COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19802, 29 May 1926, Page 13

COMMERCIAL.

Daily Times Office. Friday evening. According to figures compiled privately, exports of wheat from Australia since December 1 to Alay 15 aggregated 33,307,832 bushels, compared with 74,e80,037 bushels for the corresponding period in 1924-25. Victorian shipments show a notable fallmgoff, and at 7,052,626 bushels contrast with 23,814,567 bushels Substantial decreases are also disclosed in exports from New South Wales and South Australia, but a gain is shown in regard to Western Australia. On the other hand, exports of flour for the period have largely exceeded those of_ the preceding season, and aggregated 215,553 tons of 20101 b, which, expressed in wheat, represents 10,346,544 bushels. Victoria s share of the flour trade was 67,456 tons, Now South Wales 69,418 lons, Western Australia 47,5*34 tons, and South Australia 31,0*95 tons. Wheat shipments compare with those of 1924-25 as under:

LOCAL MARKETS. The local milling wheat market continues quiet, and odd lots only are changing hands. Local millers have reduced tneir buying limits to the prices arranged at the conference of millers held at Christchurch some months ago. On the other hand, northern millers are still prepared to pay more than these fixed prices- Merchants in Oamaru, Timaru, Christchurch are shipping lines to the North Island, but the importations of flour from Australia are still restricting the demand for wheat from the north. Millers’ prices for flour remain unchanged as follows: —2001 b, £lB 10s; 100’s, £l9 10s; 50’s. £2O 2s 6d; 25’s, £2O lus. Bran, £3 10s per ton. Pollard, £9 10s. Oatmeal, 25’s, £25 ; 200's, £2l. The oat market remains stagnant. Growers are anxiously waiting for a spell of drying weather to enable them to get their oats into stack, but it, is quite apparent that some of them will have to leave their stocks in the fields. There is no demand from the North Island, where merchants are well supplied with Canadian oats. In some cases the purchasers of Canadians have had to accept low rates to clear, and the transactions have shown them a loss. The nominal quotation for A Cartons is 4s 3d f.0.b., s.i., with B’s at 4s. r lhe few sales that are being recorded, however, are taking place at Id per bushel below these figures. The quotation on trucks, country sidings, is 3s 3d and 3s for A’s and B s respectivelySupplies of chaff from Australia arc keeping the North Island going in the meantime. Still, a few sales of good bright chaff have been made during the past few weeks for shipment on the basis of £7 10s f.0.b., s.i. The quotation, ex store, is £6 for best quality. There is nothing, however, very brisk about the chaff market. Owing to the absence of demand from Australia for further supplies of potatoes, the market for both prompt and later delivery has eased appreciably during the week. Canterbury merchants are now showing a desire to get rid of their stocks. Shipments are still being made to Australia in fulfilment of contracts made some time ago. The local market is steady at about £7 per ton, ex truck, for best quality Taieri and Sterling grown. Poor quality is slow of sale. .. Current wholesale prices for produce lines are as follows Chaff, £6* per ton. Potatoes, £6 15s to £7. . , Dairy