COMMERCIAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9304, 3 August 1908, Page 3

COMMERCIAL.

* United Press As?oeiation — By Electric Tei-egrapli — Copyright. (Received August 3, 8.45 a.m.) LONDON, August 2. FROZEN MEAT TRADE. Frozen Meat. — The Frozen Meab Trades Association's Smithfield market quotations ior tho undermentioned classes of frozen meats are based on actual sales of not less than 100 carcases of mutton or lamb, or twentyfivo carcases of beof of fair average quality. These quotations are not for selected linos, but for parcels fairly representative of the bulk of the shipments now on the market: — MuttonNew Zealand cross-bred wethers and maiden ewes. North Island, 551 b to 65 lb, 3 id ; best brands, 3jjd ; rest unchanged. Lamb — Canterbury, light, 281b-361b, oid ; medium, sfd ; heavy, 361b-421b 51d. Beef— Ox forequarters, 180lb-2201b, 2 15-16 d; ox hindquarters, 1801b-2201b, 3|d. (Last week's quotations were : — Frozen. Meat. — Mutton — New Zealand cross-bred wethers and maiden ewes, Canterbury, none offering; North Island, .3 9-lGd; best brands, 3 11-lGd. Lamb — Canterbury, light s|d, medium s*d, heavy 5Jd ; Southland, 281b-421b, s§d ; North Island, 28Ib-421b, o£d. Beef —New Zealand beef, 1801b-2201b, fair average quality, ox forequartors 2£d, ox hindquarters 4d. River Plate mutton, heavy 3Jd, light '3§d; beef, forequarters 22d, hindquarters 3 13-16 d. Rabbits. — The market is firm. Large Melbourne are retailing at 13s to 13s Gd per crate of twenty-four. The new season's arrivals are excellent. METALS. Copper. — Spot, £59 17s 6d per ton ; three months', £60 12s (xl per ton; electrolytic, £G0 15s per ton. Tin.— Spot, £138 10s per ton; three months', £139 15s per ton. Lead. — £13 7s Gd per ton. Silver. — 2s per oz. • Antimony. — £9 to £9 10s per ton. GRAIN. Wheat. — The total quantities of wheat and flour afloat for the United Kingdom amount to 1, 815,000 quarters, and for the Continent to 1,090,000 quarters ; Atlantic shipments, 254,000 quarters. WOOL. London Wool Sales. — The total number of bales of wool catalogued to date i-3 201,583; sold to Home buyers, 95,000; for the Continent, 75,500; to American buyers, 13,000; held over, 88,000. The recent weaker demand led to a relapse, and the closing prices were mostly identical with the May closing rates, the only exceptions being for medium to good merinoes, both scoured and greasy, which were 7£ per cent dearer than May. Fine greasy cross-breds declined 5 per cent, and scoured crossbreds were a penny cheaper. The following were the average prices realised for tho fleece portions of the clips named: — Mangaohane 7id, Tekaa lOgd. MISCELLANEOUS. Copra. — The market is quiet, with a few sales of South Sea at £17 per ton. Tallow. — Stocks, 12,032 packages or 4208 tor.s ; grass imports, 5502 packages; deliveries, 8122. Leather, Hides, etc. — Hides were neglected, and all were withdrawn. There was better busdne*ss in leather at later rates. Hemp. — There was but slow business for October-December at £25 10s per ton. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. [Pkr Prkss Association.] WELLINGTON, August. 3. The Department of Industries and Commerce has received tho following cable message from tho High Commissioner, dated London. August 1 : — Frozen Meat. — Mutton — The market is dull and trade is very disappointing, there being only a very hand-to-mouth demand, and the supply exceeds the demand. Canterbury 4cl, North Island 3*d, River Plate 3id. Lamb— The market is a shade weaker, but there is a good demand for prime quality lamb. Stocks on hand are heavy and are being widely distributed amongst agents, who are pushing sales; Canterbury brands 5Jd for heavy-weights. 5Ad for lightweights : other than Canterbury sid. Beef — The market is quiet, and stocks of New Zealand brands on hand are light. The weather lately has been unfavourable for the sale of beef; hindquarters 4d, forequarters 2*d. The following; shipments arrived from the River Plate during July .-—LondonMutton 187,911 carcases, lamb 27.815 carcases.; Liverpool, 125,869 4478" Hull, 12,344—1250; Newcastle, 14,001 —1455; Cardiff, 21,667— 391 ; Plymouth, 820 — nil. Butter.— The market is quiet but firm. Supplies are increasing, but there is a good demand, and no stock, is accumulating. The prospects for next season, are encouraging; choicest New Zealand butter, 116s; Danish, 1225: Siberian, lOSs ; and Canadian^ 116s per cwt. Cheese.— The market is quiet but steady ; coloured makes, 59s : white, 62s per cwt. Hemp.— The market is dull, with very little business doing, and no change in prices to report. Cocksfoot.— The seed market is unsettled and speculative. American crops are being offered, and it is anticipated that the crop will full short of the estimate. Nominal quotations are American 80s, New Zealand 85s for bright, clean 17Jb seed. Hops.— The market is dull owing to the English crop promising well. Wool.— The sales closed on August 1. The Americans are buying I nnd shipping suitable parcels freely, nnd the demand is likely to continue! At pre,=ont the quotations following are estimated values :— Superior merinoes. 10}-d to Is; medium morinoos, 8d to lOd ; inferior merinoos, (>d to. 7£d ; fine cross-brerTs. all grades, 10d to Ismedium cross-breds. all jrrades. 8d to 10d : coarse cross-breds. all grades, 51-d to BJd. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile* Agoncy Company, Limited, has received tho . following cable message from itti London house, under date August I:--" As compared with last sales' closing rates, prices are about, par to 5 per cent higher for cress-bred coarse and medium, scoured merino medium, coarse and medium cross-bred slipe ; about par to 5 per cent lower for fine crossbred, about the same as last sale* for scoured merino super ; about 5 per cent lower for merino scoured and faulty wool ; about 5 per cent to 7$ per cent- higher for greasy merino medium. Eighty-night thousand bales were held orer. Sales closed firmly."