COMMERCIAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2268, 13 August 1908, Page 1

COMMERCIAL.

BUTTER. [Press Association.] NEW PLYMOUTH, August 12. The Alangorei Co-oporutivo Dairy Co. has disposed of its August output at Is 4RI, f.o.b. nett. This is believed to bo a record price, [Press Association.] "WELLINGTON, August 12. The price of butter remains unchanged to-day at Is 6d per pound retail for top brands, but good qualities may ho had at Is sd. The fancy prices have, however, brought a number of poor makes into the market, and it appeai'6 that Australian buyers in Wellington, who ordinarily would buy lines of several hundred boxes, recently took only little lots of fifty boxes it AVellington rates. As if in order to add to the perplexity, tlie Government’s agent at Melbourne telegraphed t<> the Industries Department yesterday as follows: “A butter famine exists in Victoria, and butter is being sold at Is lOd wholesale, and the market is rising.” The cable also states that there is a great demand, for fat cattle, there being practically no cattle fit for the market in Victoria at present. On the other hand, there was a drop of 40s per cwt. in Sydney and Melbourne yesterday, anti the fall is expected to continue. This advice, forwarded by the Press Association from Sydney, is confirmed by private cable. Enquiries are still being made in Wellington for South Africa, but the butter is not to be obtained. It is not unlikely, however, that there will lie some shipments made to the Cape shortly, in order to fill contracts, and for this blitter a fancy price will have to be paid. There lias been, a 20 per cent, drop in the sales of butter by tlie grocers in AVellington during the past five days, and jams, treacles, and other substitutes for "butter bave increased in sale as the price of butter has risen. If the weather keeps fairly genial for this time of the year, and especially in Taranaki, there should be plenty of new butter coming into the market and the price should fall accordingly.