COMMERCIAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 3168, 2 December 1914, Page 36

COMMERCIAL.

AUSTRALIAN MARKETS. MELBOURNE, November 2 i Oats, 3s 4d, 3s 6id bushel. Barley: English, 5s 9d, 6s; Cape, 4s 3d, 4s 6d. Maize, 4s 2d. Potatoes (old), £5 to £6. Onions, £l2.

SYDNEY, November 26. Oats.—Algerian feed, 5s 7d; milling, 3s 8d; Tasmanian, 3s 8d to 3s 9d. Barley: Capo feed, 4s; English, 4s 6d. Maize, 3s lid to 4s. Potatoes: Now Zealand, £4 Kte to £6. Onions: Victorian, £9 to £9 10s. Butter; Selected, 104 s; seconds, 94s to 98s. Cheese, 6d. Bacon 9d. ADELAIDE. November 26. Wheat, 5s 4jd. Flour, £ll ss. Bran and pollard, £8 10s. OAMARU STOCK MARKET. (From Cub Own Correspondent.) OAMARU, November 23. Business in the stock market has been interrupted by the absence of farmers and agents at the Dunedin show. Still, a fair number of sheep have changed hands, mostly ewes with lambs. A good many sound mouth ewes in the wool, with lambs, have been sold at 14s, all counted. About 500 failing-mouthed ewes in the wool have been sold with lambs at 11s 6d, all counted. A nice lino of shorn two-tooth ewes found a buyer at 17s. Wether lambs on the tussock, have been taken, forward delivery, at 14s. Business in cattle has been on a small scale. There is a demand for anything fat. and cows have been sold at from £8 to £lO. Some small lots of young cattle have boon dealt in at from £2 5s to £2 15s, for mixed sexes, from 12 to 18 months’ old. SOUTHLAND STOCK MARKET. (From Our Own Correspondent.) INVERCARGILL, November 28. The vOiiime ot business passing in stock during the past week has been very limited; in fact, for all classes it must bo regarded as one of the quietest weeks experienced in Southland dur.ng the past few months. A good number of holders of dry sheep are on the verge of shearing, and so are not disposed to put them on the market "in the meantime. It seems likely that a demand wih come from the north, which must help tfao volume of business and prices locally. Dry weather in the north led to the sending of a good number of sheep to this district. However, the welcome rams of last week has greatly improved the feed prospects in the north, and it as expected that a month or six weeks hence we will have northern buyers among us looking for sheep, young hoggets and young owes. The freezing demand for fat stock is quieter than has been the case for the last two or three months, the supply in the various saleyards being quite equal to the demand; but taken all over prices continue to be satisfactory to vendors. A fair amount of business is still being done in store cattle which will fatten before winter, and one or two Taien buyers have been down on the local market dur.ng the past week, but they were not after large quantities. There have been several sales of dairy cows during the past week, and high prices are still being obtained. Prices may be quoted:— Fat Cattle.—Ox beef, extra prime, 40s; prime, 38s to 38s; heifer beef, 36s to 375; cow beef, 34s to 355. Fat Sheep.—Prime butchers’ wethers, extra heavy, 32s to 345; prime, 30s to 31s; medium, 27s to 28s; fat ewes, very few aro coming on the market, 235. Store Sheep.