COMMERCIAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18830, 19 March 1931, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

METROPOLITAN STOCK SALE. HEAVY ENTRIES AT ADDINGTON. By Telecraph—press Association CHRISTCHURCH, March 18. With the exception of the fat cattle section, entries at Addington market today were very heavy. Beef prices eased further and the fat sheep market weakened, but fat lambs, store lambs, and store sheep sold at advanced rates. Store sheep.—There was a very keqn sale at late rates for better soundmouthed sheep, and coarse-woolled two-tooths sold at a rise of one shilling. Values were: Extra good twotooth Romney ewes to 19/-, good twotooth do. to 15/8; good 4 and 6-tooth do. 14/- to 15/9; ordinary do. 10/- to 13/10; good six and eight-tooth do. 9/6 to 11/1, sound mouthed to 5/9; extra good two-tooth three-quarterbred ewes to 18/-; good to 15/-; extra good four and six-tooth do. to 17/7, good six and eight-tooth do. 8/6 to 10/-, sound mouthed 4/- to 6/-, extra good twotooth halfbred ewes 15/- to 17/3, good do. 14/6; good four and six-tooth do. 12/6 to 13/10, ordinary 8/3 to 9/7; good six and 8-tooth do. 9/- to 10/-; good sound mouthed do. 6/6 to 8/6; aged and inferior ewes 9d to 3/9; extra good twotooth halfbred wethers to 12/4, good four-tooth do. 7/8 to 9/3. Store lambs met a free sale at an advance of 1/- to 1/6 per head. Values were: Extra good rape lambs to 13/-, ordinary rape lambs 7/6 to 9/4, small and backward 2/9 to 6/6, ordinary ewe lambs 7/7 to 8/4; medium wether lambs to 8/3. Fat lambs.—There was a keen sale throughout at a slight advance on late rates. Export buyers were operating freely. Values were:—Prime lambs to 16/10, medium lambs 13/3 to 15/-, light lambs 11/- to 13/-; store lambs 8/- to 10/6.

Fat sheep.—The entry was 5500 head. Values were:' —Prime heavy wethers 14/- to 15/10, medium 12/3 to 13/6, second quality 8/6 to 12/-, light 6/- to 8/-; prime ewes 8/9 to 9/7, medium 7/to 8/6, light 5/- to 6/6, aged 2/6 to 4/6.

Fat cattle met a dull market, with a decline in values of £1 per head. Choice beef made from 27/- to 30/- per 1001 b, good medium weight 26/- to 29/-, plain heavy beef 21/- to 25/-, cow beef 19/to 22/-, secondary beef 16/- to 19/-, rough down to 12/6. Values were: Extra prime heavy steers to £l3/17/6, prime heavy £lO to £l2/10/-; prime medium weights £7 to £9/10/-, medium quality £5/5/- to £6/15/-, light to £5; extra prime heifers to £lO/17/6, prime £6/15/- to £9, medium £4 to £6/10/-, light £3/10/-; extra prime cows £lO 2/6, prime £6/10/- to £B/10/-, medium £3/10/- to £O. light £3. THE BURNSIDE SALE. FAT CATTLE DECLINE. By Telegraph—Press Association DUNEDIN, March 18. Fat cattle again sold at reduced prices at Burnside to-day. The sale opened quietly at prices equal to those which ruled at the previous offering, but the market was affected later, and closing quotations showed a reduction of almost 10/- per head. The sheept sale was very irregular, opening prices being easier, only to firm later, and finishing with a rise of fully 1/- per head. Lambs were in fair demand, and late rates were maintained. There was a noticeable improvement in the store cattle section. Several good lines of bullocks sold at very satisfactory prices. An over-supply of pigs resulted in prices showing a drop of about 5/per head for baconers, and porkers.

