COMMERCIAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 91, 21 April 1904, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

DURNSIDE STOCK MARKET.

(Per Press Association.) DUNEDIN, April 20. Fat cuttle—'2o2 head yarded, a fair, proportion good to prime. TJic demand was not brisk and prices if anything were lower than lust week. Best bullocks £9 10s lo £l.O 7s (id, lnediiun £8 to £9 ss, light £5 15s lo £7 10s, best cows and heifers £0 15s to £H os, medium £5 I.os to £0 10s, lig'ht £4 lo £.". ss. . Fat sheep—2322 penned. The sale opened with a stuck demand, at Is under lusi week, but improved as it went on, and at the end last week's prices were easily obtained. Most wethers 19s (id to 2ls Gd, medium 17s to 18s 9d, Hjrht Kis to Kis 9d,lbest ewes 18s to 20s, medium 15s to 17s Gd, light lis lo 14s. l.umbs—97o penned. Importers bought freely, and I litre was a brisk sale. Hest 13s 9d to 1.55, inedinm 12s (id to 13s (id, lig'ht 10s (id to lis »d. Pigs—l 72 yarded, mostly suckers and slips, for which prices were down ; but porkers and baeoners sold up to lust week's prices. Suckers 8s (id to lis (id, slips 12s (id to 15s (id, stores 21s to 2(is, porkers 32s to 40s, baeoners 40s to 51s, extra heavy 52s to Cls.

HVNEDIN UUAIN MARKET. DUNRUIN, April '2O. Whoalt—Liitllu business is doing l . Stocks are not heavy. Medium milling has uv» sale. Prime milling 2s lOd to 3a Id, medium to good 2s (id to 2s 9d, whole fowl wheat 2s 4d to 2s sd, medium, damaged, and broken 2s to 2s 3d per bushel (sacks extra). Oats—There, is a limited inquiry for prime milling, and only odd lots lind a sale (or export, to supply orders. Stocks are now accumulating. Prime milling Is 5d to 1s 6d, good to best feed Is 3}d to Is 4Jd, inferior to medium lOd to Is 3d per bushel (sacks extra.)

AUSTRALIAN PRODUCE MARKET

SYDNEY, April 20. Wheat—Dull. Chick, prime 2s f«l to 2s 7d, milling 3s. Flour £7 15s to £B. Oats—Tasmania!! Algerian Is 7d to la yd, prime while 2s, New Zealand 2s 4d. Barley—Capo 2s 4d to 2a sd. Maize 2s ad to 2s 'ld. Bran (Sid. Pollard 7-J-d. I'oas—Ulue 3s 9d to 4s. Potatoes—Tasmania £2, Now Zealand kidney seed £O. ■ Onions—Victorian prime £2 10s. Butter 7id to Bd. Cheese 4d to sd. Bacon 7Jd to 9d. MELBOURNE, April 20. Barley—Feeding 2s, malting 3s to 3s 9d. Bran and pollard 7Jd. Potatoes £1 15s to £2. Onions £1 7s (id to £1 10s. ADELAIDE, April 20. Wheat 3s. Flour £7 15s. Bran and pollard 3d.

BREADSTUFFS.

LONDON, April 19. The total wheat and' flour afloat for the United Kingdom is 3,805,000 quarters and for the Continent 1,075,000. Atlantic shipments 21,000 quarters, Pacific 20,000.

DAIRY PRODUCE MARKET. Mr H. Cameron (Dairy Produce Commissioner) writes on March U to tlie Department of Industries and Commerce that after his previous report prices for New Zealand butter jumped Suddenly from 90s and 97s to 101s and 102s per cwt for choicest equalities, but the demand was panicky, and unfortunately the rise was as shortlived as it was unexpected. On March 11 prices were down again to 98s and 995. Mr Cameron continues : The quantity of butter received in this country from all sources during February shows a large incrcaso on that delivered tl>\r- ; ing the sawie month last year, bplngi '350,682cwf, against 299,GG7cwt For the first two months of the year the increase cvei the quantity received during the corresponding period last year was 82,779cwt. Tills large increase probably accounts to some extent for (he lower prices realised tills swson for CoSlmial shipments. It may be interesting to note that while during January and February 98,(11 Ocwt of butter 'were received from New Zealand, Denmark delivered 278,2-12cwl. This shows an increase from New 'Zealand of 10,021 cwt, and a decrease from Denmark of 2(>,l>r>lcwt compared with the same period of last year. One very disappointing feature in connection with the ■distribution of New Zealand butter in this country this season is that whereas Danish butter has ruled on an average since the beginning of the year 2s to 8s per cwt higher than Inst year, the price realised for •that from .New Zealand has been 4 s or 5s per cwt less. Although, as I have just stated, the increased supplies of butter received this year from all sources may have helped in this regrettable reduction, I feel convinced, seeing that under the same conditions Danish butter has not declined, but has advanced, that had a better system of disposal in the country been adopted by the New Zealand producers themselves, there would have been no occasion for their butter to have fallen here as it has done. When in the polony recently I -advocated the producers there arranging a systematic disposal of their produce. I know of a few factories which' have own carrying on their business on the lines I advocated, and they have been realising soveral shillings per cwt more than the prices generally made. Although the price of New Zealand butter is down to 98e and 995, as the supply from both Australia and New Zealand, from now onward will be considerably less than it has been, I am inclined to think that the market will keep firm." Mr Cameron reports that although he has continued to make inquiry, he has not heard of any serious complaints of fishiness in the butter received from New Zealand this season. Regarding the cheese market, Mr Cameron writes :—"The steady decline in cheese, which has lioen noted lor so many weeks, seems at last to have come to an end. The offer of New Zealand cheese by some houses (0 buyers at 47s seemed to bring aluout a better inquiry, null as there has also been growing a feeling* that supplies will not be greater than re- [ cfiuremonlH, the market has hardened and is at present firmer than it has been for a length of lime, llnsiness m New Zealand cheese is being done at 48s. The total imports of cheese into this country during February wove lHO,o2Bcwt. From New Zealand 12,208cwl were received, as against (SSlOcwt during (h 0 S ame month last year. In the same month Canada sent 7">/M()cwt, against 157882etvt in Fiillniury, lUOJ). The cheese now arriving from Now Zealand is showing considerable improvement in qiunlity over that received by earlier shipments, being in a much better matured condition."