Butter-Best milled bulk Is 4d per lb, according to quality ; separator pats. Is 3d. , Eggs. —Stamped, 2s 9d; case, 2s 7d ; preserved, Is 9d. Bacon. —Roll, Is 3d per lb. Hams, Is 3d per lb: boneless. Is 4d. Canterbury onions, 16s to 17s per cwt. FRUIT REPC7.T, Dessert apoles are coming forward from Otago Central, Nelson, and -Marlborough. Choice fruit only is inquired for. Good green cookers have a sound inquiry. Supplies of choice dessert pears are sickening off, and the market is inclined to firm. A large proportion of the consignments is in poor condition. .... , A fair sized shipment of Fiji bananas was on board the Kurow. These were transhipped from the Tofua at Auckland. A quantity of the bananas arrived in a ripe condition and met a fair sale on y. A small lot of Fiji bananas is expected to arrive this afternoon (Friday). These were railed from Auckland to Wellington, and then shipped to Dunedin. The fruit has been some time on the journey. .... Outside grown tomatoes are just about finished. A small lot of hot-house grown, from Sawyers Bay, brought up to Is lid per lb. , ... Local grown grapes have a sound mquirj. A fairly heavy shipment of New South Wales grown grapes is expected to arrive next week. Supplies of lemons and oranges are scarce. Auckland-grown lemons are expected next week. There is, however, no shipment ot oranges in sight so far. Current wholesale prices are as follow.— Bananas. —Ripe, 25s to 30s. .. ~ Apples.— Cox’s Orange: Choice, 10s Od per case, medium, 6s to 7s; Jonathans, 6a 6d to 7s 6d for prime; Sturmcrs, 7s 6d to 8s 6d; cookers. 4s 6d to 5s 6d. Oranges.—lsland, 17s; Italian, 21s 6d to Lemons. —Auckland, 22s 6d to 255. Tomatoes—Christchurch, choice 4d to sd; Central, sd; seconds, 2d to 3d; local hothouse. Is to Is 9d per lb. Grapes, to 2s 7d per lb. Pears.—Dessert, prime, lid to per 10, cooking, lid. Peas. 3d. Rhubarb, 2d to 3d per lb. Cabbages. —Choice, la 6d to 3s per sack of two dozen; others, unsaleable . . Cauliflowers, 6s to 8s per sack containing a dozen (choice only), others, 3s to os. Celery 4d to 6d per bunch of four sticks. Lettuce.—Choice Is per dozen. White turnips. Is per dozen bunches. Parsnips, 8s 6d per cwt. Carrots, 7s 6d per cwt. Potatoes. 7s 6d to 8s 6d per cwt. Swedes, 4s to 5s per cwt. Marrows, 8s fid per cwt. Pumpkins, 10s per cwt. ... * DAIRY PRODUCE. Messrs Joseph Nathan and Co. are in receipt cf the following information from their London agents, dated May 2^. BUTTER. There is very little change in the market since the cessation of the general strike. Values, if anything, are 2s per cwt. lovvei, and the market has a weaker tendency. The latest London quotations are 168 s to 170 s per cwt. Arrivals in England since last report arc as follows :-Per Surrey (May 2) 21,706 boxes; Waiwera (May 51, 24,769 boxes: Tairoa (May 13). 47,599 boxes, Turakina (May 20), 23,545 boxes; Maman (May SO), 50,301 boxes. CHEESE. The market is quiet, and very litttle business is doing. The latest London quotations on May 24 were 93s to 94s per cwt. The arrivals in England since- the company? last report were-.—Surrey (May 2). 1/J)«> crates; Waiwera (May 51.12,640 crates; Tairoa (May 13), 13,327 crates: Athemc (May 18) 9327 crates; Tonganro (May 19), Ul.'tOl crates); Mamari (May 20). 14,170 crates; Turakina (May 20). 24,874 crates.

