COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18514, 27 March 1922, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

Daily Times Office, Saturday morning. The quotation for soda crystals has advanced £1 per ton. Sicily almonds have firmed in price, and are now being quoted at 2s to 2s Id pbr lb. Genuine turpentine, in coffee bottles, is quoted at 11s 6d, and mineral turps at 7s 9d. Bacon has firmed in price. Van Houteu’a cocoa, brown label only, is now quoted at 3s 2d, 3s 3d, and 3s 4d per lb respectively, according to size. The quotations for gold label are unchanged. The current quotation for granose b’seuits ia 12s 6d per dozen for small packets and 40s for 3lb packets. A parcel of comp essence of coffee, which has been in short supply for some time, ia landing ex the Remuera within the next few days. The Waihemo, which is expected to arrive in Dunedin on Tuesday, is bringing supplies of seeded and seedless raisins. Gerstena has been reduced to 16s per dozen. A new line of pipe tobacco—regal aromatic and dark—is now on the market. Matured cheese is meeting with a sound retail demand, but merchants are not inclined to pay tho prices asked by factories. Painkiller, small, shows a reduction in price. Peel of all descriptions is in very short supply. Thistle semolina has been reduced by Is per dozen. The price of Tucker’s soups has eased to 3s 8d per dozen. LONDON MARKETS. LONDON, March 24. (Received March 26, at 5.5 p.m.) .Cotton.—Liverpool quotation, American middling upland, April delivery, 10.28 d per lb. Rubber. —Fine, hard Para, IOJd per lb; plantation, first latex, Crepe, BJd per lb; smoked ribbed sheet, Bid per lb. Jute.—Native first marks, April-May shipment, £25 15s per ton. New Zealand Hemp.—March-May shipment, £33 10s per ten. Copra,—March-May shipment, £24 10s per ton. Linseed oil, £37 6s per ton. equal to 2s Hid per gallon. Turpentine, G7a 3d per cwt, equal to 5s Id per gallon ■> Wheat freights are easier, A steamer is offered for South Australia and Victorian at 58s 9d. Sheep.— Canterbury light, BJd; medium, 8; heavy, 7d; Southland, none offering; New Zealand ewes, 6Jd; Australian first grade, 6Jd; South American light, 7jjd; heavy, 6Jd. Lambs. —Canterbury, light and medium, Hid; heavy, Hgd; seconds. Hid; Southland, none offering; South American light lOd; heavy, Old. ' Frozen Beef.—Argentine fores, Sjd ; hinds, 4|d; Uruguayan fores, 3d; hinds, 4(d; chilled Argentine fores, 4d; hinds, 7M; Uruguayan, none offering; other meats unchanged.—A. and N.Z. Cable. The New ' Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Ltd., has received the following cablegram from its London house, dated March 22:—‘Tallow; We quote present spot values for the following descriptions; Fine mutton, 42s 3d per cwt; good beef, 41s 3d per cwt ; mixed, 36s per cwt. The market is quiet. New Zealand frozen meat: No change in the market.” Messrs Dalgety and Co., Ltd., report haying received the following cable from their head office, dated London, 23rd inat; —Prime crossbred lamb: Canterbury, heavy, llgd; light, 12id; North Island, heavy, 11 cl; light, il ; demand active. Prime crossbred mutton: Canterbury, heavy 6).d to 6jjd; light, 7Jd to 8d; North Island’, heavy, 6d; light, 7Jd; demand fair. New Zealand prime ox beef: Hinds, 4d; fores, 2Jd; demand poor. New Zealand lamb; Any change in prices is in favour of buyers. New Zealand mutton : Firm. New Zealand beef; Prices nominal. Australian good average quality crossbred lamb, heavy, 9Jd; light, lOJrt; mutton, heavy, 54d; light, 6d; demand for .lamb fair, for mutton poor. LONDON WOOL SALES. LONDON, March 24. (Received March 26, at 5.5 p.m.) At the wool sales the offerings included a poor selection of merinos, and a fair lot ot orossbredls. There was good general competition at full prices, crossbreds being especially firm. —A. and N.Z. Cable.

