COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14699, 6 December 1909, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

Daily Times Office, Saturday morning. IMPORT MARKET.

Merchants have been <li.sappointod by continued delays lo the t'alifornian boat with supplies of new Reason's fruit. At lirat this was fully expected lo arrive here on November 19, but, from one reason and another tho vessel has been delayed. A further delay is now announced in that tlie lxMt has, it is said, been detained at Apia for five days (no rcaron being yet given), with the result, that, the shipment will not, lx» available locally till Thursday next, j which, by tho time the goods are di.slrihuled to .second hands, will make it. too late for tho Christmas trade. The fruits particularly concerned aro seeded raisins and prunes (both very scarce), evaporated apple.*, and general lines. Advice lias been received that figs have, jumped £5 [K?r ton at Smyrna. Locally, this will mean an advance of jd per lb in Ihe soiling price, as locally supplies arc already low. Jordan almonds are in short supply, and are. now ipioted at 2s per lb.' Sicily almonds are also scarce, and are worth up lo Is Id per lb. A shipment of Challenge cornflour is duo to arrive here on the 12th. per the Indradevi. The same boat also brings a largo shipment of inaizcna, which has been in short supply. Lines of Force food arc now available. Evidently owing lo a shortage in llin local supply of corn, merchants are experiencing some delay in securing delivery of brooms from local manufacturers. Shipments shortly duo will, however, remedy maliers.

Royal quarters smoked sardines, v.hirli have bon out of tho market for some lime, have now arrived, and are joing into consumption.

Mauritius brown ration sugar is now higher iii cns|. by reason of the extra, freight from Sydney, Quotations arc now £M 10s lo £15 per ton.

Kice has also advanced from the samo cause, quotations being :-l Star. £13 15s to £14 per (on; 2 Star, £14 7s Oil to £14 10s per ton.

Kvaporatctl apricots have taken a sudden 'ise, and are now worth 9d per lb.

The following tariff has been adopted for lii'illiaiilsliiit'ii-Iltilf-piiits (five cross), 81s per gross; one-gross lots, 84s; under one

gross. 7s 6d )>cr do/.en. Pints (live Kress). 14s per dozen ; one-gross lots, 14s 6d; under, one gross, 15s 6d. Bernard's ginger wine has risen from 27s lo 29s to 30s.

In this issue is published the Commercial Summary, giving a full list of detailed prices.

LOXDO'X MARKETS.

. Press Association—l3y Telegraph-Copyright. Uj.\'UU.\ IJa-tinker o. Barley: A small Mq.i.iy of Cucvaiiur suld at 30s to 31 sou. Oats: Lull. Garions, 20s to 22s Od; snarmwbills, I'ji od to 20s t'd; La l'iata, January unci l'tibruary shipment, 14s id. DWiiiosr 4.

South Australian 3-, |icr cut. jtock is quol«l at Si), ami i i..t is.nl. at dgd. Cojipcr.—Spot, £5B 7s til; three months, £59 lUs. Electrolytic, £00 10s.

Tin.—Sjiot, £143 55; llnce month?, £145. Lead, £12 17-; td. Silver, 23] d per ounce.

C'opra.-Hli'.mg active; Soulh Sea, £22 15s lloni'p.—Quiet; October-December shipment, £28 15s. Linseed oil, 32] d.

Cotton.—Liverpool December - January shipment, 7.56/1. Kauri Gum.—The sleek is 328 eases.

SOUTHLAND MARKETS.

(Fkom Our 0\v:; ConnKSroi.TKHT.) INVEKCAUGILL, December 4. Tho oal market is without change since last report, and the general opinion is that there will not ha any change till the new crop is available. Prices still rule at. from Is od to Is Vd on trucks ai country stations, but very ieiv oats are offering from the country. Merchants' stocks are light, but they nave still u fair quantity held in lilull' stores, and these aro being sold for forward delivery, mainly to the Auckland market. Present, quotations woidd rule from Is Oil to Is lOd f.0.b., s.i.

Chaff is decidedly dull, and outside of what is needed for local requirements practically no business is passing. Prime quality is at present worlu £2 to £2 5s on trucks at country stations. A large quantity of ryegrass is still lieing retailed for farmers' requirements, but apart from this very little liusiuoss is being done. Farmere Mem, inclined to think that not nearly so much has been set aside for iced this year as during the past few seasons, but there is no doubt that the mips should be early, and there is every appearance of their being extra good seed.

