COMMERCIAL

Southland Times, Issue 19396, 10 November 1924, Page 2

COMMERCIAL

D. W, McKAY, LTD.

D. W. McKay, Ltd., report as follows: Bacon - Pig.—Supplies short of requirements, and high prices being paid. Produce.—Potatoes, demand limited; tables £6 to £7. Seed unsaleable. Chaff, prime quality to £9, ex store; oaten straw 3/6 bale; wheat to 28/- sack; oats 30/sack; bran 9/6; pollard 10/6; Farro Food 18/6; onions, market 1 bare, supplies of Canadians arriving at an early date. Fruit.—Cherries are arriving more freely and prices are easier. We sold the first hot-house tomatoes of the season, and realised 3/6 a lb; dessert apples are scarce and ruling high in price. Full supplies of Fiji bananas are due this week. Ripe bananas, oranges and lemons are available. Rhubarb scarce and price ruling higher. Green peas are plentiful, but consignments have eased and prices are higher. Current prices:—Hot-house tomatoes 3/6, cherries 1/- to 1/6, dessert apples, Rome Beauty to 22/6 sturmers to 22/-; pears 54d to 6d. Oranges 24/- to 28/-, lemons 30/-, Green peas to s|d, rhubarb 2Ad to 3d, asparagus 8/6 to 11/-. All vegetables wanted. General.—Exchange tea 13/6 per 51b box, fencing wire, barbed 31/-, plain 24/- cwt, new doors 25/-. Furniture.—Lino 7/6 to 8/6 yard, seagrass pushchairs £3 10/-, solid oak sideboards £7 10/- £lO 10/- and £l4 10/-; bedroom suites from £10; other lines of furniture at competitive prices, BRAY BROS Messrs Bray Bros., Ltd., report as follows: Produce, Etc.—Potatoes, £7 to £8 ton; oats 10/- to 27/6 bag; wheat to 28/- ; chaff to £9 ton for prime, damaged chaff 2/6, s.i., straw £5 5/-, oatdust 5/6, sorrel 5/-, bran 9/6, pollard 14/6, onions 30/- cwt; mutton birds 8d each in kits of 30 to 40 birds; Lepp Salt Lick 2/- brick; tea, “Good Cheer” best Ceylon 2/9 lb, or 51b packages for 12/6. Rubber tyred gig £35, gig £2O; set harness £4; de Dion motor car £2O, Buick 6-cylinder, self-starter motor car, full guartee, price for quick sale £175; Indian Scout as new—guaranteed—£7s, Harley-Davidson and side car £7O, Douglas £lB, Indian and side *car £25, trial given. Oil drums 10/each. Pigs.—We are buyers—top price on trucks, no commission. Fruit and Vegetables.—Cherries 1/2 to 1/6 lb, tomatoes to 3/6, apples (Canadian) to 30/- case, New’ Zealand Sturmers and Rome Beauties 18/6 to 21/-; pears 5d to 6d lb; oranges (Adelaide Navels) 27/6; lemons (Adelaide) to 26/-; green peas 5d to 6d lb; carrots 12/6 cwt; lettuce 1/6 to 3/6 dozen. Furniture.—Brisk business in bedsteads and bedding at our Spey street warehouse. We specialise in duchess chests, wardrobes, and pedestals. New Stock of Ist grade Samarang kapok at low rates—special; some particularly good 2nd-hand furniture—equal to new. Inspection invited. Property.—lo acres and five-roomed house with stable and outbuildings, in a progressive country town. A gift at £6OO. F. BOWDEN AND CO. F. Bowden and Co., report a very busy week. Cherries have made their appearance, prices being realised are considerably below northern markets, this will have a tendency to ease supplies till they are more plentiful. Bananas arrived during the week in perfect condition. Tomatoes did not open up too well, a good percentage in each case being bad. A shipment of Fiji bananas are due here about Wednesday, also a shipment of new potatoes. Supplies of apples and pears are about equal to demand. Oranges and lemons are plentiful. Gooseberries are now coming forward. Lettuce are in full supply. Fair supplies of cabbage and cauliflow'ers. are arriving. Parsnips and carrots are wanted, any coming to hand realise high prices. Spring onions are wanted. Rhubarb is getting scarce and prices are firm. Good stocks of fowl wheat are on hand. The week closed with prices ruling:— Cherries 1/4 to 1/6 lb; pears 5Ad to lb; oranges, Navels 27/- to 28/-, Commons 22/6 to 23/6. Lemons, S.A. 28/-, Auckland 12/- to 14/- case; gooseberries 3d to 4|d lb; apples, Sturmers 19/6 case, Rokewoods 8/- half-case; coconuts 22/- to 25/sack; tomatoes 14/- to 27/-; bananas 29/6 to 33/6 case. Vegetables, Produce, and Etc.—Lettuce 1/- to 2/9 dozen; carrots 2Ad lb; cauliflower 5/- to 10/- dozen; fowl wheat 25/to 28/- sacks in; table potatoes 7/- cwt, freshly picked; cabbage 5/6 to 5/9; cucumbers 13/6 dozen; rhubarb 3Ad to 4d lb.

