COMMERCIAL.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16451, 19 February 1919, Page 8

COMMERCIAL.

grain and produce markets. (By OUR COSIMEECIAI. ZUilOß.j So far as the -wheat market wnc«rn^^ho imio B , ag?atlon Prevails. and there is very littlo busmeaa doing. I'he impending i£suC Tn of %t0 68 ho ™™Thls £ suited in th© millexa conferring' on the nro. portional increases which may have to be made in, the price of flour. Yesterdav the McD^nif' 31 h d t ° U Wteut Controller, Mr tfwHt «' speaking to a pressman yesIjX Z. rn^ n , il ° 6aid that so far nothing had been decidea aa to what that increase—if there was an increase—should be. Mr Mo Donald said that it was not oven certain that mere would be an increase sanctioned in the price of flour. It is difficult, however, to see How this can be avoided according to the opinion of those in the milling trade. A moderate quantity of oate are forward, and prices seem to have weakened a little, I sales of Algerian having been made at from 4s fid to 4s 9d per bushel for feed oats. ■Business at a higher figure has passed between merchants and millers and from the Aorta Island. The supplies of Italian ryegrass and perennial ryegrass are fairly good, and prices remain steady. Nice Plains cocksfoot is offering freely some good lines changing hands at prices from 8d to Is per lb. Cocksfoot from the Bays is stil] tardy in making its appearance owing to the late eeaeon. and the rain yesterday will retard threshing operations still further. Barley is in demand, up to 7s 3d per bushel being offered. ' | It was anticipated that the potato crop would be above the average this year, for the above-ground appearance of most of the crops was good. Reports are now to hand, however, that some small paddocks have been dug, and the tubers have been found to be affected more or leeg badly with Blight, in spite of the fact that the tops looked healthy. With the export provisions in force there should be a fair supply, in spite of the ftct that the acreage is smaller. The following are the prices paid to farmers at country stations, free of commission, Backs ertra, except where otherwise stated: Old milling wheat according to Government price, South Island, 6s Id, f.0.b.; North Island, 4d additional Oats—Algerians, feed 4a 6d to 4s 9d. seed 4s 8d to fa. Barley—Prime malting 6s 9d to 7s 3d. 10s per ton; 1001b bags, £18 ss; 60lb bags, £16 10s; 251b baga, £16 15s. Bran—Shipping £5 10a, local £5 16s per ton.

Pollard—£7 10s per ton. Oatmeal—2slb bags £30 per ton. 71b bars £34 103 per ton. New Oateheaf Chaff— £5 Sa to £5 10b for February-Mirch delivery. Italian Ryegrass—ls 6d to 4s 9d. Perennial Kyegrass—is to sa. White Clover—lOd to la 3d. Onions—£4 103 for March-April doliverv. Potatoes—£s 10a to £6 for April die livery. ASHBURTON MARKET. There was a yarding of 1915 fat sheep at the Aahburton Yards yosterday, including 615 cir«, 471 wethers, and 629 iambs. The to | was a good attendance, and a brisk deir-ad for the primest lots offered. The range of prices was:—Prim© ewes 29s 5d to 32s 6d medium quality 27s 3d to 29s 4d, prima wethero -333 to 37s 6d. second quality Sis ed to 33s 6d, prima lambs to 33s sd, medium quality 28s to 295, lighter 24a lid to 27s 7d. The principal saic-s. were:— Ewes—32 a.t 2&s sd, 24 at 325, 20 at 30b 6d 36 at 29s 6d, 35 at 23s 4d, 18 at 29s 4d, 30 at 23s 3d, 28 at 2Ss 3d. 38 at 32a 6d. Wethers—7o at 30s Bd, 329 at 335. Lambs—77 at 33s sd, 41 at 26a, 32 at 28s 7d, 52 at 27s 7d, 98 at 23s Id, 102 at 201 at 28s, G8 at 24s lid. ~ I Store Sheep—The yarding totalled 7C25. I There was a better enquiry for lambs, and the I bulk of the yarding was 6old bv auction i Tho saJes were as follows:—121 "four, six ! and eight-tooth ewes at 27s lOd, lio' two' | four, and six-tooth ewee at 28s 3d, so four and six-tooth ewes at 34s 3d, 71 mixed sex lambs at 19s 2d, 91 at 245, 165 at l9g 3d I 101 two, four, six, and. eight-tooth ewe« ,at 29s 6d, 74 two-tooth ewes at 32s 2d, 40 two four, six, and eightrtooth ewes at 29s 3d 106 mixed sex lambs at 20s 13d, 5-2 four-tooth ewes at 33s 3d, 263 mixed sex lambs at °V lOd, 30 at 18s 3d, 91 wether lambs at 16s Id, 239 mixed sex lambs at 24s 9ti, 500 223 lid, 397 at 22s 9d, 442 wether lambs at 19s, 89 mixed sex late lambs at I3g id jjg „ t 12s. 325 ewe lambs at 25s 3d ' Cattle—The yarding numbered 18 only and there was no thins; oi prime quality offer' ed. Fat steers made £13 15s, forward «(«„' £7 5s to £3 10b, fat ewes £13, sprinser* r-a 10s, cows in profit £8 2s Cd to £9. MOU>*T SOiTEKS STOCK SALE. Owing to harvest operations, there was small attendance and a limited en'rr < the Mount Somers etock sale on The only ealee effected Ismbs at 22s Id, one con- £12, En ',j »i''' x steers and one heifer at £8 3s. ' -'ree

