COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17347, 19 December 1919, Page 7

COMMERCIAL.

- . -.■,.'..-:■ r ■•■ ■-. - ;, ,< i-'■~'--i- ~-•,-....:•..;,•..'>-■- V^;'<'-'HJ-y't-y- . . \ WHOLESALE AND RETAIL, 1 /*" "■ : : - ■;■---"■ >'-a < ■ r-i •; •: ,■'.; v. ■ ':■' ■•■■' ■■■'■-;■ ;•■.; t HEAVY BUSINESS REPORTED. \ .'.''„■■.':'■ 1 " •. i THE PRODUCE MARKET. . J A remarkably heavy week is reported in. > all departments. The business done would 1 probably have been a record but for the e interruption of the election, but even so a 1 very busy turnover is reported. Both c wholesale and retail are in a very peculiar * position. Business is more active than it T has ever been before or during the war, ? and stocks are most exasperatingly small, , resulting in business having to be passed J every day for sheer want of the goods. £ The great spending power of the public i is being shown in a way that has never J been seen before, and all goods are v selling « almost regardless of price. ; In fact, it 1 frequently happens that the more expen- J sive goods sell far more readily than cheaper goods. ..._, t ; The improvement in the building trade 1 is causing activity in. the various j requisites. : Owners realise that prices « have dome to stay, and contracts are i being. let every day, : , \ Potatoes: Supplies have not shown the I usual increase this week, and the price s has become settled at a decidedly higher l level. Best quality are realising 13s to ? 14s, t but, unfortunately, poor grades are 1 getting more, plentiful, and this does not * promise well for the total output for the ; season, as.it looks as if the p6tatije,s are < maturing before they have reached the « usual size. No export to Australia has 3 taken place, but fair quantities will be required for the Islands, and the market would readily absorb .a heavier supply > during the few days still intervening ( before the holidays, < Onions: American are still selling at 45s per crate, with supplies getting gradu- l ally,' smaller. The nigh price is very ; attractive to those in a position to send i in a few of the new season's, but the I ] onions are not ripening much earlier than usual, in spite of the dry weather of the 3 last two months. The chief difference brought about by the* dry spring will . probably be a reduced output. Oats, Wheat, and OhaC. j Oats: Distributing trade is quiet, aa most of the larger buyers have obtained all they require from recent arrivals. A shipment from Bluff should arrive during the day, so that ample supplies are assured. The market is firm at 6s 6d in store, the price having responded to the £un tone in the South. Oatmeal: Practically all Southern millers have advanced their price for oatmeal, I to keep pace with the higher cost of oats. Demand very heavy at this time of > the year. 11 Wheat : There is no change in the position. The market is very firm at 9s 6d ex ' ] store, but most consumers have bought | rather heavily, as they always require more : wheat than maize during. the summer, and that demand has now slackened off somewhat. Merchants are looking to Australia for supplies, as it seems impossible to buy in the south. Bran: Supplies are now plentiful, as a result of heavier shipments fronTthe south. Pollard : ASso more plentiful, but some of the samples on offer are not up to the mark. . ' ■ j | Chaff : Market is very firm for this time j of the year, and best southern is quoted at £14 to £14 10s ex store. Large, quan- j titles are-selling as fast as supplies • arrive; from the south, the demand being natur-' ally increased by the poor crop of oats and bay. The continued dry weather is rather disastrous, so far as the grass and crops are , concerned, and the position, is , clearly re- j fleeted in the cattle sales during the week. I Bsyars are afraid to increase their holding I ia store cattle, best they should he short oi grass during the autumn, and calves have . been Belling - at very . low rates, cheaper tlian they have^soltLJor years. - Maize Nominally Unchanged. Maize: The market is nominally unchanged at 7s 9d on the wharf in wholesale lines, but very little has arrived, and , buyers have been compelled to pick up I small lines ex = store. The high price of wheat is making the demand for maize' much heavier than is usual at this time of j the year, but maize 33 entirely unsuitable for this weather, if - fed by itself, and poultry often leave the grain untouched if they can get anything else. _ Fruit :xThe high price of American fruit is causing increased attention to be given to home preserving, and large quantities of •fruit jars have been sold in anticipation of the. season of plenty, Sugar : Even more fruit would be preserved this season if sugar were available, but the position is getting worse and worse each week". ; ' Benzine: Wholesale stocks