COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16354, 10 April 1915, Page 6

COMMERCIAL.

Daily Times Office, Fi-iday evening. ' Latest cablegrams from London state that' the wheat market is steady and quiet. From the quantity ot wheat aijd Hour afloat 'lor Europe, , and) the consistency with which 'th;it for the Continent has exceeded last year's figures, it is evident that Great Britain and France are making eltorts to lay in stocks against an emergency. The excess of imported and locally grown wheat in the United Kingdom since August is about 1£ million quarters in excess of the normal. 'Illto advantage must, moreover, have been greatly augmented by the economies in consumption which hign prices have caused, 'lhe .European harvest next August cannot be anything like the 'normal, so that larger reserves and increased! supplies from North America will all. be wanted to make good the shortage. By that time it will probably be found that the suspension of supplies from the Black Sea and the Dardanelles will prove a blessing in disguise, as the economies in consumption which have taken place would, never have done so were prices as normal as they would otherwise have been. It is expected that, if export lrom the Black Sea is not possible, as large a quantity of Russian wheat will be despatched! . irom Archangel and Vladivostock to France- and England during May, June, and July as railway and harbour accommodation can cope with. The local wheat market remains in a quiet oondition. A good deal of wheat has been on offer during the post few days, particularly from faouth Otago, where thrashing is now in full swing. Of tho quantity on otter only a small proportion was disposed of, millers not being inclined to operate, except in the case of odd lots when ! the price suited. In tho south farmers are asking about 6s 3d for red sorts and 6s lOd for velvet, trucks, country sidings; while in the Oamaru and South Canterbury districts the quote runs at 6s 7d to 6s 9d for red eorts and velvet respectively. Odd lines of particularly prime velvet from the latter districts axe quoted at up to 6s lid.

The tariff of the New Zealand Flour and! Produce Agency Company is as follows: — Sacks, £17 10s; 1001b bags, £18; 501b bags. £18 ss; 251b bags.. £18 10s. Pollard, ±,& Bran, £7 ss. Oatmeal is quoted at £21 a ton for 25's Pearl barley, £21 10s. The oat market continues in a quiet state. Merchants aTe not inclined to stock at the present high rates, with only tho North Island market to- depend on, and, furthermore, northern merchants show no disposition to purchase in tho meantime. Oats are now beginning to be offered freely from Southland, but merchants are not responding to tho prices asked. It is understood that the North Island houses that bought early in the season at. high rates are trying to sell back, and Australian forward buyers are also reselling in New Zealand. These .factors must, have an effect on the ruling prices. Nominally, A Gartons are quoted at 4s Id,-' f.0.b., sacks weighed in, and B's at 4s. Only small lots, however, can .be sold at these prices, there being no buyers for anything beyond small lots. In the Gore district farmers are asking 3s 6£d for 60und lines of Gartons. PRODUCE REPORT. Owing to me iioiiaiays aelivc-ries of chaff have been on the snore sici-c. All ptyne iota "are sold on arrival. Consignments ot potatoes are also on tho light side, and all round iines meet a ready demand. When digging becomes more general it is anticipated that prices muit recede. Consignments of eggs are small, but the high pnees are having an effect on tne demand, which is inclined to be slow. There is a keen demand for all lines of dairy butter. - Prices show an upward tendency. The market is fully supplied with pigs, and prices remain unchanged. Regular consignments ot onions are arriving from Canterbury. These are selling at up to £5 a ton. Current wholesale prices are as follow: — Chaff. —Prime oaten sheaf, £6 to £6 ss; medium to good, £4 15s to £5 10s (sacks extra). . Potatoes.—Prime Onmarus, to £515s (bags in); Taieri-grawn, to £5 15s; medium to good, £4 10s to £5. Hay, £5. Straw.—Oaten, £2 5s to £2 iOs; wheaten £1 15» to £1 17s 6d. ' ' Eggs.—Freeh, Is 9d; stamped, Is lOd. * Butter.—Dairy, lid per lb; milled, to Is id per lb; separator, in lib packets, Is to Is Id. Pigs.—Baconers, sid per lb; porkers sid per lb. ' Bacon. —Rolls (in quantities); lOd and upwards; sides, 9jd- to 93d; hams, >9J,d to lOd per lb. FRUIT REPORT. Business has been rather dull in the fruit trade •during' the. week, consequent, mainly on the reaction after the holidays. The market is barely supplied with good dessert and cooking apples, but on the other hand, pears are very plentiful, the principal lines coming from Canterbury and Central Otago, and it is not possible to get more than 2gd• per *„lb for extra choice varieties: other sorts from Id to lfd. No advice, has been received of any Island fruits coming to hand in the immediate future.

Tomatoes are fairly plentiful, coming forward from Canterbury and Qtago Central. Prices, however, continue firm. Tomatoes, in fact, are about the only fruit which is selling freely. . . The following are current wholesale prices;—

Apples arc in short supply this week, and an excellent demand exists for both cooking and dessert sorts. Desserts, 5s to IDs, ths 1 latter price for Cox's Orange and Scarlet Pearmains; cookers, 4s 6d to- 6s 9d per bushel.

Lemons.—ln oase of 165 fruits; Italian 16s.

• Peaches.—lgd to 3^d; extra choice, in crates, up to 4£d Supplies becoming short. Bananas.—Short supply; none . offering this week.

