COMMERCIAL

Southland Times, Issue 21002, 7 February 1930, Page 2

COMMERCIAL

FINANCE AND TRADE-

LOCAL MARKETS Times Office, ■Friday' morning. Fruit and Vegetables. The recent fine weather has had a stimulating effect upon the local fruit business, and consequent upon the quick ripening of seasonal fruits, consignments have literally been pouring into the marts. Apricots in particular have been dumped in in big supplies. It is reported that the season for apricots will now be more or less limited, and it is anticipated that a week or ten days will suffice to see the bulk of the crop harvested. Values however, have been ruling very high. Peaches are also plentiful, but the market has eased slightly. Bon Chretian pears are arriving regularly from the Nelson district and have met with a good demand. Dessert apples, principally Gravenstoins and Worcester Pearmains, are now plentiful and selling freely. Values are very good. There is a threatened shortage of oranges, local stocks of which are now in very small compass. There are a few Californian lemons still available. A consignment of Italians is due next week. Values for both oranges and lemons continue high. i Supplies of hothouse tomatoes are still on the short side and top values are being maintained. Outside-grown, samples from the Nelson district and Hawke’s Bay are arriving in heavy supply and prices have eased. There are a few ripe bananas on hand, and these are realizing very good values. The vegetable market is well supplied, and prices are easier. Current prices for the week are approximately as follows Apricots, dessert (crates) to 6d lb; boxes,- 3d to 4d lb; peaches, dessert, to sd. lb; boxes 3/6 to 4/6; greengages, to 5d lb; plums, 3d to sd; hothouse tomatoes, to lOd lb; outsidegrown 4d to 7d; bananas to 32/6 case; oranges to 50/-; lemons 75/- to 80/-; grape-fruit to 42/6; dessert apples to 17/-; cookers to 10/6; cabbages 1/6 to 2/dozen; lettuce (market glutted) 1/- to 1/6; cauliflowers, limited supply, to 5/6 dozen. Market Report. The Waipiata with sugar and general cargo is due to leave Auckland to-day, and should be at Bluff about the 20th. Bacon continues to be very short in supply in face of the good prices being offered for bacon pigs. Prices for bacon and hams were advanced Id per lb as from Monday last. The Colombo tea market is becoming active after the recent slump. The recent sales brought ' about spirited bidding for teas of good quality, and prices advanced about three-farthings per lb. Common grades were again neglected there being very small demand for this class of tea at present. The London cheese market shows a decided improvement compared with a fortnight ago, and there is every sign of a further improvement faking place. Butter is easier, but not sufficient to cause any alarm. Latest prices quoted for Sicily almonds show an advance of three to four shillings per cwt, in about three weeks.' It was remarkable how the market collapsed, and no doubt buyers seized the opportunity of securing parcels at low rates. Current Prices. —Wholesale. —• Eggs, 1/3. Bacon, 1/3. Pollard, £9 10/-. Butter, factory, 1/6; separator lOd. Bran, £8 5/-. Flour, £l7 5/- to £l9. Oatmeal, £2B to £3O. -—Retail. Eggs, 1/6. Bacon, 1/6. Pollard, 12/6 per 100. Butter, 1/8, 1/9; separator 1/4, 1/1. Bran, 10/- to 10/6 per 100. Flour, 25’s 5/9 to 6/3; 50’s 10/6 to 12/3; 100’s 20/6 to 22/9; 200’s 40/- to 41/6. Oatmeal, 25’s 9/6; 50’s 16/6 to 17/6. Onions, 51b 1/-. [The above list of prices is compiled from a range of values obtained from the various merchants in the town. Where prices do not actually coincide a range is quoted.] Stock Market. Fat stock prices are on a par with those of last week, with values having an easing