THE HIGH COMMISSIONER'S CABLEGRAM.

Otago Witness, Issue 2850, 28 October 1908, Page 22

THE HIGH COMMISSIONER'S CABLEGRAM.

WELLINGTON, October 26. The High Commisioner cabled from Ifcndon La October 24:— Trade in all classes of mutton has been j very clow, and prices barely maintained. River Plate mutton is in. large supply, and is quoted at 3id ; Canterbury mutton, 4d ; North. lsland, 3£d, Lamb. — The market is firm, with a good demand for prime 4 quality. The stocks of lamb on band axe light. Canterbury brands are quoted at s£d; other than Can.terfaiury, ssd. Beef.— The market ie steady. The stocks of New Zealand beef on hand are light. Hindquarters are quoted at 3Jd ; forequaftere, 3±d. 1 Butter. — The market is very firm, and ! there is a good demand. The shipments j by the Manrari arrived in good condition, ■ and 125s per cwt was realised. This season's make of Danish is quoted at 1395; Siberian. 121s; Australian. 121s; Argentine, 120s; Canadian, 119s per cwt! / The cheese market is auiet, with very little- doing-, but & good feeling prevails. For forward delivery Canadian makes are quoted at 61s- per cwt. The hemp market is dull, with very little ' business doing.. Good fair grade on spot is quoted at £26: fair grade on spot, J62s; fair current Manila on spot, £24. Octorer to December shipments are quoted as follows:—Good fair grade, £25 15s; fair grade, £23; fair current Manila, £24 per 'ton. Last week's output from Manila amounted to 18,00 a bales. Cocksfoot has eased. The market is now quiet, and buyers are not keen to do business. - Bright clean 171b is quoted at 8s per owt. OAMARU MARKETS. (Fkom; Oub. Own Cobjubspondent.) OAMARU, NOctober 24. The local grain merchants report good Inquiry for wheat, but very limited offerings. In fact, the quantity of wheat available here is now small, and it is all firmly held. Sales have been made this week at 4s 3£d and 4s 4d, ' ex store, net, the destination being south. One parcel of 700 sacks changed hands at the first of these two figures. Millers are looking for lower prices, however, probably on fhe strength of the Australian position, ' and they buy only as immediate requirements direct. Current values at country ejdings may be given at 4s 2d to 4s 2£d net. Oats are neglected. Northern buyers offer 2s f.0.b., s.i., but holders ask 2s Id. To farmers the present value at sidings i* Is 8d to Is 9d for prime feed and good Gartons. Potatoes are growing weaker, shipping sales having been, made at £3 15s to £4, f.0.b., e.i. Capital showers of rain fell during the week, and have greatly benefited grass and growing 'grain, of which the spring sowings- were backward. Lambing is now practically over, and - wherever tallies have been mada up theyshow a large cental increase. The stock market is dull. GRAIN AND PRODUCE REPORTS. Messrs Dalgety and .Co. report as follows: — We held our usual weekly sale of grain and produce at our Stores on Monday,- when we offered a large catalogue to a. moderate attendance of buyers. Competition was more brisk than at our last »ale, but prices were mostiy in buyers' favour. Values- ruled as under: — I O»t<. — This market is without change as to demand, which still continues slack. ; The season is now advanced, and as business has been found impossible at late values lower prices have had to be accepted to effect clearances. Quotations : Prime milling, to Is lid; good to best feed, Is B£d to Is lOd ; inferior to medium, 1% 7-d to Is 3d per bushel (sacks extra). Wheat. — Tlie week has been a, quiet one in this marker. Holders are very firm in their ideas of values, and are not forcing sales meantime, the offerings consequently being very light. Fowl wheat is scarce and in request. Quotations : Prime milling, 43 4£d to 4s sd; medium milling and fowl wheat, 4s 3d to 4s 4d : broken and damaged, 3s 6d to 4s per bushel (sacks extra). Potatoes. — Although a fair amount of shipping was done last week, the arrivals continue fully equal to the demand existing. Buyers' purchases are confined almost entirely to choice white tables, offconditioned lots being neglected. Late quotations arc not maintained. Quotalions: Prime Up-to-Dates, £3 to £3 2s sd; medium, £2 12s 6d to £2 17-, 6d ; (inferior, £2 upwards per ton (sack? in). Chaff. — The market remains at about on a par with last week's. Prime bright ieavy. oaten sheaf finds preference with buvers^ and is readily quitted on arrival at "' late rates. Medium and inferior quality, however, is not in favour, and •is difficult to place. Quotations : -Prime oaten sheaf, £3 15s- to £4; medium, £3 7» 6d to £3 10s; light, inferior, and