of all brands are completely exhausted. Tea: The advance notified last week is becoming more general, and more blenders! have adjusted their price-lists to meet the increased cost. Coffee: Local blenders advise another advance this week. Dried Fruits": The Whangape is due today with the dried fruits from the Moana, which arrived in Wellington last Friday. I Considering the cicrmustances, the transhipment has been remarkably prompt,' but distributors will still have hard work to get these fruits to the consumers before Christmas. I Shortage of Hams. Hams Stocks are scarcer than they have ever been as a result of totally inadequate supplies during the last six months. This was only to be anticipated by those who considered the inevitable result of the manufacture of dried r.ilk, which leaves no separator milk to feed pigs and calves. The decrease in. the number of pigs in New Zealand is recent years is most marked, especially when read in conjunction with the increase in cattle, the comparative figures being: — Year. Cattle. Pigs. 1911 ... 2.020,171 348,754 1916 ... 2,417,491 297,601 1917 ... 2,575,230 283,770 1918 ... 2,869,465 258.694 ' 1919 ... 3,035,478 235,347 An increase of 50 per cent, in cattle in eight years is a remarkable record, and it would usually be accompanied by a corresponding increase in pigs, especially as the dairy cattle formed a large proportion in the above increase. But three important causes appear to have operated ; against pig farming. There is first the reduction in the total amount of food produced, on account of butter factories going in for dried milk. Then calves have been at highly attractive prices, so that farmers have done very little killing, rearing calven instead of pigs. As a third factor it is questionable whether the limiting of the price of bacon is likely to increase the number of pigs reared. About four years ago calves at five or six months old often realised £5 each, and as there is no limit to the price of a calf the limit in the price of bacon turns the sca'ie. Poultry: The scarcity of bacon is increasing the demand for poultry, and high prices have been paid recently. Fungus: The market is steady at 7d for dry samples, and all arrivals are readily sold. , Kauri Gum: Supplies continue very limited, and practically all grades coming forward are being placed at late rates. The., is a good demand for all descriptions, but it will take a little time before consignments can be removed from store. In the meantime stocks are accumulating, &nd this will continue until there are further opportunities ..for export. AUSTRALIAN MARKETS. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 11.30 p.m.) SYDNEY. Dec. 18. Oats: Algerian, 6s 6d; Tasmanian, 6s 6d. Barley: Cape, 6s 6d. • ' Maize, 9s 3d. Potatoes, £12 to £22. Onions, £11. ADELAIDE, Dec. 18. Oats, 5s 7d to 5s Bd. LONDON MARKETS. A. and N.Z. ' LONDON, Dec. 16. ! Copper: Spot,. £103 12s 6d; three months, i £104 17s 6d. Lead, £39 8s 3d. Spelter: Spot. £52; three months, £52 15s. I Tin: Spot, £313 12s 6d.

PROPERTY SALES. A land sale-was held by Richard Arthur, Limited.. yesterday, when- the ? following pro-. perties sold:—ln the estate' of B. Wymsfflrr.EßQ.i'.by order of the Public Trustee, '. section -359, Blockhouse Bay, £100; ~ section 317, : Blockhouse, Bay, £65. .For the :' residence in dive* Road, off Mountain Road, bidding reached .. £2300, and *a , li-acre ,- block ,at V Takapurift . £1100,. both , ' being passed in. and now tinder private ° treaty. Other stiles were: Block of shops in i Ponsonby Road, corner *of Angle'sea Street,' , £2200. Castor Oil Bay Estate, Lot 93. £300; I Lot 94, £300; Lot 95, £250; Lot 96, £250. 4 i Messrs. Robert C. Carr and Son will offer for sale by public auction-at their rooms, * Swaheon Street, to-day at 12 -noon., by order j of the executors of the estate of the late i Emily Finla-yson, 45ft Sr 32p, - fronting ' Henderson Creek, within li miles of Hender- J eon station, and within, an, ; hour's ran by . launch of Auckland. There is a house and * outbuildings on the property. M '. ■.< - Messrs. T. Mandeno Jackson will offer for £ sale by public auction at their rooms, Cus- j tome. Street. East, at eleven, o'clock this morning, the' following properties House, ; S rooms and half-acre section, having 99ft J frontage to Mac Murray Road, Remuera. (Dil- ij worth lease, 50 years from May L 1805, at , £12 per annum): Union. Street, City, 65.X5 . links by 323.3 links depth, with the two- f storeyed building, cottage, 'etc, returning ] £2 3s 6d a- week: Stanley. Avenue Milford, , wooden cottage and ■; section. 66 by 330 ft . deep; McDonald Street. Morningside. two ' sections (Shawville Estate). No.-37, 66, by i 131Jfti and 28. -73 by 132 ft: St Michael , Road. Point Chevalier, beach-cliff section, i about three minutes' walk from motor- busv , Samuel Vailo and Sons.