COMMERCIAL.

Southland Times, Issue 18854, 21 June 1920, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

THE LOCAL MARKETS. Times Office, Saturday, June 19. GENERAL MERCHANDISE. Supplies of Cockatoo Chutney are now available. Brooke’s Leemeese shows an advance of 3/- per dozen. Supplies of Big Tree motor spirit and benzine are due within a few days. Chairman’s Cigarettes are now available and are being quoted at 25/9 in bond. Colonial starch has advanced 25/- per cwt. Marshall’s cow teat ointment is now quoted at 2S/6 dozen. C.O. waxshine has advanced 6d per dozen. Yesterday the secretary of the Southland Grocers’ Association received thg following telegram from Dr Reakes: “Referring to previous correspondence Order-in-Council gazetted to-day fixing maximum price butter sold in bulk ex store at one and five-' pence three farthings maximum price, as sold by retail one and nine.” These prices will come into force to-day. CURRENT PRICES. The following are current prices quoted by a retailer:— —Wholesale. — Eggs, 2/6. Bacon, 1/7. Butter—Farm 1/3, separator 1/4, factory 1/6*. Pollard, £lO per ton. Bran, £8 per ton. Flour, £l7 10/- to £2O 10/-. Oatmeal, £3l 10/- to £35. Potatoes, £7 to £8 10/- per ton. —Retail— Eggs, 3/-. Bacon, 1/10. Butter—Farm 1/4, separator 1/6, factory 1/8 net cash. 1/8* booked. Pollard, 12/- per 100. Flour—2s’s 5/9, 50’s 11/-, 100’s 21/6, 200’s 39/-. Oatmeal—2s’s 9/3, 50’s 18/-. Potatoes—lo/- to 11/- per cwt. Kerosene—l 2/3 and 24/ FRUIT AND VEGETABLES. The fruit market has been very brisk during the week, supplies of pears and apples, which have come forward in large quantities, meeting with a ready sale at increased rates. A shipment of Sydney citrus fruits, comprising oranges, mandarins, pine-apples and passions arrived per the Tarawera and sold at record prices. Piemelons were expected also, but they were not available for shipment, as, on account of the drought, they were being used to feed starving stock. Fiji bananas are expected in about 16 days’ time, while South Australian oranges and lemons are due at the Bluff per s.s. Paloona about Saturday next.

Following are the approximate wholesale values:— Apples, Delicious 14/- to 17/- per case, Nelson Jonathans 9/- to 11/-, Central-grown Jonathans 7/6 to 10/-, Scarlet Nonpareils 6/- to 8/6, Esopus 7/6 to 9/-, Adam’s Pearmain 8/- to 9/o, Clcopatras 7/- to 8/6, Lord Wolsey’s 7/ to 8/-, Five Crowns 6/6 to 8/-, Rynicrs 6/- to 7/6, inferior sorts Id to lid per lb; pears, Winter Nclis 34ci to 4d per lb, Coles 24d to 3 Id, Easter Beurics 2d to 2-ld, Vickers 2d to 2|d; oranges, Island repacks 30/- per case, Sydneys (gin cases) 33/- to 37/-; mandarins, 35/- to 39/-; pineapples, 35/- to 40/-; passion fruit, 17/- to 18/- per box; Sydney Lemons, 20/- per case; walnuts, 1/- to 1/3 per lb. Vegetables remain in short supply. Wholesale they bring the following values (approx, t :—Cabbages, 6/- to 7/6 per sack; cauliflowers. 12/- to 18/- per dozen; carrots and parsnips, 10/- per sack; vegetable marrows, 12/- per cwt. HARDWARE.

It is satisfactory to be able to report that no further advances appear to have been made in hardware, at least not of the leading lines. Newspapers report reductions in the prices of metals generally, but it is doubtful whether this is going to result in lower prices because all reports seem to indicate that manufacturers cannot supply the orders sent to them, either for the want of raw material or for the shortage of labour. The reduction in the market prices in some metals encourages the hope that further advances by (he manufacturers will not be necessary. The following extract from an English report is of interest : Those people overseas, who are best situated to gauge the position, inform us in recent advices now to hand that there is every indication of markets remaining strong. In fact it is the case at present that the payment of a premium is necessary to obtain early shipment of many lines. Another report from New York, although a little belated, being dated March 5. is also of interest. The report is general in character but has a distinct bearing on hardware prices. The report states: — Production is si ’ll far behind the demand for goods of all soils. especially those which appear to indicate recently acquired purchasing power, as the best, grades of clothing and shoes, ornate furniture, silks, jewellery, automobiles, etc. The demand for some of these, as for example automobiles. has driven prices for other rninmodities. for example, iron, to new high levels. The supply of labour is far short of the demand and from all sections of the country come reports that with increases of wages and the shortening of hours, the production of goods has fallen off. Appreciation of the fact that increased wages are a futile cure for the high cost of living when (hero i« under production, gains headway, but slowly. Local prices have not changed since last week.

