COMMERCIAL

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8294, 24 September 1903, Page 1

COMMERCIAL

[By Electric Telegraph.—CorxiuanT.]

HOME BASKETS.

Pun -I'mcss association.

Received September 23, at 10.43 p.m. London, Septenioer 22. Consols, 88|. Three montns bills, 4 l-16th per cent. New South Wales threes, 86; Victorian threes, 87.

The city opinion is gloomy over the prospects of the recovery of colonial stocks. The tightness of money and ine prospect of further borrowing have reduced tlie aemand for<them to a minimum.

At the wool sales the "Waudwi" clip realised 9£d. Considerable quantities of New Zealand stored butter are arriving in a lishy condition.

A meeting of the Smitliheld salesmen resolved that there was no reason at present to lower the prices of frozen lamb, as the statistical position was the same as in 1902.

DUNEDIN MARKETS. By Telegraph. Dunedin, September 23. Cattle.—l 93 head were penned, prices ruling much easier. Bust bullocks £l2 ss, a few extra heavy sold at £l4 2s 6d, others £9 10s to £lO 10s, medium £8 5s to'£9 2s 6d, best cows £lO 10s, others £8 8s to £8 17s 6d.

Sheep.—2692 were yarded, prices being the same as last week. Best wethers to 26s 3d, medium 21s 6d to 23s 9d, others 19s 6d to 20s 9d, best ewes 23s 3d, medium 19s to 20s, others 18s to 18s 9d.

Pigs.—Seventy-eight were penned. All sold exceedingly well. Suckers 9s to 17s, slips 19s to 245, stores 26s to 345, porkers 36s to 50s, baconers 53s to 665, big pigs to 945. No lambs were offered. Wheat. —A little business is doing in prime northern and fowls' feed, but outside these everything is dull. Prime milling 4s to 4s 3d, medium (nominal), 3s 6d to 3s lOd, best fowls' feed 3s 4d to 3s sd, medium and inferior 2s 9d to 3s 3d (sacks extra). Oats.—There is some inquiry for prime bright lines suitable for export, but these are scarce. Lower grades are plentiful, and difficult to sell. Prime muling and shipping lines Is 7d to Is Bd, good to best feed Is 6d to Is 63d, others Is to Is sd, seed Is 9d to 2s 3d. ALDINGTON MARKETS. By Telegraph. Christchurch, September 23. Pat Cattle.—A yarding of 185 included a /urge proportion of unfinished sorts, and 'or these the market was distinctly easier. Really prime quality maintained its value, and the price of beef was from 27s to 34s per lOOlbs. .Steers £7 17s 6d to £l3 2s Od, cows £5 12 6 6d to £l2 6s 6d, heifers £7 6s 6d to £lO 17s 6d.

Fat Sheep. The yarding was a comparatively small one, and there was keen competition for all prime lots at prices on a par with those ruling last week. The entry included a few pens of especially prime wethers and these realised from 29s to 355, ordinary wethers 25s to 28s, lighter 19s 5d to 24s lOd, best ewes 22s to 25s 6d, hoggets 16s 7d to 16s lid.

Pat Lambs.—A small entry of this sea son's lambs realised 18s to 26s 6d.

Store Sheep.—Only 523 came forward, and all sold readily at capital prices. Wethers 17s 8d to 19s 6d, hoggets 15s 7d to 17s Bd, ewes and lambs 10s od (all counted). Pigs.—A fair entry and keen demand at last week's rates. Baconers 50s to 665, equal to 's;d ; stores were miner scarce, and were in keen demand at 25s to 32s for large, and 12s to 20s for weaners.

CHRISTCHUROH GRAIN AND PRODUCE MARKETS. (Lyttelton Times.)

