COMMERCIAL.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 5, Issue 265, 15 May 1865, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

OTAGO. HE£»aa DRIVES', MACLEAN, AND CO’S MOUTHLV LIVE STOCK, STATION, AND WOOL REPORT. April 18. The past month’s transactions in Stock do not show any material change in prices, and we still have to report an extremely inactive demand for every description, except for young breeding ewes and lambs, which are saleable ai, onr quotations. Live Stock The following arrived by sea during the month:—* Hydra, from Newcastle, 164 cattle, 111 sheep, 65 pigs Bengal, „ 63 „ 51 „ K-8 „ Jane Lockhart, Sydney 69 „ , A. W. Stevens, Newcastle 34 „ i'at Stock —Both Cattle and Sheep are difficult of sale, Except at very low rates, Which is cau-ed more by the inclination of holders to force sales, than any excess of supply in the Province, and so long as this system continues we cannot expect a healthy d-.mand. We have no advice of any Cattre being ou shipboard for this market, and have reason to think that there will be no further importations for some time to come, as every shipment, so far, has resulted in a loss to the importer; Fat VuWe.—A greater numb; r of Cattle have been yarded than the market would bear, consequently sales could only be effected at very low rates; we, however, think there must be an improvement in the value of this class of stock ere long, at the same lime we do not look lor former high prices. Sates during the month ranged from A 6 to £io, governed more by the quantity yarued than the quality and weight. Wo disposed of upwards of 30 ) head from the runs of Messrs Thomson Eros., John TTeweek, H. S. Thomson and others.

Fat Calves continue in fair demand. Our sales ranged from s kis to 91'*.

Store Cattle. —Large numbers continue to tie offered without finding Layers. We have so.d several lots, in all about 450 bead, at an average of id.

Fat Sheep. —Th-re is still an over supply of fair and ordinary .Mutton, and sales cou d only be made at reduced rates—say lis to Ijs. Vie placed about 1,5j0 at these rates.

si ore Sheep. —We have buyers for xoung Ewes and Mixed Lambs, and have disposed f 5,300 at 31* to 33* for former, and 35* to 31* pair f v r latter; we also placed a ,ew W ethers at 13*. but bear of one cr two lota-being offered at 10*. We have also disposed of ini Karas and Ram Lambs, at 30* to 90*. but at present the demand for this class of block is very limited, the season being so far advanced that most of our floekowners ha\e supplied themselves. Station Properties. Owing to rumors that one or two properties are likely to come into the market within a short time, capitalists have been rather cautious, consequently transactions daring the past month have been unimportant. We, however, see no reason to anticipate a decline in value of desirable properties, av.d feel confident that whenever such are O-ibred for sale, buyers will be found willing to give value s itisfactory to vendors. Messrs Hepburn & M’Master have disposed of their “ V. web urn station,” Manitoto, 33,000 asres, with 7,w<o mixed sheep for .£!),'HO, to Messrs M’Leaa & Stewart. We ah o hear th;.t P. Walker, Esq., has sold his interest in runs and stock on the Upper Wultaki, to his iate partner. Sir Henry Young, at valuation. . - . Wool. During the past month we uave held two small sales by auction, consisting of remnants of Clips,' chiefly greasy, illconditioned fleece, hr ken and scoured, tcourers, for whom alone nearly ai! the parcels. w. re suitable, competed spiritedly, every lot being disposed of at extremely satisfactory rates, except one or two t-curcd lots held at too high limits. We append our price cata'oguc at f ot. The termination of the Sanson leads u-, to t die a retrospective view of the business done, and we fir.-t notice the advance the province is making in the gr in t'a of such an important export, by the increase in quantity as well as in value .by scouring and other modes of washing and improved system of getting up. packing, classifying, &c„ instead of shipping in the grease and dirt, widen has operated detrimentally against Otago Wool in the London market. The quantity of scoured shipped t his season is estimated to exceed any former year by I,‘JOO haler. The total number of ba’es shipped from this Province by the seven ships sailed, amounts to ... 13,535 To he added to this the unfortunate Gazehound had on board - when she went ashore at Oamaru 633 Shipped via, Melbourne ... 400 Still to be shipped from‘various sources, together with scoured and fellmong,.ry Wool ... ... ... 500 15.0/3 To which must L 6 added the quantity shipped at Southland and Cantorbuiy. calculated to be not loss than 7ix> to 1,000 bates; thus taking .the total number of of bales shipped tue growth of this Pro- • vince for tne season of 1864 we have about 16,000 As against 18C3... 12,350 * Total increase 3,750 The uncertain and declining state of the Wool Market in London, caused by the monetary panic exhlbi i.ig itself first, during tne progress of the Auya-t bales, a.id continuing until near the close of the November series, La I the effect of curtailing operations in this market. Prices gradually receded from cur first public sale early in December last, until the arrival here of the London December Mail late in February, bringing advices of a healthier tone in commercia. affairs, and a co;r spending f -e'ing in the Wool Market, upon receipt of whicn much greater desire to purchase manifested itself h> re, and we found Utt o difficulty after that period to place all descriptions at full current values, which has continued up to the present time. Our efforts to'obtain the confidence of both growers and buyers has been so far succ. .vfal, that we were (u ith one or two exceptions) able to dispose of all the Wool placed in our hands, giving buyers every facility to well examine their purchases, so necessary in u c. mmodity. so varied In description, and so wide y different in va,ne, has enabled us to break the spell of former usage in,tho face of a difficult market, and an extreme y cautious community. We have also the satisfaction of seeing public sales of Wool an established fact in this ciiy, and no longer can sellers on the one hand say truthfully that Wool cannot tesoid at its value in Dunedin, neither, on the ether hand, can distant buyers, who have had cause previously to complain that there being no market they had no opportunity to operate. In closing our Wool Report until next season, wo have the pleasure to state that we confidently anticipate that from greatly increased supply already arranged for and tu ri-cgress, we shall from the usual augmentation of buyers t ■ an extended market, be able to leport a large proportion o the Wool grown in this Province waving passed through oar first successful attempt, including J of the es.imated production of the Province. Sundries. Sheepskins. —We have no sales worth notice to report, the whole ot the slaughters being contracted for. Hides. —Only heavy packed qualities in demand; at our ■public sales on the 15th superior heavies brought 2d to 2J d, j r light and medium qualities lower prices bad to be accepted. We quote picked heavies 3d to a-Jti; medium. Ijd to I Id; light and inferior, is to is cd; dry bid's, none. Tallow . —At auciion mixed beef sold at £39 y ton; mutton worth \£so to £32, Ships Sailed since 18 th March. —Robert Henderson, 1,927 Lues, 31st March; Ceheno, 2,472 bales, 11th April; total ■anker of bales cleared at Dunedin this season, 13^36.