A SERIOUS LOSS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2805, 18 December 1907, Page 24

A SERIOUS LOSS.

MELBOUBNE, December 12. Dr Brown, of the Agricultural Department, estimates that the loss on sheepskins alone by damage through slaughtermen using the stripe cut instead of "the cut when skinning animals amounts annually to £126,000. The loss by reckless branding of cattle he estimates at £300,000 yearly, and another £150,000 is , lost by the reckless flaying of hides. DUNEDIN MARKETS. •WHOLESALE PBODUCE BEPORTS. Mr J. Fleming. "Princes street south, reports undeV date the 17th inst. : — \v JJ 111 1 a t per bushel. per ton Befet milling ... 5/8 Barley dust ... 110/0 Medium do ... 5/6 Oatmeal, in 25* 3M/« Fowls' 5/:» Oaten chaff 100/o— llo/0 Milling oats ... 4/0 Ryegrass hay 93/8 -100/0 Feed oats 3/3 Straw ... 40/0-50/ d Malt barley. 411-4/8 Pearl barley .. 316/0 Feed barter 3/6—3/9 Onions 6/- to 7/- cwt ; *Cape barley ... 4/0 per lb. i Maizu s'fi Rolled bacon ... »i i per ton. Side bacon ... 9d Flour, in £OtV« ...225/0 Smoked hams ... BJd Flour, in 50's ... 240/0 Cheese ... 6d-fijd Pollard 119/0 Good salt butter, 9d w Bran 95/0 13d, according x» i ouality Old Oamaru potatoes, 10s pei ton. New Peninsula potatoes, ljd per lb. TABIC AND DAIRY PBODUCE. Messrs Irvine and Stevenson, George street, report paying for produce during the week ending the 17th inst. as follows: — Bacon (roll), 9d per lb I Fresh butter, 8.1 to Ham, 84 per lb I lid per lb Fresh eggs, lid drz I Salt butter : not buying Fresh butter, good ordinary (in lib and J!b prints), 9d to lid per lb. Pigs, 1301b to 1601b, ' 5Jd. ■ THE HIGH COMMISSIONER'S CABLE- ' i . GRAM. WELLINGTON, December 16. The High Commissioner's cablegram from i London, December 14, is &a follows: — Mutton: Market dull, with less demand. ! Trade very disappointing, being only a hand-to-mouth demand. The following are the current quotations: — Canterbury. 3id; North Island, 3gd; Australian, 2gd; River Plate, ( 3d. . I Lamb: Market a shade weaker, owing to large arrivals from Australia. Canterbury . lamb, sgd; other than Canterbury, 5Jd. Beef: Market steady. The demand has been chiefly for forequarters. Quotations: I Hindquarters, 3&d; fore quarters. 2|d, J

Butter market very firm; great demand for Christmas trade. It is estimated that the supplies will be short! Choicest New Zealand butter, 120s; Australian, 117s; Argentine, 117s; Danish, 1235; Siberian, 109s; saltlesß, 2s less than above prices. The damaged butter from the s.s. TurakmaNjs (realising 112s. ' There is better demand for cheese. White manufacture, 60b; coloured, 61s. Hemp. — Market quiet; small business doing. Quotations: Good fair grade, on the spot, £29; fair grade, on the spot, £28; fair current Manila, on the>_ spot, £29 10s ; Janu-ary-March shipments, good fair grade, £28; fair grade, £27; fair current Manila, £29. THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE. NAPIER, December 12. 1 The' C.C. and D. Company (London) cable the following report as to the frozen meat market: — "To-day's quotations are: Canterbury mutton, 3Jd; Napier, Wellington, and North Island, 3gd. Lamb: First quality, 5Jd; second, sd. Beef: Hinds, 3Jd; fores, 2Jd. GRAIN AND PRODUCE SALES. Messrs Dalgety and Co. (Ltd.) report follows: — We held our usual weekly auction sale of grain and produce at our stores on Monday, when we submitted a representative catalogue to a poor attendance of buyers. Competition for all lines on offer was extremely slack, with the result that the whole of the catalogue had to be passed in for private eale. Oats. — The market is stagnant, and all descriptions are difficult to quit even at much reduced prices. There is no shipping business passing. Sales are confined to small lines for local feed purposes. We quote: Prime milling, 3a 3d; good to best feed, 3s Id to 3s 2d; medium to gocd, 2s lid to 33 per bushel (sacks extra). Wheat. — Millers have ceased operation* meantime. To-day's quotations, in the ab- ■ sence of business, are nominal. Fowl wheat meets with slow sale at reduced price*. We quote: Prime milling, 5s 4d to 5s 6d; best whole fowl wheat, 5s Id to 5s 3d ; medium to good, 4s lOd to 5s per bushel, ex store (sacks extra). Potatoes. — The market is still glutted with old sorts, the majority of which are in very ! bad condition indeed. As new potatoes are now offering freely, the demand for old sorts is restricted. We quote: Up-to-Dates, from 6d to Is per bag, according to condition. , Chaff. — The market is very quiet, heavier consignments are to hand, and aa there is now plenty of green feed available sales have been slower for some time past. Values show a further decline. We quote: Prime oaten aheaf, £5 10s to £5 12s 6d; medium to good, £6 to £5 ss. Straw. — We quote: Oaten, 60s; wheaten, 42s 6d to 45s per ton, pressed. Messrs Donald Read and Co. (Ltd.) report: We held our weekly auction sale of grayi ard produce at our stores on Monday. There wa3 a meagre attendance of buyers, and competition for nearly all lines on offer was ex- j tremely slack, the bulk of the catalogue was , passed in for private treaty. Values are as under : — • Oats. — During the past week there has been practically no demand for shipments, and as local requirements are at present on a very small scale little business can be reported. We quote: Prime milling, 3s 3d; best feed, 3s Id to 3s 2d; medium to good, 2s lid to 3s per bushel (sacks extra). I Wheat. — The market is stagnant. No sales of milling quality have beer effected of late,

