COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17319, 20 May 1918, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

..t. I ? me3 Saturday morn inc. .„ Easy ilonddy - washing powder has advanced to 3d 9d per dozen. Prices for gin show a sharp advance. Merchants new quotations vary somewhat unsoent<2d 60311 has been advanced in _ Edmonds advice that they cannot execute farther orders for their baking powder, until after *zi interval of about three weeks. &3UC S is now wortll anything from 19s to 22s per dozen. Stocks of Epsom salts are fairly plentiful. Prices Jhow a rather wide margin, dependent on the brand of the salts. • Sapon is quoted at 7s per dozen- lor large, and « lor small. • C.M.C. sheep tongues continue in short supply. Jars are quoted at 26s Gd per dozen. and tins at 235. A email parcel of Hag pickles has arrived on the market. In consequence of the continued shortness in supply of tobacco and cigarettes merchants Are catting down their orders to enable all their customers to secure a fair share. A portion only of the shipment of dark Havelock, which was expected to arrive last week, came to hand The Colombo prices of desicoated ooco'anut enow a big advance. Current values • are b±d for chests, and 6£d for half-chests. A shipment of Calcutta linseed has just landed and is quoted at 25s per cwt. The Vacuum Oil Company is cutting down all its orders for kerosene. This action is not alto- • gether on account of a shortage of stocks, but also to prevent buyers from obtaining more than ■ their fair allotment.. , Clothes pegs are in very short supply, and there is no advice when further supplies will be available. To-day's price for bulk turpentine is 6s per gallon. Hydrolene soap has advanced to 45s per cwt. Packet peas are worth 6b per dozen. Merchants are selling the new season's Mildnra sultanas forward at OJd for Three-Crown, with the significant reservation, " subject to arrival." Oolman's mustard is in short supply, and has a firm market. Preserved ginger has reached a high quotation, , freight charges and shortage of supplies being the ohief causes of tho advanced prices.

• SOUTHLAND MARKETS.

I (From Our Own Correspondent.) INYEHCARGILL, May 18. / The demand lrom the north lor oats is still iairly strong on the basis ol 4s Bid f.o.b.s.i. for A grade Gartons, and in a few instances this price has been exceeded for small lines. There ha? been a rather strong demand for B grade but, as tho bulk of our Southland oats this season aro A grade, such orders are hard to fill. Prices to farmers are still the same as in' last teport—4s to 4s Id on trucks, sacks extra, for A grade. Only a limited quantity is now offering by growers, who apparently have little more in hand than sufficient for their own use and spring sowing. Considerable quantities of chaff have been offering of late, and as chipping prices have declined and also as iero is no opportunity ot shipping, owing to tho ehortago of space, me'rehants' ideas of values do not now exceed £5 10s on trucks nakes at very handy sidings, when for prime qufliity £5 15a may bo offered. It is some time since any lines of ryegrass were offered by growers, with the exception of Amall lines of 30 to 40 sacks, so evidently the bulk of the crop has changed hands. There is a fair demand from the north for heavy-weight seed, values of whioh, according to colour iind cleanness, run about 6s 6d per bushel for 281b to 291b machine-dressed seed. There has been a further drop in the price Of hemp, owing to the shipping difficulty, high fair being to-day nominally worth £40 on "trucks. Neither millers nor merchants are willing to do business at this figure. There has been a little demand for tow lately, from Australia on the basis of. £4 10s on truoka for third grade and £6 103 for first grade. During the past week tho stock market has been fairly quiet, only two sales having taken plaoe—at Winton and Wallacetown. At tho former sale prices for all classes of store stock were firmer than for some time. Til is was more notioeable in aged ewes, the market for this class having risen slightly. Good store lambs were ojso In fair demand, though very few decent sorts were entered. Wethers also wore firm, with a tendency to rise; in fact, prioes for all classic of stock seem to be hardening. During the past two months all classes of store sheep have been