Fat cattle numbered 181 head of fair to good quality. The, yarding included several pens of prime bullocks, heifers and cows, and a large number of plain sorts. Prime bullocks sold up to £l4 ss, medium to £l3, light to £ll, medium heifers to £B, light to £6 ss; heavy cows to £9, medium to £7 lbs, light to £6 10s. About 3000 sheep were offered. The entry included a fair proportion pf good wethers. The quality of ewes forward was an improvement on that at late yardings. Prime wethers sold up to 15/6: medium to 14/-, light to 8/-; extra prime ewes to 11/3, prime to 9/-, medium to 7/-, light to 4/6. The lamb entry numbered 1400 head. There was a wide range of quality. The yarding included several pens of heavy lambs, but the balance consisted of mixed sorts. Extra prime lambs sold up to 14/9, prime to 14/-, medium weights to 12/6, light to 10/9, unfinished sorts to 8/9.

About 100 three and four-year-old station bullocks were included in the yarding of 200 store cattle. The bullocks were in very forward condition, and met with a good sale. Twenty-five animals sold at prices ranging from £9 15s to £lO 9s 6d, 40 from £8 to £8 12s 6d, 30 from £7 to £7 15s. Two-year-old steers sold up to £3 ss. The pig entry was larger than usual, consisting of 88 fats and 77 stores. Porkers sold up to £3, baconers to £3 10s. The prices obtained for porkers were equivalent to about 6Jd, and for baconers to about sid per lb.

TONE OF THE MARKETS. GRAIN, SEEDS AND POTATOES. There are indications of a brighter tone in the markets for all classes of primary produce. Since improvement was manifested in values of wool, there has been a disposition to view the future with a greater measure of optimism. One phase of primary production which has been somewhat disconcerting to growers is that concerning meat. The steady drop in values has had a serious effect upon this industry, and it required the recent appreciation in wool prices to help those who had been hard hit over the slump in meat. There are signs, however, that an improvement in the market for meat is likely to take place in the near future. Some businessmen with their fingers on the pulse of this market go so far as to predict an early increase in prices. Whether this is proved correct, or not, is for the future to decide, but it is a fact that many lines of primary produce have of late shown a firming tendency. This is not taken to indicate that there is any likelihood of ‘'boom” prices, but rather that values will steadily advance to a sound normal basis. South Canterbury is as interested in and dependent up the results from agriculture as it is upon wool and mutton, and it is something of an inspiration for growers to know that wheat moved somewhat during the week. However, millers, having filled their orders for immediate requirements, are now marking time. Due to various causes, it is stated many lines offered since last report, have been somewhat below standard. It it notable that there has been more trouble over quality of late, than was the case during the early part of the 1 season. To-day, Tuscan 1b nominally

worth 5/3 a bushel on trucks, Hunters 5/6i and Velvet 5/s£. Wheat, both milling and fowl, was shipped to Auckland last week, but most of the supplies destined for the northern city are still going from Lyttelton, as prices there are about a penny lower than in Timaru. Fowl wheat is quoted nominally at 4/6 a bushel on trucks. The quality of Canadian brands of wheat sown in South Canterbury is excellent. It is stated by experts that Marquis and Garnet are equal to Velvet for milling purposes. Sales of oats have been slow. The North Island is not taking any great quantities, and A. and B. Gartons are nominally quoted at 2/7S and 2/5 a bushel f.0.b., s.i., which is equal respectively to 2/2 and 2/- on trucks. A few lines of extra good quality have been sold at prices in advance of these for milling purposes. There has been a good demand for heavy dark Duns at from 2/7 to 2/9 a bushel on trucks. For lighter coloured Duns, there has not been much demand at 2/2 to 2/3 on trucks. The North Island is taking a few lines of Algerian at 3/3, machine dressed and clipped.

So far as chaff goes, Blenheim is still doing the major portion of the export trade from the South Island at 85/- a ton f.0.b., s.i., equal to £2/17/6 on trucks.

Up to the present, no linseed crops have been threshed, chiefly on account of farmers being engaged in threshing wheat.