THE RIALTO. William Todd and Co., Ltd., report the following sales at their weekly market on Saturday, November 8: Poultry.—Medium entry, keen demand. Hens, 2/- to 3/11, heavy fowls 3/- to 5/1. Roosters 2/7 to 4/3. Hens and chicks 6/6 to 12/-. Small cockerels 8d to 1/1. Ducks 2/8 to 4/1. Pigs.—l 43 sold. Demand still continues good. Small weaners £1 1/- to £1 4/-, weaners £1 5/- to 35/-, stores £1 10/- to £2 7/-. Lambs, 14/- to 16/6. D.8.8.L. Gun £5. Calves 4/- to 8/-. Motor Cycle £33. Waggon £3O. Produce. —Potatoes (prime quality) £6 10/-; onians (Canadian) 35/- case; chaff £8 5/- to £8 10/-; oats 21/-; wheat supplies scarce, 29/- to 31/-; crushed peas 20/-; Farro Food 12/6; oatdust 5/6; sorrell 6/-; Moose Meal 20/-; Moose Nuts 18/6; Chick Food 3/3; fowl grit 2/6; rhubarb 3d lb; cabbage 3/- to 4/- dozen; lettuce 1/6 to 2/7 dozen; gooseberries 3d to 5d lb). Miscellaneous: English barb wire 31/cwt, No. 8 galvanised wire 25/-; rabbit netting 6d yard, fowl nettings 15/-; fowl netting (6 feet) 29/-, Ceylon tea 2/5 to .2/6 lb. THE DUNEDIN MARKETS. QUOTATIONS AND CONDITIONS. DUNEDIN, November 8. There is no New Zealand-grown milling wheat now on offer, and millers are still using Australian wheat. Supplies of fowl wheat are also being secured from Australian cargoes, these purchases being made through the Government. The fowl wheat market is firm in the North Island, and evidently merchants there would like to get greater supplies of Australian than are at present available. In the meantime these North Island merchants are buying from Canterbury at 7/5 a bushel, f.o.b. Australia is quoting f.a.q. milling wheat at 6/4, f.0.b., s.i., Adelaide, and parcels have been buoght for fowl wheat by North Island merchants. There is now a free market for the importation of fowl wheat, but a permit to import from Australia has to be secured from the Government. Dunedin millers’ prices are as follows: Flour, 2001 b, £l5 10/- per ton; 100’s, £l6 10/-; 50s, £l7 2/6; 25’s, £l7 10/-. Bran, £6 per ton. Pollard, £7. Oatmeal: 25 ? 5, £3O; 200’s, £29. There, are still odd inquiries for A and B Gartons for prompt delivery. For A's up to 6/6 f.0.b., s.i., has been paid, but B’s are not worth more than 5/6. B’s are wanted for feed only, but they have to compete against Canadians, whjch have to available ip the South and North Islands at prices ranging from 5/6 to 5/9, sacks in. The forward market, delivery next year, is easier, and sales have been reported pt 3/BA, 'f.o.b., s.i. Sellers at this price copsider that there will be an exceptionally heavy quantity of oats available next sepsqp. PRODUCE MARKET. The chaff market is quiet. Local supplies are very small, but, on the other hand, the consumptive demand seems to have fallen away. The local price is £8 15/-, sacks extra, for good quality. Offerings from the north are now more plentiful, but southern

