:—Extra, stout ox, 81d to B{d; stout ox. 7Jd to 8d; medium ox, 7jd to 7}d; light ox. 7ld to 7td. Cows, best lines, 7Jd to 7Jd; good 6!d to 7d: inferior. 6d to 6ld; kips, 6id to 7d. Calfskins, best, to Bjd; good, 6}d to 7id: cut and damaged, 3d to Bid; damaged hides. Id to 'MA; horse hides, 3s to 7s 6d; frtags, Bd to s|d. Sheepskins: Markot lower. Best butchers' skins, to 5s 6d; good lines, 4s 3d to 4a 9d; medium, 8s to 3s 8d: small, 2s to 2s 9d; country, dry and woolly Bkins. largo, to 6s: medium. 3s 6d to -Is 6d: small. Is 6d to 28 9d; damaged skins. 2d to 3sd per lb. Tallow: Market lower. Best mixed, to Qss: good. Q9s to Qls 3d: inferior. 18s to QOs 6d; rough fat, l{d per lb. Bones, £5. Cowtails. Is 8d per dozen. Messrs. Alfred Buckland and Sons report:— Hide and skin sales were held this week, but owing to tho European crisis the market was weak. Hides: Ox hides, 6|d to 7}d: seconds, s}d to GJdi cows, good hues. 7d: others, fid to 6sd; cut and damaged hides. 4ld to Bid. Sheepskins: Best butchers. 5s to 5s 6d; medium. 4s 3d to 4s 9d: small. 3s 2d to 4s: country, dry, large, to 6s 4d; medium, 4s to ss: small. 2s fid to 3s 6d. /Tallow: Markot weaker. Best mixed, 255; jfeconds, 21s to 23« 6d ; inferior. 17s 6d to 20s. / Rough fat. lid to lid nor lb. Tails, Is Btl per dozen. Hair: Best toil, to Is 8d; rood. Is fid to Is 7d; mano. 8d to lOd per lb. Wool: Prices easier. Crutchings, 4}d to Bid: lambs'. 6Jd.