COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16978, 14 April 1917, Page 6

COMMERCIAL.

Daily Times Office, Flriday evening'. I'tio present position in regard to wheat is that there is littlo or none ottering for tuo local market, unci stooks aro consequently -very eiiort. Merchants wiio were buying eagerly Boino time ago in anticipation at a poor yield axe now olt the mai - - kot altogether. Local millers rogai'd the situation as «i very serious ono, uaid they stato that, unless some .action is taken by tlu> Government to ensuro a auppiy, they inay bo laced with fcho necessity of having to dose down altogotlier m tUo near future. Sales have also been hindered during tliu past week 'booa/uso iarmera liavo be<jn wanting inorchanta to forgo the f.o.b. charges. Practically the whole of the Canterbury wheat crop is being absorbed by millers in that district, and tnare is scarcely any coming forward from-tho south. Thero has been a decided weakening of tho oats market during tho week, and at present business is practically at a standstill, owing to a dilierenco of opinion botweeii merchants and growers as to 'values. So far as tiioy can .bo ganged, quotations for A and B grade Gartoris respectively aro in tho vicinity of 3s 8d and 5s 7d respoo tivoly, ex store, 'ihero are, however, no inquiries for shipment, and very few local buyers. Last week several thousand sacks wero offering in tho Gore district, but morchants were not anxious to buy, and thero was also a fair quantity ■ ottering at Inveroargill, with few buyers. The majority of tho oats offering in Southland (according to ono report) can at present only be clussed as fair averago quality, and a largo proportion will require to go into early consumption, otherwise they will deteriorate seriously. North Island morchants seem to bo well supplied, and in some cases aro overstocked with milling Algerians. A ship.ment of 750 sacks has also beon landed at ""Lyttelton, and has given sufficient satisfaction to induce a ■ further shipment being asked for. According to returns received locally, there must have been fully 35,000 saoks of Australian Algerians booked for shipment to tho North Island during March a.nd April. This means that there will bo little or no demand for oats for tho next four or five months, and tho local market must be adversely affected, as these oats are being landed at lower prices than present South Island quotations. The prices of flour, oatmeal, pearl barley, pollard, aiid bran aro unchanged, the majority of theso beinrr fixed 'by tho Government PRODUCE REPORT. A fair amount of cnaff is now coming on the market, but the demand lias also beep, maintained, andi prices aro slightly firmer if 'anything. Potatoes have again weakened slightly, and are now wort'h about £5 per ton "(ex store) for prime table lines. Large quantities have been coming on tho market from all round, especially from the south, where digging is now in full swing. The quality continues very good. Eggs and butter axo still wanted at high prices, and bacon is in short supply. Onions aro worth about £9 a ton. Current wholesale prices aro as follow: — Chaff.—Primo oatcn-shoaf, £5 5a to £5 10s; medium to good, £3 15s to £4- 5s (sacks extra). ,

Straw.—Oaten, £3; wheaten, £2 7s 6d. Potatoes, £5. Canterbury Onions, to 9s cwt. Eggs, Is lOd to 2a

Butter.—Milled bulk, to' Is 3d per lb; dairy and separator, in lib packets, Is Id to Is 3d.

Pigs.—Baconers, 7gd per lb; porkers, Bd. Bacon. Rolls, local and Christcburch, Is 2d; sides, Is Id; hams, Is 2d; ham rolls, Is 3d, FRUIT REPORT. Business in the fruit market up till Laster was very good, but since tho holidays it has slackened off somewhat, iomatoes are tho chief commodity offering, and aro selling well for this time of tho year.

