COMMERCIAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24876, 24 April 1944, Page 2

COMMERCIAL

LIVESTOCK MARKETS CONDITIONS IN WAIKATQ. (0.C.) HAMILTON, Saturday Feed is still plentiful in the Waikato, and the market for most classes of store stock remains very firm. A number of station-bred cattle are still coming forward. At the Morrinsville centre on Friday, prices for grown steers were in advance of those offered three weeks ago, hut were not as high as at the autumn fairs in March, when graziers paid big prices for forward bullocks. Fat cattle are being forwarded to the works in larger numbers, and this probably accounts for the improved demand for stores. The first large yarding of station-bred weaner calves in this district was penned at the Te Anga sale, and met a steady demand. Good lines of steer calves sold at £5 to £o Bs, and medium from £4 to £4 10s. with heifers realising £3 to £4 10s. The inquiry for dairy cattle also remains keen, with prices for good quality showing a slight finning. Yearling Jersey heifers sell readily at recent improved rales. Little business is being transacted in the store sheep section, [here is a keen inquiry for store lambs, but only small lines are coming to the market, and prices have shown a sharp advance. A few lines of breeding ewes sell at practically unchan ge d quotations. Beet. —Larger yardings of fat cattle have been penned at most of the larger centres and values have eased. At the country sales, where tlie supply has been only sufficient tor the local trade, values have remained firm. Runners and vealers sell at practically unchanged quotations. Heavy prime steers sell at tit to £ls; prime, £l2 10s to £l3 l(tej lighter prime, £ll to £l2; heavy prime young cows and heifers, £9 to £lO 3s; medium, £. 15s to £8 15aj light. £6 10s to £7 10s. Mutton.—Comparatively small entries of fat sheep are coming forward at the country sale#* and values remain very firm. Increased yardings of wethers are being penned at the main centres, and prices show little alteration. Prime ewes are in short supply, and prices for this class have shown a further increase. Fat lambs also sell readily at recent improved rates. Extra prime wethers sell froui 31s to 335; prime, 28s Od to 30s; light. 25s to 275; heavy prime ewes, 19s to 20s; medium. 17s to 18s; "light, 15s to 16s; canner ewes. Os to S«. Pi BS ,—Smaller yardings of fat pigs are being penned at most centres. The demand for both baconers and porkers is keen, and prlc.es for the latter have firmed. Stores and weaners also sell readily at improved rates. Baconers sell from £3 10s to £4 15s; heavy porkers and buttermilk pigs, £3 to £3 (is; medium porkers, £2 10s to £2 18s; light. £2 to £2 Bs. PRICES AT MORRINSVILLE (0.C.) MORRINSVILLE, Saturday Competition at the Morrinsville sale yesterday was keen and values generally were firm. Fat sheep were yarded in medium numbers and there were moro fat lambs than usual. Prices improved for store steers and heifers. A medium yarding of pigs was penned, competition for baconers and porkers being very keen, with higher prices. There was a good sale of store and weaner pigs. Quotations: —Prime fat wethers, 27s Od to 29s 3d; heavy fat lambs, 26s Od to 28s: prime. 24s 3d to 25s Gd; medium, 22s Od to 23s Od; light, 19s to 21s; s"K>d store lambs. 13s 9d to 15s 3d; medium, 11s to 12s Gd Three and a-half-year store Polled Angus steers, £9 to £9 14s; 2'4-year store Polled Angus steers, £S 5s t-o £8 l is; smaller, £7 14s to £8 2s; 2Mr year Polled Angus-llereford cross heifers (forward), £7 4s; 2M,-year Polled Angus heifers, £G 5s to £0 12s; smaller. £5 6s to £0; 2 1 ,4-year Hereford heifers, £6 9s; 18-month Polled Angus heifers, £1 His to £O. Light fat bullocks, £lO 7s to t'.l 1 ; medium prime heifers, £7 10s to £9; heavy prime cows, £8 to £9 7s Gd; medium, £6 15s to £7 10s; light fat young cows and heifers, £5 5s to £0 10s; heavy boner rows. £5 to £6 108; medium, £4 to £4 15s; store cows. £3 to £3 15s; medium Jersey heifer calves. £4 3s; bulls, £4 to £0 12s Gd. Choppers. £2 Os to £5; prime heavy baconers, £4 lis to £4 15s; heavy baconers, £4 8s to £4 lOfi; medium. £4 2s to £4 6s; light, £3 12s to £4; butter-milk pigs and heavy porkers, £2 18s to £3 10s; medium porkers, £2 10s to £2 16s; light, £2 2s to £2 88; unfinished. 34s to £2; large stores, 30s to 35s 6d; smaller, 22s Gd to 27s Gd; slips, 15s Gd to 20s; weaners, 12s to IGs Gd: Berkshire boars, £3 10s to £5 10s; sows, in farrow, £3 5s to £5 10s

