COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14087, 16 December 1907, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

Daily Times Office, Saturday evening. • IMPORT MARKET.

Business in tho import market continues seasonably brisk, and merchants express themselves as satisfied with the volume of distributing trade. All Christmas lines are in ample supply. Tho quality of the good,? genorally is up to the average, and prices are reasonable enough to ensure an over-the-avorago demand. The short crpp of dates has created a scarcity at the source of supply, and the (local demand has firmed in consequence. Dates are now worth 4s to 5s 6(1 in cartons, according to size of package. Wire has hardened a little in the English and American markets, and the local price of barbed wire has been raised to £15 per ton. Quotations for all other import lines are unaltered.

SOUTHLAND MARKETS. (From Omt Own Coiuiesfoxdekt.) INVERCARGILL, December 14. T'heic is practically no oat export from the Blufi at present, and no oats are cCering

from the country. The prices offered to farmers at present are from 3b Id to 3s 2d on trucks at country stations for B grade, but a3 far as I can learn merchants have not been making any sales, so it is difficult to say what their true value is. Merchants have practically no stocks of their own, and what still remains in Bluff stores is sold for forward delivery. Tho growing crop is looking exceedingly well, and farmers are well pleased with the prospect and the probability that fair prices will l be obtained. Taking Southland all over, tlieTe does not appear to be as large a quantity of oats sown 13 last season, but given a continuance of the present tine growing weather and a dry harvest the yield should be considerably better.

Chaff is quoted at £5 on trucks at country stations for prime quality, but the business passing is very small, being confined to local requirements. Potatoos are still unsaleable. There is practically no business doing in the sheep market, and -there is not likely to bo any till atter the shearing is over— probably well on into January. There is a good inquiry from the north for all classes for forward delivery, but' no great number are changing hands. Lambs for delivery in the' middle of February have been selling at 12s to 12s Gd, hoggets (oft the shears) 13s Gd to Us 6d,\and special lines of ewe hoggets off tho Shears ICs fid to 18s.

Beef is quoted on the basis of 25s per hundred pounds, but there are not many bullocks of prime qtiality otferiug, and those available are held in firm hands, holders expecting to get better values immediately after tho new year opens. Best bullocks are bj-ing quoted as high as £'12, ordinary butchers' bullooks £G 10a to flO, and forward conditioned are in request at from £G to SI. Younger cattle arc also inquired for, chiefly from the north, and when any breeding is shown they are selling freely at £2 to £1, according to age.

Shearing is now very general, and tho bulk of the Southland sheep should be shorn by New Yoar. Farmers who have not yet shorn are not in any hurry to do so, owing to tho abandonment of tho first sale, as a result of the short supply or wool. The splendid rains we have been having have dono a vast amount of good nil ovor Southland, and the early turnips and other crops are looking particularly well. Tho fibro market, has been very quiet during the week, with very little inquiry from the English market and none at all from America. The latter market is quite cloßed to Xew Zealand at the present moment, owing to the financial crisis, and London is transacting any business that is being done. Prices have not improved during the week, and there has been a continuance of the drag in the market that has lasted for tho last two months. Merchants are offering piices which millers will not accept. The Matatua, lending at Bluff next week, will take away a lot of fibre ou consignment to the Ixmdon market, and it is to be hoped that things will improve before she reaches her destination. Tow has suffered a still further decline, and there scein3 to bo no desire on the part of merchants to buy anything more than for immediate needs.

