TRADE REVIEW.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 829, 6 October 1916, Page 3

TRADE REVIEW.

WHEAT AND OAT MARKETS FIRMER,

This week there has been an all round firming up in the Christehureli markets, although reports regarding wheat are somewhat conflicting. There is a fair amount of grain coining forward from farmers. Potatoes have advanced, but the lots offering in Canterbury are mostly small and the opinion of merchants is that the quantity still in farmers' hands is not nearly as large as usual at this time of the year. Although Auckland is being supplied from Australia, the quantity from there is nothing like enough to satisfy the demand, and even if Melbourne can supply potatoes more cheaply, Auckland is bound to look to Canterbury to (ill the main order. GRAIN ANM> PRODUCE.

Wheat has for weeks past been very firm, with a tendency to rise, but it has not advanced generally yet, although one firm reports having paid a penny per bushel more all round for wheat this week. Farmers have been holding on to their stocks, restricting business to a certain extent, but the quantity on offer the last few days has been satisfactory. Tuscan is worth 4/8 to 4/9 per bushel. Hunters 4/0 to 4/10, and Pearl 5/1 to 5/2. The following are the prices paid to farmers at country stations, free of commission:— Wheat, Tuscan 4/8 to 4/9, Hunters 4/9 to 4/10, and Pearl 5/1 to 5/2. Flour £l2 10/-, 1001b bags £l.:, 501b bags £l.". 5/-, 251b £ll'. 10/-.

Bran, £4 per ton for shipping, and £4 5/- for local.

Pollard, £7 per ton for shipping. Oatmeal, 251b bags £7. Ryegrass, 4/- to 5/-. Cocksfoot, 121b seed 3d, Pill, seed 9id, 141b seed lOd. Peas, Partridge, 5/-. CHAFF.

Owing to the great quantity of chaff on offer, and, generally speaking, the poor condition of the sample added to the fact that there is not the same call for chaff at their season, the price has been gradually coming down, until now it is not worth more than £'. i 10/per ton for the best quality. At Rangiora on Tuesday there was a fair number of buyers at this figure, and the chances are that a little more business will be done now with £:> 10/- as the standard. OATS. Oats have firmed a little since last week and Gartous are worth from 2/8 to 2/9, and Danish 2/7 to 2/8. Duns are selling at .'!/- per bushel, but for really good lines, fit for feeding to racehorses, etc., more has been paid. POTATOES. Potatoes have firmed again this week and are now selling freely at from £6 10/- to £(> 15/-, but it is questionable if many sales have taken place at £7. Sales transacted at the latter figure would probably be for small lines to local merchants for Christchureh consumption, and, for shipping purposes, £6 15/- is about the outside price so far. There is a moderate demaud from Auckland, but no shipments of any size can be got away now until the Mouowai sails from Lyttelton on Saturday week. The Tarawera is to leave on Wednesday, but she is hardly to be counted with in the carying trade just now. DAIRY PRODUCE. Eggs are coming in very freely at. present and there is a big demand for them at the same price as was quoted last week. Stamped are worth 1/- per dozen and others lid. There is no change in butter prices, which' remain at 1/1 to 1/2 for separator, 1/1 for dairy, anil 1/(1 net, wholesale, and 1/8, retail, for factory. Bacon prices are unchanged. Hams 1/-, sides lid, rolls 1/-, ham rolls 1/1, lard pats lid. TAILORING TRADE. All things considered, business in the tailoring trade is fairly good, and the larger firms report that stocks are not so low as might be expected. The stocks they are procuring now are costing as much as 10/- and 20/- pcrsuit length more than the pre-war price, and the suits themselves have had to be advanced accordingly. The drapery departments seem to have been more severely hit by the recent shipping losses than the tailoring, and one of the biggest firms in the city states that its loss included a large consignment of khalci cloth which was very hard to replace. In any case the loss meant waiting for a considerable time before orders could be filled at Home. FRUIT AND VEGETABLES.

Most varieties of fruit are scarce just now and all sorts are fairly dear. Vegetables are in plentiful supply, but prices are keeping up well. Next Wednesday the usual shipment of pines, passions, mandarins, Sevilles, etc., is due to arrive, and on Monday next a Cook Island consignment of oranges, bananas and tomatoes is expected. A few small lots of Auckland lemons will probably be to hand on Monday or Tuesday, and 'Frisco apples are also expected within the next week. The following were the ruling prices in to-day's markets:

Apples, dessert 4}d lb, cooking Id per lb. Sydney oranges 13/- to 1.1/6 per case. Mandarins 17/- to 18/- per case. 'Frisco valeucias 24/- per case. Auckland lemons 15/- to 10/- per case. Mildura and South Australian lemons 17/- to 17/0 per case. Melbourne apples 16/- per case. Pineapples 15/6 per case. Passions 12/- per case. Loquats 8/- per case. Cucumbers 8d to 9d per lb. Potatoes 12/0 to 13/6 per sack. Cabbages .">/- to 3/6 per dozen. Cauliflowers 7/0 to 8/0 per dozen. Carrots 9d to lOd per do/., bundles. Turnips 8d to 9d per doz. bundles. Parsnips 1/- to 1/2 per do/., bundles. Rhubarb !)/- to 0/0 per doz. bundles. Local and Melbourne onions 9/- per cwt. Spring onions 9d to lOd per do/. bundles.

Beet (id to 9d per do/, bundles. Radishes 7d to 8d per doz. bundles

Celery !id per doz. bundles. Sprouts 10d to I/- per doz. bundles Lettuce 1/- to 1/.1 per doz.

Leeks, 5d to (id per doz. bundles. AUCKLAND MARKETS. [Special to The Sun.l AUCKLAND, October 5. Stocks of potatoes have worked down considerably, but the next lot comes here on Friday. The Tarawera brought a small lot on Monday, and heavier shipments are due to arrive by the Koromiko, the Monowai, and the Warriinoo. The mar ket remains steady at from £lO to £lO 10/-. Seed potatoes are still iu good