THE LONDON MARKETS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21112, 20 February 1932, Page 5

THE LONDON MARKETS.

PRICES FOR METALS. TIN AND COPPER STILL RISING. (Received February 19, 9.45 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 18. (Quotations on February 17 in parentheses. ) Copper.—Spot, £3B 18s 9d (£3B 16s 3d) ; three months, £3B 6s 3d (£37 18s 9d). Electrolytic Copper.—Spot, £4l 10s (£42); three months, £42 10s (£43). Wire Bars.—£42 10s (£43). Lead.—Spot, £ls (£l4 8s 9d); tliree months, £ls (£l4 15s). Spelter.—Spot, £l4 7s 6d (£15); three months, £l4 17s 6d (£ls). Tin.—Spot, £l4O 16s 3d (£l4O 12s 6d); three months, £143 3s 9d; (£143 8s 9d). BRADFORD TOPS. The Bradford tops market is quiet and users are endeavouring to obtain concessions. Quotations compared with last week are Feb. 17. Feb. 11. per lb. per lb. d. d. Seventies . . * - 2fi+ 2G§ Sixty-fours . . . . 231 23} Sixties . . . . 22 22 Fifty-sixes .. .. 17i 17} Fifties . . . . 12i 12} Forty-sizes . . .. 10 10 Forties .. ..9 9 WHEAT, FLOUR'AND PULSE. Wheat. —Cargoes are offered 3d less, following easier foreign advices. Parcels are in poor request, mostly at a decline of 3d. Futures.—London: February, 26s Id a quarter; June, 26s 6£d. Liverpool: March 5s 6 3-8 d a cental; May, 5s 9^d; July, 5s 113 d; October, 6s 1 7-Bd. Spot, trade, quietly firm. Australian, ex ship, 29s 3d to 30s. Flour.—Firm. Australian, ex store, 21s to 21s 6d. Oats.—Fully firm. Peas and beans.—Steadily held. Sugar.—March, 6s sgd. THE CITY MARKETS. YESTERDAY'S AUCTIONS. BANANAS VERY PLENTIFUL. An exceptionally largo quantity o£ bananas was offered at the City Markets yesterday and, although the quality was good, pi'ices fell to the lowest level for years. First grade sold at from 8s to Ss a case, rind seconds and mediums at from 4s to 6s a case. There was a fairly keen demand for firm Bon Chretian pears, but ripe fruit was hard to quit. Nectarines and plums are now almost finished and smaller quantities were offered at yesterday's sales. Peaches are selling fairly well, but a considerable amount of brown rot is showing in practically every line. Tomatoes are for the most part of disappointing quality, the majority of lines being cracked or withered. Only the choicest, quality fruit is sought. The applo market remains unchanged, Albany Beauties securing the best prices. In the field' produce section, little change took place. The market was.very heavily supplied with cabbages and potatoes, while all other vegetables in season were offered freely. The demand was fair. Mushrooms are now on the market and sold at from 9d to Is 3d a lb. The poultry and egg market remained unchanged/ Supplies of eggs are now falling off. but at the present price level the demand is also slackening. Farmers' butter was in short supply and the price rose. Id a lb. Prices for average quality lines were as follows: FRUIT. Blackberries. 3ld to 5d chip; tomatoes, firm, ripe, Is (kl to 2s 3d a case; choice smooth. 2s Gd to 3s 7d; others. Is to Is 3d: plums, 3s to Gs; peaches. Paragon, 3s to 4s; in frays, 5s 6d to 6s 6d; others, 3s to 3s 9d; nectarines, 5s to 9s; apricots, 5s Gd to 7s Gd; grapes, h.ot.house, first quality, 9d to lid lb; hothouse, poor colour, 5d to 7d; Cape gooseberries. 4d to 5d a lb; pears. Bon Chretien. Hawke's Bay, 6s to 7s a case; local, 4s to ss; ripe, 2s 6d to 4s_; apples, Gravenstein, 2s to 4s 6d; Albany Beauty. 