The local grain market continues almost lifeless, neither millers, merchants, nor fanners being anxious to do business at current rates, which are, therefore, nomin.il. In oats the prospects are daily becoming less hopeful, and even farmers who up to the present hare been firm holders, are showing a disposition to accept lower rates than they had hitherto demanded. In the absence of any export outlet, however, merchants are very careful of touching tins cereal, and very little business is being transacted. Potatoes are reported to be easier, partly in consequence of the Auckland market having received a shipment of Tasmanian potatoes via Sydney. A cable advice from Melbourne received this week states that potatoes have advanced 5s per ton, so it is possible this may check any further importations from Australia.

The cocksfoot market is reported to be firmer, though there has been no advice from London to warrant any advance in prices. Ryegrass is a trifle easier, and cowgrass is practically but of the market, very little coming forward now. A few lines of white clover still come forward, but business in slack in consequence of imported stocks now offering. In dairy produce factory butter has been reduced Id per lb and eggs have advanced in price, lid per dozen now being offered to sellers. Polio wing are quotations:

Wheat. —Hunter's and Tuscan 3s 9d to 3s lOd, Pearl 4s, whole chickwheat 3s 6d, at country stations.

Oats.—Milling Canadians Is 7d to Is Bd, Sparrowbills and Duns Is 6d, Danish Is 4d to Is sd, at country stations. Barley (nominal). —Malting 3s to 3s 3d.

Oatsheaf Chaff.—£2 5s to £2 7s 6d at country stations. Potatoes. —£2 10s, early varieties £3 at country stations.

Onions.—£2 at . country stations ; in strings £1 extra. Peas.—Partridge 3s 9d to 3s lid, Blue Prussians 5s 9d.

Flour.—Millers quote roller £9 10s (251b bags £lO 10s), for export £9; pollard £4. bran £3. Oatmeal—£9.

BeanG. —2s 9d per bushel. Seed.—Ryegrass, farmers' lines 2s 6d to Ss, machine-dressed 3s 6d to 4s 3d. Cocksfoot, 101b 2Jd to 3d per lb, 111b 3-|d per lb, 121b 3*d to 3§d per lb, 131b 3£d to 3j>d per lb.

White clover, superior lots 9d to lOd per lb, lower quality 6d to 8d per lb. Red Clover—Canterbury 7d to Bd, Blenheim 7d to 8d per lb. Dairy Produce.—Cheese, dairy 5d to 6d, factory s|d to cased f.o.b. Lyttelton. local fctory HAd", stored (in bulk) 9d to 9£d, stored (in lbs) 9Ad to lOd, dairy 8d to 9d. Hams and bacon, factory 8d to 9d, cased, f.o.b. Fresh eggs lid per dozen.

STOCK SALES.. There was a good attendance at the Rangiora market on Tuesday, but the entry was much smaller than usual. In the North Canterbury Stores Company's yards the entry comprised 450 sheep, 70 cattle, -nnd about 50 pigs. Fat wethers made 20s 3d to 246 6d, fat ewes to 15s iu, forward store wethers to 16s lOd, fat hoggets 18s 6d to 21s. Cattle.—Beef made equal to 25s to 27s 6d per 1001b; fat steers to £9 10s, fat cows to £7 10s, springers £7 to £8 17s 6d, store cattle £3 17s, eighteen-months-old cattle £2 15s to £3 10s, calves 22s to 355. Pigs.— Baconers 50s to 70s, porkers 30s to 455, stores 18s to 255, weaners 10s 6d to 15s, suckers 8s to lis.

About 100 sheep and 40 cattle were entered at Tinwald yards on Tuesday. Cattle*were dull of sale, and many lots were passed in. Store sheep were not in demand, and prices declined. Th*> prices are:—Store cattle: Dairy cows £4 15s to £6. Fat cattle—Cows £7 tp £9, heifers £7 to £lO 12s 6d, steers £2 5s to: £9 10s. Fat Sneep—Crossbred wethers 163 6'd to 25s 9d, crossbred ewes 12s Bd, merino wethsrs l-7s 9d.to 18s sd, merino ewes 9s. Store Sheer>-r-Hoggets 12s 3d to 17s 9d, crossbred ewes in lamb 18s, crossbred ewes with lambs (all counted) lis 2d to 12s.