Cape and Chevalier barley are very slow of sale, the present quotations being 2/6 to 2/9 a bushel on trucks. Ryegrass is not meeting with much inquiry from the North Island, but sales have been effected at from 4/3 to 4/6 f.0.b., for machine-dressed according to quality. There have been more inquiries for Western Wolths, and machine dressed seed has been sold at 3/6 f.0.b., while farmerdressed lines are worth from 2/1 to 2/5 according to quality.

There appears to be an over supply of cocksfoot, and prices remain about the same as last week with little demand. Cow grass is about the same as a week ago, and there is no new season's seed offering. Clover has been inquired for, and farmers dressed lines of good bright seed have been sold at from 2/8 to 2/9.

Crested dogstail has been sold at 5d per lb for machine dressed seed. For most lines of produce, there has been a good demand, and there has been a slight rise in values in most instances, with the exception of potatoes. April-May-June potatoes have been sold at £4 a ton f.0.b., s.i., which is equal to £3/2/6 on trucks. July-September deliveries are quoted at £4/12/6 f.0.b., s.i.

There has been good inquiry for green feed lines of seed, such as Cape barley, black barley, rye-corn, and Western Wolths.

Prospects in Auckland. Reports from Auckland state that business for seeds, grain and potatoes is showing a good deal of promise and late advices are to the effect that inquires are being made for quite a number of lines. There have been several firms asking for potatoes in 40 and 50 ton lots at 80/- a ton for April and April-June shipments. Good whole fowl wheat for AprilDecember shipment is firm at 5/2 a bushel. One line of 100 sacks each of A. and B. Garton oats, quoted at 2/8 and 2/55 respectively per bushel, was disposed of during the week to a city firm by one Timaru merchant. BRIGHTER TONE AT GERALDINE SALE. A brighter tone prevailed at yesterday’s stock sale at Geraldine, and an improvement of about 1/- a head took place in the fat lamb values. The store market remained firm at the ruling rates obtained at recent sales. The yarding—probably the largest for some months past—was about 14,000, and this was largely due to the entries in the store section. There was an exceptionally large attendance of farmers, and although the sale was not a spirited one, there were buyers for everything at a price. Feed is again becoming plentiful, and the farmer desirous of stocking up had an eye for reasonably priced stores, and this materially assisted in maintaining the store prices at a firm level. The quality of the fats penned was quite good, and this was probably the cause of the appreciation in prices, although it is interesting to note that the same increase took place at Addington. Top price for the sale was 16/8 for a nice line of 179 2-tooth ewes sold by Pyne, Gould, Guinness Ltd. on behalf of a client. Four-year-old ewes sold on behalf of Orari Gorge brought 9/4, while an exceptionally fine line of 400 three-quarter bred ewe lambs, also from Tripp Brothers, Orari Gorge, netted 13/6. Two hundred four and five year old ewes were sold on behalf of Mr J. S. Barker for 8/-, while older ewes went from 5/- to 6/6, and a lot of low conditioned ewes from 1/6 to 3/-. Top price for fat lambs was 13/9. A line of 343 4, 6 and 8-tooth Romney cross ewes from Woodside made 10/3.

Owing to the fact that Easter intervenes before the next fat sale, a suggestion has been made that a further fat stock sale be held in Geraldine next Wednesday. The anual ram and ewe fair will be held the following week. Values were as follows:

Fat ewes.—l 3 at 4/-, 24 at 4/10, 3 at 7/3, 3 at 4/-„ 34 at 3/3, 35 at 3/7, 26 at 4/4, 27 at 4/2, 9 at 4/2, 23 at 3/6, 8 at 6/3, 16 at 3/11, 24 at 3/4, 9 at 4/5, 19 at 4/6, 15 at 3/9, 4 at 3/-, 9 at 4/5, 19 at 4/6, 15 at 3/9, 4 at 3/-, 99 at 4/5, 1 at 3/-, 22 at 4/2, 15 at 4/1, and 11 at 4/6. Fat wethers.—4 at 10/1, 1 at 8/-, and 3 at 8//-.