3s to ss; cookers, 2s Gd to 3s; others, Is Gd to 2s; bananas. No. 1, 8s to 9s;. seconds and mediums, 4s to 6s; oranges, Australian. 12s 6d to ICS; passions, 3s to ss; lemons, 6s to 9s. FIELD PRODUCE.' Potatoes, new. 2s 6d to 3s Gd a bag; onions. 3s Gd to 4s. Ss to 8s 6d a cwt; kumarns. local, l*d to 2jd a lb; Tauranga. 10s to 12s a cwt.; cabbage. 2s to 4s a sack; cauliflower, 4s to Gs Gd; swedes, 2s to 3s a bag; pumpkins, 4s to 7s a cwt; citron rr.elons, 4s Gd to 5s Gd a cwt; green peas. 3s to Gs a bag; beans, 2s to Gs Gd; lettuce. Is to 3s a case; cucumbers, 3d to 9d a dozen: mushrooms. 6d to Is 3d a lb: vegetable marupws. Is to 2s Gd; water melons. 4d to Is each; rock melons. 2d to 9d each; cabbage, loose, Is to 2s Gd a dozen: cauliflower, loose. 2s to Gs; celery, Gd to 2s a bundle: rhubarb. Gd to Is a dozen; spinach, Od to le 3d; pumpkins, loose, 4d to Is 31 each; radish, 6d to Is a dpzen; spring onions, 4d to Is Id » bundle; carrots, parsnips, beet and turnips, 6d to Is a dozen. POULTRY. Cockerels, heavy breeds, prime, 2» Rd to 4s Gd; not prime. Is 6d up; light breeds, prime, Is 6d S.O 2s 6d; not prime. Is up;., fat roosters, heavy breeds, pWme, Is Gd to 2s; light breeds, 9d to Is fat hens, heavy breeds, J.s 6d to 2s 3d; u jht breeds, 9d to Is 3d; pullets, heavy bra? is, best. 4s to 5s Gd; light breeds, best, 4s to 5s 6d; heavy breeds, smaller. Is 6d up; light bieeds; smaller, Is 6d up; drakes, young, prime, Is 6d to 2s; smaller. Is up; old, Is to Is Gd; ducks, young. 2s 6d to 4s; old, Is to Is 6d. DAIRY PRODUCE. Hen and duck eges, special quality, Is 8»d; A. grade, Is 7Jd; B grade, Is 6Jd. Farmers' butter, 9d to Is a lb. MASTERTON RAM FAIR. SOUTHDOWNS IN DEMAND. [T!T TELEGRAPH. —PREPS ASSOCIATION.] MASTERTON. Friday. The feature of the concluding day of the Masterton ram fair was an exceptional demand for Southdowns, of which there was a heavy entry. Buyers practically confined the whole of their attention to this breed, to the neglect of the Lincolns, which were in poor demand. Only three pens of stud Lincolns were sold, the top price being 15 guineas, secured by Mr. W. Rayncr. Flock Lincolns were only in fair demand, the best price being five guineas. Good quality stud Southdowns elicited animated bidding. Mr R. M. Perry, of Masterton, was the most successful vendor in this breed, securing the top price of, 52 guineas. Thero was a very keen demand for flock Southdowns, 845 being disposed of under the hammer. Prices ranged up to 8A guineas. The large catalogue came forward in fair condition and the sale on the whole was a good one. TIMARU GAS LOSS. NO DIVIDEND RECOMMENDED. A loss of £3028 was made by the Timaru Gas, Coal and Coke Company, Limited, for the year ended December 31. Under the circumstances the directors are not recommending a dividend. Sales of gas, residuals and appliances, which realised £26,816, showed a shrinkage of £3769. In the report the directors stated it was unfortunate that with the diminution of output the company had had to meet a heavy item on its revenue account, for renewals of plant, amounting to £4403. It, was considered more prudent to include the whole of this sum rather than spread it, over succeeding years' accounts. Last year the company earned a net profit of £1472 and paid a dividend of 8 per cent. During the year capital was increased from £37,500 to £60,000 in shares of £l.