GRAIN AND PRODUCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22512, 1 September 1936, Page 7

GRAIN AND PRODUCE

TRADE IN AUCKLAND BUSINESS FAIRLY QUIET WHITE POTATOES CHEAPER Business in grain and produce in Auckland during the past week has been fairly quiet, with little alteration. The market for potatoes is in an uncertain state, and until it is known definitely whether further shipments will be made to South America, trading is being hampered. Owing to heavy supplies the price for whites has fallen 5s to £8 5s a ton, through store, reds now being at a premium of 10s a ton. Onions are quiet, and there is no alteration in fowl wheat. Short barley stocks in Australia have had the effect of hardening tho local market. POTATOES Since last week the price of white potatoes has fallen by 5s to £8 5s a ton, through store. Rates for rede, however, remain at £8 15s a ton. Some heavy shipments of whites havo arrived on the Auckland market and are meeting with a good demand. The position in the South remains firm, as growers are expecting further business with South America. Tho market is uncertain at the moment, but when definite advice is received there will be a price movement. Pukekohe potatoes are recovering fairly well from the recent frosts. ONIONS Onions are meeting with a limited inquiry. A further shipment from California is due to arrive on Friday and these will ho distributed to fulfil September- bookings. Further shipments from I'ukekohe have been made to Australia, according to reports from merchants, hut the market there v has receded. Values are unaltered at ICis a case for Japanese and 10s (id a bag for Californian. FOWL WHEAT Tho market for fowl wheat iremains firm and only limited offerings of both graded and undergrade sample lines are available. Graded is quoted unchanged at (is 2d a bushel, through store, with undergrade at from 2d to 3d a bushel less. MAIZE Thero hss been no further advance in the price of maize over the past wuek, the current value being 6s lOd a bushel, through store. There are only restricted offerings, mainly due to the fact that holders have recognised that the demand will exceed the supply, with a consequent hardening in price. BARLEY A further shipment of Australian barley arrived by the Kaimiro yesterday and will keep the local market well supplied for some time. Merchants in Australia have bought back further parcels from Auckland, and advices indicate that there is little left to carry the Australian supplies through until the new harvest in December. OATS AND CHAFF Chaff is being offered more freely on a steady market at the unaltered price of £8 15s a ton, through store. Only restricted business is buing done in oats. Tho market is firm at the unchanged level of 4s 3d a bushel, through store. BRAN AND POLLARD The market for pollard remains steady, with ample stocks of both Australian and local. Australian is selling unchanged at about JEB 7s (id a ton, through atore, while the local value, as fixed by tbs Wheat Committee, is unaltered at •£<> 10s a ton. There has been a falling off in the inquiry for bran over the past fortnight. Rates remain at last week's level of £6 15s a ton, through store. GOLD TAX BURDEN " FUNDAMENTALLY UNSOUND " The gold output of' Alexander Mines (Renfton) last, year was valued at £11,526, of which £B6l went in gold export duty. The company has paid £5401 in gold duty since the tax was instituted. The company's annual report states: "Gold producers in New Zealand have taken very sertou* objection to the imposition of the gold export duty of 12s 6d an ounce. The tax is fundamentally unsound, being levied on production, which is 'universally recognised as an unjust method of obtaining revenue. The mining companies in the Dominion have to bear this inequitable tax and are also being called" upon to pay income tax. In addition, shareholders are assessed on a higher scale, because their dividends art; taken into account in arriving at the rate in the pound on which their income tax is calculated and their dividends are again j assessed for unemployment relief tax."