hard to quit, but the market hue now flnned somewhat, and all classes nxa colling f;ur]y well. Prices m:ty be quoted:—Vut cattlt—Extra pri;no bnllocks £20 to £22 10s; prime, £17 10s to £13 10s: medium to light, £13 10s to £14 10s; extra prime cows, £11 10s to £1(! 10s; prime, £11 15s to £12 10s; medium to light, £10 to £11; extra prime heifers, £15 to £10 ss; prime, £11 10s to £12 15s; medium to light, £fl 10s upwards. Pat sheep—Extra prime wet.ho.is, 3'Js to 41s; prime, Ms Gd to .17s fid; medium to light, ills; extra prime owes, 30a to 32s Gd; prime, 27s Gd to 295; light ,245. Storo cattle—Good mixed sex oiilves, £3 103 to £4 10s. Prices are better for Hereford cross: 18-months steers, £G 10s to £7 10s; two ami 2*-yonr-old, £0 10s to £11 ss; three-year-old, £11 10s to £12 15s. Dairy cows are selling well, anything having aai appearancc of being a good milter bringing from £11 10s to £12 15s. Tliero is no demand for inferior sorts. Empty two-venr-old heifers, £7 10s to £8 (is; empty cows, £7 10s to £8 10s. Storo sheep—Four and six-tooth ewes, extra good, 30s to 325; ordinary, 2Gs to 2Ss; twotooth, 28s to 31s; 6ound-moulited ewes, 24s Gd to 25s Gtl; full and failing-inonthed, according to condition, 12s to 18s Gd; etxra good lines, 20s; two-tooth wethers, good sorts, 28s to 30s; medium and interior, 24s Gd to 25s Gd; extra good mixed sex lambs, 22s to 23s Gd; inferior, down to 14s.

OAMAItTT MARKETS. (Prom Our Own correspondent.)

OAMAKU, May 18. There has not boen much businetsß passing this week in the wheat market, anil it is blooming apparent that the season's output has now well nigh passed out of growers' hands. Offerings Iroin tho country have been irregular, and the lines ooming forward of modest dimensions, the largest transactions of the week being from 600 to GOO sacks • each.

Oats art* exceedingly dull. There are a few sellers, but practically no buyers, business being restrained by waait of shipping facilities and a pronounced doubt as to the future. Values havo declined, A grade G-artons hmving been sold at 4s 2d, and good Algenanc at 4s, both net at country stations. The market for ryegrass seed is about over, thero beiug no apparent outlet. A small lino of pereimiul changed hands at a country station at 4s net.