DUNEDIN HORSE SALEYARDS. Messrs Wright, Stephenson, and Co (Ltd.) report as follows:—For last Saturday's salo there was a very fair number of horses forward. Only a few were draughts, the main entry consisting of light harness sorts of indifferent quality. The attendance of tho public was good, but us is customary at this timo of year sales were hard to effect, and only a few of the best animals changed hands. Thero are buyers about for good horses of all descriptions, and any such coining forward meet a good market and Tealiso full value. We quote: Superior young draught geldings, at from £45 to £50; extra good do (prize-winnots), at from £50 to £55: superior young draught mares, at from £50 to £G0; medium draught mares and geldings, at from £30 to £10; aged do, at from £15 to £20; well-matched carriage pairs, at from £70 to_£100; strong spring-van horses, at from £25 io £30; milk-cart and butchers' orderoar't horses, at from £18 lo £25; light- hacks, at from £8 to £13; extra good hacks and harness horsos, at from £13 to £25; weedv and aged do, at from £5 to £7.

THI, OTAGO FARMERS' CO-OPERATIVE ASSOCIATION" (LTD.) Tho above auctioneers report holding (heir usual weekly horse sale on Saturday last at their lloiso Bazaar. There was an entry of 52 draught, spring-carters, harness horses, snd hackneys, (be majority oi the number being light harness horses and hackneys. There was a fair attendance of town carriers and farmers, and although bidding was somewhat slow a good proportion of the entry changed hands, either at the hammer or privately afterwards. AVe had consignments from Palinerston. Clvdc, Wyndhaiu Outrsiu, and ATosgiel. Alt 'country horses, yeung and sound, found ready purchasers, but aged horses wero more difficult to quit. Y/e have inquiries {or several heavy draught mares or geldings, young, sound, and ready to go straight to work-in fact, we have buyers for sound vouun horses of any c*as3. Quotations:—Good useful draught, mares and geldings (young and sound), from £35 to £45; lighter sorts and older, £2o (o £33; heavy lorry pairs, from £S0 to £100; useful plough mares and geldings. £30 to £40; pedigree Clydesdale marts, to £150; good sorts of Clydesdale mares, suitablo for stud purposes and general farm work, £!0 to £17; carriage pairs, £80 to £100; spring-carters (good sorts), from £20 to £32; upstanding buggy mares and geldings, from £15 to £23-; hackneys, from £12 to £18: ligWcr sorts, frfim; £7 to. £12,

STOCK SALES. Stronach. Morris, and Co. (Ltd.) report having hold their usual monthly sale at two voids, Waikouaiti, ou Thursday. ]2th inft. "There wi» a much -arger entry A this centre than usual, and all tho stock forward were in first-class 1 condition, and some were very well bred. Prices showed a deciflcd improvement on three at late salesThere was a large turn-out of farmers in the iTistrid, and bidding' ns good throughout the -'ale. The following are a few of the priccs obtained-: — Heifers, coming to profit, £5, £5 2s Cd, .W 15s to £3; fat cows. £0 17s Cd- £G 12s Cd, £, 15s, £T> 12s M; fat heifers, light weights, Xa "s Gil, £5. to i' 4 17s G(i. Stronacli. Morris, and Co. (Ltd.) report having held their usual monthly sale at, their vards, Evansdale. on Friday, the lSlh in if, when they varded 100 head of cattle, consisting of all classes. The day turned out sli"i'llv wet, l)i»t this did not lntcrfero to any" e\teut with the attendance, wlncii; was quite up to the usual, buyers hemp present from' Waikouaiii, Peninsula, Taicn. and Dunedin. Price?, on tlic whole. pliowx* % decided improvement. on those jnihng a« their last sale at that cento. Tho whole o. tho entry beta" sold at the hammer under l<«cn competition. The following arc a few of tho uriecs obtained:—-IJoiicrs, coining profit. £5 Us, £i 12s Cd. £4 Ms, M b, » Ik. to £3 ss; milk cows. at. drop, .€G 10s. M 6s; aged cows, £4 to £3 10s; nine forward steers ft 18s; three do. £4 3s; forwmrc) heifers, £1 fis to £3 17s Gd; yearlings, it 10s to £.; drv cows. £2 IBs to 3 os; cal s,_ os; hulls, ft" ss, £5 10s, £4 lfis, £4 15s; hg-'t hulls, £- 10s to £3. !