COMMERCIAL NEWS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1681, 18 May 1904, Page 69

COMMERCIAL NEWS

LONDON PRODUCE MARKET. The Industries and Commerce Department has received the following cablegram from the Agent-General, dated London, the 7th inst.: — The mutton market is quiet, with indications of a decline in prices, but ifc is 'just possible that the firmness of holders may prevent the anticipated decline. The average price to-day for Canterbury mutton is 4Jd per lb. The average price for Dunedin,. Southland and W.M.E. Co. brands as 4sd to 4|d per lb; for other North Island brands, pelr lb.

The lamb market is steady, but the high prices ruling are - restricting business. The average price to-day for New Zealand lamb, Canterbury brands,is per lb; for brands ocher than Canterbury, bid per lb. The beef market is duil. Supplies of American chilled - beef are large. The average price to-day for hindquarters of New Zealand beef is 3d par lb; fores, 2|-d per lb. The butter market remains very depressed ; the consumption is lai-ge, but there are heavy supplies on hand.- The average price of choicest New Zealand butter to-day is 85s per cwt; Danish, 925. The cheese market is weak. The supply exceeds the demand. The average price lor finest New Zealand cheese today is 42s per cwt. The hemp market is quiet, with a tendency in favour of buyers. The price of New Zealand hemp, good fair Welgrade, on spot to-day, is £32 per ton; May to July shipments, £3l per ton. The present stock of hemp is 64.3 tons, against 513 at this date, last year. The market for Manila hemp has declined. Buyers have been offering moire freely for cocksfoot seed, particularly for forward delivery. The average price far brighb, clean New Zealand cocksfoot seed weighing 171 b per bushel on spot to-ylay is 525. per cwt. The wool market remains firm at the advanced price's cabled you laist week. The importations of River Plate mutton into the United Kingdom for last month (April) wore 299,209 carcases, of which 26,216 were landed at London, 237,076 at Liverpool, 11,710 at Hull, 15.055 at Newcastle, 6000 at Cardiff 3152 at Southampton. Thirty one thousand eight hundred and four carcases of River Plate lamb were landed in the United Kingdom, of which 5000 were landed at London, 21,455 at Liverpool, 2510 at Hull, 1100 at Newcastle, 1689 at Cardiff, 50 at Southampton. Of River Plate butter 16,592 cwt were landed at Liverpool, Lopdon, Hull and Southampton. ' SOUTH AFRICAN QUOTATIONS. The Department of Industries and Commerce has received the following market report from Mr J. G. G'ow, Commercial Agent in South Africa, dated Durban, 9th ultimo:— Oats.—B grade, 6s 3d, c.i.f. Wholesalers are offering 6s 9,d in bond. Stocks low, with very little inquiry. Trade dull. Brau.—Cape, 4s 3d c.i.f. Mai?e,. —Market dead with regard to this line. Prices, whites 10s, locals 10s. ’ Fodder, 5s 6d to 5s 9d, duty paid. Lucerne, 4s 3d! c.i.f. Potatoes. —Locals, 8s to 11s. A small Australian shipment arrived recently in perfect condition. Sold at £6 per ton o,i.f. Onions. —Still a fair demand. Rates to 2d per lb. Recent Australian shipments, in fair order, sold at £7 10s per ton c.i.f. Butter. —The market is rather congested. Choicest brands are fetching 13£d 'to 14|d pats. Recent Australian cables offer 9£d pats f.o.b. Cheese. —A fair trade; primest, BJcl. Poultry. Fair demand. Fowls weighing 3a-lh, 5s to 5s 6d c.i.f.; ducks, 41b, about 6s 8d pea* pair c.i.f. Grapes.—The end of the Cape season is very noticeable. Wholesale, they are fetching about 5d., Pears.—Very small quantities on the market. Fetching about 12s per hundred fruits. Apples.—About 1000 cases are just to hand by the Warrigal, from South Australia in perfect order. They are realising about 12s pbr hundred fruits. WELLINGTON PRODUCE MARKET. Messrs George Thomas and Co. report the following prices ruling in their market:—Flour, £9 10s to £lO per ton; wheat, 3s to 3s 3d per bushel; bran, £3 5s ton; pollard, £5 5s ton; wheatmeal, 10s 6d per 1001 b; maize, 3s bushel; oats, short, 2s to 2s 3d; long oats, Is lod to 2s; oaten-sheaf chaff, 85s to 90s ton; baled straw, £2 10s to £3; baled hay, $5 15s ton; McGill’s oatmeal, £lO 'iOscrushed beans, 4s 3d; feed barley, 2s 9d; partridge peas, 4s 3d; Prussian blue peas, 6s 3d; split peas, 15s cwt; pearl barley, 16s cwt; Cape barley, 3s 3d bushel i Derwent potatoes, 60s to