-Ltd., annoxinco \ that the Karangaiiape Road frontages of the . properties knovm as . St. Kerens an« Verona, so long owned by Mr Nathan, will be offered for sale to-day, at, two o clock, at their rooms. Queen Street, in fflcboM or from 20ft upwards. A number of farm sections at Punakitare, a section in Picton Street, and a section in Halsey Street, will also be offered for leaf* on the - Glasgow system on behalf of the City Council, also ; a shop in. Khyber. Pass, Newmarket, and a , residence on Howick Beach. ... . The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile ' Agency, Ltd., will offer for sale by public auction at their Albert Street rooms, at two • o'clock to-day, a freehold section in Grey • Street, having a- frontage of 33ft and a depth of 179 ft, with two shops and houses erected thereon. The section ia opposite Myers Park. . HIDES, SKINS AND TALLOW. Dalgety and Co., Ltd., report having held their weekly sale of hides, skins and tallow on Tuo3day as under:— Hides.— butchers ox, stout 12d to 14d; medium, lid to 12d; light 10id; cow, best lOd to 12d; light lOd to 10id; yearlings. Hid to18$ d; calfskins, best lOd to 22d; heavy and meaty, 14d to 16d; cut, damaged and dirty hides, 2d to 4d per lb below above rates; horse hides, 5s to 12d each. Tallow.— in shipment casks, to £58 per ton; broken packages, £45 to £50. Bones.— £8 5s per ton. Horse hair.-r-Tail Is 6d to Is 6Jd; mane lOjd. Rabbitskin's.—There is a good demand at prices ranging from 2s per lb to 4a for wellsaved lots. AUCKLAND STOCK SALES. Dalgety and Co., Ltd., report having held their weekly sale of fat stock at Westfield on Wednesday, as under: Beef.— heavy yarding. Extra prime ox, £2 14s; prime, to £2 10s-, ordinary, £2 3s to £2 ss; cow, prime, £2 8s to £2 10s; ordinary, £2 2s to £2 Bs. . Sheep.Prime wethers, £1 12s to £1 15s; good, 30s to 31b; ordinary, 25s to 30s; ewes, "prime to 80s, ordinary 22s to 28s. Veal.—A heavy yarding and prices eased considerably. Runners, £3 10s to £5 10s; suckers, 20s to 30s; young calves, 7s to 15s. Pork. good yarding. Baconers, £5 to £7; choppers, £6 to £8 4s; porkers, £4 to £5 10s: weaners, 15s to 22s 6d. Lamb.— yarding. Prims to 80s; good 23s to 275; others. 15s to 20s. ADDLNGTON STOCK SALE. [BY, TELEbEJUPH.—PBESS ASSOCIATION.) CHRISTCHTJRCH, Thursday. The Addington sale to-day, being a double one, was marked by very heavy entries, particularly of fat sheep and lambs. The sale lasted until nearly 10 p.m. The range of prices was as follows:— . Store sheep: Wethers, two-tooth 19a 7d to 22a 6d, good 23s 8d to 29a 3d, two, four and six-tooth 26s to 80s 6d, four, six and eight-tooth 27s to 30s 3d; ewes, ordinary twotooth 20s' 3d to 23s 6d, good 25s to 29s Bd, sound-mouthed, woolly to 87s; sound and failing-mouthed ewes and lambs. 17a Id to 21s lOd; two, four and aix-tooth ewes, to 345. Fat lambs: Extra prime to 37s 9d, prime 29s 9d to 84s 6d, medium 24a 7d to 29s 6d, lighter lis 6d to 23s 6d. Fat sheep; Wethers, extra prime to 48s, prime 85s 6d to. 445, medium, 30s lOd to 346. 6d, ■ lighter 2-1& to 29s 6d; ewes, prime woolly to 48s 9d. shorn to ? 38s, medium 29s to. 335, lighter 233 6d to 28s 6d; hoggets, prime to 505.. ■ <• , -' Fat cattle: Steers, extra prime to £39 ss, prime £22 10s to £28 10s.- medium £15 10s to £21, light £13 10s to £15, unfinished and inferior £5 2s 6d to £12; heifers, prime £13 to £18 17s 6d, lighter £7 to £12 10e: cows, prime £13 15s to £16 15s, lighter and inferior £9 5s to £13. Store cattle: Three and four-year bullocks to £12 15s; yearlings, mixed, sexes, to £4,; 1 cows, £6 6s to £10; two-and-a-half-year hei- ! fere, £10 10s; dairy cows, up to £15; veaters, good runners to £8 12s 6d, good 35s to 555, fair 15e to 80s. Pigs: Choppers, to £14; baconers, "heavy S £8 to £9 9s, medium £6 5s to £7 15s> lighter I £5 5s to '£5 15s, average price per lb, lid I to Hid; stores, large to £4 18s 6d, medium to £3 18s, small to £2 9s; weaners, 22s to . 32s Id; sows in pig to £7 15s. BURNSIDE STOCK SALE. [BY TELEGRAPH. —TRESS ASSOCIATION.] DUNEDIN, Thursday. At Buinside yesterday 290 fat cattle were yarded. The duality was good and competition was keen at last week's rates . Extra prime bullocks realised £28 5s to £31, prime 1 £24 5s to £27, medium £19 10a to £22 12s, ! others.front £16 10s; prime heifers and cows, £15 5s to £17 7s 6d, medium £13 to £14 15s, others from £9. Lambs: Four hundred and five were yarded, the quality being good, and there was keen competition. Prices ranged from 23s to 355. Fat sheep: Two thousand three hundred and two were yarded. Prime woolly wethers brought 53s I6d to 57s 6d, medium 43s to 48s 9d; woolly ! ewes. 86s to 445; prime shorn wethers, 39s 3d to 43a 9d, medium 34s 6d to 37s €d, 1 others from 27s 6d; prime shorn ewes, 37a 9d to 43s 9d. medium 31s to 34s 9d, others I from 265.