COMMERCIAL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14472, 15 March 1909, Page 4

COMMERCIAL

Daily limes Office, Saturday evening. IMPORT MARKET. i Distributing business during the past six weeks has been slackening oil', and no particular improvement, is looked for until the end of the financial year. Retailers a.rc confining their orders to immediate requirements, while importers generally arc regulating their shipments to suit a, somewhat dull market. A shipment of Alacconochie's red herrings. 24 s and 100 s. has been landed, and is (piotcd at 30s and 2(i> per case respectively. A shipment of 'I raynor's hen-ines, in 100 s of white or red and 2Ts of white or red, as well as fouio 12's of either, has also been landed, and is selling at the usual prices. A scale of prices for Sapon has been arranged as follows:--One gross case or over, 235; less than, one case. 245; retail price, 2]d per packet; one gross case or over, large size, 4s 9d por dozen; less than one ease. ss; retail. 6d per packet. A lino of Auckland herrings iu 2!b tins is on the market, and is quoted at 12s per dozen.

, LONDON WOOL SALES. Press Association—Uy Telegraph—Coin-right. LONDON. March' 12. At the wool sales there is the keenest competition, and the highest rates are maintained. I'ho sales included the following clips: — Gear, ijd; R S over T, 9d; W'hana, lOid; Otairi, 9Jd; Akitio, lOjd. SOCTIILAND MARKETS. (From Our Owx Co.ip.espondf.nt.) IXVERCAKGILL, March 13. A few samples of the hew season's oats threshed out of stool; have been oilering during tho week, end odd lines have been bought on the basis of Is 2(1 on trucks at country stations. Though a fair amount has been threshed out of stook the great bulk of the crop is being put into stack, and it is not likely that, offerings will bo very large for some littb time to come unless the market improves. The samples seen so far have been very brightill colour, but the weather has now broken badly and the rain is bound to discolour the grain standing in stook to some extent. Farmers don't expect to see verv high prices ruling, and if even a slight riiwore to lake place they would bi> keen to sell. Chart is quoted at £2 5s to £2 7s 6d on trucks at country stations. Several farmers liavo been olfc-ring to sell the new crop, but no business has been done, ai local buyers prefer to work on the old chaff that is available^

Ryegrass is nnw offering fairly freely, and hoa.vy-wcight seed has been in k"en demand. Seed of 251b to 2611> per lnislir-1 (which is pretty scarce) has been selljntr for Is S)d to 2-' on trucks at. country station-. A la,rge proportion of what is offering is of very light. weit'lit. from Ifllli to 20l!>, and for this lnereliants are not at all keen to operate. The host, prices going- are from Is 3d to Is 6d on trucks at country station-. Several dimples of Italian have l>een offering during tiie week, and have sold at from Is Od to 2s. lieally good lines of this cla-s of M'ed are going lo lie very srarcc. as what has been o'J'ering so far lias had a. fair amount. of perennial seed running throii'di it.

During the week several slock sales have been heid, the yarding being fairly good. Lambs for feed have not been so keenly sought after, though there are a large number of farmers with plenty of feed wiio are waiting Ihe chance to pick up suitable lines, but at the present, market price for "fats" the oitrlool; is not, at all encouraging. The best price going for fat lambs is 4Jd delivered at, the works, which would run out on an .Lverage of 13s. Considering the fact that farmers have been paying lis 9d to 12s 3d for r ood forward lands and giving them n month or ,sixweeks' feed, there is practically no protit in tlm business. During the Week all classes of lambs have cased to the extent of fully 6d per head.

Store wethers liavo been more inquired for, and though the mutton market is not at all good, yet farmers seem io think tintthere will he more money in this class of sheep I him in lambs. These sheep have been selling from 12s 6d to 13s, according to condition.

Ewes are still intpiircd for, though the northern do.nmid has practically ceased. Young ewes arc still quoted at'from 16s 6d to IBs.

Boef si ill rules on the basis of 21s to 22s per 1001b. Good quality bullocks are getting scarce in Southland, as during the last few weeks ,i. large number have found their way to northern marker.?. There is still a fiofxl inquiry for forward-conditioned cattle at. £6 lo £7 10s, but, there is nothing: doing in any other cla;s of cattle at the present time.