Dessert appjes from Nelson have had to be sold at extremely low prices owing to bitter pit, ' and freight charges will not even be covered. Central Otago ' and Lhristchurch fruit, on the other hand, is vc r r y gtjod, an d is -realising high prices. lho Tarawera, which arrived on Thursday, brought a small consignment of oranges from the Islands to a bare market ar *d theso realised very high prices. Tne banana market is at present in an TOosainsfactory condition. The demand for this fruit is good, but owing to the want of shipping space supplies cannot be procured in any quantity. The following are tho current wholesale prices,:—

Oranges.— I Tahiti, 14s■to 15s 6d per case, til© latter being' for repacks. Apples.—-Otago Central, dessert, 2d to 3dcooking, lid to 2d; jelly, 7s to 9s per cwt; Canterbury, 5s to 6s per case; dessert, 7s to .9s. ' .

■to P 6d CheS '~ ln CaSBS ' lid to 3(11 Cl ? tes - 3W

Lemop.—Californian, 25s per double case; 16s 6d a half-casc. .Bananas—Green Fijis, 16s to 18s: Rarotongan, 13s to 15s.

Tomatoes.—Christchurch, out6ide, 2Ad to 3£d per lb; rough 2s 6d to 3s 6d per case; Otago Centrals, 2J>d to Id; local hothouse, Ou to Did. ' Cucumbers.—Local hothouse, 5s to 9s 6d per dozen; Christchurch, Is 6d per halfcase. *

Pears, Id to 3id. Better demand. Grapes, 9£d to Is 3d. Cabbages, Is 6d to 2s per dozen; Is to 3s 6d per saqk. Cauliflowers, 2a 6d to 3s 6d per sack; 2s 6d to (& per dozen. Lettuce, 6d to Is per dozen. Vegetable marrows, 5s to 6s 6d per sack; cases, 3s to 4sper dozen, 2s to 3s. ' • ' Potatoes.—Local, to 9a per cwt, in cases: iaieri-grown, an sacks, 6s to 7s per cwt. , Green peas, to 3d for choice. yueen pineapples, lis to 14s per case. MELBOURNE MARKETS. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. _ MELBOURNE, April 13 Barley: English, 3s 9d to 4s; Cape, 2s 7d to 2s Bd. Oats: Milling Algerians, 2s HWd; feed,-Is lOd to 2s. Potatoes, £4- to £5 10s Onions, £4 10s to £4 15s.

CHRISTCHURCH MARKETS. (Pur Unitbo Association.) CHRISTCHURCH. April 12. rho scarcity of wheat offerings still continues, and one of the reasons apparently is that tho quantity thrashed so tar this season is much lees tlinn last year. The total quantity of wheat returned or thrashed up to March 16, 1916 was 2,386,126 bushels, whereas to March* 19 this year only 1,320,060 bushels were returned. Of tliis amount, 1,090,046 bushels werothrashed in Canterbury. Some thrashing is now being done, but even considering the smaller area of crop .this year it is evident that thcro is still a largo quantity of wheat m stock.

The oat market is dull, and prices are below those recorded prior to the holidays Large quantities of Australian and Tasmaman oats have arrived or are dno at Auckland and Wellington, which have cut faouth Island oats out of the market. Southland oats are offering at Bluff at 3s 6d (sacks in), but the crop is much below the average in quantity, and most of tho oats aro discoloured. In view of the competition, there is at present but a limited outlet for Canterbury oats. Algerians have maintained their value better than other varieties, and aro worth 3s 6d to 3s 7d at country stations, while 3s 3d to 3s 4d is offered for Gartons *nd Duns. There is very little demand for oatsheaf chaff, and much of thfrt offering is very light.

The potato market is -without change, £4 still being paid at country stations. There is a, fair demand, and it is stated that the main crop is turning out very well.

The demand for onions is not very active. Tho price offered is £5 10s to £6. A large quantity of Victorian onions ie leaving' HelIwurno for Wellington. CLEARING SALE. Messrs Stronach, Morris, and 00. report having held a most successful clearing sale of dairy cows at Leith Valley on Thursday on account of Mr C. Harris. Buyers wero present from _ Ohristchurch, Cromwell, Taieri, Waikouaiti, and surrounding districts. Tho cows, 26 in number, wero in good condition, and under keen competition sold at up to £15 10s, and heifers to £13 ss.