HANDLING OF MEAT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3101, 20 August 1913, Page 21

HANDLING OF MEAT.

DESIRE FOR REFORMS. LONDON, August 14. The Port of London Authority is sending its chief engineer to America to obtain the latest information regarding the handling of meat, with a view to the installation of a conveyor plant at Albert dock, and for the more rapid disposal of the frozen and chilled product. LAND BALLOT. TE POKE AND CLARE VIEW SETTLEMENTS. (Fbom Oir» Own Coukespondent.) OAMARU, August 15. The Land Board held a ballot here to-day for sections on the small To Puke and Clarc▼iew Settlements. For two sections on the latter settlement no applications had been received, and after the ballot these were thrown open for ■ application up to 4 o’clock, with the result that each found a tenant. The complete results arc as follow : TE PUKE SETTLEMENT. Section la (nine applicants)—Frederick .W. Venn (Du aback)

Section 2a (17 applicants)—Thomas Keen (Pukeux-i). Section 3a (14 applicants)—William Sutherland (Fairlie). Section 4a (four applicants)—William M‘Phec (Awamoko). CLARE VIEW SETTLEMENT. Section la (one applicant)—Alexander Falls (South Oamaru). Section 2a (nine applicants) —Rebecca Falls (South Oamaru). Section 3a (throe applicants) —James Hallott (Waikouaiti). Section 4a (seven applicants)—John H. Beckingsale (Herbert). Sections 5a and 6a, grouped (one applicant) —Robert Thorbuni (Awamoko), DUWBDIK ILARBETS. FA M AND DAFBT PRODUCE Messrs M'llroy Bros, and Ogiivio (successors to Irvine and Stevenson), George street, report paying for produce during the week ending the 19th inst., as follows: Fresh eggs. Is 41 do* I Separator butter, 10}d Salt butter : nut buying | per lb Fresh butter, good ordinary (in lib and Jib prints), 9d to lOd per ib. Riga, 1301 b to :601b, oid. Honey, 4d. Fowls, 3a to 3s 6d (boiling). VtXOI.BBAI.B PEOnOC* BBPOETB. Lindsav and Co., Princes street south, report under date the 19th inst.: Wheat per bushel. I Oaten cnaff Best milling 3/11 —4/2 Prime SO/0 85/0 Medium d* 3/S 3/10 t-ood 75/0 Fowls' ... 3/I—3/6 Medium 55/o—6o/0 Milling oats 2/4—2/6 Inferior 30/0—45/9 Feed oats ... 2/o—2/3 Ryegrass and clover Malt barley ... 4/9 iiay 65/0 —70/0 Feed barley 2/6—3/0 Cane barley ... 3/6 Straw; Maize ... •.« ... 4/3 Wheatem ... 37/6 per ton. Oaten 40/0 Fleur, in 200’g ... 185/0 Rolled bacon ... lOftl Flour, in 50’s ... 195/0 Side bacon ... lOd Pollard 120/ Smoked hams ... 10Jd Bran 85/ Cheese ... ...6d—7d Oatmeal, in 25’s 260/0 Salt butter 9d —IOJd Pearl barley ... 260/0 (according t* quality) Kggv, fresh ... 1/5 Potatoes.—Market quiet. Shippers not operating. Prime lots, £3 15s; medium and inferior neglected, £3 to £3 10s. Chaff.—Prime bright lots meet with ready sales, but medium and inferior are neglected. Prime, £4 to £4 aa ; medium to good, £3 5s to £3 13s; light and discoloured, 50s. Onions. —Canterbury, 7s 6d; Melbourne. £3 17s 6d. HIGH COMMISSIONER’S CABLEGRAM. WELLINGTON, August 18. The High Commissioner cabled from London on August 16 (the quotations, unless otherwise specified, are the average market prices on spot): — The meat market is dull, with very little business doing. Trade in all classes of mutton has been very slow, and prices are barely maintained. Quotations: Canterbury, 4 3-16 d; heavy weights, unchanged; North Island, 4gd. dull sale. Lamb; Canterbury, twos, 5Jd; .heavy weight fours, unchanged; other than Canterbury, The beef market is steady. Chilled hinds, Sd; fores, 2Jd. Butter. —The market is quiet. Danish Dutch is Is 2d per cwt dearer; Australian Is 2d lower; others unchanged. The cheese market is very firm for Now Zealand stock, which is almost exhausted. New Zealand—white 675. coloured 665; Canadian —white 54s 6d to 665. coloured 65s to 665. The Canadian make to date is 3000 tons less than last year. Canadian shipments, 5000 tone short. The wheat market is very quiet at last quotations. Oats. —Market firm, with more inquiry and fair demand for better grades. A Gartons, 23s 6d, c.i.f., per 3201 b. Peas.--Market steady, with fair business doing. New Zealand (Partridge), per 5041 b, 445. Beans.—Market quiet. Now Zealand, f.a.q. (new crop), per 5041 b, 375. Hemp.—Market quiet, but firm. New Zealand good fair grade, £32; fair, £2B; forward shipment, about the same; fair current Manila, £3l 10s; forward shipment, £32 The output from Manila for the week was 13,000 bales. Wool..