THE BREADSTUFFS ASD PRODUCE MARKET. LAND SALE PROPERTY SALE THE LABOUR MARKET.

Otago Witness, Issue 2525, 6 August 1902, Page 17

THE BREADSTUFFS ASD PRODUCE MARKET.

LAND SALE

PROPERTY SALE

THE LABOUR MARKET.

Thursday. Not only is the Australian Commonwealth drawing large supplies of mutton from New Zealand, but a demand for dairy produce has again sprung up. Cable inquiries for both butter and cheese have resulted in considerable transactions in both commodities at an advance on prices which could not be obtained three days ago. This look? as though the Australian States were coming near to the end of their available dairy producs supplies, and will take all the surplus stocks that this colony can offer.

The advice from Adelaide quoting wheat very firm and no sellers at 4s 2d represents an advance of nearly Id per bushel within the last fortnight. The following report, dated Adelaide, July 14, shows the state of the market at that time: —'"Ten thousand bags of wheat bought some timo ago by a Melbourne speculator have been reirold to a Sydney miller, and will be sent away in two shipments from South Australian outports. The. rate is not disclosed, but it is believed it was about 3s 10£ dto 3s lid, which represents the market value to-d.iy. About 2000 bags have been disposed of for Queensland. Local millers are out of the market." Pending further information, it can only bo conjectured that such a sham rise is clue to bad reports concerning the Australian harvest. •The following^ is interesting as comparing the prices ruling iri Sydney for.wheat and its products to-day as against 12 months

Locally, the wheat market has a firm feeling, in sympathy with the Australian advance, £tid this is helped by r"he news that the Christchurch millers are inquiring with a view of replenishing their stocks. Reports from Qamaru and Ashburton with regard to recent threshings of the grain in stack are not. too encouraging, and it is stated that there- is a lot of indifferent wheat about. Some farmers hoped, although the grain had sprouted, that passing it through the machine would knock the Leads off, and it would thus pa3S muster with the millers, but.that hope promises to be a very delu'siv©..one.

The oat market continues quiet and inactive. The naws that mixing operation; had been recommenced in some of the grain stores gave rise -to rumours of further orders for the Cape, but so far nothing definite is reported »■? to such orders. It is stated that the mixing- which is going on is to fill orders for the Coa«t. Holders of lines of bright oats secured at a high cost find themselves unable to obtain a remunerative price, and in order' td meet the views of buyers they arc' mrxing' in 'a proportion of, discoloured grain, so a 9 to produce a geed feed oat. This is- an •entirely', new deparintrc so far as home consumption is concerned, and is the outcome of a ve,ry; exceptional season. In this way a f.a.q. oat is ,otffca>ined% which can be sold at somewhere about "2s 4d" per bushel. The London Times makes the following) comparison of exports from the Argentine, for the first three months of 1900, 1901, and 1902: —

butter deserves attention, aud The Times comments upon it as follows: — The export butter trade appears now to be established upon a permanent basis. The shipment for the fijst three months of the present year falls not far short of a thousand tons, and is almost twice the corresponding quantity a year ago. The expansion of this trade needs to be carefully watched by Australasian buttermakers, to whom the Argentine dairy iarmcrs may in time become strong rivals upon the British markets. Australasia and Argentina being both south of the equator, their butter j seasons are the same, whilst the latter is on'y half as far from England as the former.

The New Zealand Fourrnillers' Association have advanced the price of bran from £410s to £4- 15s per tou. The demand for bran has been exceedingly brisk for the pa-t week or two, and it is now difficult to «-'ipp!v local requirements. This is on account r >f the quantity recently purr !>.:.sod for expert both to South Africa ami to Australia, where the high prices rulhv leave a fa r margkn of profit. It is stated that one fin a lias within the past few weeks secured 500 tons of bran from Southland, Ota'4o, and Canterbury millers, the bulk of ■whje-h will bo shipped to South Africa. This of com.-.:: lea\ e^ the local market exceedingly baie. Saturday