—Ewes and lambs, all counted (mixed sexes), 14s to 15s; failing-mouthed sheep, 12s to 12s 6d; older ewes, 10s to 11s; mixed sexes hoggets, 20s to 21s; ewe hoggets, 21s to 22s ; wether hoggets, 17s to 18s; two-tooth wethers, 21s to 23s 6d; four and six-tooths, 22s to 23s 6d. Store Cattle. —Thrce-JVar-old bullocks, in good condition, £8 5s to £10; Medium sorts, £7 10a to £7 15s; two and a-half year olds, £6 to £6 5s for good sorts; medium, £5 15s to £6 ss; two-year-olds, £4 15s to £5 ss; 18-months, £3 10s to £3 12-s 6d; yearlings, £3 to £3 10s; dairy cows, £9 to £ll. ADDINGTON LIVE STOCK MARKET, CHRISTCHURCH, November 25. There were average entries of stock in all departments, and there was a fair attendance of buyers. Store sheep were easier, but fat lambs sold well. Fat cattle did not sell very briskly, but fat sheep were firmer by Is per head. Store Shsep.—Good sound-mouthed woolly owes and lambs sold to 14s (all counted). Fairly forward shorn four-tooth wethers fetched 16s 6d; medium shorn four-tooth wethsrs, 15s; fair shorn ewe hoggets, to 15s; two and four-tooth wethers, 11s to 11s lid. The sales included the following lines:—Wethers: 206 four-tooth, shorn, at 16s 6d; 41 two-tooth at 11s; 150 two-tooth at 11s lid. Ewes and lambs (all counted) : 167 sound-mouthed woolly owes and 185 lambs at 14s; 8 shorn ewes and 11 lambs at 13s 3d. Ewes: 18 shorn two-tooth, at 15s; 15 shorn two and four-tooth, at 15s. Fat Lambs.—There was_ an entry of 319 fat lambs, as compared with 343 last week. The average quality was good, but a few’’ pens were on the light side. There was a good demand, and prices w'ero rather firmer than last week’s. The range of prices was-Best lambs, 19s 6d to 21s 3d; lighter, 10s Id to 19s. Fat Sheep.—Woolly wethers, 19s Id to 26s 6d; extra prime shorn wethers, to 31s 6d; nrimo shorn wethers, 22s 6d to 26s 5d i others, 15s 3d to 225; woolly owes, 20s 7d to 25s 3d; prime shorn ewes, 21s to 26s Id; others, 17s to 20s 6d; woolly hoggets, 20s to 21s; shorn hoggets, 16s 5d to 18s. Fat Cattle.— Extra heavy steers, to £lB 15s; ordinary steers, £8 10s to £l2; extra heavy heifers to £11; ordinary cows, £5 15s to £9 15s; price of beef, per 1001 b, 32s to 41s. Store Cattle. —Yearlings, 25s 7d; 15 to 18 months, £2 15s to £5 11s 6d; two-year steers, £4 5s to £4 7s 6d; two year heifers, £4 to £4 2s 6d; three year steers passed at £7 12s 6d; three year heifers, £4 17s 6d to £5 2s; dry cows, £2 to £6 2s 6d; dairy cows. £3 to £lO. Fat Pigs.—Choppers, 50s to 80s; extra heavy baconors, to 70s; heavy baconers, 55s to 635; light baconers, 45s to 52s 6d (price per lb, 5d to s^d); heavy porkers, 38s to 41s; light porkers. 53s to 37s (pneo per lb. sgd to sgd). Store Pigs.—Best sorts, 32s to 37s 6d; medium, 22s to 30s; small sorts, 14s to 19s; wcanors, 3s 3d to 12s; sow’s in pig, 40s to 70s. JOIINSONVILLE STOCK SALE. WELLINGTON, November 25. At the Johnsonvillc fat stock sale catt’o were in small numbers, but a largo entry of sheep came forward. Extra heavy wethers made 28s; extra heavy ewes, 265; prime heavy wethers. 24s to 24s 4d; prime wethers. 23s 2d; light wethers, 20s; prime ewes, 22s to 22s 6d; light ewes, 17s 3d to 20s; prime lambs, 15s to 15s 4d; good lambs, 14s to 15s 6d; plain lambs, 13s od; prime bullocks, £l2 15s to £l3 7s 6d; lighter, £l2.