FJLN'GIORA IIABKET There wa» a, fairly good attendance .v, Ran flora market yesterday. Jto i iive etock consisted of 824 'at 63 we tiers 172S of ca-ttie, esd z.bc\t 100 pi™, j i portion of th« fate vrero of E IO ~ h **** w-i

Extra prime lambs made 33s lOd, prime 29s to 31s lid, medium weights 26s lid to 28s, light weights 24s 9d to 25s 6d, prime ewes 30s to 32s lOd, others 24a 7d to 29a 2d, prime wethers 32s 2d to 34s 9d. others 29s to 29s 4d. The. principal e alert were;— Fat Lambs—For W. J. Rodger, 174 at 31b lid; T. Croft, 59 at 30s sd; J. Benjiee, Si at 263 lid; D. Morris, 90 at 28s lOd; J. H. Ensor, 46 at 28s 9d, 73 at 253 6d; J. Cawford, 46 at 29s lOd; M. Williams, 33 at 27s lid; A. C. Pulley, 4 at 32s lfld, 27 at <S3e; Barwell Broe., 40 at 24s 9d; O. lioffhagon, 25 at 25s 7d; Mrs J. Leech, 13 at 255; W. C. Wilson, 87 at 2to Id; P. Prior, 56 at 29s lid; S. LofFhagen, 60 at 295; and G. Milne, 12 at 29s 2d.

Ewes—B. Ferguson, 13 at 32s lOd; W. Rodgers, 7 at 30s, 5 at 275; Mrs Leech, 6 at 30s; A. Lofihageu, 17 at 27s lOd, 11 at 21a 7d; B. Ferguson, 29 at 20a 2d; G. Milne, 7 »t 28s lOd.

Wethere—J. H. Eneor. 15 nt S4s 9d; A. C. Pulley, 23 at 82s 2d. 7 at 295; and P. Prior, 18 at 32s lid.

Stores—l 97 mixed sex lambs at 23s Id, 4!> at 23e 7d, 123 at 22a lOd, 85 at 2Ss Bd, 229 mixed sex late lambs at 9s lid, 63 old ewes 7s, 121 six and eight-tooth ewes 31a Sd 68 two, four, eix 4 and eight-tooth at 24s 4d, and 103 two-tooth ewes at 28a. . •

Cattle—Springers £14 10s to £18 10s, 18-mcmth£/-old etoer £8, store cow £9 7a ad.. Pigs—There was a considerable fall in pncee. Baconers made £5 to £6, stores £3 to £4. and email. pigß 14s to 27b. In the poultry department roosters made 7a 9d a. couple, hens 4s 3d, ducks 4s to 6a. In the produce yards chickwheat 6s to 7s a bushel, oats Ss Gd to Gs, grass-seed 8s 6d, bran 12s Gd 1601b bag, oatshesf oliaff 4s 63 to 5s 6d straw chaff 2s, potatoes Id to ljd apples 3s to 7s Cd a ease, plums 3d to 3}d lb, onions Is a string.

