COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15995, 13 August 1915, Page 3

COMMERCIAL.

DISTRIBUTING BUSINESS. QUIET TIME OF THE YEAR. Gbxhui distributing business does not I show any improvement since the beginning of the week. However, merchants are not dissatisfied, 05 this is always rather a quiet time of the year, and the usual extra spring demand will on commence. A good deal of extra trade has been done lately in goods just landed from overseas . steamers, but otherwise the trade is not of special interest just now. Building shows no improvement, and this keeps hardware houses rather slack. Drap-ry nrms are not very busy, but this trade also is expected to improve shortly. Produce: Values in general are still inclined to a lower level. The demand is not quite so keen, and an impression pre- ; vails that we have at last turned the ( corner alter a year of advancing prices. I Potatoes : Stocks have worked down . well during the week, and the market is "7 ,' irme .sales taking place at £8 to j ±<o 10s. This is more on a parity with Southern values, where holders are still asking firm rates. Heavy shipments will arrive next week, so that the recent chango • in the market may be only temporary. ■ Seed Potatoes : Some heavy lines have been sold, ex store, so that" farmers are evidently putting in a good area. Onions : The poor quality onions that have been such a disturbing factor ktelv I have now disappeared, and a few very j prime lots have come on the market. Further importations are on the way trom Australia, and there should now "be no scarcity, as the American will be here next month. Oats : The position is still very indefinite in oats, as it is not yet known how the census has resulted. In" the meantime the high price is so restricting consumption that buyers are operating very sparingly, and this small demand has an undoubted weakening effect on prices. The present position is a natural reaction from | tiie extreme range of prices reached three ! months ago. Local stocks are heavy. I Wheat: The market continues weak, and a further fall is expected. Most i millers have good stocks of flour, as the : importation of Canadian Hour has reduced j the sale during the last few months, and | consequently they are not compelled to buy. With a probability that stocks of J wheat in New Zealand will last till next | harvest, there is no anxiety, and millers are content to wait. Flour: Fair sales are being put through, as a good many bakers have exhausted their purchases. Bran and Pollard : Export demand may be considered at an end for the present, as the price in Australia has fallen considerably. The future will depend on the weather in Australia, but, with favourable j weather there will be a good harvest, and it colnes in much earlier than ours, thus ensuring an early abundance of wheat products. Fowl Wheat: The supply of fowl wheat this season lias been very small compared with previous years, as the weather was good at harvest, and, consequently, nearly all was fit for milling. However, the demand has been so exceedingly small on account of the high price compared with other grains, that a fair quantity is now offering in the South. So far, this is not meeting much demand Maize: Market has fallen considerably since last week, as merchants had filled up with South African maize and could not, therefore, take up all the lines of Coast maizo arriving Next week another I lot of Fiji maize is expected, so that the prospect of the market is not very good until accumulaTions can b» worked off. On account of the cold weather and the high price of wheat, a good quantity is selling, but it is estimated that less poultry than usual are being kept this year, and that restricts the sale. Chaff: The reduced demand in Australia, and the difficulty in getting much there before the spring grass becomes abundant has diverted supplies to this market. Prices are now easier. Fertilisers: A shipment of superphosi phates is now due from Australia, and I will come to a good market. All descripI tions are in heavy demand. Potash