[The individual reports of stock agents, wool, rabbitskiu, or grain brokers can be inserted in the Otago Daily Times and Otago Witness at special rates.) DUNEDIN WEEKLY MARKET REPORT. Messrs A. Moritzson and Co., auctioneers, wool, stock, station, grain, produce, and commission agents, Dunedin, report (wholesale; for the week as under. All quotations are subject to market fluctuations. Farmers are asked, when sending samples, always to pur a price on them? as buyers do not reel inclined to make oilers: — , j Barley.—Prime malting, 3s lOd ioia, fee barley, 3s to 3s 6d; Cape barley, 3s fad. Wheat.—Prime milling, 5s 6d to os 9d, on trucks; fowl wheat, 4s 6d to 5s 6d. Oats.—Milling, 2s 6d to 2s 9d; good feed, 2s 4d to 2s 6d; medium and inferior lots, 2s 3d to 2s 4d, ex store. Maize (sacks extra). —ss. Prussian Blue Peas. —From 9s to 10s percental. Chaff.— Good, bright, and heavy. £i to 4>4 10s per ton; second quality, £3 10s to £4. Straw.—Wheaten, 355; oaten, 40s. Hay.—Clover and ryegrass, £3 10s to £■*• Ryegrass.—Farmers’ dressed, 3s to 3s bd for heavy weights; light weights, 2s od to 33, machine dressed, 4s to ss; Italian, 3s 6a. Cocksfoot.—From -Id to 4Jd, f.0.b., Akaioa; machined seed, 7d. , Linseed—£ls to £l6. Linseed meal, 17s bd. Chewing’s Fescue.—Farmers’ dressed, 2jd to 3d; machine dressed, 41d to od. Walnuts.—Bcl to 9d. Onions.—American, 18s per case; Melbourne, j£l7..’ Salt Butter.—Sad to 9d; separator, 9d to lOd. Cheese.—Factory, 7d; Akaroa, 6Jd; loaf, 7d. Honey.—Section honey, 6s 6d dozen; bulk, large tins, 3|d to 4d; Jib pats, 3s dozen; lib x 3a ls, ss. Eggs.—Storekeepers’, Is; stamped. Is Id. Beeswax.—ls 4d. Hams.—ls. Bacon.—Roll. lOd. Poultry for Local Consumption.—Hens, 2s €d to 3s Gd; cockerels, 3s 6d to 4s 6d per pair, turkeys—hens, 8d; cccks, 9d to lOd; geese, 6s to 7s; ducks (old), 3s to 4s per pair; ducklings, os 6d to 6s 6d. Cowfeed.—ls per sack. Old lead wanted, 16s. Second-hand sacks, 4s to 5s 6d per dozen. Storing Grain. — We are prepared to store, receive? deliver, and insure for three months free storage at 3d per sack. Farm Produce and Fruit. —Wc receive all kinds of consignments, and render account sales promptly. CENTRAL PRODUCE MART. , Messrs Reilly, Gill, and Co., proprietors, report:— Flour is the all absorbing topic in Dunedin. Speculators who are holding wheat for higher prices must be very graspingtrying to exploit the public. The Government should ccrcainly step in and confiscate their stocks. Fowl wheat is at famine prees, and oats and barley arc almost unprocurable Our potato market has firmed 1 , and we advise consignors to forward supplies at once. Pigs are easier in price, extra prime baconers realising s£d. Eggs are still .slow of sale. The fact that shipments to Vancouver are over for the season has a tiepressing effect on the market. Chaff is meeting a good demand. Poultry: Owing to the shortness of feed, extra heavy consignments are coming forward, and the result is lower prices have to bo accepted to effect a clearance. Consignments of apples from Vancouver reached us in splendid condition. Our Rarotonga shipments of bananas should be here on Monday. _ Alexandra, Roxburgh, and Waimate consignments of strawberries and cherries have reached us in first-class condition. Green peas have been in short supply, also tomatoes. New potatoes aro meeting an exceptionally keen demand. We. had three parcels of grapes during the week, all of which realised 4s per pound. The following prices were realised for our consignors:—Grapes: Choice locals, 4s per lb. Apples: Jonathans, 15s fid. Flowers: Carnations realised from 3s to 5s per dozen bunches. Cherries: 7Jd, Bd, 9id, Is Old, Is 2d for choice; small inferior, 4d, 4J,d, sd. sjd, 6cl. Strawberries: First, Bd, B£d, 9d, 9J.d, KUd, lid, Is, Is lid;jam, 4d, 4id, sd, &kl. fid, figd, 7d. Asparagus: ss, 5s 6d. 6s Id, 6s 6d; seconds, 3s fid, 4s, 4s fid. Cucumbers: Locals, 4s fid, 6s, 7s fid, 9s, 10s fid, 12s, 14s per dozen. Lettuce: 3d, fid, 9d per dozen. Tomatoes: Christchurch, Is 8d; locals, Is 9d, Is lOd per lb. Green gooseberries. 2d, 2gd. Green peas: 3{d, 3id. New potatoes; 2d for Auckland; Peninsula, 3d. Cabbage. 