COMMERCIAL

Southland Times, Issue 17658, 16 February 1916, Page 4

COMMERCIAL

AGRICULTURAL BYTE RTS 808 THE ■WEEK ENDING- I‘EEEUASY 19. —Thursday, February 17. — .Stock sale at Riverton. —Friday, February IS. — Stock sale at Riversdalo. Mr John Dreavcr’s clearing sale at Seaward Downs, by Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Co., Ltd. Stock sale at Orepuki. Lund sale at Orepuki, by Messrs J. R. Mills and Son. CUSTOMS KBYTE NUB. Tim following was the revenue received ;it the Customhouse for period Btli to 13th February:—■ Customs duties £l7lß 3 6 Beer duty 39 3 IS Light dues 2 . 6 9 Shipping fees ft 17 8 Other receipts 2 12 0 Total £1783 8 8 BUKNSIDE STOCK MARKET. (Per United Press Association.) DUNEDIN, February 15. Only 102 fat cattle were yarded at Burnside to-day. The entry was much too small for requirements, and prices advanced £1 per head. Best bullocks, £l6 10/-; extra to £2O 7/6; medium to good, £l4 10/- to £l3 10/-; best cows and heifers, £l3 10/- to £ls; extra to £l6 Id medium to good, £ll to £l2 10/The entry of fat sheep was also small, totalling 1180. There was a brisk sale, jirices advancing i/- to 2/-. Owing to the high prices freezing buyers were unable to operate to any extent. Best wethers, 28, - to 32/-; extra to 36/-; medium to good. 24/- to 26/6: light, JS/6 to 21 6; best ewes, 25/- to 28/-; extra to 33/-; medium to good, 21/- to 24/-; light and unfinished, 13/- to 17/6. Fat Lambs—loo penned. For finished sorts competition was good at late rates, but unfinished A werc somewhat neglected and sales difficult to effect. Prime, 20/to 23/-: extra to 23/-; medium, 18/- to 10,-; unfinished, 14/6 to 15/-. WELLINGTON WOOL SALS. HIGH RATES MAINTAINED. RANGE OF PRICES. WELLINGTON, February 15. The third Wellington wool sale of tlie current season, which was begun yesterday, concluded to-day. The market continued strong and further high rates were established. The highest price for greasy wool was secured for seven bales in very light condition, Romney cross, on account of J. 11. Diedricks, South Westland, making 10-’id. Tlie official range of prices at tills sale as compared with the December sale is as follows; Dec., 1915. Fel>., 1916. d. (!. Southdown .. .. 16 to 1 8 Vi 16to1flVi .Merino 12 to I 4 V* 12 to UP-, Vi-bred super .. 17 to IS Vi I 7 Vi to 19 medium H to 16-y t 16 to 17 Vi Vi-bred inferior.. I 2 to 13 Vi I 3 Vi to 13 Vi Crossbred super 16 Vi to 18 V- I 6 Vi to 18 Vi Cbd medium . . 14 Vi to 1 6 Vi 16 to 1 7 Vi Cbd coarse . . 13 Vi to 13 ■'a 13 to 16 Vi Cbd superior .. 1 1 to 1 3 Vi H to 1 ( Vi Cbd pcs & bellies 9 to 13Vi 9 to Li Vi Vi ltd pcs it be Is 1 0 to 1Z •'?, 10 to II Vi Locks 6 Vi to 7 •’■i 7 to 8‘ I Lambs, best . . 15 to 1 6 Vi 16 to ISI Lambs, medium 13 to 14-Vi 13tol3*i Lambs, inferior none offering 7 to 12 A RECORD CATALOGUE. PRICES SHOW AN ADVANCE. WELLINGTON, February 11. To-day's wool sale (wires the correspondent of the Press» attracted a record catalogue for New Zealand bales. Tills included words which arrived in Wellington up to January 15, when the catalogues closed. The sale was to have been held on the 25th of

last month : and then it was arranged for February 10. The adjournments wore caused by the difficulty experienced by buyers in obtaining sufficient shipping space. Usually “prompt” day, on which the wool is paid for, is 1-1 days after the sale: on this occasion “prompt” is indefinite. The wool is to lie paid for when the buyer lias secured shipping documents. It is not now expected that the wool will remain long in store awaiting shipments, as the outlook for shipping space has much improved. The sale to-day represented Allied buying, for not only is Great Britain buying wool direct for herself, but is also manufacturing for tlie Allies. Raw wool, too, is being bought by French buyers ami buyers on French, Italian, and .Russian account. Japan is also an important buyer. The wool most required is still that suitable for military purposes, but much is also being taken for civilian underclothing, worsteds, and tweeds. The enemy is by no means inactive in the wool world, but none, so far as is known, and so far as can be prevented, is finding its wav from Australia, or tins country cither to Austria or Germany. Nevertheless, the enemy—mainly Germany—is known to be buying extensively River Plate wools and paying astonishingly high prices, while awaiting an opportunity of shipment. Also the Germans arc believed to be buying in the United States wool raised in that country. It is feared that some wool bought in Australasia on the understanding that it was for bona fide use in the United States will find its way to the enemy. In any case, if American wool-buyers undertook not to sell to the enemy, and have kept their word, there appears to have been nothing done —probably nothing could be done—to prevent American wool growers from selling their own produce to Germans. America required largo quantities, however, to fill contracts for cloth made with the Allied Governments. But export to the United States is now prohibited, and the Germans have still to get their wool through the blockade. With regard to thq future of prices, all that can be said is that naval and military contracts still necessitate the consumption of enormous quantities, principally of coarse wools. If sufficient of these are not forthcoming, then, as once before; during the war period, fine wools will be utilised regardless of price. The sale attracted a large number of buyers, mainly for Bradford. The local mills' purchases were also comparatively large. The bidding was exceedingly keen for all clean lines, and particularly for medium and coarse crossbreds, suitable for uniforms. The disorganisation of sale dates lias been the means of keeping visiting buyers a little longer in the country than they intended to remain. Tlie next sale will probably be held before the end of next month.