Commercial.

Evening Star, Issue 3516, 30 May 1874, Page 2

Commercial.

LABOR MARKET. Mr Skene reports ;—The large arrivals at the port of late will help to satisfy the demand for servants of all kinds. If they are the right sort- sober, intelligent, and industrious —and willing to commence at the first thing which offers, without the usual haggling for big wages, they are all i-ight. The genuine article in farm servants and in general domestic servants, are far short of the demand. Employers are very careful in selecting the latter class ; recent experience has made people very inquisitive as to character. New arrivals, with large families, must have a litt 1 e patience, as it take a little time to fit them into suitable places. Wages during the week just closed are about the following : —Farm servants (if genuine) get from L 55 to L 65 per year and found ; if-married and wife, good dairy hands, &c., from L7otoLßoand found; shepherds are pretty snug for the winter, and the few engagements making run from L6O to L 65 and found. Gardeners get L 65 by the year, or 25s to 30s by the week, and found—this is their best time. Females are from L 35 to L 45 for good general; if of higher qualifications, from L 45 to L 52, and even more. Youngsters—Boys and Girls—run from 7s to 9s and per week. Pick and shovel men, for road or rail, get 8s per day—the true navvy is scarce. Masons, carpenters, and bricklayers may be averaged at 14s per day. Grooms, and people -with no regular employment, are too plentiful. (By Telegraph.) Christchurch, May 29,—The wet weather had the effect of making the grain market dull. Second hand transactions, wheat, 4s 7d to 4s 9d. No farmers’ sales of any consequence. Flour altered to H2 10s in sacks, f.o.b. in Lyttelton. Several lots have changed hands from merchant to merchant. Buyers after farmers’, 4s 3d, first milling. Barley dull, ss, Butter scarce, to Is; cheese, fid; bacon and hams, Bid ; potatoes, L 3 ss.