A FIRMER TONE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 984, 29 May 1930, Page 13

A FIRMER TONE

N.Z. STOCK MARKETS WESTFIELD REVIEWED By R.W.C. Prices were slightly erratic at the principal stock selling centres of the Dominion yesterday, but the general trend was toward slightly higher price levels. At. Westfield an aggregate yarding of approximately 667 head of fat cattle came forward to meet with a steady demand. Well-finished handyweight cattle sold freely to a wide ring of buyers, and prices for best quality steer beef were a little better, ranging up to 38s a hundred; best young cow and heifer beef made up to 33s a hundred. The beef offering was drawn mostly from the southern part of the province, one or two lines of well finished medium weight cattle coming from as far south as the Bay of Plenty. The average quality was fair, but most lines looked a little rough following a buffeting by the recent wintry weather. In the cow and heifer section there were few station lines of young cattle, old dairy cows predominating. Extra heavy prime steers mad© up to £l6 15s; heavy prime, £l3 10s to £ls; medium, £ll 5s to £l3 ss; light and small, from £7. Extra choice prime young cows and heifers made up to £l2 7s 6d; heavy prime, £9 to £lO 10s; medium, £7 os to £8 15s; light and small, from £5 10s; unfinished and old, from £3 10s. The outstanding entry of the calf section was "a line of 51 station calves on account J. 11. Pratt, Hamilton, which met with keen competition to average approximately £4 9s. There were no exceptionally heavy prime bigframed calves in the yard, and nothing was sold over £6; nevertheless, the market was very firm and showed a general advance on late rates. Good sorts of heavy vealers sold up to £4, ss.

Gc.od Quality Sheep Offering The quality of slightly above an average yarding of sheep . was good, several lines of very choice quality station sheep coming forward. Tlie market opened showing a slightly easier tone than at recent sales and, although special lines met with keen competition to sell at premium rates to butchers who can generally be reckoned on to pay a little extra to secure the heaviest prime sheep, the general level of the sale was below that of recent fixtures. For instance, a line of 240 extra choice medium weight wethers on account of th€> Waiariki Maori Land Company, from the back of Rotorua, did not bring more than 26s 3d. Three weeks or a month ago it is quite on the cards that these sheep would have brought 2s a head more. Extra heavy prime wethers made from 28s to 31s; heavy prime, 26s 3d to 27s 9d; medium, 23s to 25s 9d; light, from 20s 3d; extra heavy prime voung ewes made to 21s; heavy prime ewes, to 18s; medium, 14s to 16s.

Lambs sold at practically on a par with late rates, best making up to 23s 6d. _ The market for baconers had an easier tone, prices averaging round the equivalent of 4£d porkers made from 6d to 6£d a lb. Top price for baconers was £3 11s; porkers made up to 58s.

Addington Market Firmer Competition at Addington market yesterday was brisker in most departments, due to the improved feed conditions as a result of the recent rains. An average entry of fat lambs sold at an advance of Is to Is 6d, the schedule for export having slightly improved. Best lambs sold from 24s to 275; medium, 21s to 235. There was an all-round advance of from 2s to 2s 6d in the market for fat sheep. Exporters bought lighter sheep freely. Extra prime heavy wethers sold to 34s 4d; prime wethers, 28s 6d to 38s 6d; ordinary wethers, 24s 6d to 27s 6d; light wethers, 19s to 23s 6d; extra prime ewes, 26s 4d to 28s 7d: prime ewes, 21s 6d to 245; ordinary ewes, 17s 6d to 20s 6d; light ewes, 14s to 17s; aged ewes, 11s to 14s. A heavy entry of fat cattle, mostly cows and heifers, met an improved sale for good quality lines. Best steer and heifer beef sold from 38s to 425; heavy, to 37s 6d; secondary, 32s to 355; rough, down to 255; extra prime heavy steers, to £l9 17s 6d; prime heavy steers, £ls 10s to £l7 10s; prime medium-weight steers, £l2 10s to £ls ss; medium-quality steers, £8 15s to £ll 10s; light steers, £7 to £8 10s: extra prime heifers, to £ls 2s 6d: prime heifers, £9 10s to £l2 10s; medium heifers, £7 5s to £9 ss; light heifers, £6 to £7; extra prime cows, to £ls 2s 6d; prime cows, £9 to £ll 10s; medium cows, £7 to £S 15s; light and aged cows, £5 to £6 15s; vealers, best, to £8; good, £6 to £7; medium, £ 4 to £5 15s; good calves, 40s to 455; medium, 355.

An average entry of porkers and a. smaller one than usual of bacon porkers recorded an advance of up to 6s a head, but there was little change in bacon val Lies. Choppers sold from £2 18s to £7 18s 6d; porkers, 46s 6d to 565: heavy porkers, 57s 6d to £3 9s 6d; average price a lb, 74d toßid; baconers, £3 14s to £4 4s; heavy baconers, to £4 19s 6d; average price a lb, 6d to 6Ad. FOREIGN EXCHANGES British Official Wireless RUGBY, Tuesday. The following rates on foreign exchanges are current today, compared with the cabled quotations on May 22 and

LONDON WOOL SALES Kecd. 11.5 a-m. LONDON. Wednesday. At the wool sales 8,965 bales were offered, including 3,023 from New Zealand. About 4,690 were sold. Greasy Merinos consisted chiefly of spinners wools. There was a moderate selection of New Zealand crossbreds, and a good offering of slipes. Prices were firm. New Zealand greasy crossbreds: Waikura, Hid and lid: Black, Pakowhal, 12 3d and 12d; halfbred lambs, Severn, 13d and 12d; GMC/Eclipse, finest halfbred lambs, 145 d; Tomoana/Oakleigh. GFCO/Oakleigh. 14id. A few bales NCF-Kaiapoi, 15d. Greasy crossbreds ranged from SSd to 13d.

par:— May 27 May 22 Montreal, dol. 4.864 4.861 4.866 New York, dol. . 4.85 29-32 4.S6 5Paris, fr 123.93 123.94 124.21 Brussels, belga . 34.815 34.825 Geneva, fr. . . 25.115 25.125 Amsterdam, fl. . 12.08 12.082 Rome, lire 92.77 92.73 92.46 Berlin, r.m. . . . 20.365 20.365 Stockholm, kr. .. 18.102 IS. 125 Oslo, kr 18.1 6i 18.16 Copenhagen, kr. 18.16 18.165 “Vienna, sch. .. . 34.455 34.465 34.585 Prague, kr. . . 163 164 Helsingfors, mark 1934 193 Madrid, pes. . . . 39.925 40.00 25.225 Lisbon, escu. 108.25 108.25 Athens, dr. . . 375 Bukarest, lei. 818 R. de Janeiro, mil 4 27-32 Buen. Ayres, dol. 42 15-16 43 Calcutta, rupee 17 25-32 1713-16 Shanghai, tael . 202 21 £ Hong Kong, dol. 16g Yokohama, yen 24 13-16 24g Batavia, fl. .. . 12.10