WELLINGTON GAS COMPANY. ; (SPECIAL TO "THE PRESS.") r \VELIIIIN GTOIf, February 18. was expected that tho meeting of shareholders of the Wellington Cj-ub Company, held to-day would be iively, in view of tho faofc that the dividend is now down to 5 per cent., but the meeting was quite a tame aifair, probably because the chairman \Dr. C. Prendergast Knight} frankly told the shareholders tho position of affairs. ,Tho causes of the company's troubles have been the high cost of coal and the high cost of labour, and both troubles still exist. The financial position of the «>mpany showed an unsatisfactory tendency in 1917, when the directors resolved to meet the situation by raining tiro price of gas to Gs 8d per thousand. The Board of Trade intervened, but on closely examining the position, the Board was obliged to sanction tho advance. Had .it not been for that ad vance, tho finances of the company would have been in an unfavourable condition now. In 1917 the gas consumption declined by eight million cubic feet, while la6t year, with the advanced price of gas, the consumption in- { creased by twenty-four million feet or 6 per ! cent. Throughout tho year it has been a. difficult matter to maintain stocks of coaJ, and again and again the stock was reduced: to a dangerous level. It is not anticipated that there will be any improvement this year, more particularly if the many transports and merchant vessels, which are now coming to the Dominion aro to be coaled j here. Neither is there any prospect of a I reduction of the cost of labour; on tho con- I trary, there is a probability of an increase, } for it is reported that some of the workers in the manufacturing department have reoeatly demanded a very substantial increase on their wages. Tho company is practically committed to an expenditure of from £80,000 lo £100,000 in respect of a new pipe line from Miramar to the city, and extensions of the gas manufacturing l plant and buildings. It ia not unlikely that when these extensions are in hand workmen's cottages will be provided. The capital for this new work is to bo provided by the issue of new sliarca or debentures, or both. In days past investors regarded with, favour investments in gas, water, and beer. We have no wator ! companies, but gas and beer have received a good deal of attention. Both are now menaced—gas by electricity and boer by prohibition. Tho gas companies will, however, survive the competition- of electricity for an extended use is being found for g-as and residuals.

egg mabket. The weekly egg sale o' the Canterbury Egg Farmers' Association was held yesterday afternoon, at the rooms of Meeerrs Harris Bros, auctioneers, Hereford street. Thero was a large entry, and every lot waa readily fold at the following prices:—First grade hen eggs (Ooz over) Is 9d to la 9£d, seconds lft Bid to Is 3jd, competition eggs Is 9d, duck eggs la Od. 1 j CLARIDGE AND SJIITH. Report of weekly sale held ®ach Friday: — I Horsee £5 Ss, £13, £10, £I®, £* 10a, £3, ' £3 10s: qow in profit £13 16s, heifer in profit i £11 15s; .5 springing heifers £10 ss, £10 ss, ' x lO 12a 6d £10 lSe. £10 15s; pigs •weaners 1 i lfe to -253, 'stores 42b Cd. porkera £2 12s Gd; I trap £5 10s, sp. dray £9, disc plough £9. a (; ! plough £6, trap £8, harness £2 J* &L r. saddles £2 Ss and 335, £3 <s 6d, £3 10s £2, 12s £4: draught collars 245. milk drum 30s, ' copper 27s 6d, wheat 19s eack, sacks 7d -to i lOfrd, bicycles. 86s to £4 16s, separator £3, : pin ma 2Jd. Having held auction sale of motors, etc., at Motor Exchange, when motor-cycles sold from £9 to- £37 10a. Claridgo "tiH Smith, auctioneers. 9423 CHRISTCHURCH STOCK EXCHANGE. YZSTEEDATS TRANSACTIONS. Sales reported-.-Union Bank ft fractions), £■2: Huddart-Parker, £1 18s; Mason, Strutheri. £! 4« ad; Kaiapoi Woollen (pref.), £6 Ji LATEST QUOTATIONS.

; YESTERDAY'S BUSINESS OIT OTHER EXCHANGES. (PRESS ASSOCIATION' TELEGRAMS.) DUNEDIN. Sales on 'Change—Huddart-Paxkor (ard.L SSfi* Sales—Huddart-Paxker, 38s (ecv«m 'parcels); Union Bank (quarter rights), £2; Westport Coal, 31b 9d, 31s Cd; *ew Zealand Drag, S3e.

Buyer*. Seller*. X e. d. ±' e. <1. DEBEXXCP.E5A.Z. Government 4* P-c-(inscribed) — 9/0 0 X.Z. Government ii p.c. ~ £Boad*> - — WO#

BANKS— Australasia .. .. 12s 0 0 Union (cum rights) .. — 6( 0 0 Union (i fractions) .. 2 0 0 —. INSURANCE— National .. 3 9 G — New Zealand ,, K 9 0 — South British. .. 7 5 0 Standard .. ..266 — LOAN AND AGENCY— N.Z. and JRxvor Plato .. 2 0 0 — J SHIPPING— Huadart-ParkBr ... 1 18 0 1 19 0 COAL— Weetport-Stockton — 0 8 9 WOOLLENS— Kaiapoi „ — 7 11 0 GAS—Christchnich. _ 6 6 0 _ HoHtika. ■ _ — 4 7 6 TIMBEB— Kauri 0,15 0 MISCELLANEOUS— Eclipse Petrol r.. : — 3 3 0