Potatoes are distinctly weaker, with no business passing, holders looking for prioes at which merchants cannot compete against those of Canterbury for tho North Island trade. Business in the stock market has shown some improvement, but thero has beein no substance of a revival of former activity. Transactions have generally been in lines of modest dimensions, but the sales of a lino of over 1000 two-tooth halfbred station wethers at 22s 6d and of 900 sound-mouthed meriuo ewes at 16s are reported. Amongst the sales was one of a line of owes and lato lambs, for which 27s 6d, all counted, was piven. Other business done wa6 at the following figures i—Mixed four, six, and eight-tooth €wes, 31s; sound-mouthed ewes, 20s and 31s 6d, the top money for a particularly nice line; full and failing-mouthed ewes, 21s to 25s 6d; mixed six and eight-tooth halfbred ewes, 28s; fat wethers, 375; fat and lorward wethers, 30s and 325; forTo ar 2l)s 6ll; €We hogged. 24s 6d and Jis, the higher figure for extra quality; mixed sex wether hoggets. 20s. There is little doing in cattle. A prime line of fat bullocks realised £21, and a line of fat and forward bullocks £13 17s. OTAGO FARMERS' HORSE BAZAAR. Farm ers' Co-operative Association report:— We held our horse sale on Saturday, and offered 45 hor6es of all classes, comprising good, useful plough teams, 6pring-carters, express horses, hackneys, and harness sorts. The attendance was the largest we have seen for some time, including a good sprinkling of buyers, farmers and carrying contractors were fairly numerous, and for the lighter sorts traders in this class were somewhat keener, consequently the whole of the Canterbury consignment sold readily at fair values. In the draught class, there was nothing of special merit in the entry, and no record prices were made. Entries came from the Jaieri, Waitati, An an ton, tho Peninsula, North Canterbury, and Milton. At our winter sale on the 30th, we shall offer a large number of good, useful, heavy cart geldings, and 6everal pedigree mares. Quotations: Youn?, sound, sharp, C ,£ y . gcl^°gs > £25 t0 £2S ; extra heavy horses! »■.. *?' * B even-year-old-and-over mares and geldings, £13 to £20; and what is usually termed » to vanncrs and spring-carters, £14 to £*0; light sorts of harness horses, at fluctuating prices. CO-OPERATIVE FRUITGROWERS OP OTAGO. The Co-operative Fruitgrowers of Otago (Ltd.) report High prices have been ruling for choice dessert apples and pears, alll lines meeting a keen inquiry at good values. Cooking apples have been in keen demand. Preserved eggs axe in oversupply, stamped and guaranteed eggs meetine a ready sale. Prime table poultry is in keen demand. Stock foods have been selling remarkably well. The following prices were secured m r , °, Ur s? nsi Sn°reApples: Cox's Orange Pippin, JJd to 3d; Jonathans, 2J-d to- 3£d; Delicious, 3Ad to 4d; Cleopatras, 2Jd to 3d; Lord Wolselevs, £d; feturmers, 2Jd, 3i<l; inferior, lid: cooking lid, -id per lb. Quinces, 2d, 2id, 2Jd. Bananas: huva, to 20s for choice. Lemons: Adelaide, 20s; Americans, 50s for 300. Oranges: Choice, 15d. Peanuts, 5d per lb in sacks lots. Chesnuts. 8d to lOd. Walnuts, 6d to Is Id. Passions: Wanted. Tomatoes: Hothouse, locals, IOAd to Is 4d; Central Otago, sd. Pears: Nelis, 2id'to 4d: Coles, 2£cl to 4d; Beurre Diel,- 2Jd; Josephine's, 2}d; Easter Beurre, 2Jd; Vicars, IJd to 2id; Koiffers, ljd to ljd. Urnpes, Is to 2s 3d. Cabbage, Is 6d to 2s per dozen. Cauliflower: Choice, to Gs 6d per dozen. Onions, 8s 6d to 9s per cwt. for,, choice. Pumpkins, 4s Gd to 5s 6d. Potatoes, £8 10s to .€0 per ton, -ex rail; 10s to lis per cwt., ex store. Bacon: Etxra prime rolls, to Is 4d. Pigs: Bacon, prime, 8J;1; porker, Bid; chippers, 3J<l, 4Jd. Butter: Bulk, is 3d; separator, pats, Is 4d; extra prime separator, Is 7d. Eggs: Stamped and guaranteed, 2s Gd; preserved, Is Bd. Honey: New season's prime, 3d; second grade, B£d; sections, 8s 6d per dozen for choice; 101b tins, 7s 6d; pats, IOJd. Tea: First tips Broken Orange Pekoe, Is 3d. Bran, Gs 3d per 1001b. Cape barley, 6s 9d. Maize: Market bare. Lime sulphur ; "Giraffe" brand, Is lOd per gallon, in casks, ex store; 2s 6d in tins. Lin see d meal: For calves, poultry,- cattle, or horses, 18s per cwt. Meat meal: "Cross Keys," 18s per 1001b. Molasses: In bnrrels, 7s Od per cwt; tins, 14s per cwt. Oaten pollard, 16s per bag. Oats: Best short oats, to 4s 6d. Oat-sheaf chaff, £7 to £7 10s for choioe. Oaten dust, 5s Gd per sack. Wheat: A splendid line at 6s 9d per bushel. \Vheat pollard, 13s 4d per bag. Beeswax, 2s. Wood wool, 355. Wrapping paper: Pure sulphate, 7s 9d per ream. Egg crates: "Economic," lis each. Rabbitskins: Market dead owing to embargo. Tallow: Realised 25s 6d, 26s 3d, 30s 6d, lis 9d. Sale on Wednesday, the 20th. Poultry: Hens—46 at Is 6d, 28 at Is 7d, 18 at Is Bd, 38 at Is 9d, 35 at Is lOd, 8 at Is lid, 28 at 2s Idcockerels 2 at Is Gd, 1 at 2s, 22 at 2s 3d 23 at' 2s Gd, 37 at 2s 3d, 13 at 2s lid, 9 at 3s, 16 at 3s 6d; ducks—ll at 2s, 26 at 2s Gd, 18 at 2s 9d; pullets—2 at Gs 3d, G at 6s 9d. THE CO-OPERATIVE FRUITGROWERS OF OF OTAGO (LTD.), Moray Place, Dunedin. E. OSWALD 11EILLY, Manager. Messrs Fraser and Co., 14G Crawford street Dunedin, agents for the Ot.igo Egg Circle, reports—Eggs: Market firm. Stamped, 2s 6d; fresh, 2s 4d. Butter: lib separator, Is 3d • milled, bulk, Is 3(1 to Is 4d. Pigs: Wanted. Prime bacon-weights, 8M to 83d; over-weights] 5(1 to Gd. Tallow: Wanted. From 28s to 30s'. Hrtaey: First-grade bulk, in GOlb tins, 3d-second-grade, SJd; 101b tins, 7s 6d. W c guarantee this price. Onions; 'Prime Oanterburys, 0s per cwt. Potatoes: Market easier. From £8 to £3 10s, ex truck. Fowl wheat, 6s Gd to 6s 9d per bushel. Poultry: At our auction sale on Wednesday, at I.MO p.m., the following prices were realised:—Hons—7s at Is 3d, 50 at Is 4d, 50 at Is 6d, 20 at 2s, 15 at 2s 3d, 30 at 2s Gd; pullets—2 at 4s 3d, 3 at 5s 3d, G at 5s lOd; cockerels—6o at 2s, 30 at 2s 6d; ducks—s at 2s 3d, 3 at 2s lOd, 6 at 3s Id. All at per head Turkeys : 6 gobblers, at lid per lb; 12 hens, at lOd per lb, live weight. Write for poultry crates.