COMMERCIAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 January 1921, Page 8

COMMERCIAL.

LONDON MARKETS. By Telegraph,—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, Jan. 23. Cotton.—February 9.46 d, Rubber.—Para plantation smoked lid. Hemp.—January-March £5l. Jute.—J an uary-'Februa ry £3B. Copra. January-March, nominally £34 15s. Linseed 0i1.—£33. Turpentine.—Bss. A FALL IN STEEL. London, Jan. 23. North-east coast steel makers have followed the example of the Scottish in reducing prices all round £2 to £4 per ton. CANTERBURY MARKETS. Christchurch Jan. 21. The grain market continues lifeless. Isolated samples of the new season’s produce are coming in, but merchants show little disposition to do business, and, if so, it is at values that farmers are disinclined to accept. Merchants’ ranges are very wide They are not prepared to quote for Algerian oats as their hands are full, and it is understood that the North Island is also wejl supplied. Appearances point to opening prices being some pence lower than for Gartons. A few samples of the latter are offering and whilst there is no business to make quotations on, opinion appears to be that prices will be about 2s Id to 2s 2d at country stations. Threshings of both oats and wheat would have been fairly brisk next week, but for the recent rain, and this hr.» naturally delayed samp’es coming in. Appearances so far are for a lower yield, but not anything like the extent suggesled by some surveys. A few bushels per acre would probably cover the decrease in North Canterbury, but from advices to hand it is apparent that the yield for the south will not be so good. A sample or two of barley has come in, and sales have been made at 7s 3d to 7s 9d A sample or two of Italian and perennial ryegrass has also been shown, but offers are much below last season’s rates, being about 3s Gd. A line of new season’s cocksfoot has been bought at 8d at wayside stations. Chaff is slow in price in Sympathy with oats. About £3 to £3 5s is the limit of merchants’ offers. It is understood that a gooff deal of oats will remain in stock awaiting the trend of the market. The recent dry weather was giving potatoes a firming tone, and it is understood that business in now season’s tub- , ers was done at £5 10s a ton. The bounteous rain, however, has influenced the crop prospects and £4 10s to £5 about covers merchants’ offers.

HAMILTON MARKET. The Farmers’ Co-op. Auctioneering Co. Ltd., report: At Hamilton on Thursday, January 20, our yarding of cattle was only moderate, and chiefly' beef, but the yarding of sheep was much above the average. Values of fat cattle showed an improvement and everything penned was satisfactorily cleared under the hammer. Heavy cow£ made from £ll 10s to £l5 17s fid, medium £8 15s to £lO 10s, empty fresh conditioned cows were in fair demand, and made from £5 5s to £7 10s. very few store cattle were yarded, and competition was anything " but keen. Eighteen-month heifers, r.w.b., realised £6 15s; heavy bulls were well competed for, and made up to £l#; fat ewes sold well, making to 24s 9d for medium weights; forward 2-tooths, mixed, 21s; lambs drew fair competition, and although a few lines were passed at auction. sales were in all cases effected afterwards; fair woolly lambs made to 18s 9d, second draft 15s, shorn lambs (medium) to 15s lOd, smaller sorts 8s lOd to 12s. The Shropshire sheep advertised, although j>old without reserve, did not meet with' the reception anticipated. Ewes, 4-tooth to f.m., 13s; 2tooth wethers >22s 3d, lambs 14s. Pigs, which last week seemed to have reached bedrock, had apparently a little further to fall. Baconers made to £4 2s; store pigs £2 to £2 12s 6d; slips 17s 6d to 335.

