Commercial.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3019, 28 February 1881, Page 2

Commercial.

Messrs. &,Monteitb. and Co. report.— A tour usual -weekly sale at the Horse Bazaar on Saturday Shere were 36 horses, 2 buggies some saddlery,, and a quantity of Brain and farm produce submitted to competition. Most of the horaw forward were of hack and light; harness sorte and realised fair prices. We quote prices for horses as follows: Heavy draught, £42; ™ edlul " d °> £23 to £28 j light harness, £12 tT i Sc superior hacks, up to £26 ; station nncto, fcb to £10; weeds nominal. Produt c y ' 2s 5d to 2s 7d ; potatoes about £3 p&. T ton > bran, £<i 10s per ton ; onions, Id to li<- P er lb ; chaff, £4 per ton. , From Messrs Goldsbrough's annual review of the wool market, dated # Melbourne, February 15, we clip the following : —" The catalogues have gradually become less important throughout tue pact month, the total offered being 7854 bales of which 5851 bales have been sold. Prices have been fairly maintained for good-conditioned lots ; but inferior descriptions, and more especially cross-breds, have gradually become easier, and may be quoted £d to Id per pound lower. The season may now be considered over j and, in accordance with our usual custom, we will briefly review its leading features. The opening sale was held at our ■warehouses on the 6th of October, but, owing to the desire of some of the large growers to wait until the market had been fully tested before offering their clips, the total number of bales catalogued was only 1006; and the catalogues were not large until the latter portion of the month. On the 27th of October operations opened on an extensive scale, our sale of that day including 11,439 bales, of which 9220 bales were sold, the clips disposed of being chiefly large Kiverine flocks in the grease, and ■which ranged from to I3id perpound, the latter prico being obtained for the Greraldra flock, also for Mt. Koroite, both lote being well got up, and in light condition. The sales progressed briskly at firm rates until the end of November, when the advices received by wire of the opening of the London November and December series of sales at lower prices than were expected, caused an easier feeling, and an average decline of Id per pound was established. This reduction has gradually been increased up to the present time, until it may now be quoted at 1-Jd to per pound below the opening rates of the season. The decline has been more especially noticeable in inferior descriptions and strong cross-brede, the latter having suffered to the extent of fully to 2£d, owing to the unfavourable advices respecting the sale of this class of wool in London. Washed wools have been in good demand, more aspecially if well bred and carefully got up, and prices have ranged up to 2s 3d per pound. The choicest Western flocks would, of course, have gone to higher figures, but these are not usually offered in this market. The American demand has not been such a prominent feature as it was last year, owing to the depression of the Woollen interest in the United States. Several buyers were here with large orders, but tho limits given them were too low to admit of free operations in this market, the total shipped being only 3372 bales from Melbourne, and 759 bales from Hydney, or 4131 bales altogether, as against 21,000 bales last season. With a revival of trade much larger operations ■will, no doubt, bo instituted, and we look forward to a groat future in our wool relations with the United States, as important advantages can be gained by operatimg hero and shipping direct. The French and German buyers, though present in larger number 3 than usual, have been guarded in their purchases, and a good selection of our clips has gone to the Continent. The commencement of direct steam communication with the chief ports which is now about to be inaugurp ted, coupled with the opening of a branch of an important French Bank (The Comptoir d'Escompte do Paris) in Melbourne, will give an additional stimulus to these shipments, and we may expect a considerable increase in the purchases for France and Germany, also Italy, in the next and future seasons. Melbourne continues to firmly maintain its well-won supremacy as the great central dep&t for the Australian Wool sales, which is evidenced by the fact that this season 165,302 bales have been catalogued, and 122,272 bales Bold in the local markets here and in Gf-eelong. It also effectually holds, and is improving, its position as the chief port of departure for wool, the shipments from October Ist to this date being 285,410 bales, as against 260,303 bales at the corresponding period of last year, thus showing an increase of 25,107 bales. This compares favorably with the increase from the other colonies, and the continued extension of the railways, and cheap communication by steamers, will steadily add to its importance. The consignments of wool to this market from Sydney, Queensland, Adelaide, Tasmania, and .New Zealand, ere

increasing, and a larger number of important clips Lave this season been sent here for sale. Melbourne is, in fact, the natural outlet for the finest pastoral districts of Australia, and the presence of these eplendid flocks rntist always make this market attractive to the bnyers. Here they have a grand selection of wool, embracing every variety of the staple, and warehouses and facilities for disposal probably unequalled in any other part of the world.