COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12393, 1 July 1902, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

Daily Times Office, Monday eveiing, PRODUCE MARKET. The potnto market is very sick, owing to a slump in the Christcbutch- market, a further deqline of Ss per ton being reported. Dorwents are now quoted as low as JE2 5s on trucks at Canterbury 6ountry atations, J'hich should make them worth from 5s to £3 10s in Dunedin. Reports from Oamaru state that growors are pitting their potatoes sooner than accept present rates, and if this is being done at all extensively it should have a firming effect upon prices.

BREADSTUPFS. , Tile wheat market eontiwicn tmiet, and milleW at"© in & quandary Tlioy will soon have to come into the market ngain, and are faced with> the fact that they cannot l)uy prime milling velvet Under 4» on trucks Christohnrcli reports stale, Hint a.few lines Were sold last week at prices ranging from 4b to 4s Id f.o.b, Lyttolton for immediate shiptrient. The bulk of tho Ashburton holders refuse to dispose of their grain under 4s iter bushel, although a few farmers who are anxidils to soli liavo atioep'ted reduced values from millers.

The following statistics of tho season's wheat yield, kindly furnished by the Department of Agriculture, Wellington, should proV& of service in forecasting the probable trend of the inarkei:^

WntiAT Crop,. 1901-1902, , . Bushels. Amount oii hand October 18, 1901 3,182,007 Area for threshing, 163,405 acres, at estimated yield Of 25 bushels P« 4,066,550 t. , , , 7,263,557 Exported, October 1 1801, to May 3V * 902 , : 200,000 Estimated amount available for seed, consumption, Slid export at ■ltine 1, 1902 ... .... _ r 7,063,557 But a large quantity of this wheat.is damaged, and the department estimate,! that from 400,000 to 500,000 bushels, although it may come iu far feeding stock, will be unfit for milling. Accepting.tile higher estimate as likely to bo the more correct, we have the following: — , * Tiudiels. \v heat available at .Tun? 1 7.063,557 l.e-ss damaged by rain 500,000 Milling wheat available ... 6,563,557 lhe position will be made plainer by attaching a rough estimate of tho colony's requirements for seed and consumption for tho nine months June 1, 1902. to February 28, 1903:— v ,. . Bushels, intimated nine months consuinp* tion of 830,000 person? at six bushels per head per annum ... 3,735,000 Estimated (Jiiantity required for seed (say, 200,000 acres, at two bushels per acre) 400,000 Estimated nine months' requirel"6n,s - - <,135,000 The result then would lies— , • „,. . , • Bushels. Estimated milling wheat available fit Jiine 1, 1901 .., ... ... 6,568,657 Estimated nine months' require - 4,135,000 Estimated surplus , 2,433,557 This, Of course, allows nothlhg for tho iiine riionths' expbrt. For the 12 mohtlis ending March, 1902, 1,964,923 bushels were exported from the colony; but at present prices it is difficult to see whero the demand for export is to cohie front. If, therefore, the fignre* in this ostiinat© work out at all near the mark, it wftuld teem tliat the price of wlicnt ip unduly inflated, egieoially lioaring in mind Hint the continued importations of Amerieau flour must, materially lessen the consumption of New Zealand-grown wheat. Tliti market for good oats keops firm, although, there is little doing and an absence of any demand from Australia. The Beckenlmm has sailed from Lvtteltou for Durban with 126,032 bags of oats, 98,000 of which were loaded nt the Bluff.

Toothache is q severe twfc of ti man's philosophy. A fitnplo remedy is to saturate* n piece of cotton with Chamberlain's Pfti* Balm and'place it in ilio cavity of the affccled tooth. One application gives relief. Try it. All dealers tell it, " ■ • ■