FISH. One of the best supplies that has come forward for many months is on the market to-day, and the supplies all through the week have been exceptionally good. BRAY BROS.’ REPORT. Messrs Bray Bros., Ltd., report as follows for week ending June 19, 1920: — Potatoes continue to arrive in large quantities, and the average value to-day is £7 per ton for “good table” quality, ex store. We have full stocks of onions, oaks, chaff, oaten straw, oat dust, bran and pollard. Prices ex store are as follow: Potatoes.—£7 per ton. Onions. —12/- per ewt. Oats. —5/4 to 5/9 per bushel. Chaff. —Prime quality to £8 5/-, discoloured, £6. Oaten Straw.—£s 10/- per ton, damaged 2/0 per bale. Moggitt’s Linseed Meed—2s/- per bag. Oatdust—o/- per bag. Bran—lo/- per bag. Pollard—l2/- per bag. Fruit. —Apple? (dessertl 3d to 5d per lb, according to variety and grade. Apples (cooking) 21d to 2Jd per lb. Pears (dessert) 3d to 44d per lb. Pears (cooking), 21d to 3d lb. Vegetables,—Cabbage to 8/- per sack; swedes. 2/- to 3/- bag; carrots, 4/- bag; parsnips, to 2d per lb. Lepp Salt Lick.—2/3 per brick, wholesale 2/-. Cow-covers —Lined 21/6, unlined 20/-. Horse-covers—Best American duck, £2 15/- to £3. Sundries. —Boots 35/- pair. Honey, in 10)h tins, 10/-. Tea, in 51b packets, 12/-. Muttonbirds (in kits containing about 40 birds), 1/- per bird. Furniture,—There has been a steady demand for all furnishing lines at our Spey street warehouse. We have a large stock of best quality new pattern linoleums, and a nice line of solid oak duchesse chests with oval mirrors. We have stocks of seagrass chairs in neat designs. EXCHANGE MART. Messrs McKay Bros, report as follows: Bacon Pigs.—Market easier in sympathy with northern prices, but the prices we are offering for bacon pigs on trucks, or

delivered at the mart, are still high. Particulars on application. Produce.—Table potatoes in full supply; prices easy and prime table potatoes are being sold at from £7 to £7 10/- per ton. Onions, 10/-; prime chaff, £8 10/-; pollard, 19/- 1801b bag; wheat, 35/-; barley meal, 17/6; oat dust, 5/6; pressed straw, 5/6 bale; cabbages, 6/- sack. Sepd Potatoes. —Enquiries for seed potatoes are coming in and growers and buyers are advised to communicate with us at once. We have buyers for large quantities of early seed; also Up-to-Dates. Fruit.—Sydney oranges, passions and mandarins arrived to a bare market during the week and sold readily at high prices. Island oranges also came to hand, and the market generally has been well supplied with apples and pears. Pie melons, which should have arrived by the last steamer, were not shipped on account of the demand on the other side for melons for starving stock. We hope to have a shipment arriving shortly. Approximate prices —Sydney oranges, 20/- to 35/-; passions, 17/6; mandarins, 35/- to 40/-; lemons, 30/-; dessert apples, 10/- to 15/-, cooking apples 7/6; dessert pears, 44d per lb, cooking pears, 6/- case; peanuts, IOJd per lb.

General.—Exchange tea, 15/- per lb box, best value in Southland. Cow-covers, 21/-; horse-covers, 47/6. Furniture.—American organ £27, dining room suites £ls, £l7 10/- and £2l; bedroom suites, £l3 15/- and £2O. THE RIALTO. William Todd and Co., Ltd., report the following sales on Saturday, June 19; — Poultry.—Hens, 2/4 to 3/1; purebred White Leghorns, 4/3 to 6/3; pullets on account Bluff Poultry Farm—White Leghorns 15/6 to 19/6, Silver Wyandottes 11/6. Pullets on various accounts, 5/- to 9/-; roosters, 2/- to 3/6; ducks, 3/- to 5/3. Pigs.—Keen demand; suckers, £1 10/- to £1 18/-; weaners, £2 1/- to £2 18/-; stores, £3 7/- to £3 17/-; sows, £3 18/-, £6 2/6, £6 10/-; boar, £5 1/-. Cow, £6; calf, 7/-; Cambridge roller, £22. Potatoes.—£7 10/- to £8 per ton (bags in); onions, 12/- cwt; oats, £1 2/6 to £1 7/6 (bags in); oat dust, 6/-; horse-covers, £2 12/6 to £2 15/-; cow-covers, £1 2/6 to SI 6/- (lined). Mutton-birds, lid. Ceylon tea (in chests), 2/9 to 2/10 lb; 61b bags, 14/-. F. BOWDEN & CO.’S REPORT. F. Bowden and Go. report fair supplies of fruit to hand during the week. Good varieties of pears and apples show an upward tendency. On Tueklay citrus fruits landed in perfect condition and realised high prices. Parsnips and carrots are wanted.