tendency. This was noticeable at last Wallacetown sale when there was only a quiet demand for prime mutton and beef, butchers not operating freely. The drop in wether mutton values has reduced prices for prime heavy sorts to 29/-, with medium weights from 25/- to 27/-. Freezing wethers continue to sell well, export buyers operating freely in this section. Prices for prime heavy butchers’ ewee have dropped, but there is a good demand for medium weights and freezing sorts, at prices on a par with those of last week. Fat lambs continue to sell well with prices firm at schedule rates. The demand for fat cattle has eased decidedly during the last few weeks and the market in thia section is dull, and will

continue to be so throughout the hot weather, butchers being unable to absorb any large quantities at the present time. A small yarding at last Wallacetown sale easily fulfilled requirements without any noticeable change in prices. The store sheep market is quiet, few sales being made. There is, however, more movement in the market and yardings are beginning to grow larger. At present entries consist chiefly of lambs, -this being the case at Wallacetown on Tuesday last. Lamb feed is, and will continue to be, very difficult to buy, and consequently rape lambs are at present meeting with a quiet market, prices at present being on the low side. Very few ewes have yet come on to the market. Store cattle remain quiet with prices slightly easier. , The following is a range of prices:— Fat Cattle: Prime bullocks to £l6; medium weights £ll 10/- to £l3 10/-; lighter sorts down to £lO 10/-; prime cows up to £11; medium weights £7 10/- to £9; prime heifers £lO to £l2; medium £8 to £10; lighter sorts down to £7. Store Cattle: Three and four-year-old steers up to £l2; 2-year-old steers £8 to £9 10/-; good yearling steers £5 to £6 10/-; speyed and empty cows and heifers up to £B, according to quality and condition; two-year-old heifers up to £7 15/-; yearlings £4 to £5 5/-. Fat Sheep: Extra prime wethers up to 29/-; medium weights 26/6 to 27/6; lighter sorts 23/- to 25/6; prime butchers’ ewes up to 22/6; freezing ewes 16/- to 18/-; lighter sorts down to 14/6; prime butchers’ lambs up to 30/-; extra prime freezing lambs 24/- to 26/-; good freezing lambs 22/- to 23/6. Store Sheep: Good mixed sex paddock lambs up to 20/-; medium lines 16/- to 18/-; rape lambs up to 18/3, according to condition; 4 and 6-tooth wethers up to 23/-; 2-tooth wethers 20/- to 21/-. MATAURA STOCK SALE. SMALL ENTRY. (From Our Correspondent.) The monthly stock sale was held at Mataura yesterday in fine weather and before a moderate attendance o£ farmers and buyers. Sheep. The entry comprised over 1000, mostly store lambs. The market was dull but nevertheless sales were about in accord with other district sales. A pen of fat ewes realized 14/3 and these were the only fats forward. A few pens of store lambs were on offer and. values were about 8/- below those ruling at this time last year when the wool market was good. A couple of pens of wether lambs changed hands at 10/8 and 18/3 respectively, ewe lambs 14/6, and mixed sexes 12/4. A pen of full and failing ewes realized 17/-. Sales were as follow:— National Mortgage and Agency Co., Ltd.— 10 fat ewes 14/3, 70 wether lambs 18/3, 200 wether lambs 10/8, 230 m.s. lambs 12/4, 160 ewe lambs 14/6. Passed in: 185 4 and 6-tooth wethers 20/-, 86 2-tooth wethers 18/10. Southland Farmers’ Co-op. Association Ltd.: 70 f. and f. ewes 17/-. Cattle. In the cattle pens there was an entry of 58 head. A fair proportion of fats, cow and heifer beef were forward and realized fair values although a number were passed in. Fat cows changed hands at from £5 7/6 to £9 and fat heiferes from £7 15/- to £lO 5/-. Store cows were quitted at from £4 2/6 to £4 10/-, and 18 months to two-year-old steers up to £7 1.2/6. Sales were as follows:— National Mortgage and Agency Co., Ltd.Fat heifer £7 15/-, 2 store cows £4 2/6,, 9 two-year-old steers £7 7/6. Passed in: lat cows £7 15/-, £7, £5 15/-, £4 10/-, £6 17/6, £5 15/-, fat heifer £5 15/-, bull £4 15/-. Southland Farmers’ Co-op. Association Ltd.