COMMERCIAL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17064, 24 July 1917, Page 4

COMMERCIAL

HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. (Pm Dmitkd Pbess Assogiatiok.) WELLINGTON, July 23. ■ Tho High Commissioner reported as follows on July 21. The quotations, unless othcrwiso specified, are tho avorago market prices on spot:— Moat—Homo killed mutton and English lambs ore in fair supply, and in poor demand, at lower prices—l4£d to 16d per pound. All descriptions of frozen meat aro in, active demand owing to short supplies. .New Zealand, mutton, 9gd per lb; ewo nqratton, Bid. Argentino mutton, 10d. New i Zealand lamb, lOd. Argentine lamb, lid. Now Zealand beef: No supplies are available. ' Argentine beef: Small supplies. Hinds, 13Jd; fores, lOgd. Butter.—The following maximum prices have been fixed:—Salted butter during tho next two weeks: New Zealand, 200e; Australian, 198s: Irish Creamery, !98s: Argentine, 198s. Unsalted butter, 3s additional in eaclr case. All kinds of butter aro in small wjpply, and the market continues firm. Danish, 213 a; Now Zealand salted, 200s; onsaltcd, no supplies available; Australian salted, 194s to 198s; Argentino and Irish Creamery salted, 198s; unaaltod, 201 a. Cheese. —No »oajcb™in> prices havo been fixed. (Mutilated word here) oheese, white, 1325. There aro no official quotatiore. Hamp.—Tho ma-kot in tho Philippines continues firm. "ho present prices aro stimulating output. Tho receipts from July 1 to July IS woro 52,000 bales. Tho New Zealand hemp market continues firm, but thoro is little business doing owing to freight being vory difficult to obtain. Small supplies afloat aro offered. Hwh noint. £92; fair, £91. ' Wheat—Tho markot remtainfl as last report. No. 2 Manitoba northern, 82s od; No. 2 hard winter, 80s; Australian, 83s. Oats.—Tho market is qudet, with a tendency m favour of buyers. Canadian, 63s 6d; American, 625; Plate, 60s 6d.

GRAIN AND PRODUCE SALES. Messrs Donald Roid anJ Co. report:— Oats: Prime heavy Gortons aro in demand, but tho quantity offering is small, and there is # Bcile business to report For all descriptiona of feed oats tho market is quiet, and sales aio not easy to effect Prime milling, 4s to 4s Id; .good to best feed, 3s 9d to 3s lOd; inferior to medium, 3s 3d to 3s 8d per bushel (sacks extra). Wheat: No milling fines aro filming on tho mnrlret, and

fowl wheat u offering sparingly. Best whole wheat is in good demand at 6a to 6s 3d per bushel (sacks extra). Potatoes: The market is more freely supplied, consignments having come forward from South Canterbury. Tho demand for shipment is dull, and values havo suffered a decline, choice tablo potatoes now being worth £5; good to prime, £4 100 to £4 15s; medium, £4- to £4 7 S 6d per ton (sacks included). Chaff: Tho demand is cliiofly for prime quality, and consignments of this class command ready salo. Medium and discoloured lots are not in readiest, butogood clean etraw chaff has fair inquiry. Best oaten sheaf, £5 15s to £5 17s bd; choice, to £6; medium to good, £5 5s to £5 10s; light and discoloured, £4 10s to £5 per ton (bags extra). Messrs Dalgety and Co. report :—Oats: iho market is very quiet, despite tho fact that offerings from tho country aro light. ITio demand is confined practically to bright heavy samples, fit lor seed and milling purposes, for which late values aro obtainable. Discoloured and feed lines of medium quality aro difficult to place. Prime milling 4s to 4s Id; good to best feed, 3s 9d to 3s lOdl; medium to good, 3s 7d to 3s 9d per bushel (sacks extra). Wheat: Very little of any description is offoring. Millers aro ready purchasers for sruitablo quality at full Government rates. Fowl' wheat is in very short supply, and is readily disposed of in small quantities for local requirements at 6s to 6a 3d per bushel (sacks extra), according to sample. Potatoes: Supplies havo been coming forward freely of late, but a large proportion of tho consignments arriving aro more or less faulty. Frosted lines and those requiring picking aro now more difficult to quit, and in ordler to effect sales lower values havo to be accepted. Choice, well graded, freshly picked lines aro not offering so freely, and are in most demand. Choioo lines, £4 15s to £5; medium to good, £4 to £4 10s; faulty lines, from £3 per ton (sacks in). Chaff 1 :• The market has been barely supplied of late, and all consignments comung to hand havo been readily sold on arrival at quotations. In tho absence of supplies, medium, quality has been receiving more attention from buyers. Choice black oaten sheaf, to £6; good oaten sheaf, £5 10s to £5 15s; medium to good, £4 15s to £5; straw chaff, £3 5s to £3 15s per ton (sacks extra).

In the Federal House of Representatives on July 18 Mr Boyd asked the Prime Minister whether he had caused inquiries to bo made concerning tho statements mada by Mr Palmer during last session in relation to the British Imperial Oil Company as to the naturo and result of the inquiries, if any. Mr Hughes replied that certain information had boon received from the Brii J^ Govern ™ Ol Jt ia ,*cpry to his inquiries .Telatrng to the company to tho effect that tho British Imperial Oil Company was a British company, and thero was no reason •why it should not bo treated as such.