Christchurch advice? state that several local firms having tendered for the. supply of 500 tons of potatoes for South Africa under the amended conditions tiie market has been considerably more active daring the past few days, over 1000 tons having changed hands on the basis of £2 at handy stations. The new 3as to the Sydney market is rather unsatisfactory. New Zealand Derwcnts are reported as being dull of sale theie at £4 10s duty paid. The Sydney market is being well supplied from Tasmania, and, so far as can. be judged, the supplies will be kept up for several months yet. The National Mortgage and Agency Company report under date Juiy 23: — Handfeeding of stock throughout the moat of Australia still continues, and the export of fodder to the northern States is unabated. In the wheat districts of Victoria the crops (which are leea in area than usual) appear healthy and vigorous, bat it is feared they are living on the surface moisture solely ; in South Australia (the wheat belt), a similar state exists ; but in Riverina the conditions are somewhat worse. The prospects for next harvest are none too good, though a backward spring and late summer — nigh £3 England hap just experienced—

•ftould- yet produce a large yield. Of Jate has beendull in the extreme. The .volume of trade, at all times restricted .dur- . Ing the past quarter, has dwindled almost So a> vanishing point, and on all eides comjplainte are loud; indeed, were it not for She interstate demand for fodder for starvling stock — in itself deplorable — business Jwould be at an actual standstill. With the (passing of July we look for an all-round increase in trade. Oats: This market is at She moment lifeless. Millers, despite short Vtocks, are holding off, and the general trade 'is standing by its policy of hand-to-mouth ibuying. Early in the month a little was done in good sorts for South Africa, but Jthe War Office suddenly appeared in the ■narket, as a seller this time, and offered cargoes at an "alarming sacrifice." The .effect was an instantaneous slump in New Zealand, notwithstanding the good position ]there, which is reflected here, though as no appreciable fall has happened. Quotations: Algerian freed. 3s sd; Algerian prime milling, 3s 2d; Algerian feed, 2s lid to 3s Id: stout whites (prime), 3s 3id; •tout feed, to 3s 2£d ; Tartarian seed, 3s #£d to 3s 6£d; N.Z. "B" grade (ex ship In bond), 2s 6d; Tas. (f.a.q.), 3s 2£d.

Messrs Wiight, Stephensoii, and Co. reoort having sold by private treaty, on account of Mr John Macpherbon, Balfouy, block LXXX, Waimea. estate, containing 630 acres, to Mr Andrew Small, Lmnsdcn.

The Farmers' Agency Company report having sold en behalf of Mr James Lawson, executor in the estate of tho late John Lawson, a, handy farm in the Lower Taieri Plain, consisting of 88 acres of rich land, at a, satisfactory price to Mri E. Heenin, of Maungatua.

Jcbn Skete and Son report under date August 5 aa follows: — ;

This market is keeping in splendid tone, plenty of work for willing workers. Wages iule as follows — Station and farm, couples, £70 to £80; inarrisd shepherds, £60 to £75; grooms and gardeners (town), 40s ; jobbing gardeners, 7s per day ; ploughmen, 203 to 22s 6d ; store hands, 40s ; contract fencers, 3s 9d per chain ; milkers, 15s to 22s 6d; lads, 10s to 12s 6d ; naxinill workers, 10s to 15s ; hotel grooms and porters, 15a to 20s; handy elderly men, 15s; cooks and bakers, 25s to 30s; camp cooks, 17s 6d to 20s ; firewood splitters, 3s 6d per cord ; station ifencers, 20s, 22s 6d, station blacksmith, 25s to 30s.

go: — A year ago. Fheat, per bushel ..£O-2 7J 'lour, per ton .. .. 6 2 6 Iran, per bushel . .. 0 0 8J 'ollard, per bushel .. 0 0 8? To-day. £0 4 *6 9 10 0 0 14 0 14

Jan.-Mar., Jan -Mar , Jan -Mar., 1000. 1901. 1002. Head. Head. Head. Live cattle 58,752 27,932 13 177 Live sheep 1 5,280 8,322 8,982 Tons. Tons. Tons. Frozen mutton .. 13,113 1G.955 14,116 Frozen beef 3,539 8,271 11.831 Jerked beef 1,778 2,401 7,693 Wool .. .. 53,171 C 8.460 103,518 Lb. Lb. Lb. Butter .. 961,521 1,133,553 2,137,563 Cheese ... 990 1,461 602 Tons. Tons. Tons. VTheat t . 67t,7]7 339,745 201.837 Maize .. .. 99,048 58,872 33 676 Linseed .. M«, 411 246,469 246,129 Hay .. .. 60,684 15,581 27,799 The increase in the- exports of Argentine