—Market firm, with general confidence in the maintenance of present prices. WANGANUI FREEZING CO. WANGANUI, August 15. The Wanganui Meat Freezing Company’s balance sheet for the year ended July 31 shows a credit of £12.859, including £2785 from last year, allocated as follows: £2048 written off for depreciation; reserve fund, £6000; dividend at 5 nor cent., £2494; carried forward, £2316. Notwithstanding the strike, the season’s output has exceeded all the previous figures. SOUTH LAN D M A R K ETS. (Taou Oca Own Coeempondbnt.) INVERCARGILL, August 16. The oat market continues very quiet. Tho bulk of tho North Island orders are being executed in Dunedin, Oamaru, and Timaru. Southland merchants cannot look at tho prices at which merchants in those towns are accepting business. Tho price to farmers has been reduced by local merchants, and Is IOJd on trucks is now the best price offering for A grade Gartons, and other grades have been similarly reduced. The drop in local merchants’ buying price is not duo to any want of confidence in the future of the market, but owing to the fact that stocks are not moving, and also to the fact that money, which ordinarily would be sunk in making fresh purchases, can bo better utilised in their businesses in other directions, and they are compelled to reduce their buying limits so as to ensure a greater margin of profit on future purchases. As a matter of fact, even at tho higher prices lately ruling, growers are not selling, * and purchases from farmers during the past month have been exceedingly small in volume. The—local chaff market, continues fully supplied, and there is a fair demand at £3 5s on trucks at country sidings. This is, however, only for prime quality, and inferior chaff is exceedingly difficult to quit. The bottom seems to have fallen completely out of the potato market, and tho most that can bo obtained for Lp-to-Dates in Sydney is £5, duty paid, which would only net farmers about £2 on trucks at the outside. In Auckland, sales have been reported at £5 10s. 0.i.f., which would give about tho same result. There is no encouragement to the grower at this price, as, after allowing tho coat, of bags and picking over the potatoes, his net return would bo about £1 per ton, and it would pay him better to feed his potatoes to stock than accept this very low price. Local merchants are not prepared, in the meantime. to give over £?. on trucks, and even at this price, most of thorn are iadiffertmt

about buying, so the future of tho market is full of uncertainty. Tho hemp market is firmer, the last offer from London being £2B 15s, c.i.f. and 0. for high poim “fair,” which would net millers about £22 10a on trucks at country sidings. This offer is for shipment from October, 1913, to February. 1914. During the past two days, however, tho market has been a little less keen, but prices are likely to continue firm for a month or two, as millers have not made any contracts for “ forward ” delivery so far as I can learn. It is worthy of note that London this season is making a difference of £3 10s between “good fair” and hmh-point “fair,” which should cnoourago millers to make an effort to produce tho former grade. best way to establish the hemp business firmly in New Zealand is for millers to use their best endeavours to produce nothing below “good fair” in quality. It is in tho higher grades, as opposed to the lower grades, that the demand for hemp is keenest. In sympathy with hemp, the tow market is a little firmer, and third grade is worth £4 15s on trucks, and second grade, £6 5s on trucks, net, to millers There is very little doing in undressed ryegrass, and there is very little left m growers’ hands. For machine dressed, there is a fair inquiry for spring sowing, but buyers’ ideas are low. O AMARU MARKETS. (Fbom Ovb Own Cobkicspohdent.) OAMARU, August 16. | Only a small amount of business has been 1 passing in this market during the week, j There has not been much wheat offering, I and it is clear that this cereal is in small I compass in this district. A lino of 650 sacks of velvet changed hands at a country station at 4s net, and the same terms were given for smaller lines of that variety. Two