heated. £2 10s -and. upwards per ton (bags extra). • . • - Straw.— We quote oaten £2 23 6d to £2 ss, wheaten £1 17e 6d per ton pressed. Messrs Donald Reid and Co. report: — We held our weekly auction sale of grain and produce at our Stores -on Monday. We had a good selection on offer, and under fair competition most of the lots catalogued were quitted at quotations. Values ruled as under : — Oats. — There has, been more inquiry for good lines suitable for export, but in order to* effect business it has been necessary to accept lower values. The demand is chiefly for B grade Gartons or sparrowbills. " For A grade there is not much demand, while Danish, black oats, and other special kinds are quite neglected. Quotations: Prims milling, Is 10£ dto Is lid; good to best feed, la B£d to Is lOd ; inferior to medium, Is 7d to Is 8d per bushel (sacks extra). Wheat. — The market is unchanged. There is so little wheat in stores locally that no sales of any importance can be reported. Millers are taking all prime lots offering, , while medium quality is in most cases being quitted as fowl' wheat. Quotations : - Prime -milling, 4s £d to 4s 5Jd ; medium,. 4s 4d to'4s, 44d; good whole fowL wheat, 4s 3d to 43 4d; medium do, 4s Id to 4s. 2ds broken -and damaged, 3s to 3s. 9d -.per .bushel (sacks extra-). Potatoes. — During the week .consignments have been- arriving steadily, apd nearly all good sound -16t3 have .beer^.sold,. on arrivtd. The export demand i*" n«fe quite so Brisk to-d*y, arid only best lines can be readily placed. Consignors who .are repickingf potatoes would do well to see that only good sacks are used, as "the sale of many consignments is seriously affected by the inferior quality of the sacks. Quotations: Prime Up-to-Dates, £2 17s 6d to £3; medium to good, £2 10* to £2 155.; inferior. £2 to £2 5s per ton (sacks included). - Chaff. — Moderate supplies are coming forward, but as the demand is weak prices show a. slight decline on those lately ruling. Prime quality has most inquiry, but medium e-nd inferqr are difficult to quit. Quotations: Prime oaten sheaf, £3 5s to £3 12s 6d ; • discoloured and inferior, £2 15s to £3 2s 6d per ton (sacks extra). n Straw.— Supplies ere not heavy, and best wheaten sells at £1 15s to £1 17s 6d ; oaten £2 5s to £2 7s 6d per ton (pressed). LONDON SHEEPSKIN MARKET. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company (Limited) is in receipt of the following cable advice from its London office regarding the opening of the sheepskin sales on the 22nd inst:— "Crossbred medium- and crossbred coarse are id dearer. Sales progress firmly." COUNTRY SALE. Tii© Otago Farmers' Co-operative Association (Ltd.) report: — We hekl our usual fortnightly stock sale at the- Corporation Yards. Balclutha, om Friday last, when we yarded and coW 253 hoggets at 12s 6d to 12* 8d ; 19 fat ewes *t 17s 3d ; 11 fat wethers at 17s 3d; 65 fat buMooks from £\ 10s to £8; 16 fait cows at £5 2a 6d to £6 17s 6d ; 11 fat heifers at £4 18s 16 £8 ; 1 6 3'«ariings at £2; 25 steers at £2 6s to £5 sa; 14 dairy oows a.t £2 10s to £5 ss. Also, on account of Stodart's Estat-e. Rcs3bank, about 15 acres at £30 peT acre. SALE OF STALLION. Messrs Wright. Stepbenson, and Co. (Ltd.) report having sold on account of Mr John Shaw, of Tirnaru, to Messrs Mxirphy Bros., of Five Rivers, at a. satisj factory price, his Clydesdale stallion Top3i man, sire Calder Lad» g-siro Shepherd Led, g-g-sire Herd Laddie ; dam by Scottish Chief, g-dam by Nimmo's Prince, g-g-dain by Lord Haddo. DUNEDIN HORSE SALEYARDS. Messre Wright. Stephenson, and Co. report as follows:— The" on-fry for last Saturday's sale was a medium on-e, and with two or three exceptions the quality was very indifferent, both in draught and light harness sorts. The attendanea of the public was larger than it has been for several weeks past, and included a number of actual buyers, ea-ger to secure good useful draughts and strong, upstanding harne=3 horses, and the major portion of the entry ohan-fed hands at satisfactory prices. Iri draught ihorae^ of good stamp, young and staunch, a very good business could be done at the present time if any 3uch were coming- into the market. During the week we have bad a number of private inquiries, and we can strong! v recommend consignments of all clashes of horses, if young-, sound, and reliable. Quotations: Superior young draught geldings, at from £45 to £50 ; extra good do (prizc-winner3 , at from £50 to £55 ; superior young draught mares, at from £50 to £60; medium draught marea and geldings, at from £30 to £40; aged do, at from £15 to £20; weU-inatcbed umago

pairs, at from £70 to £100; strong springvan horses, at from £25 to £30; milk-cart and butchers' order-cart horses, at from £18 to £35; light hacks, at from £8 to £13; extra good hacks and harness horses, at -from £13 to £25; weedy -and good do, at from £5 to £7. OTAGO FARMERS' HORSE BAZAAR. The Otago Farmers' Co-operative Association of New Zealand report: — We held out weekly horse sale at our horse bazaar, Crawford street, on Saturday. Although the day was exceedingly -wet, there wa3 a- good attendance of farmers and town and country buyers. The entry was not a large one, only 22 horses coming forward. The quality m most cases was good. We had a number of first-class harness and carriage mares and geldings, which changed hands after keen competition afc satisfactory prices. There was aso a number of good daughts, both mares and geldings, a good proportion of which realised extreme values, dood Tanners were keenly competed for, and brought up to £30. Spring-carters said up to £25. Heavy draught gelding?, young, "sound, and suitable for heavy work, are inquired for, and this class coming forward now should' meet with a good- sale- Quotations t Good useful '"draught ma.res\ and geldings- (young and sound), -from £35 to' £45; lighter sorts and older, £23 to £33 ; . heavy lorry pairs, ■froci £80 to" £100; useful plough" mares f end geldfngs, £30 to £40 ; pedigree Cfydes- }. dale maues, to £350; good sorts of Clyßes- ! dale" mares, suitable for stud purposes and general farm work, £40 to £50; carriage [ pair 3, £80 to £100; spring-carters (good i sorts), from £20 to £32; upstanding buggy mares and geldings, from £15 to £22; hackneys, from £12 to £15; lighter sorts, from £7 to £12.