The ruins which, we are having at present, though detrimental to the oat crops, are a. boon so fur as turnips are concerned. Especially is this noticeable in winter turnips, which were already starting to show signs of tho dry spell. Taken all over, winter feed should be exceedingly plentiful, turnips being fully up to Southland's best.

The libro market has been forv quiet during the week, and has not been brightened up bv outside inquiries. So far as I can learn, there is practically no shipping business from Southland at the present time, and the libra that is mamifaeliired is finding- its way to one or two twine mills whic-li have large orders in hand to exec-ule. The fact, that there has been no fresh inquiry from these mills during tho week seems to indicate that their requirements are fairly well provided for, and as exportation to London is practically suicidal at present, when the twine mills have secured all their wants there must bo a practical ccsssation of the manufacture of fibre.

There is a. little tow coming to band, but there is very little inquiry from buyers for this article.

DUNEDIN HOItSE SALEYARDS. PJessrs AY right. .Stephenson, and Co. report as follows:—For Saturday's eakj there was .a rather poor entry of horses both in respcct. to number and quality. Tho attendance of the public was very good, and included several buyers on the icok-oui for first-class draughts fit; for town work, but, as our entry did not; include any of this description very little business was done, llto demand for second-class draughts is very slack'indeed, but there are still goc<l buyers for really lirst-class yonnij n-.a.res and gelding, heavy and statiu'rli, awl we can recommend vendors having such for sale to t ! 'y. our market, ttood upstanding spring-cart and spring-van sort.; are also scarce, and any coming foru-ard a.ro easily placed at full Kites. Wo quote: Superior young draught geldings, at from Hi 5 to £50: extra good do, (prize-winners), at from £50 to £55; siipcrior young draught mares at from £50 to £60; medium draught maros ami gddings, at from £c 0 to £4Q;' aged do, at fiom £15 to £<.0; wo] 1 -matchc<l carriago pail's, at from £10 lo £100: strong 6pringvan horses, at from £25 to £30; milk-cart and butchers' order-cart horses, at from £13 to £35; light, hacks, at from £8 to £13; extra good hacks and harnscs lior6C6, at fiom £13 lo £25; weedy and aged do, at from £5 to £7.

OTAGO FARMERS' HORSE BAZAAR. . Tile Olago Farmers' Co-operative Association reports:—On Saturday we qtferedto a representative gathering of farmers, town carriers, and contractors an entry of 38 draughts, vanners, spring-carters,' harness and liacknov bar.-The horse market of lato has lieeu somewhat unsettled, but the demand for good horses of most elasscs seems to have improved slightly, and in the course of a week or two wa hope to see prices improving considerably. Gcod farm oraughts wc-ro selling at. late values on Saturday, but competition was keener, and a number of country horses went to fregh stables. Wo had one or two jood springcarters, and although several brought good prices the demand was limited. We had country consignments from Milton, Milburn, faieri, and Waitati',. Next week we shall otfor a shipment, of North Island horses on account of Messrs Finlay and ISillin.,-hurst. of Aramoho. They comprise an excellent lot, of draughts, van iters, order cart, and livery stabl-r horses. and a. number of superior harness cobs. We quote: Rood useful draught marcs and geldings lyountr and sound), from £32 to £45; light and aged draughts, £23 to £32: heavy lorry pairs, from £S0 to £100; useful plough marcs and geldings, £30 to £38 10s; pedigree Clydesdale mnrrs, to £120; gooil sorts of Cl'vdesdale mares suitable for stud purposes and gonoral farm work". £33 to £50; carriage piiirs, £60 to £100: spring-carters (rood sorts), fr™ £2i to £28; upstanding buirgy mares and geldings, from £15 to £22; hackneys, from £12 to £15; lighter sorts, from £7 to £12.

Kempthovne, Prosscr, and Co.'s New Zealand Drug Companv will pay a dividend at the rate of 7 p?r cent, per annum payable on March 30. '