and requirements in fowl-feeding sorts being very light it is difficult to deal with stocks on hand, and sales can only be made at a reduction on late quotations. We quotes Prime milling, 5s 4d to 5s 6d; best whola fowl wheat, 5s to 5b 3d; medium to good, is lOd to ss; broken and damaged, 4s 6d to> 4s 9d per bushel (sacks extra). Potatoes. — The market continues to be in a glutted condition, and' as values at northern) ports are little better than those ruling here shipment is at present out of the question. Most of the lines in stores show signs .of deteriorating in condition, and although! offered persistently at late quotations do xtotf attract buyers. Under these circumstances ii is necessary to quit them at any price to avoid total loss, and on this acocunt any reasonable offer is being accepted. During ' the week we sold several lota of freshlypicked Derwents at 25s to 30ft, but to-daft buyers do not care to exceed 30a per ton-, while Up-to-Dates in fair condition are offer* ing freely at Is per bag, and tower quality at correspondingly smaller prices. W« strongly advise clients not to make further 1 consignments, as at present prices they doj not pay expenses. Chaff.— The" market continues to be fairly well supplied with good to prime oaten sheaf, and as requirements at this season o£ the year are light values are somewhat easier. The demand is almost en-tirely confin«d to prime bright oaten sheaf, medium and discoloured lots being quite out o? favour. We i quote: Choice oaten sheaf, i» £5 15s; prime, £5 10s to £5 12s 6d; medium to good. £5 to £5 7s 6d; inferior and discoloured, £4 to £4 15s per ton (bags extra). Straw. — Moderate supplies have come forward. We quote: Oaten, 603; wheaten, 45a per ton, pressed. Blur. SALE. MELBOURNE, December 12 At the hide sales supplies were moderates The market was dull. PROPERTY SALE AT INVERCARGILL-. (Fboh Oub Own Cobbesponsent.) INVEECARGILL, December 10. The first auction sale of sections ai Otatara was conducted in the Victoria Hall this evening by the Hon. T. Kennedy Macdonald. There was a very large attendance of the public, an 4 a fair number of sections were sold at prices ranging from> £35 to £60 per acre. STOCK SALES. Stronach. Morris, and Co. (Ltd.) report laving held their usual monthly sale at the yards, Waikoutiti, on Thursday, . 12th m»%. There was a much larger entry at this centre* than usual, and all the stock forward) were in first-class condition, and some were yers well bred. Prices showed a decided} improvement on those at late sales* There waa a large turn-out of far-* mera in the aistrict, and) bidding was good throughout the sale. The follow-, ing are a few of the prices obtained:— j Heifers, coming to profit, £6, £5 2s 6d. ft 15s to £3; fat cows, £6 17s 6d, £6 12a 6d, £& 15s, £5 12s 6d; fat heifers, light weights, £5 2s Gd, £5. to £4 17s 6d. . Stronach, Morris, and Co. (Ltd.) report

