COMMERCIAL.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 82, 5 December 1914, Page 3

COMMERCIAL.

WELLINGTON, December 2

Wheat. —It is to be gathered from correspondence receive,: from South Island ficur millers that there is a great deal more wheat held in Canterbury in farmers' hands than meets the of statisticians. Up t.c 7s bushe! however, is asked for milling .wheat. Merchants' holdings am believed to be on the whole very light, and have cost them all sorts of prices. Out of 13 mills in North Canterbury it is understood that only 7 of them can carry on after Christmas, in the meantime supplies of Canadian wheat are being arranged for at a price. With regard to the stocks of New Zealand wheat believed to be held in Canterbury certain millers are of opinion that they and all wheat in farmers' hands should be expropriated by the Government, and the holder given a fair profit over and above the cost of raising the same, and an allowance on :he value of the land upon which the

,v lie at was raised. The demand for Tour has been stimulated by reports of

he general shortage of wheat. The Ydelaide Register has compiled an estimate of the South Australian wheat crop as 6,800,000 bushels. This figure has been arrived at only after unprecedented difficulties. If such an aggregate is reached about 3,500.000 busheis should bo available for export after providing for food and seed. Recent crops in South Australia have been as fellows:

Wool. —The second Wellington wool sales cpen on December 11. It is rather early yet to estimate the quantity offering, but as the wool is com-

ing to hand fairly freely, and catalogues close promptly on sth, a fair idea should be obtainable by the end of this week. The four sales already held in the Dominion—Christchurch, Wellington, Napier and Auckland — have, it is believed, put into growers' pockets about £250,000. This is independent of the large quantity of wool sold on the station and privately, generally before the sales. An interesting table of the value of British Empire wool had been prepared by Helmuth, Schwartae and Co., London, showing the importance of the wool rdip from Australasia and the Cape over the past 20 years.

Hemp.—The tone of the hemp raaikcfc has still further improved this week. Enquiry, however, is confined to London. Free on board prices on Monday for December to March shipment were as fellows:- —Good fair, £lB 15s per ten; high fair, £l7 15s per ton; and low fair, £l6 15s per ton. Tew was neglected in consequence of the ruling lev,- values of the Jute market and were i'.l 5s for No. 1 and £6 15s for No. 2.

CHRISTCHURCH, December 2. At the Addington live stock market there was a smaller yarding of fat cattle, but larger entries of fat sheep and lambs. The rains have improved the store sheep market, and there was keen demand for all that were offered. Fat cattle showed a little keener demand at late rates. Fat lambs and fat sheep were somevvhat easier in consequence of the large entry. Store Sheep. Forward two-tooth wethers, to 16s 7d; medium two-tooth wethers, 13s 6d to 14s lid; inferior twe-tcoth wether 12s lOd to 13s Id; forward four-tooth wethers, 17s 9d to 20s sd; backward woolly four-tooth wethers, 18s 6d; fair woolly ewes, with lambs, 7s to 12s; two, four, six( and eight-tooth ewes, 17s Id; woolly merino wethers, 16s 6d. Fat lambs.—Best lambs, 18s 6d to 20s 6d; lighter, 14s 6d to 18s.

Fat Sheep.—Prime shorn wethers. 22s fid to 265; others, 19s to 21s 6d; shorn merino wethers, 19s; woolly ewes, 16s 9d to 25s 9d; prime shorn owes, 20s to 25s 3d; others, 16s to 19s 6d; shorn merino ewes, 12s 6d to 15s 6d; shorn hoggets, 38s to 21s 6d. Fat Cattle.—Extra prime steers, to

£22 10s; ordinary steers, £7 15s to

I £ll 10s; heifers, £7 to £l2 15s; I oxtra prime cows, to £l3 2s 6d; or- ! dinary cows, £6 5s to £9. Price of I beef, per 1001 b 32s to 41s. ] Store Cattle.Yearlings, 40s; fifteento eighteen months, £3 2s 6d to £3 I 3s; two-year heifers, £3 17s 6d to £3 ! 19s 6d; three-year steers, £6 7s 6d j to £7 15s; four and five-year steers, j £8 12s 6d to £lO 10s; ibroe-yea'r heifi 'ers, T £s to £5 15s; dry cows, £2 to | £6 15s; dairy cows, £3 to £ll. ! Pigs.—Choppers, 50s to 80s; extra heavy bacmers, 60s to 88s; ordinary baconers, 48s to 555. Price, per ]b., !"d to 5?.d. Heavy porkers, 42s to | i4s; lighter porkers, 35s to 48s. I Price per lb, s : id. Large stores, 3us I to 35s 6d; medium, 22s Lo 295; small, I L6s Lo 21s; weaners, 10s to 16s.

Bushels. 1910-11 . . 24,344,740 1911-12 . . 20,352,720 1912-13 . . 21,496,216 1913-14 . . 16,936,988 1914-15 6.800,000

Australasian, Capo Tl. Value. Bales. Bales. £ 1394 ■ 1,896,000 256,000 24,748,000 1395 . 2,001,000 269,000 24,970,000 1396 1,846,000 238,000 25,008,000 1397 1,834,000 274,000 24,242,000 1398 1,703,000 2 . { 'i Vi ) 24,280,000 1S99 1,641.000 ?•;.. too 27,666,000 1900 1,456,0 0 lf-0.0 V) 21,546,000 1901 1 745,^09 217,000 20,601,000 1902 1,699,000 234,000 22,713,000 1903 1,451,000 234,000 22,747,000 1904 1,371,000 201,000 22,794,000 1905 1,633,090 209,000 .29,011,000 1906 1,833,000 238,000 35,207,000 1907 2,103,000 287,000 39,435,000 1908 2,072,000 276,000 31,111,000 1909 2,296,0)0 380,000 40.14a.000 1910 2,411,000 377,000 45,305,000 1911 2,524,000 376,000 43,500,000 1912 2,463,000 463,000. 43,890,000 1913 2,296,000 484,000 45,870,000