The week closed with prices ruling— Apples, Delicious 14/- to 15/ choice Jonathans and Scarlets 9/6 to 10/- case, others cheaper, cookers 2d to 2Ad lb; pears, choice dessert 3d to 4d lb, others cheaper, cookers 2d lb; navel oranges, 36/- to 40/- case; mandarins, 34/- to 39/-; oranges, 34/- to 37/6; passion fruit, 18/- half-case; pines, 26/- to 29/- case; lemons, 25/- case. Vegetables, Etc. —Cabbages, 5/6 bag; red cabbage, 10/6 cwt; onions, 10/-; pickling onions, 2d lb; potatoes, 7/- to 8/- cwt for very prime ; carrots, 6/- bag; beetroot, Id lb; confectionery bottles, 4/- each. DUNEDIN MARKETS. DUNEDIN, June 19. There is a keen demand from growers for seed wheat, and the few small lines still available from the country are being used to fill these orders. The local Government fixed wheat prices for June are as follow:—Velvet or pearl, 7/11 A; Hunters, 7/8; Tuscan, 7/6 A—all f.0.b., sacks extra (the prices include lid per bushel brokerage). Millers’ prices are as follow; —Flour, £l7 per ton; 100’s, £lB 10/-; 50’s, £l9; 25’s, £2O. Bran, £8 per ton. Pollard, £lO. Pearl barley, £35. Oatmeal, £3l per ton. The oat market is quiet, there being few shipping inquiries. On the other hand, offerings from growers are very light. A few small parcels have been purchased by millers at 5/-, sacks extra, country sidings. Most of the oats are now held by merchants, and they are asking 6/-, f.0.b., s.i., for A Cartons, and Xd less for B Cartons.

Heavy consignments of potatoes are arriving from Canterbury, and it is now becoming difficult to make sales. The retailera have filled their immediate requirements. To-day’s value for good quality is £6 to £6 5/-, socks extra, ex store, Dunedin. Unless an outside market is found lower prices can be expected. Advice has been received from the Board of Trade stating that an endeavour is being made to arrange with the Australian Government to send graders across from Australia to examine shipments of potatoes before they are sent from New Zealand. Ex port of potatoes to Australia is now per missible. The Board of Trade has offered to p:>y £IOO towards the expenses of bringing the Australian graders over, and it i* expected that New Zealand exporters would be prepared to also pay portion of the cost. The arrivals of chaff arc Just about equal to the demand, which at present is purely local, and there are no immediate prospects of shipping freight being available. The price, for good quality is £S 10/- per ton, sacks extra, ox truck, Dunedin. Medium is worth £6 to £7 10/-, sacks extra, ex store. Prices for eggs continue high. There is no change to record in the prices of other produce lines. OAMARU MARKETS. (Per United Press Association.) OAMARU, June 19. The grain market was quiet during the week. Wheat continues to come forward intermittently in small quantities, but one line of 800 sacks, including four varieties of which velvet was one, was delivered. Little business is passing in the oats market, which is uncertain in view of shipping difficulties. A considerable quantity of oats sold for the North Island are stored for transport and the stores are full of wheat, won], and oats. Further buying is thus precluded and business is confined to several lines of A grade Cartons at 5/nett at country stations. Cowgrass seed, which is shelling well, is coming freely on the market and is sold at' country stations at 2/- to 2/1 nett, fairly clean and far mers’ dressed.

LONDON MARKETS. (By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, June 18. (Received June 20, 5.5 p.m.) Cotton—The Liverpool quotation for American middling, upland, July delivery is 24.55 d per lb. Rubber —Fine hard Para 2/1, plantation first late crop 2/ojf, smoked ribbed sheet 2/ORd. The hemp market is neglected. AprilJune shipment, £54. Jute is dull. AugustScptember shipment, £55. Copra is quiet. June-August delivery, £45 (nominal). Linseed oil is £76 a ton; turpentine, 155/- per cwt.