555; onions, 100 s to 110 s; factory cheese, s|d lb; bacon, 7d; hams. 7gd; fungus, 4£d; swedes, 3s per cwt; ripe tomatoes, 3s to 4s; parsnips, 6s sack; cabbages, 6s to 8s sack; cauliflowers, 7s to 9s sack; lettfuce, 5s case; butter, 7d to 8d lb; walnuts, 3£d to 41 d lb; cooking apples, 4s; dessert apples, 5s to 10s; pears, 3s to 12s per case; piemelons, 4s sack; pumpkins, 4s 6d per sack; marrows, 4s sack; grapes, lOd to Is 2d lb; Messina lemons, 9s for 150’s; fowls, 2s 6d to 3s pair; ducks, 3s 9d to 4s 6d pair; turkeys, 8s to 12s pair; almond nuts, 8d lb; Barcelona nuts. 6d. Laery and Co., Limited, report the fallowing wholesale selling prices on the Wellington market: Wheat.

fowls’ 3s to 3s 3d, broken 2s 9cl; feet oats Is lOd to 2s 2d; duns, 2s 2d; discolomQ'l Is 5d to Is 8d; barley, 2s Gd to 2s 9d j pollard, £5 5s to £5 10s per ton; flour, £9 10s to £lobran, £3 to £3 10s; oatmeal, £lO 10s to £lO 15s; rolled oajts (o’s) 9s Gd, sacks ditto £l2; oatsheaf chaff, 80s to 90s per ton; C-apa barley, 2s 9d pea- bushel; maize, 2s lOd to 3s; fungus, 4£d per lb; potatoes, Dorwents, £2 5s to £2 lbs; onions; 4a 6d to Gs; swedes. £2 to £3; tomatoes*, Is 6d to 3s Gd half-case; parsnips, 4s 6cl to Gs per sack; cabbages, 5s to 7s; cauliflowers, Gs to 9s; lettuce, Gs to 8s case; cheese, factory old, loaf size Gel; butter, 7rl to 8d for pastry, inferior 5d to Gd;'bacon, best factory 7dj rolls Bd,

