COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12599, 28 February 1903, Page 6

COMMERCIAL.

Daily Times Office, Friday evening. llio amount of revenue collected at the Hunetlin Custom House to-day on goods cleared for consumption was £3373 13s 3d. EREADSTUFFS. •The local grain market remains inactive, but there is a general feeling that as soon as tho new season'* crop is properly in the market considerable business will result. No sales are yet reported in new wheat, although a number of .lamnlos are on offer. The price now asked is 4s 4d for velvet and 4s M for red wheat, both on trucks north of Oamaru; but although this shows a reduction of from 2d to 3d per bu:-hcl on the prices-mentioned a week aco, no busine« has yet resulted. Roughly speaking, (here is a difference of from 3d to 4d per bushel 'between miller and farmer al the present time.

; Another factor which makes millers nn.willing to operate is the uncertainty as to the price of flour uc-xt month. The old agreement of the Millers' Association expire" to-morrow (Saturday), and on Monday a new order of things commences, with at least two of the Dunedin millers disponing of the flour outside of the association. The non-associated millers disclaim any intention of -.catting prices. A meeting of the directors of the association was held on Wednesday laat at Timaru. when it is believed the price of flour for March was fixed, but .that price has not yet been disclosed. It is believed, however, that the new price will show a reduction of 30s per ton or over on present rates, which stand as follows.-—£l3 per ton for sacks. £13 10s for 100's, £13 15s for fiO'e, and. £14 for 25's. The price for shipping is £12 per ton, f.o.b. Pollard is nominally quoted at £610s, but £7 is obtain, able. Bran is dull at £6 per ton. Owing to the importation of Indian bran into Australia, shippers are unable to do business at that price; £4 15s per ton is the best they.; will offer. Forward contracts have, however, been made at above that figure. ;A little. business is doing in old "cbickwheat at up to 4s 2d (ex store), but not much is offering.

Tho reported orders for South Africa have riot in any way influenced _the local oat market, .which.still remains in a depressed condition. In old oats a number of lines of good E grade have ohanged hands at 2s (ex, store),'and good to best feed at Is lOd. In new oats, duns and Danish are offering at.ls 10} d (f.0.b., s.ij for immediate delivery, .ahd-.ai,l« 8d to is Bjd forfdnvaf'd delivery. There is considerable inquiry .'for oats from Australia, and as soon as the market settle/j 18,' big' business will probably be done. AdSydney state that business is beipg'fdano in. Canadian oats (a white oat

! similar to New Zealand Sutherla'nds), and that to compete New Zealand shippers will have to offer prime milling lines at Is 10(1 to Is lid (f.o.b\, s.i.). The first track of new Garton oats', for this season has just been consigned from Mr Alexander M'Caw, of Haltatarnmea, to Me.-ers Nimmo and ■ Blair, Dunedin. The grain is a very fine samp!*, • well grown, in capital condition, and will run about <81h to tho bushel. Oatmeal is still nominally quoted at up to £13, but a reduction must take place within the next few days. PRODUCE MARKET. Potatoes are coming forward freely, but are slow of sale. Prime, newly-dug lots of Oamaru kidneys realise from £3 to £3 ss, and Peninsulas from £3 to £3 10s, butinferior Hues have to be quitted at from £2 10s to £2 15?. Owing to considerable inquiries from Australia within tho last- few days, the butter market has firmed considerably. Holders will no longer ncce»t lOd per lb, but aro asking 10|d. Cheese,, too, keops fairly steady. Local quotations rule' at about the eame love! as last ,wceic. Prime factory cheese, s?d to 6d per lb. Dairy butter is in good demand at 7d to 7-id; farmers' separator, 9d. First grade factory butter h nominally quoted at 10id for bulk and Is Id for pats. Owing to short supplier the price of eg<„'S advanced early in tho week to Is Id, and to-day made a further vise to Is 2d, at which quotation the market is very firm. It is almost certain that (ho prir-> to-morrow (Saturday) will be Is 3d per dozen. 11l poultry the demand is nominal, and supplies are good. Prices range as follows: Roosters, 3s to 3s 6d; hens, 2s to 2s 3d; ducks, 3s 6d; geese, 55.. No turkeys in the market.' Pigs are scarce, and in great demand. Baroners (up to 1601b), 5Jd; overweights, 3id to 4id. Bacon continues in short supply, and the market is firm. Prime rolls, Bid to 9d (in | good demand); hams a:o. easier at 9id to lOd. ;' . Owing to new chaff being near at. hand, oaten sheaf chaff is easier, and is selling at from £4s 5d to 4s 12s 6d for bright prime samples. ' FRUIT AND VEGTABLES. ' Large shipments of fruit have arrived from Auckland, Nelson, and Raratonga, but tho demand is greater than the supply, especially for all good quality lines. The bulk of the shipment of Fiji bananas came to hand in very bad order, and sold at from 3s to lis 3d per case, according to condition. A few Fiji oranges realised from 5s to 8s por case. Messina oranges are still quoted at per cases of 100'n 8s to 10s, and 150's from lis to 13?. Meßsina lemons remain unchanged at 18s 6d to 22s 6d in double cases, and in halves at 10s to lis.