2s fid to 4s 9d per sack. Rhubarb: 2d, 2RI, 2gd- Cauliflower; Prime, 4s fid to 6s 9d per dozen. Bananas: Expect 14s. Adelaide oranges: 17s fid. Butter : Farmers’ pats, Cd; separator, 8d to Is. bulk, 7d to 9id. Honey: 4s fid for sections, Pats, 2s fid per dozen for gib pats; 4s, 4s fid. 11b pats; 51b tins, 2s; 10lb tins 3s 9d, 4s; 461 b tins, 3gd per lb. Cheese: Factory, fii-d to 7d per lb; old cheese, s|(l. Eggs: Stamped and guaranteed. Is; case eggs, lid, Hid'. Pigs; Baconers, sgd to s§d; porkers, special sad> fid; choppers, 3jd, 3gd, 4Ad, sd. Potatoes: Best quality table potatoes, £4 10s, £5 per ton; seed, no demand. Tabic onions: Prime quality, 17s fid. Fowl wheat: Unprocurable. Oats: 2s 9d, 2s lOd for prime lines. Rice meal: 8s per sack for 1401 b. Molasses; 5s fid per cwt. Flour: £l4 10s, in 2Colbs. Barley; 3s fid, 3s 9d. Pollard: £4 10s per ton. Bran £5. Oatsheaf chaff: Extra prime quality, £4 10s; light and inferior, £3 10s, £3 12s fid. ex truck. Poultry: Is fid, Is 7d, Is Bd, Is 9d, Is lOd, 2s; young cockerels, Is 9d, 2s, 2s 3d. Ducks: 2s, 2s fid. Ducklings; 2s 3d, 2s fid. Chickens: 3d, sd, fid, 9d, Is, Is 9d each. Turkeys: Hons, fid, and gobblers lOd lb. Disc harrows: The cheapest and best line of disc harrow in Australasia. Price £6 10s. Lime sower, the “Armour Johnstone.” Beeswax: Is 3gdRabbitskins: 7kb Bd, B|d, 9d, 9£d, 10£d. Hides; sd, sgd> figd. Cow hides: 4gd. sd, 6id per lb. Calfskins: scb sgd, fid, fijrl, 6|d, 7d. Sheepskins; 4gd- sid, fijd. Horsehair : 9gd> 10d per lb. Wool: 4d, 5d per lb. Fat; 16s, 16s fid. 17s. Wo recommend consignments of good fowl wheat, cabbage, and early peas. REILLY, GILL, & CO., Commission Agents and Auctioneers, Moray place, Dunedin. LONDON MARKETS. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, November 30. The Argentine shipments aro as follow: Mutton, 161,703 carcases; lamb, 43,348; frozen beef, 172,315 quarters; chilled, 106.433. Wool. —Arrivals, 96,500 bales, forwarded 28,000 bales; available, 75,000 bales, including 4000 on Cont'iKurtal account. Conner. —Forward, £54 10s; electrolytic, i£ s7 ICs. Tin. —Snot, £143; three months, £l4l ss. Lead. £l9 ss. Spelter, £25 15a.

' Silver, 221di per ounce. Wheat. —The market is inactive, and prices are unchanged. NEW ZEALAND ADVICE. Messrs Dalgoty and Co. report that the head office cabled to Melbourne on_ November 27 as follows: —“Wool: Merino tops lower; Crossbreds dearer, 64’s, 29gd to 30d; 56’s,_ 27-Jkl; 46’s, 22d; 40’s, 19Jd. Butter: Danish, 4 kroner higher, probably owing to Gorman purchases. Poor demand here, 1445. Colonial butter firm: Australian, 12cs; unsalted, 130 s; Now Zealand, 1525. Cheese: Market firm, 755. HIGH COMMISSIONER’S REPORT. (Piss United Pbess Association.) WELLINGTON, December 1. The High Commissioner cabled from London on November 28 (the quotations, unless otherwise specified, are the average market prices on spot): — Mutton. —About the beginning of this week there was a fair demand, but trade has fallen off very much. Prices declined as a result of heavy arrivals of Dutch. Canterbury, s®d; North Island, s|d; best quality ewes (good demand), SRI. Lamb. —There has been no alteration in the market since last week. Market dull on account of heavy arrivals of Dutch and Scotch, which aro selling at a low price. Canterbury twos, 6|d; other than Canterbury, 6 J, rl. Beef. —Little demand at market prices based upon Government contracts. New Zealand hinds, 6ld; fores, 5Jd; chilled hinds, 6gd; fores, s|cl. Butter.—Market very firm. Danish (quiet), 143 s to 14&s per cwt; Now Zealand (prices firm, good demand), 130 s to 1325; unsaltod, 130 s to 1345; Australian (small supply, good demand), 126 s to 1235; Irish creamery (supplies decreasing), 123 s to 130 s; Argentine (firm), 122,s to 1265; Siberian (firm, good demand). 120 s to 1225. Cheese.—Market firm. Canadian white and coloured, 75s to 765. The shipment of cheese ex Corinthic arrived in good condition. Hemp.—Market speculative. There is a better demand for spot. New Zealand good fair grade, £23 10s per ton; fair grade, £2l 10s : fair current Manila, £24 ; JanuaryMarch shipment, good fair grade, £24; fair grade, £22; fair current Manila, £24 10s. The output from Manila for the week was 1200 hales. Cocksfoot Seed.