hams 8d per lb; walnuts, 3d to sd; split peas, 15s; pearl barley, 15s; cooking apples 3s to 4s 6d a case, dessert 5s to 10s; pears', dessert, 5s to 13s per case; pie melons, 3s per sack; pumpkins, Ss 6d to 4s 6d per sack; marrows, 3s; (grapes, -6d to Is 4d; Messina lemons, 10s; hers 2s to 2s 6d; roosters, heavy, 3s to 3s 6d; ducks, 4s to ss; turkejys, hens 8s to Os, gobblers US to 13s, all at per pail-; / fresh eggs 2s, limed Is 4d; mushrooms, Id to 2d per lb; ryegrass, 3s 9d to 4s 6d per bushel; cocksfoot, machine-dressed, ‘ 5d pei’ lb; undressed'cocksfoot, 3? 2 d to 4d; linseed, 12s; linseed cake, Gs 6d; Prussian blue peas, 4s 9d per bushel; partridge peas. 4s per bushel; wild chicks, 4s to ss; teal, 3s per brace; hares, 2s to 35. ; ' ■ ; . JOHNSONYILLE STOCK. SALE. Freeman R. Jackson and Co.; in conjunction with Abraham and "Williams, report on their Johnsonville sale as follows: —A full entry of bullocks. The quality ranged from medium light to prime heavy-weights. Bidding was slow throughout. Beef made 21s, best bullocks made £8 17s 6d, others £B, light sorts £7 and £6 15s. Sheep were in small nunibers, ewes 15s 5d to 16s 3d; •A few pens of good quality lambs made 13s, others 12s lid, light 11s sd. • ? v* V LONDON WOOL MARKET. 'A Bank of New Zealand: circular, dated London, March 31sib, gives particulars of the Home wool market. “The market for merino wool/’ says the circular, “ is almost entirely controlled by ; foreign buyers. Up to the commencement of the war between Russia and Japan trade was in a healty condition, but when Russia's fleet in the Far East wias so suddenly and seriously crippled by Japan, a financial ‘ slump' took place on the Continental stock markets, which had a depressing effect on values -f merino wool, particularly in France. 'Hie state of the market in the near future will doubtless be influenced by events connected with the war, but owing to the smallness of supplies, no seripus decline in values is I'ikel.y J o take place. A restoration of confidence would no doubt leiad to an entire recovery in values. Prices were somewhat irregular throughout the series, but on the average the decline is about 5 . per cent. .Superior lots were occasionally selling close up to last sales’ rates, but faulty wools-were often 7\ per cent, cheaper.” “ The finest kinds of crossbreds,says the circular, “ showed little or no 'change, but * medium a nd coarse sorts improved in value to the extent of 5 per cent. The demand is still centred upon the lower grades, and although manufacturers complain of a serious falling-off in trade as compared with last year, the stocks in hand are so small that, even with a curtailed outlet, there does not appear to he any want of confidence im the future of the market for this class of wool. The rise which, has taken place has to some extent been brought about by the competition from American buyers, who secured about 12,000 bales, mostly crossbreds.” Messrs Murray* Roberts and Go. have received the following wool market cablegram from their London house, (Messrs Sanderson, Murray and Co., dated the 7th inst. The market is stronger. Compared with the closing rates of last sales, merino shows par to five per cent, advance, the best sorts showing the greatest advance. Fine crossbred has also risen 5 per cent., and merino and fine crossbred wools, suitable for American market, have advanced 7i- per cent. LONDON, May 8. At the wool sales the prices obtained inchi'ded —Waitinga Bid, Gear B£d, Homewood Bfd, Hall lid, Elleuslie Is l£d. The prtces, are firm at the late advance. Continental buyers are paying top prices for merinos. To date 63,044 bales have been catalogued and 51,800 sold. AUSTRALIAN PRODUCE MARKETS. SYDNEY, May 11. Wheat, chick, 2s 5d to 2s 7d; milling, 2s lid to 2s llld. Flour, £7 15s to £B. /Oats, feeding, New Zealand, '2s 4d; Tartarian, 2s 6d; local white, Is 7d. Barley, * Cape, 2s 4d to 2s~ sd. Maize, Is ILd to 2s Id. .Bran, 6£d. Pollard, 7id. Peas. Ss 9d to 4s. Potatoes; Tasmanian, £2 to £2 ss. Onions,* prime, £3. Better, best, 7id to Bd. Bacon, 7d to 9d. . .. MELBOURNE, May 11. Wheat, 3s to 3s id. Flour, £7 5s to £7 IQs. Oats, Algerian feeding, Is to ls;&'d; milling, Is 4d to Is sd. Maize, I'3 lid. Barley, malting, 3s 6d. Bran, pollard, 7£d. Potato as, £1 5s to £2. Onions, to £1 15s. ' ' ADELAIDE, May U. ; Wheat, 2s lOd to 35.. Flour, £7’ IQs. Bran, 7d. Pollard, Bd. ; OTAGO GRAIN MARKET. DUNEDIN, May 11. Wheat.—-There is little alteration in the market. Prime milling velvet is . offl stag freely, but large lines are not readily placed at ruling rates. Prime Tuscan and’ red chaff are scarce. Fowl -wheat is in demand for coastal shipment. Prime milling 2s lOd to 3s, medium (nominally) 2s 3d to 2s 9d. good