—Fat heifers 2at £lO 5/-, 2at £9 SZ-, fat cows £6, £6 10/-, £7 15/-, £9, £6, £8 17/6, £5 17/6, £8 17/6, bull £5, store cow £4 10/-. Wright, Stephenson and Co., Ltd.—s 18 mos steers £7 12/6. Passed in: 3 fat cows £B, 16 18 m.o.s. heifers £4. WINTON STOCK SALE. (From Our Correspondent. The fortnightly sale at this centre took place yesterday before a good attendance of district fanners. Very little stock was forward for this time of the year, and only 1500 sheep and 50 head of cattle were penned. Some good pens of store cattle were offered and these met with a ready sale at current market rates. Fat lambs made up to 27/7 for extra prime heavy sorts, while lighter freezing lambs realized from 22/- to 24/6, and freezing ewes to 17/-. Good mixed sex etore lambs were selling to 18/2 for the best, while those in poorer condition were down to 13/-. The following are some of the results of the sale:— • Cattle. Wright, Stephenson and Co., Ltd.: One cow at £7 12/6, 1 cow with two calves £lO, 1 cow at £6, 1 cow at £6 7/6, 3 heifers at £4 10/-, 1 heifer at £7,,19 steers and heifers at £6, 2 steers at £5 12/-, 2 bullocks at £9, 3 steers at £5 2/-, 5 steers at £7 2/-. Southland Farmers’ Co-operative Association, Ltd.: Three cows at £7, 1 heifer at £lO 7/6, 1 cow at £l2 2/6. National Mortgage and Agency Co., Ltd.: One steer at £7 2/-; 1 fat cow at £lO 12/6; I heifer at £9 15/-; 1 heifer at £9 7/6. Dalgety and Co., Ltd.: One fat cow' at £9 15/-; 1 do. at £lO 12/6; 1 do. at £9 7/6. Sheep. Store Sheep.—Wright, Stephenson and Co., Ltd.: 100 mixed sex lambs at 18/2, 48 lambs at IS/2, 50 four and six-tooth wethers at 23/3. Southland Farmers’ Co-operative Association, Ltd.: 57 wether lambs at 7/2, 25 mixed sex lambs at 13/4, 150 wether lambs 14/3. National Mortgage and Agency Co., Ltd.: 1 lamb at 24/9, 12 ewes and lambs at 13/-. Fat ■ Sheep.—Southland Farmers’. Co-op-erative Association, Ltd.: 17 ewes at 19/9, 14 do. at 19/9, 19 lambs at 23/-, 29 wethers at 27/-, 52 lambs at 23/9, 48 do. at 25/3, 24 do. at 22/9, 5 ewes at 16/-, 18 lambs at 27/7, 12 lambs at 27/4, 1 ewe at 17/6, 40 lambs at 27/1. ■ National Mortgage and Agency, Ltd.: 41 ewes at 16/4, 35 lambs at 23/6, 14 ewes at 17/-, 5 do. at 21/1, 5 do. at 22/6, 1 two-tooth ewe at 20/-. THE SHAREMARKET. YESTERDAY’S TRANSACTIONS. (Per United Press Association.) Auckland, February 6. Sales on ’Change: Auckland Harbour Board, 1941, 6 per cent. £lO3 10/-; Commercial Bank of Australia 23/6 (3), ditto rights 2/6; National Bank of Australasia £ls 5/-; Bank of New South Wales 39/-; Bank of New Zealand 56/-; Union Bank £ll 3/6, £ll 4/- (3); New Zealand Insurance 41/6, 41/74, 41/6; South British 57/6; Dalgety and Co. £l2 2/6; Grey Valley Coal 26/-; Devonport Steam Ferry 23/6; British Tobacco 42/9; Colonial Sugar £42 5/-, £42 7/6; Dunlop Perdriau 21/6; Wilson’s Cement 37/6; Dominion Pictures 21/-. Wellington, February 6. Sales reported: Wellington Harbour Board 5J per cent., 1940 debentures £97 5/-;' Bank of Australasia £ll 7/6; Union Bank of Australia £ll 3/6 and £ll 5/-; Goldsbrough Mort and Co. £1 13/6; Electrolytic Zinc preference £1 11/6 cum. div.; Wilson's Cenient £1 17/3. ,

