COMMERCIAL CABLEGRAMS. LONDON, December 8.

Otago Witness, Issue 2389, 14 December 1899, Page 15

COMMERCIAL CABLEGRAMS. LONDON, December 8.

The Board of Trade returns for November show that the imports increased £2,175,997, while the exports increased £4,751,733, including the value of new ships. .Wheat. — The American visible supply is 84,00i,00G bushels. The Bank of England returns show the stock of gold, qoin; and bullion to be £29,066,000; reserve, £18,952,000; the proportion of reserve to liabilities being 44.31. The notes in circulation total £28,646,000; public deposits, £6,362,000; other deposits, £36,218,000; Government securities, £12,061,000; other securities, £29,486,000. -Three months' bills are discounted at 5| per cent. j .Consols, £102 ss. j •Quotations for colonial Government stocks are subjoined, compared with those ruling at the close of last week:-*- j Dec. 1. Dec. 8. New South Wales 4's .. .. 116J 114£ New South Wales 3J's .. 104 104 New South Wales 3's .. 100 100 Victoria 4's .. .. „112 108J Victoria 3*'s .105 102$ Victoria 3's .. .., .. 96* 94 South Australia 3i'a .. .. 107J 108 South Australia 3's .. ..97 36 Queensland 4's .. .., .. 11l 10S£ Queensland 3£'s .. „„ .. 105J 103& New Zealand 4's .. .. 113 111 New Zealand 3J's „ .. 107J 106 New Zealand 3's .. ..97 96J Weslralia 3Vs 105 105 Tasmania 3Vs 1012 103 i The wheat market is slightly firmer, but inactive. Copper, quiet. Spot, £73 17s 6d ; three months, £73 15s. Iron, 68s 6d. Lead, £17 7s 6d. Sugar is quiet. German, 9s l£d ; Java, 11s 9d. The Bradford wool market is very firm. Common sixties, 31d ; supers, 32£ d; !A.ntwerp tops, December 6.32^fr, May 6.40rr; Roubaix, unchanged. . Butter is slow, the clamp weather and heavy supplies checking sales. Choicest, 100 to 104s; Danish (strong), 1225. The Board of Trade returns for November show that the imports increased £2,175,997, while the exports increased £4,751,733, including the value of new ships. Tin. — The market is weak. For both spot and three months, £123 15s. DUNEDIN MARKETS. WHOLESALE PRODUCE REPORTS. Mr J. Fleming, Princes street south, reports underrate the 12th inst. :— Wheat ncr bushel. per ton Bcstmilliuß ... 2/8 Barley dust ... 60/0 Medium do ... 2/7 Oaten hay ... (>O/0 Fowls' ... 2/I—2/3 Oatmeal, in 25's 200/0 Willing oats 1/10 Oaten chaff 4J5/O— so/«i Feed oats 1/7— l/S i llyegrass hay 50/o— fiO/o Jtfalt barley 3/0-3/3 Straw ... 22/6-24/0 "Feed barley 1/9-2/0 I Pearl barley ... 240/0 Cape barley ... 3/0 , Onions 9/0 to 11/0 rwt Maize ... ... 3/0 wer lb. per ton. 1 Rolled bacon ..'. (!Jd Ilour,.in2oo's ... 140/0 i Side bacon ... 7id Flour, in 508 ... ]50/0 , Smoked hams ... 0/8 Pollard 70/0 I Cheese ... 4Jd to sd' Bran ... 60/0 Good* salt butter, s*l to ' 6ti,accordhiK to quality Derwenfc potatoes, 15s to 20s ton. Imported new kidneys, 6s per cwt ; local, 8s per cwt. FARM AND DAIRY PRODUCE. Messrs Irvine and StevensoD, George street, report paying for produce during the week ending the 12th inst. as follows :— Bacon (roll), 6Jd p. lb Fresh butter, Sd and Ham, B*d p. lb M p. lb Fresh eggs, 7d doz Salt Butter— Not buying Fresh butter, good ordinary (in lib and Jib prints). 6d to 7d per lb. Pigs : 1301b to 1601b, 3d per lb. Fowls, 2s to 2s 9J pair. Ducks, 3s to 6s pair. Geese, 4s to 6s. Turkeys, 5d per lb. SOUTHLAND PRODUCE MARKET. INVERCARGILL. December 8. The Grain Brokers' Association report: — There is good inquiry for oats, and the prices arc somewhat firmer. A grade are quoted at Bs I'd, B 2s, C Is Hid, f.o.b, at Bluff, racks

