COMMERCIAL.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 27 November 1917, Page 3

COMMERCIAL.

WELLINGTON PRODUCE PRICES. Wellington. Nov. 2-L The New Zealand' Co-operative Distributing Company, Limited, report:— New potatoes are now being offered freely and in consequence the demand for old tubers is rapidly falling off. The position with regard to fowl wheat is somewhat complicated. While the home supplies are exhausted, there is a considerable risk in /importing which merchants are hardly prepared to take. Tlio Government restrictions are likely to make this cereal very scarce between now and the coming harvest, when tho new regulations will come into force and wo hope to make the position more a.ssnret I. Ma ize is in good demand and high values are being obtained with 110 prospects of a decline. Oats are still maintaining their full values but the demand it not so keen. Grass seed sowing is now general and tho supplies are somewhat short, but late rates are being maintained. Bran and pollard are coming forward a little more freely but much larger quantities could be dealt With. Pork is coming to hand in larger quantities but is meeting with a ready sale at high figures. Poultry is more plentiful and prices are somewhat dower. Vegetables.—Cabbage is coming forward/ very freely and prices have somewhat declined. Cauliflower.'; are now of better quality and satisfactory rates are ruing. Carrots are more plentiful but prices good. Turnips are com. ing in freely and prices have declined. Choice iettuce is still maintaining top rates. French beans sire still scareo wifcli! prices high. Beet root of inferior quality is coming to hand but good values are being realised. Parsnips are still maintaining late figures. New season's marrows are being offered with prices satisfactory to growers. Tomatoes are now coming forward a little more freely but good prices are ruling. Looks are scarce with top rates ruling. The supply of green peas cs still not very large and good figures are being maintained. Rilimbarb has been very short in supply during the week andi in consequenee prices have slightly advanced. Cucumbers are meeting with a ready sale at satisfactory figures. Fruit.—There is little to report with regard to fruit. Mucin 'larger quantities are in demand but the prices ruling generally are considered somewhat high. Gooseberries are coming forward in fair supplies and satisfactory figures arc ruling. Cherries are now coming forward in much larger quantities and values have declined accordingly. Quotations: Cabbage, choice, 3s to 8s per sack, cauliflowers, 6s to 14s p f, i" sack, carrots, best. 8s to 14s per sack, onions, 30s per oa.se, turnips white, 4s per sack, lettuce, choice, 3,s 6d to 5s Od; per case. French beans, 'Is per lb, beetroot, 8d per buncli, spring onions, 8d to Is per bundle, parsnips 8s to 12s per sack, marrows, 6d each, tomatoes, Is to Is 4d per lb, leeks, 2s per bundle. green peas, 2s 4d per peck, rhubarb, Gs to 12* dozen bunches. Apples, American, 19s per full case, apples. dessert. 16s per full case, pears cooking. 13- fid per full case. Gooseberries, 4Jd to Qjd per lb, cherries, 25s ta 40s per ease. Potatoes, prime. £5 10s per ton, onions. 30- per cwt, wheat, good whole fowl, 7s 6d to 7s 9d pel bushel, maize, 6s 3d; to 6s 9d per bushel. oats feed 4s Gd; to 4s '10di per bus, crushed, 5s per bushel, Seed oats, Australian, Algerians, dressed and clipped, o* ; Gartons and sparrowbills, ss; Duns, os 5d per bushel, Russian barley cape seed. Gs Gd per bushel, barley feed, Gs per bushel, pollard. Government rates, liran, Government ratop, chaff, oaten sheaf, £7 10s to £8 15s per ton, straw, £4 10s Gd to £5 per ton, ex storo, dressed pork, 70's to ffOs, 8d to BJd; 90'.* to 140's, 7Jd: baconers, Gdt; choppers (heavy), 4d to od per lb, honey od to Gd per lb, eggs, fresh, Is 5d per dozen.

Balgetv and Co., TAnifted, Wellington, report as follows on theit '1• in Sale held on Tuesday. They had a small entry of sheep and a good yarding of cattle. All fat cattle offered met with keen competition and fchcy quote the following prices:— Shorn hoggets to 26s 7d, fat heifers •CO 13, .-£lO 10s to £12 ss, fat cows £8 17s (kli, £10 10s to £12 lis, vealem £2 to £2 '10s, weaner steers, £3 16s, springing eows, £8 to £8 ss. Dalgety and Co., report:—At Otaki on "Wednesday they offered a heavy yarding of both sheep and cattle and all classes of s'toek were keenly competed for and they report practically a total clearance, by the close of the day. Prices realised were as follows^ Sheep: f.ight fet sllo, ' n cwos 2Cs 7<1 ' fat ewes woolly to 33s 3d, I' M. ewes and lambs. 32s 6d, 39s to £2, 6-tootli to F.M. wet.hie-.vs shorn 28s to 335-, liiiht fat wethers to 36s (id (woolly), ■ Ltootli wethers 35s (id. (woolly), small (i-tooth to f.m. ewes shorn 16s, b.t. shorn hoggets tc> 275, shorn 2 and 4tooth ewes and 'uvcthers 27s 6di, woolly hoggets 3fs to 3;4s Id. Cattle:—Forward. cows to £7 los. fat heifers to £7 8s 6d, 2-year steers £7 3s 6d, 'to £7 12s fid. 2i-yea,r steers to £9 ss. Siyear steers £713 5s to £13 10s, cows and cvilves, £8 9s, £8 lT)s to £9. light vealeirs £2. good vealers to £3 10s, vearLing heiPcsTS to* £4. 2-year heifers empt/£6, £6 7s, to £6 15s, weaner heifers, £3 to £3 6s, weaner steers £3 10s, £3 '13s (3d to £4, small m.s. wcaners 30s to £'.2, store cows £5, £6 Is £6 7s Gd to £7., yearling hulls' £2 4s, £3 lOs to £4 IC's. 2-yea.r bulls £9', cows m milk £7 10&, £8, £9 to £13. Pigs: Slips to 31s 3d.

A Bank of New Zealand produce circular, dated London, September 7, and just to linndi states that the hemp market was then exceedingly quiet with very, little business pawftig. The spot market remained firm and the few lot,* obtainable, realised £92 to £95, « c " oording to grades. As to daily pio duce the report continues: There lias , been practically no New Zealand butter offering du ring tho past month and no en-rivals. I'.mports of New Zealand cheese aire, of course, entirely under Government control. Markets, as understood in pre-war times, no longer exist. Tho Government is rapidly assuming complete control and the vnifious rogulati tmfi enforced mean, of course, that trade must pass through certain limitt id channels. Until tin* week maximum prices have been imposed on imj porters only, excepting in

the case of Government cheese, but on | 3rd inst. the food controller has set tliem up to govern the wholesaler and retailer as well as the importer. New j Zealand butter is fixed at 208s .per owt. ; ex port; the wholesalers' profit is not to exceed 7s Gd per cwt., while the re- ; tailer after 10th inst, iJs prohibited j from selling at moro than 2£iL per lb. I over the actual cost to him.