BRAN AND POLLARD. AUSTRALIAN QUOTATIONS. A cable from Melbourne, published in ', the Herald yesterday, stated that bran and pollard had been reduced by £2 a ton to £8 5s and £9 5s respectively. The Sydney Morning Herald, of sth ingt., says :— From time to time it has been complained that certain traders have endeavoured to sell their commodities at. i higher prices than those fixed by pro- l clamation under the Necessary Commodi- ; J ties Control Act; but it has remained for ] the flour millers to openly announce that I they are prepared to sell their produce 10s a ton under the proclaimed figures. On June 18 last a proclamation was issued , fixing the millers' price of bran at £8 10s | a ton, and of pollard at £9 a ton ; but we j | were notified yesterday by the Now South | i Wales Flour Millers' Produce Company I that until further notice the metropolitan . I millers will sell parcels of bran at £8. and I !of pollard at £8 10s a ton. For some ; j time past heavy supplies of Japanese bran j j have been arriving on the Sydney market, j and as the importers of this produce are , | willing to do business at £7 a ton, I millers find themselves unable to disnose i \of their offals. In order to attract orders, therefore, they decided to make a reduction in values." LONDON MARKETS. By Telegraph—Press —Copyright London", August 11. METALS ; Copper, spot, buyers £68 2s 6d. sellers I £68 7s 6d ; forward, buyers £69 7s 6d, I ' sellers £69 12s 6d. Electrolytic copper, | £83. Tin, spot, buyers £152, sellers £152. ', 10s; forward, buyers £154 os. sellers £154 . • 15s. Lead, buvers £20 12s 6d. sellers £20 15s. Spelter, £60 to £70. Silver, 22 9- | 16d. j WHEAT. . ( The wheat market is steady and quiet. '■ For the car£o of the Walla, due shortly, j 57s 7id is asked. : j OIL AND TTTRPS. I Linseed oil is quoted at £24 10s and , turpentine at 33= 9d. i TALLOW. At the tallow sales. 2271 casks were \ offered, and 1843 sold. Mutton, fine, • brought 36s 9d ; medium, 33s 6d, tfhd beef, fine, 375, medium 335. MARKET REPORT Messrs G. W Binney and Sons report for hides, skins. tallow, etc., as follows: r Hides: Market firm. Extra stout ox, I 10td to 10Jd: stout. IOJd to 10id: medium, lOfcd to lOid: light, 9"d to 9id: cow. extra good 94 d to 91 d, good 9d to 9*d, seconds 83d to BSd: eoored and dirty, 7"d to 8d ; cut, j7l d to 8d: damaged. 6d to 6}d: kips. BJd to Btd: stags'. 6d to 61d: yearlings. hid; calfI skins, 9{d to 9<d: good. B}d to 9d ; meaty. 7d to 74d: cut and damaged calfskins, 6d to 6!d. Skins: Market advanced. Butchers' picked skins, full-woolled. 12s to 12s 6d: butchers' skins, extra large 10s 6d to 12s, large 9s to 9s Gd. medium 7s Gd to 8s 6d, small 6s to 7s. extra small 4s 9d to 5s 6d; lambs, large 7s to 7s 6d. medium 6s to 6s 6d, small 5s to 5s 6d: lamb peitSi 2s 6d to 3s: bare pelts, Is 9d to 2s: country dry skins, good Bjd to Sid, medium 7*d to 7Jd; rat-eaten and weevily skins, 6d to 6id : rat-eaten and weevily pelts and lambskins. 2d to 3d per lb Tallow: Market has declined in sympathy with the London market. Best mixed, in shipment ctsks, 25s to 25s 6d: medium, 24« 6d to 2<ls 9d: good, in small casks, 24s 6d to 255; medium, 24s to 24a 3d; inferior, 22s to 22s 6d per cwt; in tins and. drums, 18s 6d to 21s. t- Rough Fat: lid per lb. r, Bones: Good, dry. £i 17s 6d to £5 per ton. [ 8 Horsehair: Tail, good. Is 4d to Is 6d; 1- mane, 8d to Od. i- Wool: In bags and dumps, medium cross- | bred. Hid to la; heavy crossbred lOd to i l<Hd: dingy. 9d to 9id; bellies and pieces, J* 7*d to 8a: locks. ft,d t-. Kid: dead wool, 9d le to Sid; crutchings. good, bright. Hid to 12d: medium. lOd to 10id: lambs' wool, good, * bright, free of seed, 124 d. to 13d; medium. . lOd to Hid; dingy. BJd to 3d; seedy, 6d to 6id.