in. The weather has been very \insettled dur- ', ing the week, and cold winds prevail. WELLINGTON WOOL SALES. WELLINGTON, December 8. At the opening wool sales of the 6eason today 2500 bale 3 were catalogued. There was a large attendance of buyers from all parts of the colony, and competition was brisk. The advance in prices at the London sales was fully reflected. The advance as compared with last year was about 3d per lb on fine crossbred wools, and Id to l^d on coarse. Some of the prices were such as have not been obtainable here for years. The range of values current to-day was as follows: — Fine halfbred, 10£ dto lljjd per lb ; fine crossbred, 8d to lOd ; clean, coarse wools, 7d to Sd ; log-stained wools, 5d to 6d ; first pieces, 5d to 6£d; bellies, 4d to s£d"; locks, 2d to 3d. GRAIN AND PRODUCE REPORTS. Messrs Donald Reid and Co. report that prices ruled as under at their auction sale on Monday : — Oats. — Our catalogue comprised a few lota of good short feed, but was made up for the most part of medium to good Danish. For all sorts there was good competition, and nearly all the lots offered were readily cleared at prices fully equal to late quotations. We quote: Prime milling Sutherlanda, to Is lid; good to best feed, Is 9*d to Is lOd ; medium to good, Is 7id to Is 9d per bushel (sacks extra). Wheat. — The demand for milling quality is extiemely quiet, and business is almost at a standstill. Fowl wheat is in moderate demand, at prices a shade below late quotations. We offered several lines to-day, and sold good whole wheat at 2s 2d to 2s 3d ; medium and inferior at Is 8d to 2s per bushel (sacks in). ! Potatoes. — Old Derwents are in over-supply, and quite unsaleable. We have still a small stock on hand, suitable for pig feeding. | Ohaff. — Prime chaff is in fair demand, and ca i be readily placed. Other qualities are neglected, and difficult to quit. We quote : Prime oaten sheaf, £2 10s to £2 15s; medium to good, JE2 to i' 27s Gd per ton (bags extra). Messrs Dalgety and Co. (Limited) report having held then usual weekly auction sale : on Monday, when the attendance of buyers was , small. . Oats. — The demand still continues, without change in prices, and all lots of good bright oats are readily placed. We quote: Prime milling, Is lOJd ; good to best feed, Is 9d to Is lOd; fair to medium, Is 7d to Is BAd (sacks extra). j Wheat. — The miTket is very quiet, and it is impossible to make sales except at a reduction. Milling is nominally worth from 2s 6£d i to 2s Bd, but no business is doing. Fowl feed, quiet, at 2s 3d (sacks in). Potatoes. — Old Derwents are unsaleable. I Chaff. — Any real prime is readily Haleable, but other sorts are hard to place. We quote: Prime, £2 10s to £2 15s; medium, to good, £2 to £2 7s 6d. ] Messrs A. Moritzson and Co. report having held their usual weekly sale of grain and produce on Monday morning. There was only a moderate attendance of buyers present, and r with the exception of oats, competition was j very dull. ! Oats. — These are in brisk demand, and prices ! arc slightly firmer. We quote ; Prime milling, j Is lid ; best feed, Is lOd ; medium and in- i ferior, Is 7d to Is 9fld per bushel. ! Wheat. — Market very quiet, and, with the exception of small lines of fowl feed, there is no business passing. "We quote: Prime milling, 2s 6d to 2s 7d; medium, 2s 4d to 2s sd; fowl feed, 2s Id to 23 3d per bushel. Potatoes. — Almost unsaleable, but sell from los to 20s per ton. Chaff. — Very little demand, and prices are easier. We quote: Prime, £2 10s to £2 12s 6d, and medium from £2 3s 6d to £2 7s 6d per ton. THE SYDNEY MARKET. Messrs Heaton Brcs. report under O.ate December 2: — "The prospect of New South Wales having a surplus of 5,000,000 bushels of wheat this season has caused price-: to fall 2d to 3d per bushel for milling. I'oultry wheat is, however, is good request ai <iuot;i tions, although the market will likely lu i lcwer if supplies increase at all. — J''l<mii : There is no business doing; buyers aio .ill holding off until next year. Oats are firm, tupplies being well within requirements. — Clioff : Shipments have fallen off considerably, and prices have advanced 5s per ton. Thero are no stocks on the wharves. — Bran and pollard are in fair demand. There are good stut-k" on hand.. — Potatoes: New Zealand Derwciu-i are unealeable. The lots now on the wharves are worthless, and will have to be lightert-d out to sea. New potatoes are arriving freely. There is no' inquiry for old. — Maize is firm, and will probably be higher during the next fortnight. — Onions: Good local supplies are arriving every day, and selling at £2 15s to £3 per ton." DTJNEDIN HORSE SALEYARDS. Messrs Wright, Stephenson, and Co. repozfc as follows: — The number of' horses forward this week wyj

not great — about 40 head altogether, made up of a couple of first class six or seven-year-old heavy draught geldings (the one sold for £48 10s and the other for 46), half a dozen medium draughts, a score of useful light harness horses, and 10 Shetland ponies. As already indicated the heavy draughts sold at big prices. The medium draughts, however, commanded les3 attention, and were all but passed in. Most of the lighter harness horses changed hands at quotations, and for the Shetland , posies there was a good competition at prices ' varying from £i 10s to £6 15s. We quote: ' First-class young draught mares and geldings at from £45 to £50; good do, £38 to £45; medium, £30 to £35 ; aged, £18 to £23 ; upstanding young spring-carters at from £25 to £30 ; good do, £18 to £23 ; light harness horses and hacks, first-class, at from £18 to £25 ; good do, £14 to £17; medium, £8 to £12; aged and weedy sort 3, £2 to £5. PROPERTY SALE. The Perpetual Trustees, Estate, and Agency Company (in conjunction with Messrs Sievwright Bros, and Co.) report the sale by auction yesterday, in the estate of the late Hon. W. J. M. Larnach, of sections 35 and 36, block VII, Portobello, containing 14a 3r 37p, \ at £22 per acre, to J. Macandrew, jun., as agent ; also part section 5, block VI, "section 701b, and part section 29, block V, Portobello, containing 12a 2r 3p, at £17 10s per acre, to Mr James Dickson. Wayerley House was passed in, and is now for private sale. THE LABOUR MARKET. " Skene and Son report under date December 12: All hands have settled down to work after ths stirring elections. Employment of all kinds is plentiful, and working men are up to their eyes in work. Station couples, shepherds, shearers, conks, etc., are in large demand at I good money; but squatters have an anxious time, waiting and praying for settled, shearing weather. Town is lively, and all are busy brushing up for the Christmas holidays. We can do with hosts of boys and lads for farms, dairies, flaxmills, herding, etc., but parents are mor-s anxious to get their boys into Government ! billets; we can't all be swells.