COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16610, 5 February 1916, Page 6

COMMERCIAL.

Daily Times Office, Saturday morning. London advices state that the wheat market is dull, and that Australian cargoes expected m February are olfcring at 68s. The American visible supply is 167,882,000 bushels.

There has been no alteration in tho prioe of mill products during the .week. Tho wheat market is easier, and samples aro coming in freely from the north. Tho quality all round is very good indeed, although some samples are slightly pmchod, owing to tho dry weather experienced in Canterbury. Sales havo been made at from 5s 4d early in the week down to 5s yesterday, on trucks at country sidings, for mixed lines. Tho Taieri wheat is not yet offering. Considerable quantities have been cut. and aro now in stook, but none has yet been thrashed. The general indication points to pricca of wheat being about 4s 9d to 4s lOd for red sorts, and up to 5s for prime velvet. Millers, however, aro not operating this year except on sample. .Reports from Victoria state that tho Government is still giving 5s 3£d, f.0.b., for wheat, but sales of 6500 tons tor May shipment have been made at 70s per quarter, c.i.f., Europe. This will work out at about 5s 8d per bushel, f.0.b., although flour is still quoted at very low prices, and it is thought this Galo lias been made for some special purpose. Flour is quoted as follows: —Sacks, £13 10s; 1001b bags, £14; 501b bags, £14 ss; 251b bags, £14 10s. Pollard, £9. Bran, £4 15s, Oatmeal, £18 a ton for 25's. Pearl barley, £21„ The local oat market is very bare of stocks, as the harvest is not in full swing yet. North Island buyers are obtaining their requirements from Lyttelton at present, but tho visits are very limited, as lower prices are anticipated as soon as tho bulk of the harvest is on the market. The nominal value of A Gartons is about 3s 9d to 3s lOd, and of B Gartons a penny Ices. Several lines of oats have been thrashed on tho Taieri, and have yielded splendidly. The quality also is very fine indeed, being bright and heavy as a result of the flno season. These lines have been _ picked up by shippers for immediate requirements at very good prices to tho grower. PRODUCE MARKET. Chaff is coming forward in small quantities, and prime oaten sheaf sells easily at £5. Hay is not coming in in great quantities. Larger lots aro expected soon, but tho present high price may be maintained oil account of shortage in the north. Eggs aro in good demand. Butter has a fair inquiry. Milled is firmer than last week, owing to the continued dry weather. Tho cheese market is quiet at present. Current wholesale prices aro as follow:— Chaff. —Primo oaten sheaf, £5; medium to good, £4 to £4 5s (sacks extra). Hay, £6 10s. Straw. —Oaten, to £3 ss; wheaten, to £3. Eggs.—Fresh, Is 5d for ordinary; Is 6d for stamped. Butter. —Dairy, Is per lb; milled, Is 2d per lb; separator, in lib packets, Is 2d. Onions, £7 to £7 10s, Pigs.—Baconers, 6£d per lb; porkers, 6^d. Bacon. —Rolls (in quantities), lid to la; sides, lid; hams, is per lb; boneless hams, Is Id. Cheese. —Akaroa, medium, per lb; loaf, Bid. Local: Factory, Bid to BJd per FRUIT REPORT. Supplies of local apricots and peaches have been pouring in in large quantities from Otago Central and Roxburgh districts, and in spite of tho very heavy supply, all consignments havo been disposed of at fairly good rates, considering the quantity coming forward. One auctioneering firm alone has, during the week, disposed of over 4000 packages of local fruit. Usually the whole of the fruit is cleared daily to make way for shipments coming forward on the following day. Tomatoes aro coming in freely from local hothouses. In addition to consignments from Canterbury, Nelson tomatoes aro also coming forward regularly bi-weekly, and prices generally are on the lower grade. Apples _ and pears are very plentiful. Hie demand is not quite so good for these fruits during tho presence of the apricots and peaches. A shipment of 1000 cases of bananas is expected to land early next week. These should meet a good market. Tho market is abro of supplies of oranges and lemons. Only a few small lines of Californian oranges are still in tho market, but no lemons are available. The following are the current wholesale prices:— Apples are plentiful. Dessert: Central and Christchurch, to 2d; cookers, 2s 6d to 4s per bushel. Lemons.