COMMERCIAL.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 31, 6 July 1874, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Globe Office, Monday. Messrs H. Matsou and Co. report on the lire stock market as follows :—At the yards, on Wednesday, 162 head of cattle and 2078 sheep. The attendance of purchasers was large, and sales for good quality stock were made without difficulty. In cattle, our entries were 101 head for various owners, the whole of which were sold. Fat cattle of light weights and good quality commanded much attention and brisk competition, old heifers realising as much as £5 los up to £6 5s per head, but some four and five year-old bullocks, much travel-stained, |and only of ordinary quality, were difficult to dispose of at from £6 5s to £7, equal to 17s per 100 lbs. Young stock sold freely, as also milch cows. We quote prime beef, light weights, at from 25s per 100 lbs, with a rising market and small supplies. Sheep— Our sales were 250, most excellent turnip fed merino wethers at 14s to 14s 3d per head, on account of Mr John Innis, Mount Brown station ; 150 fat merino ewes, old, at 7s to 7s 6d, for Mr John Boag, Selwyn ; 50 cross breds, small, at 10s 6d, for Mr Dunbar ; 30 cross breds for Mr Henderson, at 15s aud 20s each, and 62 cross breds at 12s 3d. Other sales were, merino wethers from 7s 6d to 9s aud 10s 9d. A large draft from south of mixed fat and store sheep were sold at a low figure, leaving a large margin for profit to purchasers. We quote mutton prime 3d to per lb. Sheepskins —At our weekly sale on Thursday last, a good supply came to hand. Prices realized were below those of the preceding week considerably, and fully a drop of 6d per skin had to be submitted to in some cases. We sold best butchers' cross-bred skins (very good) from 5s to 6s each ; merinos 3s 7d, 3s 9d to 4s each ; other descriptions from 2s 3d to 3s 6d each. Hides passed in unsold at per lb. Mr de Bourbel reports the share market as follows: —Sellers National Insurance, 30s ; National Bank, 775; South British, 50s; Shipping Company, 15s; Standard Insurance, Ms. Buyers—National Insurance, 29s 6d ; National Bank, 75s ; South British, 49s ; Shipping Company, 14s ; Standard lusurance, 13s. Mr 11. E. Alport reports a busy week at auction. On Monday at the stores of K. S. Bevell and Co, Kaiapoi, by order of the trustees—lso tons coals lying at Railway, Kaiapoi, brought 41s per ton ; a Tenny's winnowing machine, crane on wharf, weighing machine, and other trade utensils realised fair prices. On Tuesday a parcel of furniture under distraint for rent was sold at the Hereford street sale rooms. On Wednesday, at Carlton yards, sold 63 haif-brcd slock fat wethers at 19s Gd per head ; old cows from 21s to 28s each ; store cows, £4 5s per head ; fat cattle and sheep continue to sell readily, and what would have been called stores a few months ago are now realising good prices for butchers' use. On JThursday, at Mr Denison's residence, Salisbury street —sold his furniture, &c. at satisfactory prices; and on Friday, at the Hereford street sale rooms a quantity of superior furniture, &c. attracted a good attendance, and fair rates were obtained.