linos of Tuscan, one amounting to 600 sacks, were sold at 3s Bd, ex store, and a small line of solid etiaw Tuscan was taken at a country station at 3s net. A small line of red chaff was placed at 3s 8d net I at a country station. Though a number of transactions in oats are reported there was no sale of any | moment, about 200 sacks being the biggest ! deal. A grade Gartons have been sold at i 2a Id and 2s lid net, and 2s lid less commission, and B grade Gartons at 2s Ogd net, and 2s Ogd less commission, all at country stations Under tho influence of purchases by merchants to fill orders for shipment north by this week’s steamer, potatoes improved in price in the early part of the week, from £2 12s 6d to £2 17s 6d net, on trucks, having been paid, but the market has since j receded and £2 10s has been the highest f given, while several sales have taken place at £2 7s 6d and £2 ss. To-day £2 5s net on trucks is named as the value, and even at that figure merchants are not prcixtred to do business freely, even if growers were ready to sell, which very few are. The position is exceedingly doubtful, and merchants do not oare to buy until they have 1 orders in hand. 1 GRAIN AND PRODUCE SALES. ' Messrs Donald Reid and Co. report: —We held our weekly sale of grain and produce ■ on Monday, when values ruled as undrr: Outs: Tho market is quiet, except for , line milling Gartons and heavy sparrowbills. There is practically no export business passing and most of tho lines changing hands are for local consumption and for farmers’ seed requirements. Prime milling, 2s 2gd to 2s 3d; good to best feed, 2s Igd to 2s : 2gd; inferior to medium, Is lOd to 2s Id per bushel (sacks extra). Wheat: There is no change to report. Millers’ inquiries are ; chiefly for prime lines of velvet ear, and prices for a!! classes are on the sumo level as those of last week. Prime milling velvet, 4s to 4s 3d ; velvet ear, 3s 8d to 3s lOd ; j Tuscan, 3s 7d to 3s 8d; best whole fowl j wheat. 3s 4d to 3s 6d ; medium to good, 3s I Id to 3s 3d; broken and damaged, 2s 6d i to 3s per bushel (sacks extra). Potatoes; ' No improvement is evident in the demand : for export, and as tho market is well sup--1 plied, values show no prospect of hardening, and sales, even at late quotations, are not easily made. Best table potatoes, £3 to £3 ss; medium to good, £2 10s to £2 15s per ton (sacks included). Chaff; The wet weather experienced of late has retarded consignments, but stocks in store are still fairly heavy. The demand is still almost entirely for prime quality, and a considerable quantity has been disposed of since : our last report. Best oaten sheaf, £4 to £4 ss; choice black oats, to £4 7s 6d; medium to good, £3 10s to £3 15s; light and discoloured, £3 to £3 7s 6d per ton (bags extra). Mosers Dalgety and Co. report as follows; —We held our weekly sale of grain and produce on Monday, when values ruled as under:—Oats: During the past week very few samples have come under offer. Prime heavy Gartons. suitable for milling, are saleable at quotations. There is also a good demand for any lines suitable for seed pur- ■ poses Unsound and out-of-condition sam--1 pies are not so readily placed. Prime heavy I Gartons. 2s 3d; good to best feed, 2s lid j to 2s 2d ; medium, 2s to 2a Id; inferior and j damaged, from Is 6d per bushel (sacks j extra). Wheat; The market remains quiet i and offerings light. . Millers are operating 1 on any lines of prime milling velvet, velvet 1 ear, and Tuscan, which are saleable at quotai tions. Fowl wheat is offering sparingly, and J is in good demand. Prime milling velvet, i 4s 2d; velvet ear and red chaff, 3s 8d to 1 3« lOd: Tuscan, 3s 7d to 3s 8d ; best whole | fowl wheat. 