merchants are not showing much interest Tasmanian standard chaff is selling freely in the North Island at £9 5/- per ton, ex wharf. Last week the Ta&nanian chaff was hard to sell in the North Island, and probably the trouble on the waterfront in Australia has brought about the changed condition of affairs. Old season’s potatoes of good quality are now in small compass, and the odd lota coming forward are readily sold at £7 10/per ton, sacks included, ex truck. Old potatoes will not be required much longer, as the new season’s are becoming more plentiful every day. The forward position is slightly firmer, following on the information from the North Island that the potato crops have been damaged by the recent heavy rains. Sales are now being made at £5 5/-, South Island ports, sellers’ option, April, May, June delivery. Eggs advanced Id per dozen during the week. Dairy butter is hard to sell. Current local wholesale prices are as follow : Chaff.—Good quality, £8 15/-, ex truck. Potatoes, £7 10/-. Dairy Butter. —Best milled, bulk, 1/5 per lb; separator pats, l/4id. Eggs.—Stamped, 1/3; case, 1/2. Bacon. —Rolls, to 1/2 per lb; sides, 1/1. Hams, 1/2 per lb; boneless 1/3. SOUTH CANTERBURY MARKETS. PREVAILNG CONDITIONS. TIMARU, November 7. There has been little alteration in prices on the local grain and produce market during the past week, and a dull and quiet tone continues, due in some measure, probably, to the slackening effect on business of the Christchurch Carnival Week. There is still a fair inquiry for fowl wheat, but only small quantities are offering, and merchants are still working on stocks from Australia. A further cargo is expected in a week or so. Present quotations are 6/9 on trucks. Oats are required for local consumption, prices to growers being 3/9 ex store. Stocks are light, and will be barely sufficient to last until next season’s crop comes in. There has been a small demand for old potatoes from the North Island, and several trucks were shipped away during the week. Chaff is steady at £7 10/- on trucks to growers, but only small supplies are offering. Linseed is firm at late rates, i.e., £lB on trucks to growers, sacks extra. Clover is dull of sale, and values remain I unaltered. Peas are almost all in merchants’ ’ hands, and the nominal value is unchanged. NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY. DIVIDEND RECOMMENDED. The directors of the National Insurance Company (Ltd.), state in their annual report that the net income for the 12 months, ended September 30, amounted to £222,686. After the payment of an interim dividend of £12,500 there is a surplus of £28,164 to which has to be added the balance from I last year of £30,146 4/10. The directors have added to reserve fund £lO,OOO, and they now recommend the payment of a further dividend of 2/- per share (making the total distribution for the year 3/3 per ’share), which will absorb £20,000,* and to carry forward £28,310. FESCUE AND DOGSTAIL. THE AMERICAN MARKET. AN UNFAVOURABLE REPORT Mr P. C. Gray, of Gore, who has been visiting America, from which country he returns this week, writing to his principals, Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Co., makes the following interesting observations: — “The fescue and dogstail market in Amsrica is rotten. From all the information I was able to gather I am strongly of the opinion that these seeds will only be used if they can be landed at low prices. The figures we have been paying for them have been much too high,, especially for fescue. Both these grasses are looked upon as inferior by the American Agricultural Department and their importation is discouraged by the Government, and there is often trouble over the germination. Although a fair quantity of fescue is sometimes called for, American merchants will not buy if they can get cheaper substitutes, and there are plenty of the latter. I know it is a difficult matter to convince farmers of the true state of affairs, but they must sooner or later realise it, and the sooner the better for themselves and all concerned. It seems to me that many of the farmers on the Waimea Plains should give up the idea of depending solely on fescue returns, and devote their attention to more reliable and more marketable crops. It is not at all likely, from what I can gather, that next season’s prices will be any better than this year. In fact quite the reverse seems to be the case and this being so it surely would pay fanners much better to graze their pastures instead of shutting them up for seeding purposes, especially when the prospects of wool look so favourable. However, this is the position as far as I have been able to sum it up, but of course farmers will just have to use their own discretion in the matter.” THE LONDON MARKETS. WHEAT, FLOUR, ETC. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, November 7. Liverpool futures 12/4. Following strong American advice, cargo sellers advanced prices 9d to 1/-, but buyers were apathetic, regarding the American rise as the aftermath of the Presidential election. The cargo of an unnamed steamer, January-B’ebruary, realised 62/3. Parcels showed fair speculative inquiry at 1/- and 1/6 up. The spot trade is quietly steady. Flour: Quiet. Australian, ex store, 46/6 to 47/6. Oats: Rather firmer. Peas and beans are steadily held, but. quiet. Sugar: Granulated, 37/1 J. Liverpool futures: 12/8. Cargoes are firm owing to adverse Argentine weather, and reports of threats of flood in Australia. Sellers here put up the prices by 1/- and 2/-, but buyers are cautious. Hemp: November-January, £43 10/- per ton. THE MEAT MARKET. LONDON QUOTATIONS. LONDON, November 28. Sheep: New Zealand ewes 6i|d; Argentine light 84d, medium Bd, heavy 7d; ewes Lambs: Canterbury light 13d, medium 12i|d, heavy 12Jd; second 12sd, selected light 12jfd, medium 12Ad; North Island firsts 12M, seconds 12|d; Australian firsts, Victorian, 12Ad, others 12’2; seconds, Victorian 12 Ad, others 12|, thirds 12^d; Argentine light 12 Ad. Frozen Beef: New Zealand fores 4}d, hinds s£d; Australian crops 4Ad, hinds sld; Argentine fores 4Ad, hinds s?d; Uruguay fores 4|d, hinds sd. Chilled Beef: Argentine fores sd, hinds 7|; Uruguay fores 4Ad, hinds 6Ad. Others are unchanged. AUSTRALIAN APPLES. SALES IN OPEN MARKET SUCCESSFUL OPERATIONS MELBOURNE, November 8. No bounty is likely to be granted by the Federal Ministry year to the apple growers. Senator Wilson, who is in charge of assijstanpe to ni.arketing; has received a cable frpm the High Comniissioner (Sir Joseph Cook) stating that between 40,9'J0 and 5,6,000 cases of apples were brought on to the open market in London this year for

sale at Wembley at an average of 16/10 per case. Allowing the liberal estimate of 8/10 per case for the cost of marketing, this left the growers a return of 8/- per case at the tree. The growers recently informed Senator Wilson that the industry would be profitable if they were assured of a return of 4/- a case at the tree. He estimated that if Wembley re-opens next year 100,000 cases would be sold.