COMMERCIAL NEWS

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXVII, Issue 8489, 24 May 1904, Page 4

COMMERCIAL NEWS

HOME MARKETS. By Telegraph. Wellington, May 23. The Department of Industries and Commerce has received the following cablegram from the Agent-General* dated London, 21st instant: — The mutton market is weak. The output is unsatisfactory owing to _ the demand being chiefly for prime light carcases, which are scarce. The average price to-day for Canterbury mutton, light weights, is 4Jd per lb, and per lb for heavy weights. The average price to-day for other brands of North Island mutton is 4d per lb. The lamb market is steady owing to the demand having been stimulated by the fine weather that has set in. The average price for Canterbury brands is 5Jd per lb, and for brands other than Canterbury s£d per lb. . . „ The beef market is quiet. The average price for hindquarters of New Zealand beef is 5Jd per lb, fores per lb. There is a better demand for butter. Buyers are chiefly speculators, but supplies on hand are very heavy. The average price of choicest New Zealand butter is 88s per ewt, and Danish 965. The cheese market is steady. The reduction in prices has caused more business to be done. The average price of finest New Zealand cheese to-day is 40s per cwt. The hemp market is dull. The price of New Zealand hemp, good fair Wellington grade, on spot to-day, is £3l per ton; May to July shipments, £3O 10s. The price of Manila hemp, fair current grade, on spot, is £34 10s per ton. The cocksfoot seed market is steady. The average price of bright, clean New Zealand cocksfoot seed, weighing 171b per bushel, is 52s per cwt. Wool. —The sale has concluded. Ihe market is firm, with a hardening tendency. Many buyers are operating heavily. There is general confidence in the maintenance of present prices. The estimated values of fine crossbreds are lid to Is, 9d to lOld, coarse 8d to lOd, superior merinos Hid to Is l£d, medium 9d to lid, inferior 7d to BJd. DUNEDIN GRAIN AND PRODUCE REPORT. Messrs Dalgety and Co. (Limited) report : We held our weekly sale of grain and produce at our stores on Monday, when we submitted a fairly representative catalogue to a small attendance of buyers. Bidding was anything but spirited, and only a few lots were quitted at auction. Values ruled as under. Oats.—The market remains quiet. There is some enquiry for prime milling lhws, principally Sutherlands, but holders of this class of oats are not anxious to quit at prices now offered. There has been a better demand for B grade quality during the past week. Farmers show no inclination, to force the sale of their grain, and although sales are few prices are unaltered. We quote: Prime milling Is to Is sd, good to best feed Is 3d to Is 4d, inferior to medium 10d to Is 2d per bushel (socks extra). tVheat. Local millers are carrying fairly heavy stocks, and are content to hold oil unless they see an opportunity of picking up a very good line at a reduction on quotations. Medium quality is quite neglected. Fowl wheat continues to be in fair demand for coastal shipment. We quote: Prime milling 2s 9d to 3s, medium 2s 5d to 2s Bd, good whole fowl wheat 2s 3d to 2s Sjiy broken and damaged Is lOd to 2s 2d per bushel (sacks extra). Potatoes.—The market is well supplied, and sales are difficult to effect at prices quoted: Best Derwents £2 to £2 2s 6d, other sorts £1 10s to £1 17s 6d per ton Ibags in). Chaff.—Prices for bright heavy well cut oaten sheaf chaff are well maintained, but for medium and inferior quality there is little or no enquiry, and to effect sales lower values have to be taken-. We quote : Prime oaten sheaf £2 7s 6d to £2 15s, medium do £2 to £2 ss, inferior and light £1 10s to £1 17s fid per ton (bags extra). SALES OF PROPERTIES. Messrs Guinness and LeCren, Waimate, report the sale of the following properties during the past week: —Account Mr H. Jeffs, section in Rhodes street (£-acre); account Mr James Anderson, 43 acres at Deep Creek; account Mr W. J. Daile'y, two sections (each acre), Mill road; account owner, house and section in Rhodes street, to Mr Turner. STOCK SALES. The North Otago Farmers' Co-operative Association report having 'held their usual fortnightly sale of horses at the above yards on Saturday y 21st May, as follows There was a small yarding of 13 draughts and four light harness horses. The demand was notbrisk, and the owners' ideas of values being above those of buyers', there were a good many paosed at auction. \V e sold: Bay filly, 7yrs, at £3O; bay gelding, aged, at £35; bay gelding, 4yrs, at £37 '; aged harness gelding, at £9 ss; aged mare, at £4 sa; aged gelding, £3 10s. We quote: First-class young draughts, £55 to £4O; medium, £35 to £25; aged,- £ls to £10; strong van horses, £35 to £2O; light harness horses, £25 to £ls. There was a good entry of (horses at Tattersall's (Christchurch) on Saturday, and prices were on a par with those of the previous week. Best draughts made up to £50,. and medium from £25 to £32, saddle and harness horses from £ls to £24 and hacks from £5 to £lO. 0n Friday, at Sheffield monthly sale, there was a good entry, 6500 sheep and lambs coming to hand, of which fats numbered 2400 chiefly lambs, though there were more fat sheep of late at oountry markets. In the store pens the entry was fairly divided between lambs, cross-bred wethers and cross-bred ewes, which, with few exceptions, were good, useful sheep, a few pens being very forward. Merinos consisted of about 800, chiefly wethers There was a good attendances and competition was strong for all classes, both fat and stores. Prices were —Freezing wethers 22s 6d to 22s 9d, a few making 23s Id, tegs 17s 5d to 13s 3d, fat lambs 15s to 17s 2d, unfinished sorts 14s 2d to 14s lOd, fat cross-bred ewes (best) 16s 6d to 17s 9d, others 13s lid to 15s Bd, fat merino ewes 8s 3d to 12s Bd. store lambs 12s 3d to 14s Id, two and four-tooth cross-bred wethers 16s 3d to 19s 6d, four-tooth halfbred wethers 19s 3d, six-tooth half-bred ewes 19s 4d, mixed two,- four, six,- and eighttooth crossbred ewes 17s 5d to 18s lid, two and four-:tooth crossbred ewes 17s, failingmouth crossbred ewes. 13s 4d to 15s, four, six and eight-tooth merino wethers -l4s lOd, aged merino ewes 7s 6d to 8s 3d. There, was a fsur yarding,of _sheep at Pleasant Point yesterday. In spite of the rain which fell throughout the sale, there was a. good attendance, anda .complete.-clearance was effected, the sale being no doubt benefited by the rain. Of cattle there was but a yarding,, and the .sale, a little • dull. There was a unanimous feeling among those present that the rains will be very beneficial in the district. The following prices are representative: —Fat ewes 17s to- 18s, heavy-weights 20s to 21s, fat- -2-tooth. wethers 225, forward 2 and 4-tooth. three-quarter-bred wethers 18s to 18s 6d, fat lambs 15s 6d to 17s lOd, forward lambs 14s to 15s, mediuin three-quarter-bred lambs, 13s 6d to 13s 9d. bullocks £5 10s to £6, cows and. heifers in profit or near calving £5 lOs to £6 JKs., ,