The following statistics concerning oat?, furnished us by the Department of Auriculturo, make interesting rending - C»or, 3901-1902, Bushels. Amount on hand, October 15, 1901 ... 2,771,280 Area for threshing, 405,024 acres, at estimated yield of 38 bushel* per acre 15,425,112 Total 18,196,393 Exported Oclobor 1,1901, to May 31, 1902 ... 3,600,000 Estimated amount- availablo for seod, consumption, and export, as at • June 1, 1902 14,596,393 Tlie exact oat situation is not no easy to arrive nt. It may be estimated that at least 2,000,000 bushels of oats have boon shipped to South Africa during .Tune, bringing down tlio quantity available to 12,5%,398 bushels, but .the exports for the next eight months aro an nnascertaiiiablo quantity. For tho year ending March, 1902, 8,587,487 bushels of oats were exported, mainly to South Africa, and, assuming tho demand to lw about equal, thin would give another 3,000,000 bushels needed for export, bringing the amount available down to 11,596,398 bushels; from this has to be deducted the nmount required for homo consumption for the next eight months, which figures are not at the moment available, Another factor to be taken into account is tho proportion of damaged oats, of which the department has not' furnished in with an estimate.

Tlio amount of revenue collected at tlio Duncdm Custom House tO'day on goods cleared for consumption was £4E5 3s. The amount of rovenuo collccted at the Custom Houso during June last on goods cleared for consumption was 1628,511 Is 6il. The boer duty amounted tb £1800 4s sd, and tho gold exported was 30S0oii,"and was valued at £14,299. For June of 1901 tlio duty on goods was £26,533 13s Id, on beer £1818 2s lid, and tho gold exported was 14,5760z, tlio value being-- £58,802. There lias therefore been nn increase in the duly on goods amounting to £1977 Efe id, the beer duty has remained mticli the same. and tho gold export has fallen off by 10,8960z.

' SYDNEY STOCK SALES. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. SYDNEY. Jimo 30. Twonty thsusand sheep were ottered at the fat-stock market to-day. There was splendid competition, and extreme rates prevailed, best wethers sellihg at up to 4lt> anil ewes to 18s fid. A small nrtmber of crossbred wethers, on account of Mr (5. 11, Scalcs, Wellington, were sold, l'orty-lhreo realised Mb 3d, nn<l four fetched 26s 3d. Lambs ivero lower than last wAk. Best, tip to Hs; good, 9s to 10s. Cattlo had n brisk sale. Primo realised £15; good, from £3. Butter: Choice, 17d (o 18d: primo factory, Id lens.

SHIPPERS OF WOOL AND SHEEPSKINS. Messrs Murray, Roberts, and Co. have sup-plied-us with tho following particulars of tho principal shippers of wool and sheepskins from Chalmers for the year ending 30th Jttno, 1902:— , Baits. Murray, Roberts, and Co. „ .. 6081 George Kettlewell Walter Hill .. .. ~ ~ ~ 2840 Ross and Glendining (Limited).. 2717 National Mortgage & Agency Co. 2379 ■ Dalgety and Co. (Limited) .. 3107 . J. H, Kirk and Co • .. 1968' . J. Loudon and Co. 1648 ~ oan an 4 Mercantile A. Co. 1518 Hick Swift ana Co. 1203 White and Co. „ „ (( fljjjj J. Rattray and Son 907 Wright, Stephenson, and Co. 750

THE RATES BY THE DIRECT STEAM SERVICE. The Review of the River Plate publishes the following comparison of the rates proposed to be charged by tho New Zealand Government for freights to South Africa with those Charged by the Argentine Government for the transports between Buenos Ayres and the Cftpe;— New Argen- - ... , . Zealand. tina. Cattle, per head ~ „ „ — £5 0 0 Horses, per head .... — 415 0 MuUs _ 410 0 Barley, per ton JCI 12 6 110 0 .W •• ••. - 010 0 Wheat and maize, per ton 110 0 10 0 Flour, per ton 1 10 0 — Oati, per ton 115 0 110 0 Bran, per ton 2 0 0 115 0 Hay (per 50 cub. ft, N,Z.) 117 0 — Hay (per 40 cub. ft, Arg.) — 1.15 0 The Review comments as follows;-"Prom the above it la Been that our rntes afe much chsapor than those of New feal&hd, and so wo stand a much bete chance of coMpctitig with that couulry in the South African market."