I NEW PRIVATE COMPANY | FARMERS' TRADING SUBSIDIARY Recent registrations in Auckland include i Farmers' Wholesale, Limited, a private comi pany with a capital of £IO,OOO in shares of I£! each. Subscribers are:—Farmers' Trading j Company, 9900 shares; W. G. Crouch, 100. Referring to the formation of this sub- | sidiary, Mr. W. Calder Macky, general man- ! ager of the Farmers' Trading Company, states i that the firm has 70 large branches and five ; factories. Trading with these involves sub- : stantial wholesale dealings, and it is to facili- , tate these that the new subsidiary has been j formed BRITISH FINANCE Referring to an increase of almost £20,000,000 in clearing bank advances a London message says: "This fact has givt-n rise to speculation whether catering for the small man's requirements is beginning to make its influence felt. Advances from the outbreak of war declined sharply, but by last summer there was evidence that the downward trend was flattening out, and the March figure of £772,000,000 is the highest since December, 1942. A fall of £10,000,000 in the banks' combined holdings of Treasury bills, which i are now at the lowest point for two years, is largely attributed to increased competition for Treasury bills by some oversea banks." PRICE FOR PIGMEATS (0.C.) HAMILTON. Sunday It should not be assumed that the council was in agreement witli the increase of Vid per lb. in the price for pigmeats announced by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, says a statement by the Waikato District Pig Council. In the first instance the Waikato council informed the Government that no increase in the production of pigmeats could be expected unless a schedule of 9d per lb. was set for baconers. Later, as a result of the explanation that the £5 an acre cropping subsidy represented about y a d per lb. on pigmeats and that meal prices would be held at their present levels, the National Pig Council finally recommended a schedule of 8d per lb. for baconers, continues the statement. Notwithstanding those facte, the council felt it the duty of every farmer to produce as many pigs as possible during the corning se-ason. PASTORAL CONDITIONS Reports from the supervising graderß of the Meat Producers Board show that there is an ample growth of feed in all parts of the Dominion. In North Auckland there is an excess, and throughout the Auckland district growth was continuing when the reports were made. West Coast and Taranaki districts had experienced mild weather with some rain, the conditions for pasture being ideal. In Poverty Bay and Hawke's Bay, where, according to the previous report, the heavy rainfall had not been conducive to good quality feed, ample sunshine has had a hardening effect, and growth is good. BROKEN HILL PROPRIETARY The directors of Broken HJII Proprietary, Limited (Melbourne), recommend a final dividend of 2Va per cent, making 5 per cent for the year, unchanged, payable on May 31. Books close May 3.

LAMB SCHEDULE RAISED (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Sunday The New Zealand Meat Producers Board advises that the lamb schedule in the North Island will be increased by y B d per lb., commencing to-morrow. WOOL APPRAISAL The sixth and final wool appraisal of the Auckland season will commence in the Parnell stores on Thursday, when ru offernig of about, 16.000 bales is likely to be available. The catalogue is not finally closed and late entries will still he accepted. At the corresponding fixture a year ago 16,407 balee were dealt with. CALL AND DIVIDEND LIST Dividends— Due Howard Smith- —final, ord., 3 p.c... Apl. 26 Snowy River —Gd a share . . Apl. 26 South British —int., Is a share .. Apl. 27 Macky, Logan—final, 4'/, p.c. .. Apl. 27 United Ins.—int., 4 l / 2 p.c. . . .. Apl. 28 Sharland and Co. —int., 2 l / a p. 0... May 10 Bank Adelaide—int., 2Vi D.c. . . May 10 Mosgiel—int., 4 p.c. . . May 16 Electro. Zinc—int.. ord and pref., 4 p.c. May 26 Nat. Bank A'asia—int., 2'yi P.c. . . May 31 Farm. Trading—%-year A and B pf., 5 3-5 p.c. p.a.; C pf., 5 p.c. p.a. May 81 Broken Hill Pfy,—final, 2% p.c. (books May 3) . . . . May 31 Henry Jones Co-op.—int., Od . . June 1 T.C.I. —final, ord., 5 p.c. , . July 1 Bank N.Z.—'final, ord., 4 p.c.; D Mtge., 7M, p.c. p.a. (less taxes) June 23 FOREIGN EXCHANGES Closing telegraphic rates for purchases and sales of foreign exchange Auckland on overseas centres on Saturday were supplied by the Bank of New South Wales as follows:—April 22 T.T. T.T. Buying Selling New York, dol. to £ . . 3.2542 3.2050 Montreal, dol. to £ . . 3.G039 3.5290 India, pence to rupee .. 22 3-16 22 3 i Ceylon, pence to rupee . . 22 3-16 22' i S.A., CN.Z. £S.A. 100 123 125/2/6 London. £'N.Z. £st. 100 124/7/6 125 Australia. £A. £N,Z. 100 100/10/- 100 Fiji. £F. £N.Z, 100 . . 90 88/12/0 Chungking, N.Z. pence to ChiriMHj dollar ..