COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18674, 2 October 1922, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

Daily Times Office, Saturday morning. ' Stocks of Havelock and Harlequin tobacco are now held by merchants. Capstan tobacco ia not, however, too plentiful. A parcel of Juno is due to arrive on tho market on October 20. A further shpmcnt of desiccated cocoannt, in chests and half-chests, has just come to hand. Quotations hy cablegram show a slieht advance in price. Supplies of Holbrook’s rennet are expected bv the Panaroa. This vessel will also bring Peck’s salmon and shrimp paste, Clarence cigarettes, and a number of other lines. A shipment of C. and B. rennet tablets arrived during the week. Prices of ordinary satchel paper hags have increased slightly. ”, and are now tho same as those ruling for eclipse fruit, bags. Mildura sultanas have been meeting with a keen demand, and local stocks are becoming depleted. Advice from Australia is to tlio effect that it will be difficult to obtain further supplies from, there-. Prices of Australian currants likewise show a firming tendency. Stocks of these are also reported to he getting into short compass in Australia. The Wingat-ui brought supplies of South Australian wines, transhipped ex Kaiapoi on the coast. Tho Waihora is due to arrive next week wtli supplies of sago, tapioca, and pineapples. Local stocks of sago and tapioca have got into small compass. Burmah candles arc on the market. New seasons Californian unbleached raisins are expected to arrive early in November. All orders for new seasons Smyrna sultanas and figs, tentative and otherwise, have b->cn cancelled. Loaf cheese is off the market in the meantime. A cargo of sugar came to hand last, Friday. A further supply is expected on Thursday. In view of the almost complete failure of the prune crop in France, and of the inferior quality‘of this year’s Californian prunes, there is every prospect that the large prune production of Jugo-Slavia mav ho "turned to good advantage, the Belgrade correspond»nt of the London Times wrote recently. Fortunately tho crop is abundant,; the fruit is unusually sweet, and tho size appears to be larger than during the last few years. The producers have realised that a regular export trade with, the ‘Western European countries can only be built up—without the aid of the middleman, who is usually a German —if the dried prunes arc put on to the Western markets in a presentable manner. ‘Whereas formerly 90 per cent, of the prunes exported from Jugo-Slavia were hastily dried and packed into sacks, half of the total exports now consists of eased prunes. The most common form of packing is in little boxes- of 27Jib or 551 b. The fruit is scientifically dried, glazed and faced, and compares quite favourably with its better-known Californian or so-called Karlsbad brother, so far as look is concerned. ‘ In size the Serbian prune, is generally smaller than the Californian or French, and it is said by experts to bo sweeter in taste. Tho largest, bnver of Serbian prunes in the past has been Germany. Represent atives of the most important German firm generally out in their appearance in tim prune-growing districts as early as June and July. Their favourite way of going to work is to buy promising-looking orchards as tlmv stand. As the fruit, matures it is hurriedly and provisionally dried, packed in bags, and rushed bv the Danube to Germany. There, in factories, it undergoes the more scientific process of facing, and is then packed in boxes, holding from one kilo (3.21’-0 ‘ upwards, and scattered broadcast in its pretty German dross throughout the world, frequently bearing the wall-known label, “ Karlsbad Pflnumen.” This year's crop is estimated at 65,000 tons. [Tho position as regards tho crop may now be considerably altered, consequent on tho crisis in the Near East.] PRICE OF BUTTER. SYDNEY, October 1. Butter is being reduced on Tuesday by twopence per lb—to Is lOd per lb.—A. and N.Z. Cable. CUSTOMS RETURNS, The Customs returns for tho past month were as follows, the figures for the corresponding month of last year being supplied for comparative purposes; 1921. 1922. Net Customs ..£86,102 2 1 £08,03-1 16 8 Net beer duty .. 7,997 16 11 14,435 12 1 For the quarterly period comprising tho months July-August-'Septcmber the Custom-; duty totalled £175,336 IRs 2d, and the beer duty £33,565 4s 9d. Tho figures for the corresponding quarter of 1921 wore: Customs £165,903 3a 4d, beer £21,749 16s 6d. FOREIGN EXCHANGES. LONDON, September 30In Berlin 7150 marks are quoted to the pound sterling. In Nov.- York tho pound sterling is quoted at i dollars 3634 cents.—A. and N.Z. Cable.