gSain and produce market. Messrs Donald Heid and Co. (Llrai(cd) report having held then UsU») weekly auction sale of grain Mid produce at their atotci on Monday. Ihere was fair competition for roost of the lots on offer, and except for potatooß, which were without demftiidj price* were about on ft Jerel wiili lale quotations. Oftts.—During the paßt week there hns been practically no demand for export, and without this it is impossible to clear consignments as they come to hand. Stock* havo therefore bccumulated slightly, but any activity in outside markets will readily absorb all on hand. We submitted a misccd catalogue, suitable for local requirements, and all dn offer were cleared at satisfactory prices We quote: Seed lines, 2a 8d id 2a lOd; prime milling, 2s GJd to 2s 8d; gedd to best feed, 2S 4&d to 2s Gdj inferior to medium, 2s MI to 2s 4d per bushel (sacks extra). \\ heat.—Millers are not operating <o any exm*?' prime quality there is therefore little inquiry. Medium qualities cannot be placed except as fowl wheal. This is rather more plentiful, but continues to lneet a fair trade. We quote: Prime milling, 3s 9d to 4s 3d; medium, 3s 4d to 8s 8d; best whole fowl whrat, 8s 2d to 8s 3d| hiediuni, 88 to 3s Id: broken and damaged, 2s 6d to 2s lOd her bushel (sacks extra).

Potatoes.—We offered a fair selection, but in tho absence of demand the bulk wag passed in. A few sales 6f hit Derwents were made nt i' 3 10s to fD 16s per ton. We quote: Prime Derwonts, £3 109 to £3 17d Gd) others, £3 to £B 10s per ton (bags in). i 8 i?~ i 8 I,la^' !e ' ' s moderately supplied, anu all good to prime quality is readily quitted at pneta fully eqUal to late quotations. Medium and inferior fiorts are still without much in* quiry. We quote: Beat oaten aheaf, £4 10s to £4 16s; good, £i to £4 U Cd; inferior and medium, £210s to £3 15s per ton (bags cittn),

Messrs Dalgely and Co. (Limited) report haVX 8 ? cla H l , eir ÜBUal weekly auction sale on Monday. There was the usual attendance of buyers, but bidding was slow for nil produce on offer, unless for prime oaten chaff. '-There' s 110 "hango to report from last week, The market is quiet, and shows ho aniination, shippers still holding ofL their requirements in the meantime being filled. As, however, stocks oil hand aro not heavy, they are being firmly held. Prime seed, 2» B|d to 2s [Oil; priine milling,> 7d to 2s 7jd; good to best feed, 2s 5d to 2s Cd; inferior to medium, 2s to 2s 4d (bags extra). Wheat.—Only prime samples ore asked for, millers confining their purchases strictly to the above quality. Medium has no demand, and is only quitted aH fowl feed, which still maintains » fair sale. Prime velvet and Tuscan, 4s to 4S 3d; medium, 3b Oct to' 3* 10(1; fowl feed (whole), 3s 2d to 3s 3d; broken and damaged, 23 Gd to 3» (bags extra). rotaloqa.—Owing to heavy supplies arriving iroin Christchurch the market here has dropped about 15S a ton, olid even at quotations buyers ar.! r.ot operating freely. Priine Derwcnts, £3 10s to £3 IDs; good, £3 to £3 7s Od (bags in). Chaff.—The market ii barely supplied with very bright and prime oaten sheaf, and this quality has a good demand. Medium to good, of which there i s a very large quantity offering, is very hard to sell. Prime, £4 10s to £4 15s; good, £4 to £4 ss; inferior and medium, £2 10s lo £3 10s (bags extra).

INVESTMENT stocks. The Dtmedin Slook Exchange reports the following quotations yesterday: — National Bank—Buyers £4. Bank ol New 2ealand-Btiyers £3 Si, sellers £3 Bs. Union Bank—Sellers £10 10s, Otago Daily Times—Buyers £14. M'lieod Bros,—Bnyirs £14 7a (kl,

Barr, Leary, and Co., stock and sbarehrokets. Dunedin.—lnveStnieht shares and debentures a specialty. GommUnicktions invited re investments ror small or large sunls. Investment shares can bo supplied at market quotations.Advfc,