3s 4d to 3s 6d ; medium to good, ' 3s to 3s 3d per bushel (sacks extra). ! Potatoes : The market continues to bo well j supplied. The only outlet, however, is for local consumption, and buyers will only operate for prime quality. Badly graded and out-of-condition lines are almost unsaleable. Prime samples can only be placed at a reduction in later rates. Best tables, £3 to £3 ss; others, from £2 10s per ton (sacks in). Chaff: Consignments have been coming to hand freely, the bulk being of medium quality, which is not meeting a ready sale owing to tho large quantity already in stores. Buyers show preference for prime heavy oaten sheaf, which is meeting a ready sale at tho undermentioned rates : Choice black oaten'sheaf, £4 7s 6d; best white oaten sheaf, £4 to £4 ss; medium to good, £3 12s 6d to £3 17s 6d; light and discoloured. from £3 per ton (sacks extra). RABBITSKIN SALES. The Dunedin Woolbrokers’ Association (Messrs Dalgety and Co., A. Moritzson and Co., National Mortgage and Agency Company, New Zealand Loan and Mercantile I Agcnoy Co., Otago Farmers’ Co-operative | Association, Donald Reid and Co., Stronach, i Morris, and Co., and Wright. Stephenson, ! and Co.) report as follows:—There was a largo attendance of buyers present at yester-

clay’s sale, when icu-ge catalogues were offered. Competition was very keen and bidding spirited. Selected winter blacks sold at 42id to 47d; medium, 36d to 39d; super does, 39d to 404 d; medium, 36id to 33d; super bucks, 26d to 28|d; medium, 24d to 25jd; inferior, 20d to 23d; incoming, 19id to 20sd; outgoing, to 22dj autumn, 17d to 19,jd; fawn, 24d to 26id; broken, 16£d to 18d; medium, lid to 15d; racks. 13d to 14jd. Harcskins. 12d to 22£d. Catskins, 8d to 12d each. Opossums—Best, to 9s 9d each; medium, 4s to 7s; inferior, Is 8d to 2s lOd each. HIDE SALES. MELBOURNE, August 14. At the hide sales to-day there were good supplies. Competition was active, and prices were fully higher than those ruling last week. The Dunedin Woolbrokers’ Association (Messrs Dalgety and Co., A. Moritzson and Co./ National Mortgage and Agency Company, New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Otago Farmers’ Co-operative Association, Donald Roid and Co., Stronach, Morris, , and Co., and Wright, Stephenson and Co.) report as follows: — The fortnightly sale of above was held on Thursday, when medium catalogues were offered to our usual attendance of buyers. Prices wore firm, at last sale prices, and bidding spirited to that point. Good competition was experienced for yearlings and calf and nuns. Wo quote: Extra stout heavy ox, to BJd; stout heavy, 8d to Sgd; heavy, 7RI to 7|d; medium, 7d to 7gd; light, 6£d to 7gd; stout heavy cow, 7d to 7|d ; heavy and medium, 7d to 7sd ; light, 7d to ?id; damaged and inferior ox and cow. 5d to 6jd; bull and stag, to <fd; best calfskins, to lO^d; medium, Bj|d to 9|d; inferior, 4d to 7id; vearlings, 7d to 7^d. Messrs Waters, Ritchie, and Co. report as follows:—We held our usual fortnightly sale of hides at our stores, Crawford street, yesterday morning. There was a good attendance of buyers, and competition was very keen, prices ruling from par to id per lb above those of the previous sale. Included in our offering were some lines of stout hides, which had special attention and which brought good prices. Prospects are much brighter than they were, and we expect a firmer tendency in the immediate future. Iti money value, ox brought up to £2 18s 4d, and cows to £2 2s: each. Our catalogue consisted of 671 hides and 207 calfskins and yearlings —a total of 878. Our top price for ox was 9d, and for cows 73d per lb. The following are some of our b(st prices:—Ox ; One 661 b, 9d; twelve 671 b, 3£d : fourteen 741 b, 73d: three 841 b, TJd; three 60lb, B|d; two 701 b. Bgd; nine 741 b, B|d; five 681 b, B^d: one 841 b, Bad ; forty-one 641 b, Bid; eleven 72!b, Bgd; eight 641 b, B|d; one 801 b, B|d; nineteen 651 b. Bad; three 58!b, Bid; nine 741 b, Bid; nineteen 651 b, Bid; three 641 b. Bid; three 5711). 83d; five 621 b, B|d; live 641 b. 8d ; throe 661 b, 8d; one 741 b, 8d ; five 641 b, 7|d; one 691 b, 7£d; thirty-three 511 b, 7gd; one 561 b, 7Jd; one 801 b, 7Jd; seventeen 541 b, 7Jd; seven 621 b, 73d; four 521 b, 71d; one 741 b, 7|d; two 691 b, 7Jd. Cows: One 691 b, 73d; two 631 b, 7Jd; three 631 b, 7gd; one 621 b, 7|d: fourteen 551 b. 7|d : forty-four 511 b, 7|d ; sixteen 641 b, 7id : twenty 631 b, 7jd; eight 361 b, 7id; twelve 531 b, 7id; five 571 b. seventy-five 50!b, 7id per ib. W e quote: Ox: Extra “tout heavy, BJd to stout heavy. cl to 3gd f heavy, 7jd to 8d: medium, 7id to 73d; light. 7d to 7£d. Cow: Extra stout, 73d to 8d : stout heavy. 7i<f to 73d ; heavy and medium, to 7jd; light, 63d to 73d. Damaged and bad-conditioned ox and cow from to 7d : bull and stag, ssd to 6d. Calfskins. lOd to 10id for best; medium, to 93d ; damaged and inferior, 3id to 9d per Ib.