There aro no pines on the market. A fow local strawbcrrics»are still offering at from 8d to Is.

Auckland apples arc ip good demand at 8s per small box of 401b, and Canterbury cooking apples are soiling at 2s 6d to 5s per (MW.

Plums aro in good demand, especially goad sample*. Greengages are quoted at 6s per case; Diamonds, 5s to 5s 6d; other sorts, ljd to 3d per lb. Jargonelle pears are offoring at from 6s to 7s per caee, and other sorts at up to 2d per lb. A few Melbourne Bnn Creticns came forward, mostly in bad order, but any choice fruit realised up to 16s per caEO. Good consignments of Tcviot fruit are forward, especially plums and apricots, but peaches are very scarce. Despite (ho increased supply, the demand keeps up well, and tho market is firm at the following quotations:—Plums, from l|d up to 3d per lb for prime sorts; peaches, from 3d to 6d for choice kinds; aprieoh, 3:1 to 6d for choice Yurieticß. Not many pears are forward; they are selling at from 7s to 8s per ease. • Currants, both black and red. are out of the market. A fow gooseberries are still offering at from ljd 10 2d. Raspberries are almost finishod for the season; a few are still offering at from 3d to 4Jd. Following aro current quotations for grapes:-Oamaru, 9d to 10d; 'local, Is to Is 4d. Tomatoes are much easier. Nelsons are selling at 3s 6d to 5s 3d per 'half case; Christehurch hothouse, 6d per, lb;_ local hothouse, 6d; and Christehurch outside grown, 4d per lb. Vegetables are unaltered. ( Pcas ore quoted at lid to 2d, and French beans 2|d per lb. Cabbaged, 4s per sack. Oucumbero, 5s 6d to 9s per dozen. Rhubarb, 53 to 7s per cwt. Melbourne onions aro quoted at from £7 to £7103 per ton.

COMMERCIAL CABLEGRAMS. LONDON, February 26. (Received Feb. 27. at O.IG a.m.) Copner: Snot, £59 2s 6d; three months, £59 12s Get. Tin: Spot, £184 2s Cd; three months, £135 7s 6d. Pig iron, 60s. ♦, PROPER-IT SALES. Messrs Donald Roid and Co. offered (or sale by auction yesterday a. freehold form of 07J acres in Notth-East Harbour and Blucskin district, in the estate of the late Thomas Dobinson. About 30 persons were present, and bidding starting at £700, rose to .-£3lO, at which price Mr David Young, of Puraknnui, became the purchaser. Tho Otago Farmers' Co-operative Associnimti of New Zealand (Limited) report having offered a small grazing ruu at Sutton, on behalf of Mr A. Mathewson, at their rooms yesterday. The attendance was poor, and bidding not coming up to the owner's ideas ot value, tho property was passed in, and is now open for sale by private treaty for one week.

INVESTMENT STOCKS. Tho Duncdin Stock Exchange reports the following quotations yesterdny:— Bank of New Zealand—Buyers £3 Us. Rational Insurance—Buyers £1 Is 3d, sellers £1 2s. Standard Insurauce— Sellers £1.

J. Newbwgh Lawson (late Barr, Lrary, and Co,), sleek and sharebroker. Stock Exchange BuildiAg, Water street, Dunedin. Investment shares and dabenturos a specialty. Communications re investments invited, and lull particulars of all stocks on application.