BERLIN EXCHANGE RATE. LONDON, March 24. (Received March 26, at 5.5 p.m.) The Berlin exchange rate to-day touched 1530 and closed at 1455 marks to the pound sterling.—A,, and N.Z. Cable. AUSTRALIAN STATE LOANS. LONDON, March 24. (Received March 26, at 5.5 p.m.) The Western Australian Government does not desire to float a loan immediately, and the Now South Wales issue has been de : ferred pending- the results of the elections. — A. and N.Z. Cable. BUTTER SHIPMENTS TO LONDON. (Pjb United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, March 25. Regarding the shortage of butter shipments to which reference was made in a London cablegram, it is stated that two steamers from New Zealand are due within the next few days, hut on the other hand the absence of shipments from Australia for next month, owing, inter alia, to the allocations for fruit, are likely to aggravate the conditions, though supplies will be arriving from Ireland and possibly from France. The official prices for Australian and New Zealand butter to-day were respectively 170 s and 180 s per cwt. wholesale, which is a further all-round increase. EABBITSKIN SALES. Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, March 24. At the rahbitskin sales 2200 bales were offered and 1500 sold. There was a fair attendance. Furriers operated sparingly. Most at 1 the New Zealand skins were withdrawn for home business after the sales at about January rates. 3 Australian furriers’ sorts were in. smaller supply, and were well competed for. Prices were about unchanged. Hatters’ sorts brought fair general competition at about 10 per cent, decline, which was most marked on the outgoing spring ' sorts and least on summers and kittens.—A. and N.Z. Cable. THE BUTTER MARKET. SHORTAGE OP SUPPLIES. LONDON, March 24. The shortage of butter supplies is causing anxiety on the Government market. An importer says tho arrival of the steamers Surrey and Moreton Bay, with 57,000 boxes of Australian, and the Mahana, with 13,000 boxes of New Zealand butter, will have little effect in remedying the shortage, as a large portion of the consignments is booked already, and little of the remainder is expected to como on the open market. Two steamers from New Zealand are due in the next few days, but, on the other hand, the absence of shipments from Australia next month owing, inter alia, to the allocation for fruit, is likely to aggravate the conditions, though supplies will be arriving from Ireland, and possibly from France, The official prices of Australian and New Zealand butter at noon to-day were respectively I7os and 180 s per owt wholesale, winch, is a further all-round increase.—A. and N.Z. Cable; THE OAMARU MARKETS. (Tbom Oub Own Correspondent.) OAMARU, March 211 The weather throughout the week has been most unfavourable for harvest work. More or less rain has fallen on every day over a large part of North Otago, and, while until just now it has not been heavy, it has been intermittently so persistent as to keep up a continuous state of dampness that has rendered threshing impracticable at any time, except in favoured localities. The rain caught a great many crops, particularly wheat, in steok waiting for the services of the threshing mills. So far no damage has been done, and if a drying wind comes along no harm may accrue. But it is certain that this grain will not be fit to thresh for some time, and the probability is that the groat bulk of it will bo put into stack to regain quality, with the strong probability that the result will be to the advantage of growers. Reports of good yields continue to be heard, amongst the best of these being an average of 61J bushels of Velvet wheat obtained from a modest area at Feeble®. At. Totera two adjoining paddocks of Dreadnought, both of good size, returned 67 end 65 bushels an acre respectively. Owing to the rain and the consequent interruption of threshing, fewer samples of wheat have oome forward during the week, but still a fair quantity "has changed hands at full regulation