The sheep market is quiet, principally owing to tlie fact ihal fanners are busy shearing, mid as there is feed in abundance (hero is not much likelihood of any large quantity of atoek being forward till at least tho end of January. An odd line or two of ewes and lambs are changing bauds at 7s to 9s, but there is practically nothing doing in fat sheep, butchers' requirements being tilled at up io 21s in the wool and 14s shorn. The freezing works have all closed down, and will not open till tho lirst. of the lambs are available. The cattle market is very firm, and several northern buyers have been operating durintr the last week, principally in young call!-.! ami well-cov.ditioned soils. Prime beef is quoted at 23s uer 1001b, and best bullocks are making from £10 to £11. Good forward-conditioned grass rattle are quoted at from £5 15s io £7. while all young cattle (especially well-bred ones) aro keenly inquired for. yearlings and two-year-olds selling at from £2 10s to £5, and three-year-olds from £3 to £4 10s.

The' iibrc market continues fairly strong, with demands from America, England, and Australia, and there is every prospect of

a- fresh market- opening up on the Continent for our produce. Correspondence is now being received liy various Now Zealand houses interested in the fibre indus-(i-v from German correspondents ilK|iliriu:r as" to Hi? prices of the various grades ami the probable costs 0! shipment, ami expressing tlie opinion that they are likely to become largo consumers of tlio ''fair average quality." Grade prices remain unaltered from 'last week's quotations, bill owing to the absence of fellers very little business has been actually completed since last, report. A good demand continues for tow, ami as far as I can learn several orders placed locally are not yet provided for.

DI'NEDIX HORSE SALEYARDS,

Messrs Wright. Slcpliwison and Co. report as follows:—The entries for Sal nulay's sale wer.i i-ot ?iiiinerous. being comprised mosilv of spring-carters and light harness .••ort.s." However, included amongst; the lotwere several rather nice animals, and for swell competition was keen. A few. good tales were effected, and much more could have been done if there bad been more of the same class forward. Thorn is 11 ready pain at- epiotations for good draught- mares and geldings." fl ' : *b. sound, 11 ml staunch, and of a class suitable for cither city or countrv work Town carriers, contractors, and farmers are all on the lookout for good working horses. There arc also inquiries for useful saddle and harness horses, and whore -stock of this description is forthcoming it meets with good competition, quote: Suiscrior voting draught geldings at from £40 io £45;*cxt-ra good ditto (prize-win-ners), at from £15 to £50: superior young draught mares at from £50 to £60; medium draught mares ami geldings, at from £50 to £40; aged at from £10 to £15; strong spring van horses at from £25 .to £30: strong spring-carters at from £15 to £25; milk eart and butchers' order cart horses at from £15 to £25; light hacks at from £8 to £13; extra good hacks and harness horses at from £13 to £25; weedv and aged at from £5 to £7.

OTAfiO FARMERS' HORSE BAZAAR.

Tho Otago Farmers' Co-operative Association New Zealand reports:—For our saloon Saturday there was a- verv law enirv. comprising 80 horses of all classes. T'iio special attraction was a. eonsisiiment of 25 draughts, vim-horses, and sprimr-cartors, chosen for this market by Messrs Finlay and Uilliiigliursl, Aiainaiio, near Wanganui. They arrived in splendid condition, and, taken all ovpj; were one of the best, lots of horses wo have offered for .some tune. Besides this lot, we had a mnnbei of coiinn-y consignment* from ail purls- of Otagii, and two trucks of eocd horses from Canterbury. The aitemianco of buyers from both town and eomurv was good, although bidding, except for' real good country horses, was, i'f anythimr. backer. and tho prices obtained" were scarcely as good as those ruliim at our sales a month ago. In spite of this, nearly the whole of our country consignments changed hands under the hammer, and the few were passed at auction found buyers privately. Messrs Finlay and RilHnglu.rJt's shipment comprised some remarkably smart order cart and express horses, weil-built. and with plenty of substance. The vanncrs also were the object, of much admiration, and showed careful selection on the sln'ppeis' part, The. .whole of this shipment

was fiold under Hie hammer at very satisfactory prices. Upstanding havness horses worn in demand, mid some good sales wore liiiitlc. in tlifl draught section, with a few exception-, the horses were «u tlie aged i.ide lull, good young horses, both inures iiik! geldings, were inquired for. We, quoin : — Good young draught mares ill f loin £33 to £45: extra good (.•lyd.w'iile males. suitable for stud purposes £45 to SO guineas : superior voung •'rough' geldings, fit for shaft and'lorry work, £38 to £'18. extra lo £55: ordinary draught mares and geldings at from £23 lo £33; «gr<| draughts at from £10 lo £20; gor.d strong, linftaiidinfr vannevs, at from £26 to £33: heavy spring-carters at from £20 to £27 10s:' ordinary springcurlers at from £15 to £20; upstanding buggy marcs and geldings from £16 to £25; kekneys and col) ponies to £15.