STOCK SALES ADVANCES AT MATAWHERO [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] GISBORNE, Monday Values in the fat sheep section at the Matawhero saleyards showed a marketl advance on recent rates. Ewes made up to 28s (id and wethers to 31s Oil, these being the highest prices at Matawhero for a long time. Last week's high values for store sheep were maintained while prices in the beef sectiou were similar to last Friday's improved values. For a pen of seven good finished station bullocks in the beef section, the price offered was .til ss. The balance of the entry of 35 consisted of ordinary types. The market for cows was brisk arid values, which were similar to last week's, were as high as £1 10s. Fat shee[> values showed a marked rise, ewes ranging from 22s Id to 28s (>d. A few single wethers ranged from '.Ms to 318 Gd, and second-grade ewes made 17s 6d. There was only a small entry of store sheep, and the market was firm, with a distinct advance for ewes with lambs. These made from '2Bs to 31s. First-class woolly wether hoggets realised from 23s* Id to 23s lOd, and ewe hoggets from 2<is to 26s 4d. Empty ewes made 13s 8d for medium sorts, and 17s fid for good sorts. KAMO HORSE FAIR [FROM OUlt OWN CORRESPONDENT] WHANGARKI, Monday The North Auckland Farmers' Co-operative Limited, reports a very larpc attendance at its Kamo horse fair. Over 200 horses were yarded, and the bulk sold at very satisfactory prices. The top price was £'oo for a very nice heavy draught bay mare, sold by Mr. H. 0. Eraser, of Maungatapere, to Mr. K. Wilson, of Kauri. Mr. M. J. O'Shea, of Whaugarei, received £-16 for an aged heavy draught bay mare, and the same vendor received £l2 for each of three rising three-year-old geldings. Mr. F. McDonald, of Marua, sold a very nice brown mare for £ls, and Mr. S. A. Mitchell, of Kuawai, received £l'_ ; for a fine gray mare. A line of foals on account of Mr. M. .1. O'Shea, of Whangarei, made £2l each, and one particularly fine colt foal sold by the same vendor made £3(5, while a line n 11 medium draught foals were sold by Mr. O'Shea for £l3 each. Quotations— Heavy draughts, £lO to £<iO; medium draughts, jonng, £3<i to £l2; good useful farm horses, £2S to £37 10s; baker's cart horses, £lB to £27; good_ hacks and lisrlit harness horses, .t'7 to £l7 LOs; weeds and ponies, £2 10s to £7. HEREFORD BULLS SOUGHT [from our own correspondent] WHANOAREI, Monday The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, held a very successful special sale of Polled and Horned Hereford bulls at Kensington l'ark. The polled bulls were offered on account of Wilsons (N.Z.) Portland Cement, Limited, and came forward in very good condition, and were well grown. The horned Hereford bulls were offered on account of Mr, ]■;, \. cliff, of Waiotira Roth lots met with keen competition, and a total clearance was effected. The attendance was largo and it was generally conceded that the sale was the best offering of bulls over submitted in .North Auckland. The polled bulls .averaged £2(> 18s and the horned bulls £22 3s, The principal sales were:—Polled bulls, on account of Wilsons (N.Z.) Portland Cement, Limited, 33 l / 3 gns paid by Messrs. (J. and 11. Coates, of Matakohe; 30gns. by Messrs. Leslie ISros., of Kaeo; 2ogns. by Mr. A. • 11. Moore, of Pipiwai; 22gns. by the Mangarata Estate, Kirikopuni; 25gns. by Mr. James Hemphill, of Kirikopuni; 23gns. by Piroa Farms, Maungaturoto. Rest wiles of the horned bulls oil account of Mr. E. A. Cliff, of Waiotira, were: —T. A. Uubb, of Hotco, one at 22gns. and one at 2(>gns.; Mr. Clem Foster, of Mangonui, one at lOgns. and one at 23'/ ; .gus.; Manguru Estate, Kirikopuni, one at 22V 2 gus.; Mr. I). McCracken, of Ararua, two at 32gns. anil one at 20'/agns.; Dreadon Estate, Mititai, one at 21 gns.; Otioro Estate, Topuni, one at aligns, and one at 20V 2 gns.; Messrs. Farrend llros., of Wellsford, one at 20 l / 2 gns.; Messrs. A. Love and Sons, of Waikiekie, one at 25gns.; Mrs, A. Stirling, of Ararua, one at 2(»gns , Mr. L. W. Keeni>, of To Paki, four at 17Vigns and one at IU/ 2 gns.; Mr. James Main, of Whangarei, two at 22gns. and one at 21gns.