rates. The lines handled have for the most part been of modest dimensions, but they included 2200 seeks composed of Velvet and Tuscan in equal propor‘tiorus, 1000 sacks of Tuscan, and 700 sacks of mixed varieties. Tho oats market is still slow. Offerings from the country are still few, and, on the other hand, there is little demand. Business has been done at the following prices, net to growers at country stations:—Good milling Gartens, 2s 6d and 2s 6Jd; A grade Gartens, 2s 4d to 2s 6d; H Gartens, 2s 3d; medium seed Algerians, 2s 2d; feed Algerians, Is 9d for light and 2s for medium. There is still no business to report in barley of either variety. Some transactions are reported in oaten sheaf chaff at £3 fis to £3 10s net, delivered in Oamaru. A little business has been done in cocksfoot seed at from 4Jd to sjd net, at country stations, according to quality, most of the sales haying been made at sd. The digging of potatoes has not yet been commenced in earnest, but some sales are reported at £4 5s and £4 10s net, on trucks. There is an improvement in the stock market so far es sheep are concerned, but cattle are really unsaleable. All classes of sbeep are in demand, and prices generally show an improvement. Breeding ewes are in strong request, and good quality meets with a ready sale at prices well ahead of those current e few weeks ago. At this week’s sale some fair-sized lines met with good competition from farmers seeking to stock up. A line of 465 mixed four and six-tooth ewea was passed in, and that will give an indication of the trend of tho market. A line of 294 mixed-sex and eight-tooth found a buyer ot 16s, but a line of mixed .four, six, and eight-tooth realised 235, and a line of sound-mouthed 21s 3d. By private treaty sales have been made as follows: -Two-tooth ewes, 21s to 23s 6d; four-tooth, 24s to 27« 6d; mixed four, six, and eight-tooth, 33e; sound-mouthed, from 16s to 21s, according to quality. There is also a good demand ° for store wethers, which are not readily obtainable, and sales of halfbred hill wethers have been made at from IDs to 11s for twotooth and from 12s 6d to 14a for mixed four and six-tooth. There is a better demand for fat lambs, which brought up to 24s for extra quality at this week’s sale, while by private treaty sales have been made at up to 7id. As a consequence rape lambs are in much greater demand than supply. Good quality lambs in very forward condition have found buyers at up to 18s, while others have realised from 15s to 16s; medium store lambs have brought 13s, and hill wether lambs 12s 6d. SOUTHLAND MARKET REPORT. (From Ooe Own Correspondent.) INVERCARGILL, March 24, Oats.—With the protracted spell of bad weather now prevailing throughout the district almost for tho greater part of weeks, it is evident that tho greater proportion of the oat crops, most of which has Vw>pn in r.kvVk rhirina +.lia JirJa 11

not come up to expectations as far as colour is concerned. Given fine weather it should yet bo possible to harvest under sound conditions, but A grade oats will be in short supply, the major portion of the crop being B grade. Probably on this account the market has been decidedly firm during the week, and A gradia are being quoted at 3a 3d, f.0.b., s.i., which is about the equivalent to 2s Gd on trucks at handy sidings, sacks extra. A fair number of deliveries of eajriy harvested oats of exceptionally fine quality have already been made, and reports as to the yields per acre show these to he abnormally high. Chaff.—Offerings from growers have somewhat slackened off, and the outside price being offered by buyers is £3 10s per ton at farmers’ sidings for prime quality, anything lower being extremely difficult to sell. Ryegrass.—This market has eased! somewhat during, the week and to-day merchants are not prepared to offer anything in excess of Ss 8d per bushel for 241 b to 251 b seed unless it has been exceptionally well handled by the mill. Italian ryegrass is much on the same basis, although for extremely wellmarketed, bright seed as much as 3s 6d would probably be offered. Stock.