Melbourne. —The "Argus" of the 27th ult reports :—ln the import markets business is extremely quiet, and an unpleasant feeiing of heaviness prevails. Breadstuff's cannot be moved, and should the prevent dulucss continue, it is more than probable that flour will go lower, even in the face of the high price still required for wheat. There is no enquiry for parcels, and it is quite impossible to give any reliable quotation. Holders would take £l3 15s ; but we understand that £l3 10s was offered for a large line, and refused. Between these figures, however, business might be done. We have not heard of any alteration in the mill price of £l4 5s to £l4 10s, bags returned, and quotations for bakers' lots generally are unchanged. Of wheat there is very little offering in the market ; good to fine samples arc worth 6s 4d to 6s 6d. Oats are steadily looked after, but we have no special business to refer to ; quotations for feeding range from 5s to 5s 4£-d. Maize is also inactive. We do not hear, however, of anything being offered under yesterday's quotations of 4s lOd to 4s lid. Sugars are not moving freely. To teas yesterday's operations have imparted a very much improved tone ; inquiries have been stirred up, and the prospect of a better demand is more decided. Trade sales of medium congous are mentioned at Is 6d and Is 7d. The timber sales embrace 78,000 ft white pine shelving at £9 lOsjto £lO 10s ; 7000 ft W.P.T. and G. at £8 2s 6d ; -40,000 ft clear pine at £l3 2s 6d; 30,000 ft carpenters' clear at £8 7s 6d to £8 10s ; -lift laths brought 2ta Gd to 25s Od : 600 doors, assorted sizes, were sold at 13s to 17s 3d. Transactions in salt continue to be effected. A line of 150 tons, coarse and line, to land ex Galatea, has changed hands on private terms. Holders are upheld in their determination to advance the price for trade parcels by the small quantity advised by the incoming mail. At the auction sale of brandies this forenoon, old vintages chiefly were sold, and 10s lid to 13s 3d was realised, 'ho latter being paid for Jules Kobiu's dark 1865. Mart ell's 1872 pale brought ys 3Jd, and Otard/s 1872 was gold at

8s 9d. Case brandies were at the same tiruC quitted at 22s 10£d to 30s. Geneva was disposed of at 14s 6d. JDKZ twenty-bottle cases were sold privately at 16s 9(1. Sherries were disposed of at £23 10s to £6O ss. AUSTRALIAN GRAIN MARKET. The " Australasian" of the 27th ultimo reports : —Brcadstuffs have been quiet, and we have few transactions to report. On Saturday a few sales of parcels were reported at £l4. Yesterday, under the hammer, a sale was effected at £l3 17s 6d ; to-day, 20 tons were sold at auction at £l3 12s 6d. In the open market, holders continue to ask £l4 for parcels, and bakers' lots arc still selling at £l4 15s, bags included ; and millers effect sales at £l4 Ks to £l4 7s 6d and £l4 10s, bags returned. Wheat remains unaltered ; quotations arc firm, but there are no sales making of sufficient importance to deserve special mention. Good to prime samples are saleable at 6s fid to 6s 7d. Oats are in fair request. By auction yesterday some 3700 bushels Tasmanian were disposed of at 5s Id to 5s 6d for pood, and 4s 7d to 4s lid for discolored. To-day, at auction, 250 bags were sold at 5s to 5s 3id. Sales of malting barley have been made at 6s 6d ; under the hammer sales have also taken place, the figures realised ranging from 5s lid to 6s 3Jd. The market remains very bare of maize, but the Wcntworth has brought 3600 bags ; we quote 4s lid to ss. Bran is saleable at Is 4d to Is 4Jd. Pollard remains unaltered. Oatmeal is still charged £32. Adelaide—The following telegrams appear in the "Argus" :—June 15th—15,000 bushels of wheat have been sold for export to the Cape at 5s 9d. June 18th—Wheat is offering at 5s Bd. June 20th—Wheat has been sold at 5s Sd. June 25th—Wheat is in slightly better demand at 5s 7d. June 26th A large sale of wheat for export has been made at 5s Bd. June 27—Two cargoes of wheat have been sold for the Cape at 5s Bd.

ENGLISH COMMERCIAL. WOOL. Messrs Miles and Co. report on May 15th : Since our report of the sth instant the sales have been progressing very steadily, and although we cannot advise any actual improvement in prices, we think there is increased firmness, especially as regards prime greasy wool, which is more briskly sought after ; but we do not consider the price of washed wool any better than it was the first week. Cross-bred wool, especially washed, is about 3d per pound lower, in anticipation of the large English clip. There is a considerable quantity of faulty wool from Sydney and Port Phillip, for which low prices are obtained, WHEAT AND FLOUR. Messrs Burrows and Perks ray there is scarcely auy change to note in the value of wheat and Hour since our report of 16th ult, the supplies and consumption appearing to have about balanced each other. There has been a steady, though not large, continental demand for Californian and Chilian wheat cargoes, which have in consequence been cleared off as fast as they have arrived, at previous figures, viz, about 60s to 61s per 480 lbs for