Commercial

Levin Daily Chronicle, 8 May 1917, Page 3

Commercial

* N.Z. FARMERS' DISTRIBUTING DISTRIBUTING COMPANY, LIMITED. Wellington, May 4. The potato market is very firm and good business is being done. There is no change in the wheat'market beyond the additional id in the fixed Government price. Maize is in good demand and prices continue firm. Recent quotations for oats are being maintained and fair business is doing. Pollard is still ,scaroe and a certain amount* of business is now being done with the Australian market. Bran is offering freely. The supply of eggs hes improved and the price remains firm. Poultry is in short supply and there is a keen demand for dressed pork, and larger supplies can bo dealt with. Choice lines of cabbages and cauliflowers are now in better supply and prices are lower. Green peas and French beans are scarce and realize high prices. Lettuce is in gqod demand. There is a fair enquiry for swedes at satisfactory rates. Pumpkins and marrows axe plentiful. Carrots and parsnips are in fair supply and good prices are being .realized. Beetroot, spring onions, leeks, and celery are in good deimand.

There is somewhat of a glut of apples at the present time owing no doubt to the lack of shipping facilities; large supples have reached tlie market during the week and prices show a considerable decline. Tomatoes are in fair supply and meet with excellent demand at high rates. Choice dessert and coioking pears meet ready sale at satisfactory prices. 'Grapes are selling well and' there is a good demand for quiincea.

MR. EGAN'S VIEWS. Copenhagen, May 7. A correspondent interviewed Mr. .Esau, United States Minister, 'who commented on Germany's peace conditions, of which he hiad made a cial study. Mr. Egan warned Amejicians against' any German peace •proposal as-"toeing an (attempt by Germany to gaiiii what she was unable to win on the battlefield. IR'elaxaition 'of the American war efforts merely would increase Germanic contempt for the United States. Whale food conditions - undoubtedly were bad in the interior of Germany, the

peop'e still were sanguine of victory, bedievimg the American war plains were merely so much bluff. .Peace tajjk ;tn tlie United States merely wiotild pr/olojng the war; there was nn trace of <a desire in iGermany to d:\hrone the Hohenzollerns. The populations firmly believed victory was rn .rely a question of time. Gon-sfc'tnti-nal reforms would not bear in tli. l slightest degree on the kaiser's fa' o nor loosen his seat on the throne.

AUSTRALIAN® TO THE FORE. New York, May 7. Mr iSirrvms, a correspondent Iwith the British Armies in the field, states the Australian troops forged ahead for miles into the German lines. At an early hour this morning, at the moment of cabling, a great hole was being maintained by the Australians against all enemy counter-attacks. Tlie chiief po|!nt ;of ipenetnatilon is around Riiencourt. The Australians began at dawn on a salient and pushed forward yard by, yard to a depth of a miile in face of a most violent x-esistance. The thrust carried them eastward to a village northerly from Reincourt, which now is hemmed in by British troops on all sides except the north. More than one 'hundred prisoners were taken in the general attack here. Elsewhere along the British front there have (been no major actions, but artillery fighting of a most violent nature has been

experienced. PERSECUTION OF JEWS. ,* j '* (London,, May 7. The Zionist Organisation advises from Palestine that the Turks aire driviing the Jews from their ihomes amidst scenes of looting iand! pillage. Djemil Pasha is reported to 'have declared that he will make the Jews suffer the Armenians' fate. Eight thousand Jews have been driven 'from Jaffa. Some who resisted wefre hanged. Three hundred were expelled from Jerusalem. Many crawled to the desert and died there. FRENCH OFFICIAL ROOPORT. London, May 7. The New Zealand High 'Commis-. sioner reports:— London, May 7. A French official report says that yesterday evening and night were marked! by new German. counter-at-tacks north-eastward of Soissons; also at Qiemin des Dames, where four newdivisions were identified yesterday. The various counter-attacks were preceded by bombardment. Lively stubborn figrting ended to our advantage, despite furious enemy assaults; our heavy artillery and machine-guns mowed down the German masses. Their fosses are considerable. Yesterday, we took 820 prisoners, bringing the total since April 16th total 29,000 ,

HINiDENBURG'S PLANS SPOILT. London, May 6. A military expert summarising the results of the Western offensive states that it is not at present a question of breaking through, but of smashing the German army 1 . The plan of Sir Douglas Haig and General Nivelle is to wipe out the German reserve of a million men -which von H'inden'burg has massed for a great German offensive in 1917. About half of it is already .gone and von Hindenburg'e plan is spoilt. He "was uexpectedly compelled to use the reserve for defensive battles in France. The reserve represents the last fit men obtainable by Germany from any other source except youths, and the recovering wounded. If the present rate of wastage is continued on tlie West front, the last of the reserve will be used up in a few weeks.

FEDERAL ELECTIONS. Sydney, Yesterday. The latest returns place the Political Labor League candidates for the Senate ahead in Queensland. Mr Webster is now leading by a fair margin for the Gwydir seat, but Mr P. S. Glynn, Minister for Home Affairs, is haying a hard fight at Angas (South Australia). He is over 500 behind his opponent (Mr S. W. O'Flalierty). LATEST REPORTS. Sydney Last [Night. The latest Queensland returns place tflie Ministerial Senate trio ahead. The whole eighteen Nationalist Senate candidates are now leading. The election returns show that Mr A. Griffiths, ex-State Minister, failed in his attempt to win the Newcastle seat for the Nationalists. Mr W. G. ppence, IPostmas-ter-'Geiii'erajl, (appears to have lost the Darling seat to the Political Labour League. Mr King O'iMalley and Mr Mahon and two ex-Federal Ministers will probably be beaten by the Nationalists.