COMMERCIAL

Southland Times, Issue 19461, 28 January 1925, Page 2

COMMERCIAL

OTAUTAU SALE. LIVE STOCK MARKET. There was a very large attendance of farmers, contractors and others, at the above sale on Friday, many of them, no doubt, being attracted by the sale of the Southland Electric Power Board’s stock of bones, drays and machinery from Monowai. A good sale was experienced throughout. Sheep.—There was only a moderate entry, and some of the prices realised were as follows: 70 wethers 26/-, 80 m.s. cull lambs 21/5, 203 fat and forward lambs 30/1, 84 do. 29/-, 65 ewes and lambs 20/3, 100 failing ewes 16/3, 40 fat lambs 35/3, 40 four and six-tooth wethers 38/-, 27 twotooth wethers 26/-, 395 do. 28/9, 77 lambs 21/5, 27 fat ewes 27/6. Cattle.—Prices ranged as follows: A pen of well-bred yearling steers brought £2 15/-, fat bullock £7 10/-, 2 bullocks £7 10/-, 1 at £ll 12/6, 2 steers £5 10/-, 2 fat heifers £2 5/6, 2 do. at £3 15/-, fat cows £4, £5, and £4 15/-, bulls £2 to £4, springing heifers £3 7/6 and £3 7/-, empty cows £3 10/-, £2 16/-, £2 5/-, and £2 2/6, yearlings 35/-, 32/6 and 27/6. Horses.—£4l, £l2 10/-, £5, £lO, and £ll. Implements, Etc.—Drays £l5, £l6, £l7, £lB, £l9 10/-, £27, £2B, road grader £26, timber waggon £l5, London mixer and engine £57, road plough £4 10/-, traction waggon £4O 10/-, plough £4 10/-, 21 h.p. engine £5 10/-, tank £3 10/-, pumps £6, £4 10/-, £3 5/-, £2 and 35/-, huts £ll 10/-, £3, £3 15/-, and 25/-, saddle and breeching £5 2/6, £5 15/-, £6 10/- and £6 15/-, £4 and £2 10/-, jacks £5 2/6, £5 10/-, and £3, iron concrete barrows £2 10/- and £2 12/6, circular saws 27/6, £2, cross-cut saws 14/-, £l, 22/-, 24/- and 25/-, hillside plough £2. stump jack £4 10/-, pulleys £l, £1 5/- and £1 10/-, and blocks 35/-. TOKONUI SALE. LIVE STOCK MARKET. Wright, Stephenson and Co., Ltd., report:— A large attendance of buyers while the yardings of sheep were larger than usual. There was forward a good entry of m.s, f. and f. lambs which brought good prices. There was also a pen each of fat 2-tooth wethers and 2-tooth ewes which quitted at highly satisfactory prices. We sold: —12 2-tooth ewes at 39/-; 16 2-tooth wethers at 34/3; 150 mjs., f. and. f. lambs at 30/2; 99 do. at 30/-; 2 do at 30/-; and 43 cull lambs at 21/9. EDENDALE STOCK SALE. MONDAY’S MARKET. Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Co., Ltd., report a large entry of sheep, the bigger portion of which consisted of fat lambs, the demand for which proved to be keen, and the prices realised were quite on a par with the high prices ruling elsewhere for this class of stock. There was also forward a couple of pens of very choice fat wethers which were also disposed of at very satisfactory prices. A pen of fat ewes was knocked down at 25/3. With Woodlands Meat Works re-opened empty cows met with a ready sale. We sold:—ls fat lams at £2; 124 do. at 34/6; 1 do. at £2; 1 do. at 30/-; 335 f. and f. lambs at 29/7; 149 do. at 28/9; 33 cull lambs at 18/7; 19 fat ewes at 25/3; 6 do. at 26/-. One empty cow at £4 5/-; 2 do. at £3 15/-; 1 do. at £4; 2 do. at £2; 1 dairy heifer at £4; 1 bull at £4. GRAIN AND PRODUCE. THE DUNEDIN MARKET. Messrs Dalgety and Company, Ltd., report as follows: Oats: Business in this market is at a standstill, and buyers are not evincing any interest in the odd