LONDON MARKETS. LONDON, September 30. Lambs.- Canterbury light 12id, medium 12id, seconds Is; Southland, 1 ? . Argentine frozen Innds ■'>.l;l, chilled fores 3RI, hinds (id. Others unchanged. Cotton.-November delivery, il.SBd per lb. Rubber.—Para, 101 d per lb; plantation smoked, BJd, BJd. Juto.—Octobcr-Novcmber shipment, £33 17s Cel. Hemp.—Octobcr-Deccmbcr shipment, £32 10s per ton. Copra.— Scptcmber-Novembcr shipment, £22 5s per ton. Linseed oil, £3B 10s, £39 per ton. —A. and N.Z. Cable. WHEAT MARKET. Press Association—By Telegraph—CopyrightLONDON, September 30. (Received Oct. 2, at 0.20 a.m.) Cargoes of wheat arc fully maintained at late rates, but there is an inquiry for ■small parcels, which are firm at from 3d fo 9d per quarter dearer.—A. and N.Z. Cable. TALLOW AND FROZEN MEAT. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company has received the following cablegram from London, dated the 27 tu inst:— Tallow.—Wo quote present spot values for tho following descriptions;—Fine mutton, 41s per cwt; good beef, 39s per ewi; mixed, 35s cwt. Market firm. New Zealand Frozen Meat. —For lamb and beef the market is slow. Quotations are unchanged. OAJIARU MARKETS. (Ftiou Our. Own Cop.ueh’on’dent.) . OAMARU, September 30. . 1 iier-o is not mu oil that is new to lie said In connection with the local grain and produce market. There has been a little more activity in connection with milling wheat, a fair quantity having been sold/tor shipment to tho North Island at full Government rates. A couple of transactions in fowl wheat are reported, one line having ooen taken at a country station' at 3s 19d net, and the other, a line of whole wheat affected by smut, at 4s, f.o.b. Tho firming of oafs has been followed by holders in the country acquiring firmness. For tho most part they are asking something over the current market rates, and business has consequently been restricted. One line of A grade Gardens changed hands at 2s 4d net, which may bo taken (o represent current values. A fair amount of Chevalier barley still remains on the market, with no present buyers discoverable. Some ryecorn is also in brokers’ hands, but no outlet can bo found. Holders of cowgraas seed in tbo country who refused fo sell early in the season because they did not deem iho price good enough now- look in vain for buyers at lower prices. There are none who care to speculate, and the only sale reported during tho week was of a small parcel at 8d net at a country station. Samples of rape seed have been put under offer, but no business is reported. The potato market is firm, with few offerings from tho country and inquiries from tho North Island. Good table Up-to-Dates have changed hands at country stations at £o and £6 os not, but probably a shade more would require to bo given to secure any quantity. A line of White Elephants was secured at £5 10s net on trucks. The stock market shows no improvement. There has been rain on several days during' the week, but it has been light and of short duration, and. while, highly welcome, it has not amounted to much in the aggregate. The acquired moisture, in short, has been far from sufficient to restore shaken confidence in the matter of feed. As a natural consequence there are more sellers of stock than there are buyers, and business continues exceedingly slow. A really good rain would completely change the position, but disappointments have been many, and from lack of feed stock, and particularly cattle, have run down in condition, making sales still harder to effect. There has been a little movement in sheep. Tho yarding at the weekly sale was small, and the whole of the offering was not cleared, a Hue of store wethers being withdrawn at 18s. Fat wethers went at 255. and a pen of store wether hoggets realised 15s. About the best celling sheep arc ewe hogwts, and business has been done in these at 20a. Sound-mouthed ewes with lambs have changed hands at 14a, all counted, and wether hoggets have been placed at 15s. Cattle generally have dropped to very low prices, the only exception 'being good fat bullocks, which are not offering at all freely hero, better markets being found elsewhere. At the regular market sale some light-weight bullocks sold at from £6 15s to £7 15s, and fat