COMMERCIAL.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 6, Issue 310, 28 September 1865, Page 1

COMMERCIAL.

OTAGO. The Daily Times, of the 20th inst., says:—Busines® has not been very animated ; the expectation that the English mails would be to hand by the Rangr toto, causing quietude in the early part of the day. A few orders from the country are to hand, and considerable orders from Hokitika are expected, which may lead to some briskness during the nest few days. Flour remains without any alteration in price, but the aspect of the market is firm ; in other goods nothing of note has taken place. Thera have been no auction sales. Dbxvek, Maclean and Co.’s Monthly Live Stock, Station, and Wool Retoht. 18th September. 1865. Transactions during the past month have reached a fair amount, considering the season, our last quotations being fully maintained. The very favorable bearing of the news from the West Coast market on sellers has made them firm in holding for higher rates, especially in fat cattle ; indeed, we have many enquiries for store cattle at prices above our last quotations, although fat cattle hare not been quite so firm, owing to the great exodus to Hokitika; we, however, rather anticipate an advance on present rates rather than any further decline. In store sheep few transactions have been closed, the inclination of flock-owners to hold until after shearing, now close at hand; and greater confidence in the future value of this class of stock make sales difficult to effect at former rates. Fat sheep continue to realise good prices, although ourmarket has been fairly supplied, andjwe think present rates will be maintained for some time to come.

Fat Cattle.—We have yarded and sold since our last 179 head from the runs of Messrs. Maitland Bros., F. Wentworth, J. Treweek, and others, at prices ranging from £l2 10s to £l7 10s per head, averaging from 37s 6d to 40s to lOOlbs.

Store Cattle.—We have sold 321 head: 115 head at £6 10a and 206 at £6 15s to £7—mixed ages and sexes. Fat Sheep.—We have sold during the month 5323, at from 17s to 20s 6d each, from the runs of Messrs Smith and Gillebrand, M'Donald, W. Hill, and others. The average price in town is from 4-id to 4fd per lb., with fair demand. Store Sheep.—We have sold 2500 young Wedders at 12s, and a mived lot of Ewes in lamb, none broken, at 19s 6d ; a lot of the latter we sold at 10s. We have also sold 7000 lambs, equal sexes, at 27s per pair. Country Sales.—On the 24th ult., we held our first sale for the season at Tokumairiro, and we are glad to report successfully ; every beast offered was sold at fair rates. We sold (the property of Captain Ridley, Messrs Lewis, Finch and Tait) 15 head Cows, averaging £lO 15s ; and 91 stores, from £5 5s to £6 los. We would request attention to our sale of horses and cattle at Waikouaiti on the 20th inst., and to the sale at Oamaru on the 20th October, to be held by our friends Messrs Royse, Mudie and Miller, of stud sheep, horses, cattle, &c. Station Properties.—We have, sold the Moeraki Estate, 2000 acres, to M. S. Gleeson, Esq., for the sum of £6500 cash. Eun No. 24a, 8000 acres (2i years to nin), with 1637 mixed sheep, to John Bathgate, Esq.,, for £1582. The Strath Taieri Eun, (the property of Messrs C, and R. Thomson), No, 213, 33,500 acres, with 10,250 sheep, to, W. P. Gordon, Esq,, for £ls,oso—equal to cash,, and the Golden Fleece Hotel and property at Waikouaiti, to John Jones, Esq., for £!42e.

Wool, Sheepskins, and Hides.—We have no transactions to report in Wools, wilh the exception of an occasional shipment of felmongcr sorts. The present and past months, sheepskins are in good demand at 3s (Id to 3s 9d each ; at these rates we are able to place all coming to hand. Hides are saleable at following ratesbeavj, at 2|d to 2|d per lb; medium, 2d to per lb ; light, Hd to lj-d per ft. Tallow is much enquired after, with few lots offering. We quote present rate at £2B to £3O per ton according to quality. We extract the following from our London Agent’s report of the May sales—- “ A quantity of wool, much greater than ever before known, being offered at the sales just terminated, operated to some extent against prices, and but for the large proportion taken on foreign account, would have told still more : perceptibly.” Our August Sales will again be large. Some 65,000 bales have arrived to this date. Our harvest prospects are good, and we have a low price of money, Bank rate being now 3 per cent. We may, therefore hope that the rates now current will be maintained ; more than we can scarcely reckon on, as the quantity of wool to be offered, especially of JSew Zealand, caunot but be considerable.

We quote good clean flocks, which were scarce, about Id per ft lower,- inferior lid ; and greasy about Id per ft lower.

HOKITIKA. Thk West Coast Times, of the 16th inst., reports as follows : —Business during the week has been unusually brisk. The heavy importations which have come to hand during the last ten days, combined with a slight reduct ion in prices, have afforded the up-country buyers an opportunity of replenishing their 'exhausted stocks, which they have fully taken advantage of. Such, however, was the extreme bareness of our market that we do not suppose there is more than a month's supplies at present on hand, which fact, considering the excessive shipping charges on all classes of goods, and the crowds of miners now pouring into the place, fully justifies holders of staple articles in demanding prices which, at the wholesale houses at least, are thought high. The greater portion of the business done during the week has been through tho retailers, many of whom having imported direct from Dunedin and Melbourne, are working those importations off before again returning into the market to buy. If the wholesale dealers complain of this, the answer is to bo found in tho entire absence of credit which exists here, which places the smallest storekeeper nearly on an equal footing with the largest capitalist in the trade. \Ve shall not discuss how far a cash business is indispensible on a digging township, but merely notice the fact, and suggest the above explanation to be considered by those interested.

B. d. s. d. Scoured, fine 0 to 2 3 Do. skin ... i 6 to 1 8 Dine clean fleeces ... i 9 to 2 2 Inferior ... i ‘ 3 to 1 6 Broken pieces and locks ... ... o 10 to 1 0 Lamb wool ... i 4 to 1 8 Unwashed fleeces ... 0 9 to 1 3