Oranges.—Rarotongan repacks, 9s to 10s. Tomatoes.—Local hothouse, 6d to 7d; Canterbury—outside rough, Id to 13d • medium and choice outside, 2d to 3£d. Cucumbers.—Local hothouse, 3s to 3s 8d per dozen; Canterbury, outside, 5s per box. 1

Plums.—None offering. . Grapes.—Local hotho'use, 8d to lid ne>lb; others, 6d to 7-£ d Vegetables.—Not so plentiful, but have slow sale. Cabbage, 6d to is 3d per dozen ; sacks, Is to _ls 6d. Lettuce, 6d to Is per dozen. Cauliflowers, Is 6d to 5s 6d per dozen; sacks, to 6s. Table carrots, 6d to 9d per dozen bunchos. Turnips, 6d to Bcl per dozen bunches. Radishes, 4d to 6d per dozen bunches. Spring onions, lid to per bundle. Rhubarb, 7s to 9s 4d per owt. Green peas, to 2id per lb; good demand.

MELBOURNE MARKETS.

Preu Association —by Telegraph—Copyright. MELBOURNE, 'April 9. Wheat, 7s 10d. Flour, £17 10s. Barley: English, 6s to. 6s 2d; Cape, 5s 6d. Oats, 5s 5d to 5s 7d. Maize, 6s 4£d to 6s sd. Bran, £10. Pollard, £11 ss. Potatoes, £4 35s tq £5. "Onions, £5 5s to £|5 10s.

CHRISTCHUROtf MARKETS."

(Peb United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, April 9. Tho local grain market has not yet got a start sincfl the. holidays, and business is dull. There is little wheat offering, and 110 transactions of any importance can bo recorded. Oats are dull also, though tho market is firm and business depends on tho removal or otherwise of tho export prohibition. There is good inquiry for oatsheaf chaff, and some business i 9 also passing in oat straw chaff, which is worth 45s a ton. Otherwise prices arc practically unchanged.

ft "OLONDON WOOL SALES.

Messrs Murray. Roberts, and Co. have received tho following cabled information from their London agents, Messrs Sanderson, Murray, and Co., in regard to tho 'wool sales"Fourth series' list closed March 25; sales postponed till April 27.".

GORE RAM FAIR.

(Peb United Pbesb Association.) GORE, April 9. The Gore ram fair was held to-day in excellent weather, and there was a large attendance of farmers. The sale on tho whole was considered good. . Few stud rams were forward, many farmers haying already secured their consignments. Flock Romnoys sold well, from 6gs downwards; and tho . bulk averaged Ojgs. Border sold well, and averaged about the same price. There was a dull demand for' English Leicetters, Lincolns, and Corricdales.

RAM AND EWE FAIR.

Messrs Donald Reid and Co. report that at the above fixture they yarded 176 rams and 16 ewes, and sold same as follows:— Romney Rams: For Mrs Jas. Fulton (Ravciisclifi), 20 one and two-shear rams, to Sgs; Mr Donald Manson (Clarendon), 5 two-shear rams to sgs, 17 one-shear do to 3gs; Mr Jno.. Miller (Maungatua), 6 oneshear rams at sgs, 2 do at 4-igs; Mr Jas. Miller (Maungatua), 5 ono shear rams. at 3igs; Mr Norrnaii 'M'Ritchie (Tapanui), 20 one-shear rams at 3£ to 3sgs. Border Leicester -Rams: Mr Jas. Gow (Invermay), 16 one-shear rams to si,gs; Mr Wm. Grey (Milburn), 10 one-shear rams at 4igs; Mr David Murray (Clydevale), 11 one-shear rams at Iggs; Mr Jno. H. Allen (The Holmes), 9 one and two-shear rams to 3igs; Mr J. W. Blair (Abbotsford), 10 two-shear rams at 2|gs; Messrs Wm. Couser, L. C. Hazlett, and others, 21 rams at quotations. Oorriedale Rams: For Mr L. C. Hazlett (Salisbury), 12 two and four-shear rams to 3igs. Border Leicester Ewes: For Mr J-. H. Allan (The Holmes), 16" two-tooth ewes at 2ggs. .. •

HIDE SALE.

Messrs Waters, Ritchie, and Co. report a ? , £ ?! low s °ur fortnightly sale of hides yesterday afternoon. There was a good attendance of buyers, . but competition, except for tho very best lines, was not very animated, and prices were easier for all descriptions of cows and light-weight ox. _ Medium and heavy ox when in good condition ruled firm at late quotations. Our catalogue consisted of 520 hides and calfskins. Wo quote:—Ox : Extra, IOJd to lid: stout heavy. to lOfd; heavy, 10d to lOid; medium, "9£d to lOd; light, 9d to 9id. Cow: Extra stout, to lOd; heavy and medium, Bid 'to 9gd; light, B=d to 9d; damaged and l?ad-conditioned ox and cow from 6d to BA<J; bull and stag, 6d to 6id; calfskins l°id to for best; medium, « 2 d to lOd; damaged and inferior, 3id to 8d per lb. -

'SALE OF HOTEL PROPERTY.

Wo have been informed that the Bay View Hotel, Bluff, has been disposed of by the .proprietor (Mr J. Metzger) to Mr ■Hughes, a well-known Canterbury hotel a P r ' ce -in the vicinity of £10,000. A price £2000 in advance of the present purchase money was offered to the proprietor last July, but it /is considered that the war has' had the effect of depreciating the value of the property to the extent mentioned, although the takings have remained about the same. It may bo mentioned that this , hotel has the distinction of being the most southerly licensed house of accommodation in the world.