COMMERCIAL.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16153, 6 March 1918, Page 8

COMMERCIAL.

♦ — (By Cable. —Press Association,— Copyright) (Australian and K.Z. Cable Association.) metals. (Ecccired _ Tin—Spot £318 os, three months £310 oi Silver —12$ d per ounce. Other metals unchanged. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S CABLED REPORT. The Department of Agriculture, Industries, and Commerce, received the following cablegram, dated London, March 2nd, 1918, from the Hijl Commissioner for New Zealand. Meat.— Notwithstanding very limited supply of all descriptions ot meat, present supplies meet requirements. Demand is limited. Owing to faet, supplies consist chiefly of English meat Patagonian lamb, and Argentine mutton, selling at maximum prices. New Zealand lamb, chillod beef: Small supplies available. Butter.—Butter is extren*fly scarce, and supply falls short of demand. No change in prices. Cheese.—Stocks are very light, with the exception of Dutch. Estimated Canadian cheese stocks, London, Liverpool, and Bristol, 5144 boxes, against 23,163 boxes at same time last year. Wheat. —More offering; moderate business has been done at last quotations. Oats. —Active demand at full prices. Hemp.—Maniia hemp market steady, with moderate demand. Output during two weeks ended February 23rd, 40,000 bales. New Zealand spot market strong; market quierfc and steady for forward shipment. GRAIN AND PRODUCE, MARKETS. (BY Ottß commercial editor.) Tuesday Evening. There is still very little wheat offering on the local market, and a rather largo proportion of what has come forward has been of only moderate quality. The effect of the late rains is apparent in much of the grain which lias discoloured, and in some cases been damaged by sprouting. The outlook for inter-island shipping space is much better now, and the demand for both oats and chaff is good. There is no quotable difference for oats, but chaff has appreciably hardened, and is worth from £4 to £4 10s for good samples. The prices of other varieties of produce romains steady. Milling wheat, according to Government price. South Island, JanuaryFebruary, and March 5s 10d, April 5s 10-Vd, May 5s lid, June 5s Hid, July 6s, August 6s Oid, f.0.b., North Island 4d additional. Oats—Algerians, Duns and Danish 8s 3d to 3s 6d, Gartons 3s 6d to 3s Sd. Barley 5s 6d to 5s 9d, extra prime to 6s, medium 5s to 5s sd. Flour—£ls per ton; 1001b Fags £15 10s; 501b bags, £15 15s; 251b bags, £16. Bran—£3 10s per ton. Pollard—£6 15s per ton. Oatmeal —251b bags £23 per lon, 71b bags £26 per ton. Oatsheaf Chaff—From £4 to £4 10s per ton. according to quality. Cocksfoot—lo.ld to Is per lb. Ryegrass—23lb to 261b seed 3s 6d to 4s, extra prime heavy seed to 4s 6d, lighter seed 2s 6d to 3s. Onions—Main crop £3 15s. Potatoes—Early varieties £3 5s for present or forward delivery. RANGIORA MARKET. I A south-west drizzle interfered with the entries of sheep at the Rangiora yards yesterday, 'iiiere was an entry of 5279, of -which 1386 were fats, which sold well. Store sheep were easier, especially ewes, several lines not reaching vendors' prices. The range of prices was: Prime fat lambs 28s to 30k, lighter 25s 6d! to 27s lOd, prime fat ewes 27s lid to 29s 4d, good 25s 3d to 27s 3d,I prime wethers 31s lid to 33s 6d. Tiie principal lines sold were:— Fat Lambs—E. A; Barker, 157 at 29s Id; F. Toague, 93 at 28s 7d; R. Frizzell, 50 at 28s; C. A. Lofhagen, 42 at Si's; "W. Guy, 