—None offering. Bananas. —From 10s to 14s per case for ripe. Oranges.—Californian, double cases to 21s, others 10s, in indifferent order. Peaches.—Jam, _ljd _ to 2J-d ; dessert, to 3|d; extra choice, in crates, 4£d to s|d. Pears. —From Id to 2d per lb. Apricots.—ln full supply. lid to 2d; dessert, 2d to 2gd; extra choice, 3d. Tomatoes. —Local hothouse, 5d to 6d; Christchurch, 5d to sjrd; Nelson, 4s 6d to 5s 9d. * Plums. —Jam, Id to l|d; dessert, l|d to 2£d; choice, in crates, to 4jd; Nelson, 2s 6d to 3s 9d per case. Raspberries.—About done; 7d to per lb. New Potatoes. —Local, 8s to 10s per cwt; Taieri, 7s to 7s 6d per cwt. Green Peas. —Id to lid. Grapes.—Local, Is to Is 2&'. Blackberries.—6d per lb. Nectarines. —Wanted; 2d to 3d per lb. Cucumbers, 2s to 3s per dozen; extra largo, to Bs. Vegetables.—Poor supply. Cabbage: Good, Is to 2s per dozen; sacks, 2s to 3s 6d. Table carrots, 8d to 9d per dozen bunches, 5s per bag. Rhubarb, 6d to Is per bundle (almost unsaleable). _ Turnips, 6d per dozen bunches. Spring onions, 2d to 3d per bunch. Cauliflower: Scarce; 2s to 2s 6d per dozen for small; large, 4s to 5s per dozen. French beans, 3£d to 4d. Broad beans, to Id per lb. MELBOURNE MARKETS. Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright. MELBOURNE, February 4. Bran, £3 10s. Pollard, £6. Barley: English, 3s lOd to 4s; Cape, 2s lOd to 2s lOjd. Oats: Milling, 2s 2£d to 2s 3d; feed, 2s to 2s 2d. Maize, 6s to 6s 3d. Potatoes, £13 15s to £14. Onions, £3 to £3 ss. QHISTCHURCII MARKETS. (Pjeb United Pbess Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, February 4. Tho wheat market is without change. Buyers aro endeavouring to secure supplies at 5s at country stations, and some sales havo been made at this figure. A line of 10,000 bushels of prime milling wheat, including nearly 30CKJ bushels of pearl, and tho balance Hunters and Tuscan, changed hands at 5s Id at a station with ljd railago. There is not a largo quantity oi wheat offering, and apparently growers are not at present desirous of selling. Very few oats aro coming on the market, tho lots being mostly small. There ia no change in prices. The barley market remains tho same, 5s 6d being top prica Primo malting importations havo been mado from Australia to make up the shortage in the New Zealand crop. Oat-sheaf chaff is dull of sale, and tho demand is purely locaL It is difficult to placo tho value of cocksfoot, on account of the shortage. Growers aro asking extreme prices, but merchants aro not keen to buy, being afraid of a difficulty in re-solling. Sales havo been mado at &d to 9d for good samples. No forward business has yet been reported. It is said that early potatoes have been shipped from Auckland and 'Wellington to Sydney, where high prices aro ruling. There is little business in onions. Prices range from £2 10s to £2 15s. DAIRY PRODUCE. The National Mortgage and Agency Company has received cable advico from Messrs Mils and Sparrow, London, that the butter market is firm at 146s to 148s. The cheese market is also firm at 98s. SOUTHLAND FROZEN MEAT CO. The directors' report of tho Southland Frozen Meat and Produco Export Company states that the abnormal conditions arising out of tho war, combined with tho drought further north, through which a copsidprable

quantity of stook had to be railed into South'and for fattening, and tho company's extensive facilities for storage have resulted in a largo increaso in tho output of the works during tho past aeason. The net profit for tho year is £25,382, and this, with the balanco oarried forward from last yoar, makes the amount now available for distribution £34,628 13s 7d. This tho directors reoommend should bo dealt with as follows: — To add to reserve account (bringing this account to £25,000), £2761; reserve for fire insurance, £6000; reserve for aocident insuranoo, £2000; to transfer to a reserve for equalisation of dividends, £7000; to pay a dividend of 5 por cent, and a bonus of 5 per cent, on the paid-up capital, £6828 6s; to subscribe to tho Allies' Relief Fund making a total of £2000 to patriotic funds to date), £1000; and to carry forward the balance, £9039 7s 7d. The directors to retire by rotation aro the Hon. Thos. MaoGibbon and Mr Geo. Chewings, and thoy offer themselves for ro-election.