COMMERCIAL

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2365, 4 December 1908, Page 2

COMMERCIAL

WOOL SALES. The first wool Bale for the .present season wEI be held in tlio Farmers' Union Chib rooms at 2 p.ffl. to-duy. T.ho bulk of the 500 bales to be offered consists of erurdiings fcnd pieces left over from last season, but about 100 bales of this season’s clip are also for competition. The catalogue of Messrs Williams nnd Kettle consists of 230 bales wool, 3700 skins, 180 hides, ■and 50 packages tallow; N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., 42 bales nn>l 55 bags wool, 1289 slams, 20 hides, and 27 packages tallowj Common, Shelton and Co., Ltd., 45 bales and 33 bags wool, 1492 skins, and ~ bfitles skins; Messrs Dalgoiy and Co. and Bennett and iSherratt will also offer largo catalogues.

WOOL AND WHEAT

United Pkess Association, Copyiugjat

LONDON, Dec. 2. The wool sales have been postponed owing to the fog". The American visible supply of wheat is 82,205,000 bushels.

MATAWHERO STOCK SALES. There was a slight improvement in the price of butchers’ stock at the usual fortnightly sale he'd at Matuwliero yesterday. The yarding ol both cattle and sheep was fairly large, and all killable pens sold well, butchers probably buying in advance for the holiday season.. Sheep without wool wore easier, but lambs aim ewes with lambs brought improved prices.

SHEER. There were nenriy 0000 sheep ii. the pens, the majority of the ewer being shorn. ,Fat wellier hoggets n. the wool sold at 13s 6d, fat owes from 13s to 14s 3d, forward ewers from K to 10s, and a pen of 30 fat Jambs i. l 11s. Store wethers sold at be tic, rates, the improvement in the .price of Vool causing a keen demand joi stock in the fleece. The store wetli ers jTirded were all shorn'. A pen o. 167, well forward, sold at 12s Od, 33i at lOs lOd, 231 at 10s Bd, and other liens from Ss 7d to 9s 3d. Ewes witi. well-forward lambs were in domain!. A nice, well-forward pen of 171 with nearly 100 per cent., of lamb.-, topped tlie market at lGs 9d, tlu other pens of ewes with lambs boiling: 75 at 13s 6c5, 13 at 13s, 124 a. 11s 6d, and other mens from Gs to 10s Sd ;32 hoggets in the- wool brought from 5s 3d to Bs.

CATTLE. - Jjf Fat cattle were wanted, and there was better competition than for some time past for the butchers’ pens. Five prime steers sold at £7 17s Gd, equal to 20s per 1001 b, 1 bullock at £7 ss. equal_ to 19s per 1001 b; 5 fat steer.at £5 12s 6d, beef cows from £3 Jus to £4 10s, equal to 16s per 1001 b, and beef heifers from £3 15s to £-, 10s. Store cattle brought only mod crate prices. Steers sold at" from £3 to £4 10s, and bullocks to £5. A number of pens were sold privately. One pig only was penned, and realised 255.

FROZEN MEAT TRADE. LATEST LONDON REPORTS. Writing under date of October 2-3.. Messrs. \\ eddel and Co., London, report on the general market for frozen meat as under : Trade at Smitlifield has been rajdiei quiet during the past fortnight, but has experienced some slight improve ment- during the colder weather of the. second half of this week. As customary at this season of the year, market ings of heavy quantities of Homegrown and Continental mutton and lamb and of ranch beef, now' check the' demand for frozen meat. Nevertheless. the statistical position is sound, and in spite of only moderate quantities being used at" Smitlifield prices of frozen meat, almost -without exception, are very firm, and Jiave a hardening tendency. Mutton, as a. whole, is distinctly firmer, anti the same may ho said of lamb, while* beef has already taken turn for the better. MUTTON. New Zealand.—Arrivals during the past two weeks amount to 63,008 careases. The slight general improvement in the mutton • market recorded at the close of our last issue has been maintained, although stocks arc quite sufficient. for the present mild requirements. Tlie market for Canterbury sheep has unfortunately shown no- signs of improvement, and this class of mutton is at present the most difficult to realise,, even at the comparatively low rates now quoted. Canterbury mutton feels most keenly the competition of low-priced Continental sheep. Small carcases (under 481 b.) are a slow sale at 4.1 d whilst medium weights are being offered at 4 l-16d and 4-Jd. Carcases weighing 64 to 72 lbs sell at 32d and 3§d per .lb. North Island sheep of good quality are steady at 3-id for heavies, to 3|d and 3£d for medium and light weights. Second quality slieep are inquired for at 3-id and 3;2d. Ewes remain firm, and are again a shade dearer at 3id ncl 3Jd.