—With the exception of store end fat sheep there has been little doing in the stock market during the past week. However, for store sheep there is a better dlemand, and prices are somewhat firmer than those ruling recently. Fat Cattle.—There still continues to be an over supply of fat cattle coming forward and butchers cannot take all those offering, the result being that a number of graziers are operating on the easy market. Prime ox beef is worth about 21s per lOOlbs, medium quality is bringing 17s 6d, cow beef is hard to quit, and the ruling price for this is 12a 6d per lOOlbs. Prime ox beef is selling at from £9 10s to £ll 10a, mediums, from £7 to £8 10s, light and unfinished from £4 10s to £7. Store Cattle.—This market is practically dead, there is little doing and no inquiry for this class, and sales are very few and cannot bo taken as an indication of prices ruling. Fat Sheep.—Thojo has bwn an improvement in fat wethers, and prices have advanced from Is to Is 6d per head on recent figures quoted, there being somewhat of a shortage of good wether mutton. Prices for prime heavy wethers range from 22s to 25a, lighter sorts are from 18s to 21a. There is a good offering of fat ewes, and the operating of freezing buyers is keeping this market steady; prices are practicauy the same as those quoted last week. Store Sheep.—The demand for this class has improved somewhat, and! sales have been fairly frequent. Good breeding ewes are being sought, and prices for two-tooths range from 19s to 225. Good, sound-mouth ewes are being freely bought at from 9s to 14s", broken-mouths range from 6s to 9s. Good forward wethers are worth from 17s to 19s 6d, While rape lambs are being sold at from 14s to 17s. THE FRUIT AND PRODUCE WORLD. Reilly’e Central Produce Mart, Ltd., report;—Full supplies of fruit have arrived during the week, apples, pears, tomatoes, and peach consignments being equal to the demand., one line of Delicious apples realising gjd per lb. Onions still continue short of requirements. Stamped and guaranteed eggs are now worth 2s, and urgently wanted. Bacon pigs are wanted!. Fowl wheat and oats are coming to hand freely. Oatsheaf and straw chaff is meeting steady inquiry. Heavy yarding^ of poultry realised fair values. The following prices being secured; —Grapes: Local, to Is 6d; Oamaru, lid to Is 4d. Plums: Dessert, 3d to 4Jd; bottling, to 4d; cooking, to 3d* Blackberries, to Bd. Peaches: Dessert, to 6Jd; cooking, to 4d; bottling, to 4d. Quinces to 2Jd. Tomatoes : Christchurch firsts, to 3d; seconds, to 2d: locals, to BJd; Central to 2d. Mushrooms; Choice, to 10Jd per lb. Rhubarb, to 12s cwt. Garlic, 3d. Esohallots. 2Jd. Green peas: Choice, to 2Jd; others, to Id. Beans; Butter and French, to 4id; broad, Id. Pickling onions, 2Jd per lb. Potatoes: Locals, to 8s; Oamaru, to 7s; Taieri, to 8s owt. Hothouse cucumbers, 3s to Ga dozen; outside, 2s 63 to 4s half-case. Lettuce; Choice, to 2s 6d. Apples: Choice Coxes, 9s to 12s; Delicious, to 17s 6d; Jonathans, to 10s: other dessert, 8s to 10s; cooking, to 2Jd. Pears: 8.0., 7« 6d to 10s; 8.8., 7s 6d to 10s; 8.D., 8s; 8.T., 6s 6d to 8s; M.L., 12a; cooking, 5s to 6s 6d. Lemons: American “Pacific” brand, 47s 6d. Pineapples, to 30s. Oranges; To arrive, 50s. Bananas: Ripe, 46e. Preserved ginger, Is. Peanuts: Best quality shelled, 5Jd; unshelled, 6Jd to Bd. Butter, to Is Id. Honey: Bulk, to 6Jdl; sections, choice 10s; Jib pats, 4s 6d to 5d dozen. Beeswax, Is 9d to 2s. Golden Bay bacon: Sides, lOd; rolls, Is; hams, Is; boneless, Is 2d. Eggs: Stamped, 2s; cased, Is lOd. Cauliflowers, to 7s for choice. Cabbage, to 2s Gd for choice.' Vegetable marrows, to 7s 6d- Onions: Canterbury, 10s 6d. Carrots, 6s 6d. Parsnips, 7s to Bs. Tallow, 16s to 18s; prime, to 22s cwt. Poultry: 880 hens realised 2s 6d to 9s 6d; 34 pullets, 9s Gdl to 12a; 158 cockerels, 2s 6d to 7s 6d; ducks, 7s 4d; geese, 7s to 7a 6d (all at per pair). E. OSWALD REILLY, Managing Director, Moray Place, Dunedin.