Fat lambs.—lo at 12/8, 36 at 11/9, 26 at 12/-, 41 at 12/7, 102 ewe lambs at 9/1, 58 at 11/3, 56 at 11/10, 9 at 12/3, 56 at 12/1, 58 at 12/10, 29 at 12/-, 58 at 12/10, 32 at 13/4, 43 at 12/7, 74 at 12/8, 82 at 13/3, 81 at 12/8, 34 at 12/10, 24 at 11/1, 19 at 12/6, 28 at 11/7, 32 at 10/6, 24 at 11/7, 10 at 13/9, 29 at 12/3, 22 at 12/3, 58 at 13/-, 60 at 11/10, 60 at 12/7, 44 at 13/4, 62 at 12/-, 57 at 12/8, 44 at 12/-, 25 at 13/5, 64 at 12/10, 82 at 12/7, 104 at 11/8 and 42 at 12/2.

Store sheep.—34 4-tooth threequarter bred ewes at 14/3, 57 f.m. ewes at 1/7, 30 4 and 6-tooth wethers at 9/1, 147 ewe lambs at 10/7, 9 m.s. lambs at 8/9, 27 f.m. ewes at 3/3, 93 do at 3/3, 80 2-tooth half-bred ewes at 10/2, 54 2tooth ewes at 15/-, 67 4 and 6-tooth ewes at 13/6, 300 wether lambs at 5/6, 68 s.m. ewes at 4/7, 52 6 and 8-tooth ewes at 9/8. 42 f.m. ewes at 6/6 30 2tooth ewes at 9/-. 140 6 and 8-tooth ewes at 7/3, to 7/9, 270 old ewes from 2/- to 2/5, 55 4, 6 and 8-tooth ewes at 6/3. 245 2, 4 and 6-tooth ewes at 13/4, 251 4-tooth half-bred wethers at 7/-, 160 half-bred wethers at 6/-, 65 4-tooth wethers at 4/1, 190 old ewes at 7d to 1/7, 172 f.m. ewes at 1/7, 343 4, 6 and 8-tooth s.m. ewes at 10/3, 35 f.m. ewes at 1/7, 343 4, 6 and 8-tooth s.m. ewes at 10/3, 35 f.m. at 2/-, 102 s.m. at 5/6, 5 lambs at 5/2, 5 cull rams at 1/-, l'O lambs at 9/-, 62 m.s. lambs at 8/6, 74 wether lambs at 9/-, 28 m.s. lambs at 10/2, 100 2-tooth ewes at 12/3, 100 2-tooth ewes at 12/-, 17 ewe lambs at 9/5, 8 cull ewes at 6d, 6 cull rams at 4d, 120 f.m. ewes at 1/7, 343 4, 6 and 8-tooth ewes at 10/3, 7 lambs at 5/2, 70 m.s. lambs at 3/6, 102 s.m. ewes at 5/6, 17 2-tooth ewes at 7/3, 35 , s.m. ewes at 2/-* 121 4, 6 and 8-tooth