sample of old season’s oats offering. No new season’s samples have come forward yet, and it is therefore impossible to supply accurate values. Wheat: Stocks of fowl wheat are low, and there is a keen inquiry for good whole quality at up to 8/6 per bushel, sacks extra. New season’s is not being offered freely, and there is a considerable difference between millers’ and growers’ ideas of value. Potatoes: Consignments have eased, and good quality tables are realising from £6 to £6 10/- per ton, ex store. Chaff: Stocks held in store are heavy, and feeders are holding fair supplies. In view of the anticipated early marketing of new season’s chaff, buyers are purchasing in very small quantities, and it is difficult to effect sales. Reports from the country, however, indicate that it will be some time before new chaff in good condition will be available. The nominal value of prime quality old chaff is about £6 10/- per ton. Messrs Donald Reid and Co., Ltd., report. as under:— Oats: Owing to lack of sales in this cereal we refrain from quoting. Harvesting is now fairly general, and favourable reports have been received. Wheat: There is still a good local demand for fowl wheat, but stocks are now practically exhausted. We quote: Good whole wheat, 8/6 per bushel, sacks extra. Chaff: We quote: Good bright oaten chaff £6 10/- per ton, sacks extra, ex store. Potatoes: Small consignments are now coming forward, and are saleable at £6 to £6 10/- per ton, ex store. CANTERBURY MARKETS. BLIGHT IN POTATO CROPS. CHRISTCHURCH, January 27. Farmers are accepting current wheat prices, 6/sd, 6/7, and 6/9 f.0.b., sacks extra, for the various varieties, through there is a strong feeling that the Australian prices warrant 7/- a bushel. Algerian oats are tumbling in, the yields showing no diminution. From 2/3 to 2/5 is being quoted. Very few Gartons have been offered, and a few sales have been made at up to 3/- on trucks so far. Western Wolts and Italian ryegrass are worth from 2/7 to 3/- on truolw, and perennial 3/- to 3/4. Blight U reported to have appeared in several districts in the potato crop. This is somewhat early in the season. The wet weather hw helped the blight conditions in both potatoes and onions, but the present cold snap may arrest it. Fanners are not disposed to sell their potatoes at the pricw offered, £3 15/- to £4 on trucks for main crop. LONDON WOOL SALES. PROGRESS OF THE AUCTIONS. Messrs Murray Roberts and Co., Ltd., are in receipt of a cable from their London Agents, dated 23rd inst., giving quotations as under:— 50’s yield 65 per cent., 26Jd—close of previous series 30d. 44/46’s (preparing), yielding 74 per cent. 26d—close of previous series 26d. 44/46’s (carding), yielding 72 per cent., 26d—close of previous series 26d. 40/44’s, yielding 73 per cent., 25d—close of previous series 24id. 36/40’s, yielding 75 per cent., 24d—close of previous series 24d. The compettion is very restricted, with large withdrawals. Merino declined 5 per cent and slipes 7| per cent. LATEST REPORT. LONDON, January 27. At the wool sales there was a good selection of Merinos and competition for best wools was fairly good. Inferior lots were still neglected and were mostly withdrawn. New Zealand sale “Ara” realised 29£d. The Bradford tops market is unchanged. Crossbreds are slightly easier.