Messrs Dalgety and Co. are in receipt of the following prices by cable from their London house:—Danish butter Ws; *ow Zealand exceptional, 170 s , 1^ fc l Vq^ us trnlian finest unsalted, 168 s; salted, loss. Kew Zealand cheese, coloured. 92s to 955; white. 925; Canadian cheese on spot itfos; last, seasons; new 90s. , Butter market quiet. Cheese market steady, but quiet. Messrs Fraser and Co., agents for the Otago Egg Circle, report as under:—Lgcs: Case eggs, 2s 7d; Egg Circle eggs, 2s Od preserved eggs. Is 9d. 1 allow: Market firm from 21s to 265. Honey: Slow sale: prime bulk, fid: under-grade, to 4d: 101 b tins, fis 6d; sections. SM to it'd. Butter: Bulk. Is fid to Is 4d. Beeswax. Is fid per lb.' Bigs: Market firm: good bacon weights. 81 d: porkers, 7LI to Bd. We are agents for Parcora meat meal. Be stock Star P hick food, lucerne meal, poultry meal, oats, maize, wheat, bran and pollard. Champion egg crates (ISs Cd). rings (Is per dozen, special quotes for quantities). Potatoes: Oamaru and Taicri, 7s to 8s per cwt. Poultry: We held our usual sale on Wednesday at 1.30 p.m.. vi.en we submitted a full yarding, and sold as under: —Cull liens—2o 2s Cd: white Foghorn hens, fis Cd to 4s; heavy breeds. 4s to fis Gd; well-grown cockerels, 7s to Ss Cd: others, from 4s to Cs; ducklings, 5s to 8s 6d; ducks. 4s Od to fis Gd; geese, 7s; pigeons. Is to Is Cd: all at per pair. Turkeys: Gobblers, Is 2d: hens. Is pm lb. live weight. The market is easier. Consignors please note that pigs and poultry must arrive not later than Wednesday morning; of each week. ,\Ve

have a stock of poultry crates On hand for the use of our clients.