cows went at from £2 10s to £6 10s. At the same sale- two-year-old store steers wore disposed of n>t £2 7s and £2 10s, but sales have been made privately at £3. Some mixed-sex yearlings have been placed at 30s. The worst feature of the cattle market has been in respect to dairy stock. A groat many farmers have been compelled to reduce their herds in order to conserve feed for a smaller number, and this has meant practically giving away what are useful dairy cows. At- this week’s sale there was a. fairly large yarding, and, while the pick of the lot touched as high as £9 10a, there was a tapering off in prices down to £l, amongst those sold at this figure being a nice Jersey heifer. private treaty a well-bred cow in good condition and cloao to calving,was placed at £l2, hut the prices of others ranged from £S down to £3. All this, of course, means that tho dairying industry is going to suffer pretty badly this season. OTAGO FARMERS’ HORSE BAZAAR. Tbo Otago Farmers’ Co-operative Association of Now Zealand (Limited) report having held a successful sale of horses at their bazaar, Crawford street, Dunedin, on Friday last, when they submitted to auction an entry of 70 horses of all classes, which came from the following districts;—lnvercargill, Wyndham, Hcriot. Balelutha, Waitahuna, Lawrence, South Canterbury, Palmerston, Waiteti, and the Taieri. There was a large attendance of the public, and competition was keen. Although there were few horses of special merit, the following prices were obtained; —Five-year-old mare. £42; seven-year-old marc, £4l; six-year-old mare, £4O 10s; six-year-old gelding, £4O; four-year-old gelding, £39; seven-year-old mare, £3O; and 14 mares and geldings, from £3l to £3B 10s; apringcartcrs, to £29; harness horses and hackneys, to £l9. THE FRUIT AND PRODUCE WORLD Reilly’s Central Produce Mart (Ltd.' report;—Heavy .shipments of oversea fruits arrived during the week, choice quality realising good values. Increased consignments'of spring vegetables arc now coming to hand. Our first largo consignment of asparagus arrived this morning and realised 21s Scl. Early tomatoes arc eagerly inquired for. We expect full shipments of American onions and apples ex Tahiti. Business generally must bo considered quite satis factory. Me received and sold: —Violets, to "Narcissi. 2d to 4Jd per dozen. Apples; Choice Delicious, to 19s; Democrats, 16s; Doughertys, 16s; Stunners, 12s 6d; Lord Wolaoicys, 103 8d; cooking, 9s 6d; Romo Beauty, 11s; Californians, to arrive, 20s. Pears: Choice cookers, 3d; desserts, to sd. Pineapples, to 26s 9d. Passions, 33s Lemons; Adelaide, 18s 6d; American, 42s

G;l. Oranges; Navels, 22s lid; plain, 20s for choice quality. Bananas: Ripe, 335. Uni7.il and Barcelona nuts, 10i<l. Choice walnuts, la 3d. Butter; Dairy, Is fid; milled, js RAd; separator pats. Is fid. Honey: Hulk, to fijd per lb; sections, Kls; Alb pats, to 4s: lib pats, 8s dozen; Ifllb tins, 7s each. Beeswax, Is ■ld’ to Is 9d. Bacon pigs: Prime norkers, to 6Jrl; baconers, to GJd; heavy-vvsiq-.ht.fi, to fid; clnippers, 32;1; inferior, fid. Golden Bay bacon: Rolls, 10d; hams, 9Ad; boneless In.ms, 10Ad per lb. Eggs: Stamped, Is 2d, Is fid; eased, Is Id, Is 2d. Lettuce, to 5s 6d. Radish, to la fid. Spring onions, to fin Beet, Is Gd. Rhubarb, to ■ls Gd. Cucumbers, to 21s Gd. Cabbage, to ss. Cauliflower, to lbs Cd per dozen. Onions: American, 27a fid per crato for special quality. Carrots, 4s. Parsnips, 4s Gd. Swedes, 2s. Seed pototoes: Up-to Dates, 7s; Arran Chief, 7s; others, Gs to 14s per cvvt. Table potatoes: Prime, 8s Gd cvvt; to £7 Ids per ton. Tallow, 18s to 24s cvvt. Molasses, 8a fid cvvt. Wheat; Choice, 4s Gel. Oats, to 3s, Farro food, 12s 6d per sack. Oat sheaf chaS, £5 10s ox store, £4 Ifs ex truck. Pollard: 150’s, 14s 9ct. Black leaf 40: 101 b tins, 70s; 2lb tins, ISs; Jib tins, 5s fid. Gargoyle rod spraying oil: in barrels, 5s per gallon; 4 galleria, 5s Gd per gallon; 1 gallon, Gs Gd per gallon “Vallo-Giraffe” brand lime sulphur: 4 gallon tins, 2s 9d per gallon; 1 gallon tins, 3s 9d per gallon; in casks, 2s per gallon. Poultry Hens realised! 5s lOd to 22s 8d; pullets, 7a Gd; cockerels, Gs to 245; ducks, Gs Gd (all ftt "per pair"). E, OSWALD E-KILLY, Managing Director, Moray Place, Dunedin,