LOAN & MERCANTILE REPORTS. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Stratford, report as follows: In conjunction with Newton King, Ltd., we held our monthly sale at Kohuratahi on January 12th, to a fair yarding. Competition was not f.ery keen, but we quitted practically all stocks yarded at full market rates. Pri-ces:—Two-tooth wethers 14s 6d, 4-tooth do. 21s 6d, store cows £5 4s Gd, 18-month heifers, r.w.b,, £5; 3yr bullocks, £11; bulls, £4 Gs to £5; 4yr half draught gelding £22 10s. The yarding at Matart, on the 14th Hist., was a small one, and bidding was slack. Prices:—-F.M. ewes, forward, 15s| 6d to 16s 7d; 4-tooth ewes and wethers, 16s 7d; store coWs, £5; dairy cows, £7' 15s; bull, £3 10s. At our fortnightly Stratford sale, on January' 18th the yarding was a fair one, but except for store and forward cows little Competition took place. Twotooth cull wethers 14s; 2 and 4-tooth do 225, store cows £3 4s to £5; forward cows £6 6s to £7 10s; cows and calves £5 5s to £5 10s, 18-month heifers £5; 2Jyr. do £7 ss, r.w.b.; 3yr steers (bad colors) £7 10s; bulls, £5 to £7 ss. The N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd,, Hawera branch, report as follows for Week ending January 22, 1921: On Monday, at Kakaramea, the small yarding consisted of all classes of stock, and apart from export cows very little business was transacted. We report: Good slips 15s, woolly lambs 10s Gd, best cows and heifers to” £9* ss, others £4 to £6 10s, bulls £3 16s to £6 10s, 2year Jersey cross in calf heifers £ll 2s Gd, weaner heifers £2. At Eltham on Wednesday, we quote:— Good store pigs to £2, others to 28s, fat and forward ewes 17s, export bulls to £lO 10s. best cows, etc., £8 14s to £lO 10s, others £3 15s to £7, springing heifers £6 10s, yearling heifers to £2 IGs, weaner bulls 21s, heifers £l9. At Hawera on Thursday we had a full yarding of sheep, mostly lambs, and all of these were sold at auction. Cattle were penned in average numbers, and the vendors in most cases were anxious to sell. Although the prices were low, practically everything was quitted before leaving the yards. We quote:—Good store pigs 32s Gd to £2 Is; small ditto 19s; weaners to 10s; fat 2-tooth sheep 23s Gd to 34s Gd; shorn lambs (good) 13s; woolly ditto to Ils; culls 3s Gd to 6s 0d; export bulla to £8; others £2

5s to .£5 10s; best cows and heifers £8 16s to £lO 10s; others £2 7s 6d to £6 17s 6d; Jersey weaner heifers £3; others to £2; steers 30s. FARMERS’ CO-OP. WEEKLY REPORT. The Farmers’ Co-operative Organisation Society of New Zealand, Ltd., Hawera branch, report as follows for the week ending January 22, 1921: The sales for the week have shown somewhat of an improvement in the quantity of stock yarded, and although prices have been on about a par with last rates, the tone of the market is brighter, there being more buyers operating. Cows’" beef has (been selling at about 35s per hundred, and bulls at from 23s to 26s According to reports just to hand there is likely to be a reduction in these prices. Rape lambs have been selling rapidly at from 16s 6d to 17s Gd, and there is still a good enquiry for blackface of this description. Few wethers have been coming forward, but, as yet, graziers have not got their fat drafts away, and are not ready to fill up. Pigs are only saleable at lov money. At Opunake on Monday, suckers brought up to IQs light stores £1 to 28s, cull lambs to 10s 3d, 2-tooth wethers to 22s Gd, best cows ..£8 to £9 14s, lighter £5 to £7, old cows £4, bulls £5 to £8 15s. At Manaia on Tuesday we had a full yarding. Cull lambs to 10s 3d, suckers to 10s, light stores £1 to 28s, best cows £8 to £9 15s, others £4 to £7, forward steers to £lO, yearling steers to £4, culls (extra heavy) to £ll, others £5 to £8; Jersey weaner heifers £4 12s Gd to £5 2s Gd, others to £3 10s. On Tuesday, at Stratford, prices were on about a par with above, and the i bulk of the. yarding found fresh owners. i On Wednesday, at Inglewood, we had a full yarding of cattle. Buyers were j in attendance, and .practically the whole entry changed hands. Fat cows and heifers brought from £lO to £l2, fat and forward cows £7 to £B, others £5 to £6 17s, 2-year steers to £6 10s, extra good yearlings to £4 ISs, colored sorts £2 to £3, empty 2|-year heifers £5 10s, 18-month do £4 10s, bulls, heavy, to £lO 12s 6d, others £5 to £8 J ob, dairy cows and heifers to £lO. On Friday, at Auroa, we had a good yarding of cows Prices were as follow: Ewes to ]6s, bulls £6 to £lO 10s, best cows £8 to £lO 10s, others £5 to £7.