FROZEN MEAT. LATEST LONDON QUOTATIONS. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company has received the following cablegram from their London house:— New Zealand Frozen Meat: Lamb, 13Ad per lb (average). Ewe, light, B|d per lb, heavy 7£d per lb. Market slow. THE MEAT MARKET. SMITHFIELD QUOTATIONS. The New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board has received the following cable from its London Office dated January 23, 1925, advising Smithfield delivered prices at that date as follows: (Prices for the two previous weeks are also shown).

DAIRY PRODUCE. KEENER COMPETITION. ENGLISH FARMERS ORGANISING. Various items of outstanding interest to the dairy producers of New Zealand are contained in British newspapers just to hand, all indicating that a period of greater competition and keener organisation must be faced in future by New Zealand producers, remarks a statement issued yesterday by the New Zealand Dairy Control Board. In order to develop British industries, the Ministry of Agriculture has embarked upon a national campaign throughout Britain to organise dairy farmers for competition in the Home markets. This campaign was opened before the Cheshire Cheesemakers’ Federation in November by Mr J. F. Blackshore, Dairy Commissioner of the Ministry of Agriculture, when he urged an improved general standard in the manufacture of Cheshire cheese to counter the demand in Britain for imported cheese. The registration of cheesemakers and the adoption of a national trade mark were suggestions advanced by the Commissioner. The federation was readily converted by Mr Blackshore's advocacy of reform, and urged the Government to protect farmers by putting into force the Merchandise Marks Bill. PRESERVATIVES. Of even more importance to the dairy industry, continues the statement, is perhaps the definite campaign that has been launched to secure purity in foodstuffs by the elimination of all preservatives. This is the main recommendation of the Committee of the Health Ministry, which has made an exhaustive inquiry into the “use of preservatives and colouring matters in food,” and as an outcome recommends the total prohibition of all preservatives except in a few specified cases. Following on this recommendation, English papers show that heavy advertising expenditure was undertaken by the distributors of Danish butter and margerine, emphasising that these products did not contain preservative. These advertisements woukl naturally react to the disadvantage of New Zealand butter in the manufacture of which a limited amount of preservative has been customarily used. At the moment the New Zealand producers are without the ability to defend the purity of their product upon the British market against such insidious attacks which may ultimately have a very material bearing upon New Zealand’s dairy industry. INQUIRY INTO PRICES. A third matter of national importance in its reflex bearing upon New Zealand primary industries is the inquiry by Royal Commission into the conditions prevailing in the wholesale and retail trades in articles of food so far as they affected prices, particularly having regard to the difference between the prices received by the producer and the prices paid by the consumer. This Commission began its inquiry early in December. and has embarked upon an exhaustive investigation into the position. That there is abundant scope for such an inquiry is shown by figures given in his monograph “Food” by Sir Charles Feilding, who was Director-General of Food Production in 1918-19, and a member of Lord Milner’s Committee on the production of food. According to the figures worked out by this authority, no less than £175,000,000 is paid by the British public to distributors of meat, bread and milk, over and above the cost of production, distribution and reasonable profits in connection therewith. To determine whether that margin can be reduced to any degree is the object of the Commission, and their report will be awaited with keen interest by all primary producers in New Zealand, particularly in view of the marketing investigations recently made by representatives of both the Meat and Dairy Produce Control Boards. POOLS FOR FOODSTUFFS. In the course of this inquiry into prices, some very interesting views in connection witfi co-operative marketing were advanced by different witnesses. One authority, in reviewing the Australian wheat position, said he believed there would presently be producers’ pools for most foodstuffs, but they would have to be compulsory, because unless the whole of the producers of a commodity joined together the effort would fail. Voluntary co-operation in the past had sometimes been successful, but more often it had been a failure, simply because of the weakness represented by having only part of the industry associated in the venture, leaving the balance to act as a dead weight or competitor against the measures adonted to improve the position of the product. The only remedy therefore lay in the compulsry pooling of producers’ outputs. Questioned on these views, it was conceded by the witness that the natural corollary to this was the development of co-operative purchasing organisations amongst consumers. FARMERS MUST ORGANISE. In discussing these points with a farmer with extensive Home connections yesterday, the observation was made by him that plainly New Zealand producers in their different fields would be forced into more and more united action in order to further their individual interests in the marketing of their goods. It was becoming very plain that in the face of the evolution of big organisations in Britain and big movements there, the New Zealand producers must be in a position to let the consumer know the truth about his products, their methods of production, manufacture and marketing. Only in this way would the producer be able to face the competition of the future, and secure a living wage for himself and prosperity for the country. THE SHAREMARKET. YESTERDAY’S TRANSACTIONS. (Per United Press Association). DUNEDIN, January 27. Sales on ’Change: New Zealand Refrigerating (cont.), 11/2 (two parcels) 11/3. Sales reported: New Zealand Insurance 31/6, Kawarau Gold Mining 25/- (two parcels). WELLINGTON, January 27. Sales reported: Inscribed Stock( 1938) £96 17/6, Inscribed Stock (1927)-41) £9B 10/-, War Bonds (1933) £lOO 7/6. Sales o" ’Change: Bank of New Zealand £3 1/3. ’•

AUCKLAND, January 27. Sales on ’Change: New Zealand Government Inscribed Stock (1927-41), £9B 10/-; National Insurance 72/9. WHEAT AND FLOUR. PRICES FIXED BY MILLERS. CHRISTCHURCH, January 27. A delegation of millers waited on members of the Wheat Board to-day and informed them that the millers had entered into an ararngement amongst themselves to allocate supplies of New Zealand-grown wheat in proportion to the flour trade transacted by each of them. The price to be paid for wheat would be in accordance with the cost of Australian flour, on which the basis of prices per bushel would be at present 6/5 (for Tuscan), 6/7 (for Hunters), and 6/9 (for pearl), f.0.b., sacks extra. It is understood that in the discussion which followed the opinion was expressed by farmers that the growers were looking for at least 7/- per bushel. The meeting had no executive authority. It was merely an exchange and expression of opinions. TEST RECORD. A GOOD AYRSHIRE. PALMERSTON N, January 27. At a meeting of the Executive of the Ayrshire Cattle Breeders, it was reported that the Fair Maid of Queen Bank (junior), two-year-old heifer, bred and owned by W. Moore, of Homebush (Masterton), had just completed a semi-official test over 365 days and created a record for all classes of Ayrshires in the Dominion excepting the four-year-old division, having produced 12,28] lbs of milk and 672.561bs of fat.

(Per lb.) 23/1/25. 16/1/25. 9/1/25. N.Z. Wethers and Maidens d. d. d. : Not quoted N.Z. Ewes— 641b and under .. .. 84 8 7} N.Z. Lamb— Not quoted. N.Z. Beef— Ox fores 44 4* 4J Ox hinds 54 54 54 Cow fores Not quoted. Cow hinds Not quoted. Argentine Chilled Beef — Ox fores 44 Ox hinds . 6 64 84 Argentine Frozen Beef— Ox fores 4i 4-5 4£ Ox hinds . 6 6 6 Frozen Pork— 8Olbs to 1201bs .. .. 8 — 8 Frozen Veal— , Not quoted.