COMMERCIAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume III, Issue 517, 24 December 1881, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, report on the produce markets for the week ending Lecember 22nd as follows :—Wool ; At our auction sales held on the :19th there was a fan attendance of buyers and others interested in the trade. There was brisk competition for all lots offered atup to within on last month’s rates, beyond, which point buyers would not advance ; several lots had consequently to be withdrawn, not reaching owners’ reserves. At the salerooms oh the following day the same disinclination to operate up to the level of former rates was very apparent, and for many lols of heavy crossbreds there was little or no competition. From Dunedin we learn that the opening sales of the season passed off with spirit, but at an average decline of %d in crossbreds, and id on merinos, compared with the opening rates of last season. Melbourne advices report crowded attendances at the sales and brisk competition, but such .high rates were not lulling, owing to the inferior condition of the parcels offering.—Sheepskins : There was a good attendance at the usual Thursday’s sales, and notwithstanding the quantities of wool taken by fellmongers during the past few weeks, biddings came freely. Prices were generally on a par with late rates, but for batchers’ heavy crossbreds and pelts a slight reduction mast be noted. We submitted a nicely assorted catalogue, for which the following prices were obtained—Butchers’ crossbreds, large, 5s 8d to S s 6d ; second quality, 4s 8d to 5& ?d ; merinoes, large, Ss 6d to 6s 4d ; second quality, 4s id to 4s ild. Country crossbreds were quitted at 2s 8d to $s gd, and merinoes 2s 3d to 6s 6d. Pelts made up to is 3d, and and lambskins were quitted at is to is yd.— Hides.: There is no improvement to note in the demand ; 4d is now full market rate, and this we obtained for all sent forward. —Tallow: The demand is fairly brisk. For hard clean mutton 27s is current down to 19s for badly saved. Rough fat commands to The latter figure was obtained by us for all forward.