Slaving held their usual monthly sale at their yards, Efeansdale, on' Friday, 'the '13fh Unst., when they yarded ID6 head' of cattle, consisting^ of all classes. Tbe- day turned out slightly -wet, but this did not interfere to any extent, with the attendance, which was quite up to the usual, buyers being; pracent from Waikouaiti, Peninsula, Taterv ani Dunedin. Prices, on the whole, showed a decided improvement on those ruling at their last sale at that centre. Tbe whole of the entry being sold at the hammer under keen competition. Tbe following are a few of the prices obtained:— Heifers, coming to profit, £5 3s, £4 12s 6d, £4 10s, £4 ss, £3 ISs, to £8 6s; milk cows, at drop, £6 10s, £4 6a; aged cows, £4 to £3 10s; nine forward steers, £4 18s; three do, £4 S»? forward-heifers, £4 «s to £3 17s 6d; yearlings, £1 10s to £2; 4ry cows, £2 10s to 3 -ss; ealfs, 15s; bulls, £4 ss, & 10s, £4. 18», £A 15s; light bulls, £2 10s to £S. SALE OF PBOPEBIT AND CLEARING SALE. M— hts Stronach, Monds k and Co. report having sold, an account of Mr Maurice J. Nolan, ef Hyde, his farm of 400 acres, to Mr Michael Kinney. They also report having held a , very successful clearing sale on account 'of Mir Nolan at 'Hyde on November 25, when, owing to the sale of property, the whole of ~fb» stock, horses, implements, etc., were submitted for unreserved sale. The day turned ont wet. but. nevertheless, there was a large - gathering of farmers present, the buyers being pricipally from the adjoining - districts^ Trie implements, horses, etc., -were in good order, and competition was keen throughout the sale. Prices realised were: Mare in foal, £45; bay mare, £27; filly, £l&; filly, £15; foals, from £8 to £10 10s; dairy cows, from £3 15s to £4 7s 64; young cattle, £1 10s: breeding sows, £5 16s to £4; drill, £16 i d.f. plough, £14 10s; disc harrows, £10; spring-tooth harrows, £3 15s; gig r £7 10m; huggy, £8 15s; old dr*y, £3; and v largo quantity, of furniture and sundries at highly- satisfactory prices. THJJJEDIN HORSE SALEYARDS. Messrs Wright, Stephesson, and Co (Ltd.) report as follows:— For last Saturday's sale there was- a very fair number of horses forward. "rOhly a' few w4r*'afaughts, tße'mam entry consisting of light harness sorts of indifferent quality. The attendance of the public wae good, but as is customary at this time -of war sales were hard to effect, and only -m few of tbe best animals changed bands. There- are buyers about for good horaes of all' descriptions, and any such coming forward meet a good market and x»alis» fall value. We quote: Superior young draught geldings, at from £45 to £50; extragood do (pria»-winßer«), at from £60 to £55; superior young draught mares, at from £50 mo S6Q; medium draught mares and geldings, at from JtO to £40; aged do, *t from £15 to 420; well-matched carriage pairs, at from £70. •to £100; strong spring- van horses, at from £15 to £30; milk-cart and butchers' orderoaft horses, at from £18 to £25; light hacks. at from £8 to £13; extra good hacks and htnen hone*, at from £13 to £25; weedy and aged do, at from £5 to £7. THE OTAGO FARMERS' CO-OPERATIVE " ASSOCIATION (LTD.) The above auctioneers report holding their usual- weekly horse sale on Saturday last at their Horße Bacaar. , There was an entry of 53 draughts, spring-carters, harness horses, and hackneys, the majority of the number being light harness horses and hackneys. There was a fair attendance of town carriers. aa£ farmers, and although bidding was somewhat slow » good proportion of the entry changed bauds, either »t tbe hummer or privately afterwarda. """We had consignments from Palmerston, Clyde, Wyndham. Outratn, and MosgieL AH country horses, , ycung and sound, found ready purchasers, j but aged horses were 'more difficult to quit. We have inquiries for several heavy draught ' snares or geldings, young, sound, and ready to go straight to work — in fact, we have buyers for sound young horse* of any c^sb. Quotations: —Good useful draught mares and geldings (young and sound), from , £35 to £45; lighter sorts and older, £25 io £83; heavy lorry pairs, from £80 to £100; useful plough mares and geldings. £30 to £40 ; pedigree Clydesdale mares, to £150 ; good aorta of Clydesdale mares, suitable for stud purposes and general farm work, £40 to £47; carriage pairs, £80 to £100; spring-carters <good sorta), from £20. to £32; ups'anding buggy mares and geldings, from £15 to £22: hackneys from £12 to £18; lighter sorts, from £7 to £12. PROPERTY- SALES. Messra Park, Reynolds, and Co., at their rooms on the 11th, submitted to auction sections in the new township of- Inverallen, R*v«nsbourne, which is splendidly situated dose to the railway and harbour, and commanding a delightful view of the harbour and Peninsula* Notwithstanding the attend- j ant advantages (such as cheap travelling, j country air," etc.) of residence in such a saburb, buyers' values in a number of coses did not reach the owner's reserve, though several of the allotments changed hands at ' ialx vduee. The balance is now for private eal«, and, with the easy terms offered, should xeadxiy find purchasers. I Messrs James Samson and Co. held a sale | br auction on Hie premises, Main road, Mossial, when •they offered, under instructions txom Mr Purvis, section 7 and part section 8,. bk>ok VII, Mosgiel, qn- which is erected a dwelling, stable, buggy-shed, etc Bidding started at £260, and the property was eventually sold, to Dr Patera for £300. Section 8, block yiL township of MosgieJ, over an. eighth of an acre, with live hedges, started at £100, and reached £170. when Dr Peters became the- purchaser. Mrs Hampton's sale of furnitujje was then started, and •very lot

Messrs E. L. Macase£y "and Co. Tenor having offered for .sale by auction, at thei rooms yesterday,- the Victoria Hotel propert, at.-Naseby.. This, hotel -occupies- the mos central site in Naseby, at the corner of Eon and. Leven . street*. The bidding xoee fron £750 to £900, but the property was passed ii at this price, and is now for sole privately.