CHRISTCHURCH STOCK EXCHANGE.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17418, 31 March 1922, Page 8

CHRISTCHURCH STOCK EXCHANGE.

YESTERDAY'S TRANSACTIONS. Sales reported:—Union. Bank of Australia. £l2 4s. . _ , . . Sales on 'Change :—Umon Bank of Australia, £l2 3s 6d; Christchurch Gas, £6 8a 6d (two parcels). latj;st quotations.

IU.I. .. •• - -- AUCKLAND, March 30. Sales:—New Zealand Inscribed Stock (1939). £9O 10s; National Bank, -£5 IBs; Bank of New Zealand. 49?, 48s 9d; Union Bank, £l2 sa; South British Insurance, 83s; Auckland G.is, 20s I'd: Huddnvt-Park"-\4.s; P. and 0. (deferred), £300; Wilsons Cement, 15s Id; Waihi, 19s 6d.

AUCKLAND MARKETS. (special to I, tttFi pbess.") AUCKLAND, March SO. Trade all round during the week has been good. Tho demands being placed on wholesalers point to light holdings in ® hands of retailers, and to an improved public demand. A tone of buoyancy has teen imparted to trading circles by tho recover? of the butter market, and it is extremely gratifying to find a steady move upwards. It ia hard to understand why the local price has not responded in sympathy. The practice heretofore has been to place local va.ues on a parity with English quotations, and it is generally expressed that to do so now would be of considerable benefit to the farming community, as never previously has there been ouch a critical period for them. Business for April aocount has been disposed of, and the volume put through is the heaviest since December last. Collections, both from town and country%listricts, are very satisfactory Bacon—The local trade continues heavy, and as all quotations are not in line, en- 1 quiries are for competitive Tates. Some forward business is being done, but it ia hard to say what tho future of this market will be. Honey—The market is weak, and lower quotations are offering to tempt business. Anything below white grade is hard to quit, excepting for confectionery and baliera' purposes^ Hardware—All hardware establishments report an improved demand, which ia growing in proportion to the declining costs. Lower leveK ore opening this week for staples, sT-.h •weights, and plain wire. Advices from manufacturers of cutlery and aluminium ware mention n reduction in costs, the latter declining a further 10 per cent. Other lines are expected to follow. The reduction in nails, corrugated iron, porcelain ware, ana other hardware used for building, has given substantial help to lower building costs, linseed oil ia now at lta lowest in the building list. Timber has held out longest, but there is a movement to lower prices, although or.ly by a small amount as yet. Building costs are certainly mnre favourable to operations now than fT some time past, and already quite a numbtr of new houses are in course of erection in various suburbs.

Butter—The position of the butter market in Auckland at the present time is ec. newfiat peculiar, prices being var:cd. Last Friday, the wholesale price of butter in Wellington was Is 5d per lb, and it was stated an advance of another id was in cocrtemplation to bring tho local figure on a parity with i.o.b. quotations for London, In Auckland at the present time the wholesale quotations for Dairy Association butter ia Is 2d per lb, and for Opotiki Is 4d per lb. Late quotations from London give the market there as lS2s per cwt, which is equivalent to la 6Jd perjb, f.o.b.,)Auck'and. It is therefore quite evident'{Mat, at the present time, the prop]* in Auckl md are getting butter at less than the parity of f.o.b. prices for export to London. Potatoes —The market has firmed considerably, as arrivals have been insufficient ior requirements. Best quality are worth £9 10s per ton, ex-store. Onions—Tho market is. dull, with ample supplies, the quotation being 9s per cwt. Maize—Arrivals have been light, but the demand is small a-t 4s 7d per bushel, in, wholesale lines, ex-wharf. Oats—The market has firmed, owing to genuine offers for shipments to Australia for April to June. Locally the demand is very small at present. A grado are quoted at 4s Cd to 4s Stt per bushel, and Algerian seed oats at 63. Wholesale current prices are:—Creamery butter, Is 3d per lb for prompt cash, farmers' separator, Is per lb; first grade factory cheese, medium size lOd p-r lb, export size 9d per lb, loaf eizo Is 2i per lb; hams, lOd per lb net; bacon, lid per lb net; lard, in bulk lid, pats Is 2d; prime grade honey, lOd; egjs, 2s Gd per dozen; flour, £l9 15s (less discount of 2J per cent, per ton in 2001b sacks); sharps, loa; bran £6 10s; oatmeal (25's), £27 per ton. '

FAKALYSIS AMONGST BEES, •' (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, March 80. The Apiary Division of the Department of Agriculture has received information of a rather more ecrious ' outbreak than usual of paralysis amongst bees in the Taranaki district. It is net, as a rule, regaided as a serious malady, but tbe present outbreak appears to be of a more virulent type than li"a occurred elsewhere. Prompt measures have been taken t-o deal with it. The outbreak was notified from tho largest apiary in Taranaki, and tho owner is pursuing a, lino of scientific investigation into the subject.

Buyers. Se'lera. £ B. d. £ 8. d. DEBENTURES— N.Z. GoTt. 4J per cent. 90 12 Inscribed, 1938 90 7 e 6 N.Z. Govt. 41 per cent. 90 12 Inscribed, 1939 — 6 N.Z. Govt. 4} per cont. 90 10 Bonds, 1938 0 — N.Z. Govt. 5$ per cent. 95 2 Inscribed, 1933 95 0 0 6 BANKS— Commercial of Austral-a — 1 7 6 New Zealand .. 2 8 9 2 9 5 17 3 National of N.Z. 5 15 0 6 Union of A list . .. 12 2 6 12 6 0 INSURANCE— 2 19 National 6 New Zealand 1 7 6 1 8 3 LOAN AND AGENCY— 1 14 1 15 Goldsbrough Mort (Melb.) 3 3 SHIPPING— Huddart-Paiker 2 1 9 2 2 P. and 0. Def. Stock 290 0 0 — Union (51 per cent, cum pref.) 0 17 6 0 18 6 FROZEN MEAT— N.Z. Refrigerating (10s paid) 0 13 4 0 13 9 COAL— Westport-Stoekton (8p.o non-cum pref.) — 0 8 We st po rt-S tockton 0 i 9 0 6 3 WOOLLENS— 0 12 Kaiapoi (lCs paid) — 6 Kaiapoi (pref. re div. only) — 1 2 9 GAS— 6 10 Christchurch — 0 Timaru — 6 15 0 Gishorno (£1 paid) — 0 12 6 BREWERIES— 1 11 Crown 1 9 3 0 Ward .. •• 1 2 0 1 4 6 MISCELLANEOUS— Beath and Co. (cum div.) 1 5 6 — Moson, Strutters (£1 pd.) — 1 2 3 Mason, Struthera (14s pd.) — 0 14 6 Ma°on, Struthera (4s pd.) — 0 3 9 N.Z. Farmers' Co-op. 1926 (7* p.c. Bonds) 94 10 0 — N.Z. Farmers' Co-op. 1931 (7§ p.c. Bonds) 94 0 0 — Whitcombe and Tombs 2 18 0 — MINING— 0 15 Mt. Lyell 0 14 3 0