34 at 27s 2d; G. F. Guiney, 28, at 27s lOd; Mrs M. J. /Mehrtens, 54 at 26s lOd; R. Frizzell, 71 at 29s 9d; W. Booker, 65 at 29s 2d; R. Ward. 107 at 265; A. W. Steel, 107 at 25s od to 28s 2d; A. Pulley, 10l at 30s; J. Casey, 31 at 30s; T. P. Taylor, 22 at 27s lOd; R. J. F. Kimber, 27 at 29s lOd; G. Mcintosh, 60 at 265; E. Saunders, 49 at 27s 7d. Fat Ewes. —Jas. Pulley, 24 at 28s lOd; F. Teague, 20 at 27a 3d; Jas. White, 15 at 26s 6d; W. Guy, 34 at 25s 3d; T. Burgin, 25 at 27s lid; J. Casey, 6 at 295; E. Saunders, 50 at from 23s 8d to 2os. Fat Wethers.—J. F. Croft, 50 at 335; W. H. Leech, 0 at 31s lid. Store Sheep—The following lines were sold:— Ewes—3s four-tooth at 345, 78 two, four, and six-tooth at 28s lid, 33 two, four and six-tooth at 255, 30 four, six and eight-tooth at 26s 3a, 25 at 245, 37 four, six and eight-tooth at 27s 3d, 58 at 25s 6d, 68 two-tooth at (Ms 9d, 66 two, four and six-tooth at 36s 3d, 131 sound-mouth at 335, 95 four, and six-tooth at 30s, 34 sound-mouth at 265, 12 aged at 12s. Lambs.—lGs at 24s lOd, 236 at 22s lid, 106 at 20s 9d, 166 at 19s 7d, 196 at 18s Gd, 58 at 17s lOd, 437 at 18s 2d. Wethers.—23 at 30s 6d, 110 fourtooth at 28s 3d, 14 aged at 14s. Cattle. —There -were 18 head yarded. Eighteen-months' heifers made £7 14s 6d. springers £14 ss. Pigs.—There was an entry of 120. Baconers made 75s to 106s, stores 50s to 61s. small pigs 21s to 325. _ In the poultry yards, roosters made os 6d, hens 3s 3d, and ducks 4s 6d a couple. In the produce yards nothing was 6old, owing to the rain. EGG MARKET REPORT. At the auction sale of guaranteed fresh eggs held yesterday by Harris Bros., there was a gooci entry, and every lot was sold at the following , prices:—Fipst grade hen eggs Is 9d per . dozen, second grade Is Sd per dozen, duck eggs ls B}d per dozen. 1 ASHBURTOX STOCK SALE. ln ß at the Ashburton yards iSitv L Was the lnr e es>t seon in that thf availahU me Col *iderable time. All to«£r£wt n V voro occupied, and eome instances iwo or three lines

were placed in one pen. There was also a very large attendance of farmers, and butchers and freezing buyers were well represented. Fat sheen sold weJl throughout, and only a few" odd lines were passed, but in most, instances the auctioneers succeeded in quitting theip privately. Tho total varding of fat® aggregated 4098, comprising 824 owes, 609 wethers, and 2575 lambs. The yarding of fats at Tinwald last week' totalled 4643. Mr J. Dwyer, Elgin, topped the market m ewes, wethers, and lambs. For ewes ho received 32s 3d, wethers 375, and lambs 35s 3d- Buyers stated that the latter was one of tho finest lines of three-quarterbred lambs seen in Ashburton yards. Mr E. B. Newton, Winchmore, also received 37s for wethers. Ewes sold at from 24s to 33s 3d, wethers from 28s 3d to 375, and lambs 23s 7d to 35s 3d. Tho yarding of store sheep totalled 8772, and included 2136 lambs, 129 . wethers, tho balance being ewes. The I bulk of the sheep were travelled lines from tho South, and there was only a ; limited demand, the passings totalling j 5006. . I The yarding of fat cattlo consisted : of throe cows, and these were sold at ; £17 las, £14, and £13 15s respectively. ! There was a fair yarding of but tho demand wag not over brisk, and several lines of young cattle failed to reach tho owners' reserves. The following were sold:—2 steers and 4 heifers £8, bull £10, 2 springing heifers £10 12s 6d, 6 steers £3 15s. CHRISTCHURCH STOCK EXCHANGE. LATEST QUOTATIONS. Buyers. Seller a. £e. d. £ s. d. DEBENTURE L Sn^ ,ro^ h,sP °- - 100 0 oi B NaUo S MI .. 