COMMERCIAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 31, 8 February 1915, Page 6

COMMERCIAL.

United Press Association. , (Received 8.15 a.ni.) - j. London, February 1 7. The imports for January decreased £604,003, exports £19,557,573, and reexports £2,701,478, compared to the previous January. . Rabbits are firm and unchanged. Sheep.—Canterbury is firm and unchanged. Light and .medium s{jd, North Island 5 7-16ci, bestfbrands ;ssd. Beef .—Fores .5 13-:16d,-? hinds 6|d. Australian sheep, first quality, sjd. Lamb, best quality, 6£d, fair inferior 6d.

Beef.r—Fores, .none offering. Hinds 6jd. 'f; ..:V -) Argentine chilled ]beef. —-Fores ,6gd, hinds 7 Id. Other meats, unchanged. - Wheat.—Quiet, but firm . Advices of general rains in the Argentine is counteracting the effect of the larger shipments. Bumper wheat harvests in India are described as absolutely certain.

•Wool.—The sales closed with wellsustained competition, which was firm for all sorts. Merinos were generally ten per cent above December rqtes, and crossbreds were fully five per cent higher. The United States has taken 15,500 .bales. The following prices were realised for fleece portions, of Nsw. Zealand clips, named “White Bn&k,” top. 15id, average l4|d; “TokL ur,” ,14idl.tp l4dp-“Uohahga” 15jl .to 14|d. The number of bales catalogued to Friday was 130,808, bales sold 125,731. • Per Press Association-.

Wellington, February 8. The High Commissioner cabled on February 6th:— Mutton.—-The market is firm >vith improved demand, especially for lightweights. Canterbury s|d,heavy-weights old; North Island s id. Lamb.—Good demand continues, prices being firmer on account of the difficulty of obtaining supplies owing to the delay in discharging. Canterbury supplies are nearly exhausted, and quotations are nominal. Canterbury (Ud, other than Canterbury 71d. Beef.—The market is very firm. Stocks of New Zealand on hand are light. Hinds sfd, fores 5 13-16 d. Of chilled there is only a small supply: Hinds fores 6|d. Butter.—The market is quieter and prices easier. Danish, slow, 142 sto 1465, New Zealand ,138 sto 140 s, unsalted, occasionally, 1425. Australian 134 s to 138 s. Siberian, no arrivals. Argentine, quiet, 134 s to 1365. Cheese.—The market is firm and prices continue to advance. It is stated the supplies do not meet requirements on account of the abnormal demand, and the market is advancing steadily. Canadian, firm, white and colored 88s to 90s. The New Zealand market is firm with good demand, white, and colored 86s to 88s. It is estimated the Canadian cheese stocks at London, Liverpool, and Bristol on 2nd February were 81,000 boxes, against 123,000 last year. The New Zealand and Australian cheese stocks at London and Bristol dn 2nd February were 22,7000 crates, against 12,700 last year. Hemp.—The market is active with good demand. Stocks of New Zealand are small. New Zealand, good-fair, £2B 10s, fair £26 10s, fair current manilla £3O, forward shipments New Zealand good-fair £2B, fair £26, fair current manilla £3O 10s. The output fro'ra Manilla for the week was 18,000 bales.

.Wheat.—The market' is firm and prices continue to advance. Quotations, nominal, Canadian 645, American G3s, Argentine ,635.

Oats.—The market is firm but the demand is only moderate. New Zealand Gartons 345, Argentine 31s. Wool.—. The wool sales closed with a very strong market, the prices obtained being the best for the series. The supply falls short of the demand. Americans were operating freely in merinos, and France and Italy were again buying, nothing being held over as was estimated. Medium crossbreds (all grades) Is 2d to Is 4d, coarse crossbreds (all grades) Is Id to Is 3d, superior merino Is to is ?d. medium