OTAGO FARMERS’ HORSE BAZAAR. The Otago Farmers’ Co-operative Association of New Zealand (Ltd.), reports: Wo held our weekly sale of horses 111 our bazaar on Saturday last, when we had an entry of 55 draught and light horses from Ournaru, Seacliff, Allanton, and Pukihiki. The Central Otago horses did not come to hand on account of the wa/sh-out on tho railway. There was rather a small attendance of farmers, probably on acocunt of the wot weather. Good sound young draughts, both marcs and geldings, are in demand, and when the weather takes up we anticipate a keen market for all horses suitable for farm work. Our annual spring sale will bo held on Thursday, 28th inst. We quote: Good young -draught mares, at from £32 to £33; extra good Clydesdale mares, suitable for stud purnoses, £45 to £65; superior young draught geldings, fit for shaft and lorry work, £3O to £39; ordinary draught marcs and geldings, at from £23 to £3O; aged draughts, at from £8 to £ls; good strong upstanding vanners, at from £25 to £3O; heavy spring-carters, at from £2O to £25; ordinary, at from £ls to £2O; upstanding buggy mares and geldings, from £ls to £2O; hackneys and ponies, from £8 to £l2. PROPERTY SALE. At the Early Settlers’ Hall, on Saturday afternoon, Messrs Alex. Harris and Co. offered for sale by auction, on behalf of the trustees in the estate of the lato Mr Alexander Brown, a subdivision of Abbotsford sections, comprising 45 allotments and a block of 10 acres, singled immediately opposite the railway station. There wan a very largo attendance of buyers and others interested, and as a number of tho sections occupy elevated petitions, it was expected that fair prices would be realised. The sale justified anticipations, some of the sections being sold after spirited bidding. Sixteen allotrnuents were disposed of, and the largo block and six other sections are under offer till to-day, with every prospect of sales resulting. Tho following ar e particulars of tho sales effected: —Section 1, J. F. Nelson, £9O; section 3, S. G. Smith, £80; section 4. S. G. Smith, £80; section 5, S. G. Smith, £BS; section 6, S. G. Smith, £75; section 31, A. P. Bremner, £95; section 32, Thomas Barclay, £BS; section 33, A. P. Brcmuer, £75; section 34, John Hunter, £SO; section 30, A. W. Mehalski. £75; section 28, Geo. F. Baffin, £65; section 18, David Pringle, £75; section 19, W. T. Kaler, £75; section 21, Charles H. Westfield, £65; section, 22. A. Peat, £42 10s; section 23, A. Peat, £4l.

Sir Walter Buchanan is to ask tho Government whether it will more efficiently guard aghinst tho admission of Indian coolies into New Zealand from the South Roa Islands and Fiji. It is reported, he states, that 275 prison cells were considered necessary for dealing with them in the new big gaol recently erected by the Fiji Government.

WEST COAST NOTES. (From Ouh Own Correspondent.) GREYMOUTH, August la The WesfTand Agricultural and Pas-t-oral Association proposes holding an agricultural show at Hokitika in January (jubilee time). The annual report suggests that it bo called the West Coast Agricultural Show, and that the show thereafter be held in Greymouth and the following-year at Reefton, thus inaugurating a triennial show at each of these centres. At a meeting attended by about 40 persons, held at Westport, to consider the unemployed question Mr Larsen stated that there were about 100 unemployed in Westport. The meeting resolved to urge the Harbour Board to re-consider the question of dispensing with so many hands and to urge the Government to prepare the line for rails on the WestportInangahua Junction line, and also the opening up of Creighton’s lease. It wa« also decided to ask the Westport Harbour Board to establish cement works at Cape Foulwind. A resolution was passed to protest against the action of the Government in bringing men into the country and increasing the number of unemployed. The Harbour Master reported at last night’s meeting of the Hokitika Harbour Board that the channel is fairly wide and straight, with not less than 12ft of water.