5 8 6 510 6 j BREWERIES-;. Manning . • • 3 0 0 3 - 0 j COAL— i West port-Stockton ' (pref.) (ex div.) .. — 011 3 i FINANCIAL— „ „ . Mutual Benefit .. — 11 - b | National Mortgage .. 42 6 j N.Z. Loan and Mar- j cantile . • .. 81 10 0 —- i N.Z. and River Plate j Land Mortgage •• 116 0 — . Wright. Stephenson and ! Co., Ltd 710 0 w- j .. .. — 811 G j "SSSbury .. .. 9S 0 912 6 SHIPPING— ' „ „ , . Huddart-Parker .. H9 8 119 9 Union .. ..330 WOOLLENS— _ „ . Kaiapoi .. •• 7 2 6 MISCELLANEOUS— Cant. Farmers' Co-op., Timaru (prcf.) ... — 6 0 0 Mason, Struthers (£1 paid) • • • • 12 0 N.Z. Consolidated Dental ..140 — N.Z. Drug Co. (£2 paid) 211 6 — 2J.&. Farmers' Co-op. .. — no* Papuan Products .. — U 3 d MINING— , „ Mt. Lyell .- •• ~ - 110 0 Mt. Read and Kosebery 10 6 — YESTERDAY'S BUSINESS ON OTHER EXCHANGES. (PEESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAMS.) DUNEDIN. Sales: Westporf'Coal, 30s 6d, 30b 6d; Mt. Lycll, 30s Id, 308 Id, 30s Id. (By Cable—Prws Association—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, March 5. Sales:—Talisman, 13a 9d. MINING. CONSOLIDATED GROUP OF MINES. The Christchurch Stock Exchange has received the following telegTam from tho »t----torneys of tho Consolidated Group of Minea at Reefton: —Crushing returns for February, Consolidated Group of Mints: Progress crushed 1170 tons, value £1881, working expenses £1830, development £268. Blackwater crushed 2791 tons, value £5609, working expenses £3253, capital £27, development £579. Wealth of Nations crushed 910 tons, value £875, working expenses £1303, development £327. WE3TLAND DEVELOPMENTS. Mining prospects in Westland are bright- | cning, judging by reports in the "Guar- j dian." Tho Westlaaad Gold Prospecting : Syndicate, Limited, of which Mr D. Ziman . is a director, has been carrying out some important prospecting operations. In the Arahura Valley the prospecting has been by boring, the Government Keystone, machine being operated under the supervision of Mr G. A. Seale, the officer in charge. The results in that locality have been so satisfactory, that freehold areas have been acquired at substantial 'figures. The prospecting :b being continued. On behalf of tho syndicate, Mr Ziman has purchased recently the Worksop No. 2 dredge, one of tho best dredges procurable south of the Line at the present time. Another important step of tho syndicate is to procure the eervices of Mr E. O. Speed, at present in charge of the Success dredge, as dredgemaater. soil is first removed, and Baved, ami after dredging the gold bearing strata, the soil is spread over tho levelled surface of , tho tailings thus bringing the worked ground into' use for pastoral purposes. In addition to the prospecting carried on j in the' Arahura Valley by boring, a party of men has been engaged for some time njeder , Mr J. Bsesett for the _ West lane. Syndicate, , prospecting in the Kanwri Forks to Lake . F-irieri district. Theso operations ha.r© been confined, to shafting and driving, and a brgc amount of country baa been covered Wi f on a eidelizg and a Mmw row strata of w«h d£, was pgg

to tho run of gold and drove into tho terrace. The load thickcrad out to four feet in depth, and ga,vo prospects equal to two pennyweights to the load. It is a good Eample of "old, and tho surrounding conditions are favourable for gold-carrying country.