COMMERCIAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7924, 1 February 1904, Page 3

COMMERCIAL.

United Press Association— By Electric? Telegraph — Copyright. (Received February 1, 9.21 a.m.) LONDON, Jarinary 31. The wool cefbalqgyed 1 to date amounts to 116,898 bales; sold, 111,762 bales. Prices for merinoes have been fully maintained, but the shabbier cross-breds are rather dragr ging. The following clips have been sold : — Otago, 9|d ; Okawa, B£d. Wheat — Nine thousand quarters of Victorian wheat, February shipment! havebeen sold at 295, and 11,000 quarters Australian Febryary-M^rch shipment, at 295. The , City of Agra's cargo was sold at 29s 3d per quarter. Frozen meatr— Mutton, Canterbury 4 9-16 d, Dunedin and Southland 4fd, North Island 4 3-16d> Lambs— Canterbury 4'd, Dunedin and Southland 4%& ; North Island, none offering. Beef is unchanged. ' River Plate sheep sjd, beef, forequarters 2£d, hindquarters 2|d. (Last week's quotations were:— Frozen meat.— Mutton— Canterbury 4 7-16 d, Dunei din and Southland 4£d, North Island 4£d. Lamb— Canterbury 4|tf,. Dunedin and Southland 4|d, North Island 4|d. New Zealand beef, 1801 bto 2201 b per quarter, fair average quality, ox forequarters 2£d, ox hindquarters 3£d. River Plat© sheep, heavy and light, 3 11-16dj beef, forequarters 3d, hindquarters 2gd,) The Frozen Meat Trade Association's Smithfield market quotations for the undermentioned classes of frozen meats are baaed on the actual sale s of not leas than 100 carcases of mutton or lamb, or 25 carcases beef of fair average quality. These quotations aTe not for selected lines, but' for parcels fairly representative of the bulk of the shipments now on the market: — New Zealand sheep, crossbred wethers and maiden ewes— Canterbury, light, 481 bto 661 b; Canterbury, medium, 561 bto 641 b; Canterbury, heavy, 641 bto 721 b; Dunedin and Southland, 561 bto 641 b; North Island, 551 bto 651 b. New Zealand lamb— Canterbury, light, 281 bto 361 b ; Canterbury, heavy, 361 b to 421 b; Dunedin and Southland, 281 bto 421 b; North Island, 281 b to 421 b. New Zealand beef— Ox forequartere, 1801 bto 2201 b; hindquarters, 1801 bto 2201 b.) ! Kauri gum-— At auction 2980 cases were offered and 800 cases sold— chiefly chips and sittings— at full prices. No three-quarter scraped was sold. Copper— On spot £56 10s per- ton, three months' £56 7a 6d per ton. Lead-JBll 8s 6d per ton, THE AGENT-GENERAL'S REPORT. [Pjej* Press Assoqiation.] WELLINGTON, February 1. The Department of Industries and Commerce has received the following cable message from the Agent-General dated London, January 30:— "The mutton market is firm at the quotations cabled last week. The lamb imarket is quiet. The shipments of the new, season's Ittmb ex Athenic are not yet upon the market. There has been no alteration in the beef market since cabling last week. There- is a better demand for butter, and the market is firmer. The average price to-day for choicest New Zealand butter is 97s per cwt. The cheese market is unaltered. The hemp market is firm at the quotations cabled last week. There has been no change in the cocksfoot market. The wool market i s firm, with a hardening tendency. Prospects are favourable for shipments of apples, with a clear imarket."