ewes at 5/-, 98 ewes at 1/4, 22 ewes at 3/6, 400 ewe lambs at 13/6, 194 s.m. ewes at 5/9, 303 6 and 8-tooth ewes at 6/8, 690 6 and 8-tooth three-quarter bred ewes at 9/3 to 9/4, 52 4, 6 and 8-tooth ewes at 7/9, 33 ewes at 3/-, 13 ewes at 4/5, 126 s.m. ewes at 5/7, 27 wether lambs at 2/-, 34 wether lambs at 5/3, 39 s.m. lambs at 8/8, 203 4, 6 and 8-tooth ewes at 8/-, 30 2-tooth ewes at 8/4, 55 ewes at 2/-, 7 ewes at 1/3, 58 4-tooth ewes at 12/-, 161 twotooth ewes at 16/4, 7 rams at 1/4 to 3/4, 4 at 1/8, 2 at 2/-, 1 at 1/4, 179 2-tooth ewes at 16/8. Cattle.—l bull at 30/-, 1 heifer at £3/7/6, 1 calf at 10/-, 1 cow at £5/17/6. Pigs from 7/- to 12/-. FAIRLIE SALE. The seventeenth of the month saw the fortnightly sale at the Fairlie yards with a pruning of 7250 sheep, the great majority of them being lambs. There was a representative gathering of farmers, dealers and parties anxious to watch prices. There was a slight upward tendency for good lines of lambs, there being a not very wide margin between stores and fats, but inferior tussock and country ones sold at the same low level as obtained for them at other centres. Following were some of the prices:— Fats.—Lambs: 115 at 10/6, 38 at 10/4, 45 at 11/2, 26 at 11/4, 33 at 10/9. Ewes: 17 at 5/4, 16 at 4/6, 28 at 6/-, 36 at 6/-. Wethers: 10 at 10/11, 9 at 12/9. Stores.—Ewes: 35 4 and 6-tooth at 11/5, 156 2-tooth halfbred at 12/-, 27 2 and 4-tooth at 10/6, 218 4,6, and 8tooth at 8/2; 283 6-tooth 7/5. Wethers: 99 halfbred at 1/9, 23 2 and 4-tooth at 8/5. Lambs.—Mixed sex: 53 at 4/6, 133 at 8/-, 280 at 8/7, 156 at 8/2, 490 at 4/7, 82 at 4/3, 50 at 7/6. 80 at 9/3. Ewe lambs: 44 at 7/2, 41 at 5/-, 80 at 7/9, 100 (fine wool) at 9/5, 86 at 8/2. Wether lambs: 127 Romney cross at 7/-, 68 at 4/10, 156 f. and f. at 8/2, 137 at 8/2, 155 at 5/4, 233 at 4/-, 200 three-quarterbred at 8/-, 210 three-quarterbred at 7/11, 110 at 7/11, 164 at 5/5, 304 at 5/-. Cattle.—l dry cow 45/-, 2 do. at 30/apiece, cow in profit 45/-, young cow in calf 62/6, heifer 40/-. Pigs.—Weaners: 2 at 15/6, 2 at 14/-, 2 at 14/6, 2 at 13/-, 3 at 13/6, 3 at 12/-. THE SHARE MARKET.

By Telegraph—Press Association AUCKLAND, March 18. Sales on ’Change.—Commercial Bank of Australia, 15/9; Bank of New Zealand, 51/3; National Insurance (late sale Tuesday), 13/11; Auckland Gas, 23/3; Devonport Steam, 21/-; Wilson’s Cement. 40/-; Waihi Mining, 10/5; Mount Lyell, 21/4; King Solomon 1//8; Moanataiari Mining, 1/4. CHRISTCHURCH, March 18. Sales on ’Change.—Commercial Bank of Australia, 15/9 (2); National Bank of Australasia (£5 paid), £5 4/6; Bank of New Zealand, 51/- (2); Bank of New Zealand (“D” Mortgage shares), 26/6; Goldsbrough Mort, 21/11; New Zealand Refrigerating (10/- paid), 3/4 (odd lot), 3/7, 3/8, 3/9 (2); Bank of New Zealand 51/6; Tooths Brewery, 21/11 (2); British Tobacco (pref.), 18/6; King Solomon, 1/7J (2); Mahakipawa 7d; Okarito, 6/10 (3) 6/9. Sales reported.—Hamilton Borough, 53 per cent., 1962, £9B; National Bank of Australasia (£5 paid), £5/4/6, £5/4/; New Zealand Refrigerating (10/paid), 3/6; National Bank of Australasia (£5 paid), £5/5/6; Goldsbrough Mort, 22/3; Union Bank, £B/6/-, £B/7/6. DUNEDIN, March 18. Sales on ’Change.—King Solomon, 1/7. Sales reported.—New Zealand Refrigerating, 11/-; Mt. Lyell, 21/6; after last call New Zealand Refrigerating (cont.), 3/5.