whole fowl wheat 2s 3d to 2s 4d, broken and damaged 2s to 2s 2d, sacks extra. Oats.—Prime ' milling Sutherlands and A grade are saleable, but for B grade and discoloured there is practically no inquiry. Business doing is very restricted. Prime milling Is 4£d to Is sd, good to best feed Is 3d to Is 4d, inferior to medium lid to Is 2d, sacks extra. SOUTHERN STOCK SALES. CHRISTCHURCH, May 11. At Addington to-day fat cattle were slightly easier than in the previous week. Store sheep were again in strong , demand. Fat sheep—There was an average yarding, and the previous week’s rates were well maintaVmed, both butchers and importers competing keenly. Prime crossbred wethers 21s to 24s 9d, lighter 18s 9d to 20s 6d; prime heavy ewes 19s to 21s 3d, medium to good 17s to 18s 6d, inferior 14s 6d to 16s. Fat lambs —There was a good yarding, and & larger proportion of tegs than usual. Competition was again rather. slack. Tegs made 17s to 19s Id, prime

freezers 15s to 16s 9d, lighter sorts 13s to 14s 6d. Store sheep—All classes met with ready sale at previous week’s rates. Wethers from 19s 8d down to 14s, according to quality, ewes from 17s lOd to 15s 6d, lambs 14s lOd to 9s 9d. Fat cattle —The entry of fab cattle totalled 204, and was good i'n quality. There were a few cows offered, and these met poor demand. Bidding for prime beef was not so brisk as on the previous week. Steers brought £6 15s to £ll 17s 6d, heifers £5 17s 6d to £7 12s Cd, oowis £5 to £0 7s 6d, equal to 23s to 25s for prime and 20s to 22s per 1001 b for secondary sorts and cows. Piigs—A fair yarding of light-weight bacon pigs, but heavy-weights were scaroe. Porkers were in good supply. Heavy-weight hacenei-s. made 47s to 595, and lighter 38s to 465., equal to 4d and 4£d per lb; porkers, 36s to 425, and lighter 30s to 355, equal to 4£d to 5d per lb; stores 18s to 275, weaners 11s fa 16s. DUNEDIN, May 11, At Burnside market to-day 168- fa>t cattle were yarded, the greater portion only medium to good. This class suffered a drop of about IQs per head.

Prime heavy bullocks, on the other hand, sold fully up to last week’s rates. Extra heavy £ll to £l2 2s 6d, good £9 15s to £lO 10s, medium £6 10s to £8 extra heavy oow«s £8 10s to £9 2s 6d, good £o 10s to £7 10s, light and medium £4 to £5 10s. Fat sheep—l 72- were penned. The sale opened .at slightly above last week’s rates, but as It progressed prices came back to about the same levels. Extra prime wethers 23s 6d to 24s 3d, freed °os to 225, medium 18s to 19s Gd, others 16s to 17s 9d, extra prime ewes 24s to 255, good 19s to 21s, medium 17s to 18s 3d, others 13s to 16s. La,mbs—3l6 were penned, and despite the small number, prices receded Is pgi’ head. There were no export buy** el’s operating. Best los to 16s 6d, good Ids to 14s .Gd, otliers 9s 9d to 12s 6d. pjo-.s 126 were penned. Porkers and baconers realised late rates, but others were dull of sale. Suckers 6s to 10s 6d, slips lls to 15s 6d, stores 17s to 225, porkers 27s Gd to 295, baooners 40a to 57s Gd.

It is calculated that there are over 200.000 lepers in. British' India*