Chriltchurch, February 6. Sales on ’Change: New Zealand Government 41 per cent, bonds 1939 £99 2/0 (2); Commercial Bank of Australia (cum. div.) 23/3; Commercial Bunk of H Australia (rights) 1/11; Bank of N3.W. (cum. div.) £39 2/6; Bank of New Zealand 56/-; New Zealand Insurance (cum. div.) 41/9, 41/10; Union Bank of Australia £ll 3/6; Goldsbrough Mortgage 32/5, 31/11; New Zealand Guarantee Corporation 8/2; New Zealand Refrigerating (10/- pd.) 4/10 (2) ; Christchurch Gas 26/- (2) ; Staples Brewery (ex div) 43/-; British Tobacco 43/- (2), 42/6, 42/4; Colonial Sugar £42, £42 10/-, £42; Electro Zinc ord. cum. div.) 30/6; Victoria Nyanza Sugar (cum. div.) 41/4; Mahakipawa 31d. Sales reported: Commercial Bank of Australia (cum. div.) 23/6; Commercial Bank of Australia “rights” 2/1; National Bant of Australasia (£lO paid) £l5 3/6; Bank of Now South Wales (cum. div.) £39 5/-, £39 2/6; Bank of New Zealand 55/6; Commercial Bank of Australia (cum. div.) 23/3 (2); New Zealand Insurance (cum. div.) 41/4; New Zealand Breweries 84/-; British Tobacco 43/- (2), 42/4; Electro Zinc (ord. cum div.) 30/6; Electro Zinc (pref, cum. div.) 31/- (2); Mt. Lyell 36/-, 36/1; New Zealand Government 4J per cent, bonds 1939 £99 2/6. Dunedin, February 6. Sales reported: Bank of New.... Zealand 65/6; Commercial Bank 23/6; New Zealand Breweries 84/3. EASTERN DISTRICT FAT STOCK. AT BURNSIDE MARKET. Eastern District vendors of fat stock at this week’s market at Burnside realized the following prices:— Cattle.—J. S. Fleming and Co. (Titiroa), bullocks £2O, £lB, £l7 and £l6. K. G. McKenzie (Fortrose), bullocks £l6 17/6, £l5. Sheep.—J. S. Fleming and Co. (Titiroa), wethers 35/3, 32/9 and 30/3. R. Findlay (Heriot), wethers 32/3, ewes 27/6 and 24/-. A. Galt (Tuturau), wethers 31/6, 28/-, ew’es 27/- and 24/-. T. Spittle (East Gore), wethers 27/6 and 26/6. William Hunter (Wyndham), wethers 34/6, 33/6, 33/3, 32/3 and 32/-. A Greenlees (Wyndham), ewes 27/3, 25/9, 20/3 and 18/9. A. W. Sim (Heriot), ewes 28/3, 27/-, 26/9 and 24/6. D. McKnight (Titiroa), wethers 33/-, 30/-, 29/9, 28/9 and 28/-. AUSTRALIAN MARKETS. (United Press Assn.—By Telegraph—Copyright.) (Rec. 8.35 p.m.) Melbourne, February 6. The hide marekt generally is unaltered. (Rec. 8.35 p.m.) Adelaide, February 6. Wheat: 4/6. Flour: £l2 2/- ton. Bran: £6 10/-. Pollard: £8 5/-. Oats: £2 10/-. SYDNEY MARKETS. (Rec. 8.25 p.m.) Sydney, February 6. Wheat prices are steady for the bulk of wheat at 5/-, bagged 5/2. Potatoes: Tasmanian £8 to £9. Victorian £7. Onions: Victorian Globes £5. Flour, £l2. Pollard, £9. Bran, £7 10/-. Oats: White 5/-, Algerian 4/6. Maize, 7/2. LONDON WOOL SALES. London, February 5. At the wool sales 12,663 bales were offered, including 795 New Zealand and 2,450 from Puntas Arenas. Approximately 9000 Australian and New Zealand were sold. There was a large selection of all classes of greasy Merino, a few scoured and a small supply of other sorts. Good general competition resulted, Yorkshire predominating. Prices were maintained at yesterday’s level. Tuesday’s sales were 6,925 Australian and 2,265 New Zealand. WHEAT CARGOES. London, February 5. Wheat cargoes were steadier in sympathy with American cables, sellers occasionally asking sixpence more, but buyers were disinclined to do business even at the present price. Parcels were quiet, occasionally showing threepence or sixpence advance. LONDON TALLOW SALES. Messrs Dalgety and Company, Limited, report having received the following advice from their head office, London, under date of the sth instant: — At the tallow sales this week 680 casks were offered of which 279 were sold. No public sales next week. DAIRY PRODUCE QUOTATIONS. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., have received the following cablegram from their London House under date sth instant: Butter: Choicest salted 152/- to 154/- per cwt. Market quiet, ' Cheese: 88/- to 91/- per cwt. Market quiet.