Chilian, and 64s to 64s 6d per 5001bs for Californian. The grain arrivals from the colonies have been but moderate, by the Tweed. Great Queensland, Strathdon, Sir Wm Wallace, and City of Seiingapatam from Melbourne ; the St Vincent, Atalauta, and Benledi from Adelaide; the Otago, Douglas, Cardigan Castle and Meropc from New Zealand ; the Grasmero and Westbury from Launceston ; the Airey Force, Ben Nevis, Cathcart, and Brucklay Castle from Sydney. The supply of Melbourne flour has been good, but the arrivals of wheat by the above-named ships have been far from large. There is not the slightest alteration to note from our quotations of last month, viz. 66s to 67s per 496 lbs for best Adelaide wheat, 47s to 48s per 2801bs. for superfine Adelaide Hour, and 45s to 46s per 2801 bs, for Melbourne Hour, all ex granary here ; anything of inferior or secondary qualities in flour is very unsaleable, and not suited to this market. Our stocks of wheat and flour on April 30th in London, were 180,000 quarters of the former, and 310,000 cwt of the latter, being a decrease during the month of as much as 61,000 qr and 67.00()cwt icspectively, but these stocks are still larger than those held at the same time last year by 13,000qrs of wheat and 10,000 cwt of flour. The weather has been very unsettled during the past month—a week or two of unseasonably hot weather at the end of April having been followed by cold, with severe night-frosts, during the past ten days. The growing wheat on saudy and gravelly sub-soils is reported to have suffered in consequence, but we think that the injury is probably more apparent than real ; on rich loam and heavy clay soils the present appearance of wheat plant is very promising. There are now 248 wheat cargoes on passage to the United Kingdom, against 240 in the corresponding week of 1873, and 142 in 1872 ; of the above no less than 189 are large cargoes of white wheat of good quality from California and Chili. San Francisco telegrams of 11th inst quote Californian wheat 57s per 5001bs cost, freight and insurance, to Cork or Falmouth for orders. Maize and oats are both in steady request, the former at 40s per 4801bs for good mixed American, and the latter at 27s to 28s 6d per 3041bs for sweet Russian qualities. PRESERVED MEATS. The Australian Meat Agency (Tallcrman's) Company, Limited, report as follows : —The landings of the heavy arrivals of preserved meats during February and March, which reached the large total of 67,734 cases, have tended to force some holders into the market, who now quote lower prices, a course which has had no effect on stocks as yet, the demand being still quiet. The arrivals for April are, however, much lighter, being only 11,989 cases from all sources, viz :—Victoria, 4113 cases ; New South Wales, 1989 ; South Australia, 2918 ; New Zealand, 1024 : Brazils, 1804; Canada, 141. Total, 11,989 cases. This quantity will have but little effect on the market either way, but there being no large buyers in the market any attempt by the holders to force sales must result in still lower rates being accepted, acting unfavorably towards shippers, who have for some time past complained of the unremuuerative results of their shipments. Until the working classes as a body accept ihe meats as a portion of their dietary, no large inroad can be made into stocks, but the trade will gradually increase with the middle classes. This demand, however, is not of sufficient extent to induce grocers to keep stocks and push the trade. Shopkeepers only interest themselves in those goods that the public demand, and to excite a general inquiry for preserved meats needs a persistent

course of agitation in every district throughout the country, more especially in those districts where werking men abound. This should be undertaken or aided by those who have benefited or hope to benefit by the success of the meat industry. Hitherto no organised course has been adopted for this purpose. Prices of all goods are quoted lower, viz, 41b and 61b mutton, 5d ; 21b mutton, 6d ; 41b and 61b beef, 6.Jd ; 21b beef, 6j£d per lb. Fancy meats are participating in the general depression. TALLOW AND HIDES. Messrs Miles and Co. report : The tallow market has still an upward tendency, and a further advance of 9d to Is per ewt has been established, the value today of good to fine New Zealand mutton being 37s 3d to 38s Od, and beef tallow 36s to 375. At the last public sales of hides Bome very 'good New Zealand brought extreme prices, viz., 6-}d to 6id per lb, but we cannot quote ordinary quality at above 5Jd per lb. . NEW ZEALAND HEMP. Messrs Miles and Co. report: The trade is very quiet, and, although a few transactions have taken place privately at late rates, yet nearly all the lots offered lately at public auction have been withdrawn. About 1300 bales have arrived. Mauritius—The "Argus" of the 25th ult reports :—The Glaslyn, which has just arrived from Mauritius, has brought dates from Mauritius to the 18th May. The market was unchanged. Emily and Havilah were the only departures for Melbourne. The last-named vessel is reported to-day.