—Market firm, general and active demand. Danish, 60s per cwt. Wool. —Market for merino easier. Very active for crossbreds. SHEEPSKIN SALE. The Dunedin Woolbrokevs’ Association (Messrs Dalgoty and Co., A. Moritzson and Co., National Mortgage and Agency Company, New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Otago Farmers’ Co-opcra-tivc Association, Donald Reid and Co., Stronach, Morris, and Co., and Wright, Stephenson, and Co.), reports as follows: The fortnightly sale of the above was held yesterday, when fairly large catalogues were submitted to a full attendance of buyers. Competition throughout was keen, and satisfactory prices obtained, these being on a itar with the previous sales’ values. Best halfbreds, 9gd to KM; good do, 9d to 9sd; best fine crossbred, 9gd; good, 9d to 9 r 'd; coarse crossbred, 9)d to 9|d; medium, Bgd to 83d; merino, to 7gd; halfbred dead, B|d to 9d; crossbred dead, 8];d; merino dead, 6|d; hoggets, B§d to 9RI; pelts, s|d; lambskins, 6gd to 71d. THE MONEY MARKET. Though wo have the figures for our exports up to the 30th September last (says the Trade Review), import figures arc only available to 30th June. These figures show an improvement in flip balance of our trading account for the year ending ,30th June as compared with previous years, as will be scon from the following comparison:— 1913-14. 1912-13 1911-12. Exports £24,563,699 £23,177,077 £20,365.291 Imports £21,652,486 £21,510,545 £20,314,855 Excess of Exports £2,931,213 £1,666,532 £50,436 While our exports show considerable expansion, imports show only modcx’ate growth, resulting in a very good margin of exports. Wo hardly expect, however, to sec such a good margin for the year to the 30th September, as exports fell off considerably in the last quarter. The export season has now fairly commenced, and so far gives promise of excellent results. Wool, meat, and dairy produce, which represent 75 per cent, of our total exports, aro Commanding excellent prices. This will bring in a good flow of money, and keep up the necessary supply of funds to a satisfactory level. NEW ZEALAND L. AND M. AGENCY COMPANY. PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE. LONDON, November 25. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company shows a profit for the year of £121,724. Preference and ordinary dividends of 5 per cent, are declared. In view of the abnormal conditions created by the war and the drought in Australia, and with a view to making special provision, which will bo avoidable next year, for the reserves and promises account from the liquidation of the Now Zealand Land Association, which is practically completed, and will exceed last year’s estimate, the directors have decided to carry forward the whole of the balance (£55,279). ADDITIONAL DETAILS. WELLINGTON, November 27. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company (Ltd.) has received a cablegram from its London office advising that the company will hold its annual meeting in London on the 10th prox. After providing a further towards tiio Start Benevolent Fund, the amount available (including £14,233 carried forward from last year) totals £146,454. The directors recommend the payment of a dividend of 5 per cent, per annum on cumulative preference stock (half of which was paid in Juno last), and also a dividend of 5 per cent, on ordinary stock, and that £55,279 bo carried forward. The company’s reserves at present total £284,203. HOWARD SMITH COMPANY. PROPOSED NEW COMPANY. MELBOURNE, November 27. The Board of Directors of the Howard Smith Company decided to submit a scheme for reconstruction. The proposal is to form a new company, with a capital of i -,000,000, in £1 shares, to take over the interests of

the present company as from December 31, 181-4. SALE OF HOTEL PROPERTY. Messrs F. Carter and Co., hotel brokers, report having sold, on behalf of Mr A. Stott, the lease, stock, and furniture of the Re-dcliffe Hotel, Ikawai, to Mr John Walker, of Dunedin, at a satisfactory figure. CUSTOMS RETURNS. The customs returns for the month of November arc as follow, the returns for November. 1913, being given in parentheses; —Customs duty, £29,723 12s 8d (£20.864 4s sd); beer duty, £3261 11s 9d (£1791 6s 7cl; gold exported, 47700 z, valued at £17,860 (nil).