LONDON" MEAT MARKET. Messrs Dalgety r.nd Co. (Ltd.) report having received tin following cablegram from their head office, London: — Froiitn Meat.—Market for New Zealand lamb, not quoted; demand, runs principally on light-weights. Market for Now Zealand mutton, dull and declining; demand limited. Market for New Zealand beef, nominal; demand poor. Market for Australian lamb, weak: demand moderate. Market for Australian mutton, very weak; demand limited. Frozen Meat Prices, —New Zealand prime crossbred lamb —Canterbury light 10|d, North Island light 9fd, Canterbury heavy !)kl. North Island heavy 9gd: pood average quality crossbred lamb —Australian light SJd, hevay not quoted: New Zealand prime crossbred mutton —Canterbury light 6?.d, North Island light 6d, Canterbury heavy rid. North Island heavy 5Jd; good average quality Australian crossbred mutton—light 4Jd; New Zealand ox beef —hinds 4ld, fores 4fd; lamb market nominally unchanged. PROPERTY SALE. Messrs Alex. Harris and Co. submitted at auction yesterday, in the estate of David Scott (deceased), allotments 15 and part 16, No. 22 Sheen street, Roslyn, containing 1 rood 29 poles, with a sevenroomed residence and outbuildings thereon. Bidding started at £I2OO, and tire fiVperty was sold at £1725. PERPETUAL TRUSTEES, ESTATE, AMD AGENCY COMPANY. The directors of the Perpetual Tiustces, Estate, and Agency Company state in theu forty-second annual report that the amount brought forward from the previous year was £3lll, from which have since been paid income tax for that year, interim dividend, calls on shares in the Exhibition Company, and the company's contribution to the stag benefit fund, leaving a balance of £332. The profit for the year ende J on April 30 amounted to £7£Bs and the directors recommend that the available balance of £8417 be dealt with as follows: —Payment of dividend at 15 per cent, per annum for the half-year, £1312; writing off cost of alterations to Timaru office, £63; reserve fund to pay bonus dividend of 2s per share (to be applied in meeting a call of a similar amount), £2300; and staff benefit fund, £309; this leaving £lO4l to be carried forward (subject to income tax for the year just ended). PALMERSTON STOCK SALE. (Fbom Our. Own Correspondent.) PALMERSTON, May 28. The. monthly stock sale was held here today, when there was a small yarding ot sheep and an average one of cattle. Prices lor ‘the former were about the same as those at the last sale, while cattle so.d somewhat belter. CANTERBURY MARKETS. (Pdb United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH. May 28. " Slump ” is not an extravagant term to use in connection with the movement ot the potato market this week. In an ordinary season broken weather delays digging to some extent, but this year digging weather has been almost uninterrupted, and farmers who sold forward for April-May at high figures are showing the utmost alacrity in delivering supplies. About 50,000 sack have been shipped to Auckland and Sydney this past three weeks, and within the week values have dropped by 25s a ton. To-day a small pareelor two were sold at £5, f.0.b., s.i.„ but if any quantity were asked for it is unlikely that it would be procurable at under £5 ss. June values may be quoted at £5 Es 6d to £5 10s, July at £5 12s 6d, and for July-August-Septem-ber £6 5s to £6 10s has been mentioned. These are more or less “ panicky ” quotations as far as the late months are concerned. The present f..0.b.. s.i. price represents £3 15s to £4, on trucks, a, figure at which farmers are not attracted, after having the chance of £5 10s to £6. There are few fresh offerings being made, and the probabilities are that farmers will be a factor in restoring some stability to the market, as June should see most of the forward operations dealt with. The Waikoualti got away at last from Lyttelton for Sydney with 19,000 sacks from that port, and 4000 from Timaru. The Kalmanawa left for Auckland with 8100 sacks, and the Kawatiri, which is replacing the Kekerangu, sails about Tuesday for Sydney, via Auckland, with a few tubers for both ports. Potatoes are going Into consumption, but the history of the potato market Is the history et the produce trade generally. Oats are firmer, and 4s 4'ld. f.0.b., 5.1., is quoted for A Gartons, South Island ports. Peas are about done, with, and buyers have had trouble in filling their orders. Some cowgrass Is being bought from farmers at 8d to Pd a lb. Sales of wheat are reported at 7s, whether on trucks or f.o.b. Is not clear. No wheat as far as can be ascertained Is selling at 6s Sd. f.o.b. OAMARU MARKETS. (From Otjr Own Correspondent.) OAMARU. May 28. Very little business has been reported in the grain and produce market during the past week. A few lines of wheat have been purchased at prices above the millers’ schedule, though the bulk o: the season’s yield has already been marketed. Dreadnought has sold at 6s 9d and Tuscan at 7s per bushel. , Tlie oat market is practically dead tnough there is a tendency for this cereal to harden. “A” grade "Cartons have been purchased at 3s bid per bushel on trucks. Undergrade Gartons have changed hands at 2s, but there has been little business in “B” grade. The nominal price of the latter is 3s 3d per bushel. . Oaten sheaf chaff has been purchased in small Quantities. The nominal price is £5 7s 6d. .... Potatoes have elumped right back and na\e been purchased at £4 10s per ton on tracks, which is equivalent to £5 5s f.0.b., s.u A number of heavy consignments to the North Island have brought the market down with a run, and as Australia is doing no business the demand is weak. How long the present condition will continue is uncertain, but the outlook for growers at the moment, is by no means bright. Farmers are holding in the hope that the glut may shortly disappear. . , , ~ ’ , Little has been doing in barley though there is still a quantity that has not been Grass seed is showing no movement and the market is lifeless. . Fowl wheat has been purchased at prices above millers’ quotations. The movements in live stock have not been very considerable. Most of the lat stock has reached the freezing works and farmers have filled their requirements for stores at the wekly market. Fat wethers sold up to 52s 9d and fat ewes up to 27s 3d. A few aged store ewes were quitted at 11s Fat cows brought up to £7 10s. and forward heifers £3 10s. No fat bullocks were offered. «... • „ i The price for pigs has been easier, good weaners selling at from 16s to eOs ou and medium weaners at 12s to 15s. BRAY BROTHERS (LIMITED), AUCTIONEERS, DUNEDIN. Want Fruit, Farm and and Dairy Produce.

Write them for market reports. Prompt attention given to correspondence, —Advt.

1924-25. 1925-26. Bushels. Bushels. South Australia .. 18,391,972 13,880,347 Victoria ' .. 23,814,567 7,052,626 Now South Wales . .. 22,045,165 8,095,215 Western Australia . .. 10,638,382 9,279,644 Total .. 74,890,037 33,507,832