The supply of New Zealand ewes is about exhausted, and this lias assisted in some measure the demand for Australian and River Plate mutton. LAMBS. Arrivals during the past fortnight total only 13,213 carcases from -Australia, 43,091 carcases from New Zea-

land,., and 9,009 carcases from th:-. River Plate. Homo supplies are slack eiiing off somewhat, bpt considerable-, quantities of Continental lambs me still offered at Smitlifield at a Imy level of price, and these -arc used by many buyers in place-of frozen lan.be. There is, nevertheless,, -a moderate inquiry for the small stocks of Ganicrbury lambs still remaining on hand, values of which are fully maintained in spite of cheap Dutch lambs. ’1 he supply of Southland and North Island lambs is very moderate, and these are in fair demand at id and id per lb below Canterbury prices, Canterbury lambs realise s£d for under 361 b, sid for 36 to 42 lb,' and 4§d per lb for 42 to 50 lbs. Southland lamb; under. 421bs are quoted at sjjd and 5-R.l per lb; and 42 to 50 lbs at 42 d. Best Wellington Jambs are being,sold at 51 d and 51d for under 421bs, and at 4§d for 42 'to 50 . lbs; ordinary quality North Island at s£d' and sld, for under 421b,s ,and at 4yd for 42 to 50 lbs. Small parcels of Australian lambs are being marketed. The quality of the bulk of these are good, and 4id and 1 5d per lb, is being real-, ised for the best brands. Secondary grades are selling' at 4§d and 42 per lb. River Plate lambs are quoted at about 42 per lb. BEEF.

Arrivals consist of 15,440 quarters from Australia-,, 5,092 quarters from New Zealand, and 59,(58 quarters from the River Plate. During .tne greater part of tho fortnight itozlii oeel : was in very poor demand, owing to the muggy weather and free offering of ail classes of chilled beef, whicn was in plentiful supply. At iho close, However, the cold snap has had the desired effect of improving the demand, and the market is steady at the linish.

Messrs Murray, Roberts land Co. have received the following market report, dated October 23rd, from their London house :—Wool: Tho fifth series of colonial wool sates, which opened on -.September 29, crime to a close on the 19th inst. During the auctions tho attendance of buyers has ocen well -maintained, and competition throughout has been much brisker than was anticipated, tho Continental section especially being very activo bidders. The feature of the sales has been the great -irregularity shown in tlie prices bid for wools. The market opened with a firm tone -for greasy merino wools, good descriptions, compared with the previous sales’ rates, being par, while inferiors showed a decline of 5 per cent. A hardening tendency was shortly developed for good combing sorts, which, meeting with strong demand, improved 5 per cent, on opening rates, which advance was firmly maintained to the close of the series. The market has been unfavorable for scoureds, which weakened as'the sa.es progressed, prices exhibiting great irregularity. (food wools declined / A per cent, compared with July rates, and inferior and faulty JO per cent. Greasy crossbreds \vc.re_ in good demand ,and fine sorts fully maintained July currency. Medium arid coarse wools of good style and in light condition also sold well tip to rates then ruling. American competition was .secured, otherwise the market was 5 per cent, below July closing quotations, although towards tho close there was a slight rally from the lowest point. Shped wools opened weak and irregular at a decline of 5 to 10 per cent., from which also .a slight recovery was made during the last week of the sales. Scoured crossbreds have been neglected and irregular at 10 per cent, be,low July closing values. Prices for lambs’ wool of aIL descriptions showed a decline. Compared with last sales’ closing rates we quote Greasy merino, good to superior, 5 per cent, higher.; do. ,inferior, par to 5 per cent, lower; scoured merino, good to inferior, 5 to 7id per cent, lower; do., 1 anity and inferior,- 10 per cent, lower; greasy crossbred, fine, medium, and coarse (good conidtion and style), par; greasy crossbred, coarse, ordinary, 5 per cent, lower; slipe crossbred, 5 to 10 per cent lower; scoured crossbred, 10 per cent, lower. The number of baje« oR fered during the series was 245,568, of which 21,800—8.88 per cent. —were brought in, and it is estimated that about 40,000 bales are being held over.

Sheepskins: Public auctions were held yesterday, when 7000 bales of Australasian were offered. Competition was only moderate, and prices ail round showed a depreciation of id to Rl per ilb, except for coarse New Zealand full-woollcd skins, which were unchanged.