Commercial Intelligece.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 14, Issue 730, 28 October 1869, Page 2

Commercial Intelligece.

WOOL REPORT. We take the following from the Circular of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, dated Loudon, 13 th August:— We are able to report by this opportunity th« result of the first sale of the August-Septembei series of -wool sales, which opened yesterday with a catalogue comprising— Australian 2,600 bales Mew Zealand ... ... 2,209 " ■Victoria 596 " Capo i 737 " Tasmanian 24 " 6,166 bales There was a good attendance of buyers, both English and foreign, and moderate competition, prices ruling on the average about equal to the closing rates of the previous series, in the case of a few first-class combing wools commanding a slight advance. Though we are only in a position to record a single sale, it may be taken as a very fair test of Mew Zealand wool, all descriptions of which were well represented. The condition of the home manufacturing districts is healthy, and as regards the continental section of the trade, though consumption is by no means brisk in France, the more recent reports from Germany indicate a favorable tendency. Having regard to the excessively moderate quotations now current, and to the fact that the supplies of wool for some time to come will show at a}l events a very moderate rate of increase as compared with those of previous seasons, we are perhaps justified in considering the actual position of the article as strong—though the process of any improvement must certainly be very gradual, and to any material extent in all probability remote.

The New Zealand arrivals since our last issue are as under:—Wild Duck, from Wellington, 3,054 bales; Lady Egidia, from Otago, 4,109 bales; Malay, from Port Underwood, 1,460 bales; Celceno, from Lyttelton, 3,195 bales; Warrior Queen, from Otago, 3,685; William Cargill, from JLiawke's Bay, 1,644. Total number of bales, 17,147. Quotations of New Zealand wool:—Yery superior fleece, 1/9 to 2/3 ; Ist fleece, 1/5 to 1/8; medium fleece, 1/1 to 1/4; inferior fleece,/10 to 1/; medium lambs, l/ato 1/4; inferior lambs, /lj to 1/1; broken and pieces, /10 to l/l; inferior pieces and locks, /7 to /10; superior scoured, l/s to 2/1; medium ditto, J/3 to 1/7; interior ditto, /ll to 1/2; skin,/10 to l/2; in grease—good, /8 to /i 0; medium and inferior, |6 to \l\ ; pieces and locks, /l to /6.

J LAX REPORT. In Messrs. Devitt and Hett's monthly report on Australian, New Zealand, and South Sea Island produce, dated London, 13th August, we find the following with regard to flax: — Only about 250 bales have been sold since the date of our last advices at £27 5/ to £3l 1< / for common to middling balf-dressed, and £l4 to £lB 15/ for very low; but there is a good demand for well-dressed qualities, of which there is very little to be had. About 300 bales have just arrived from Otago, the bulk of which will be offered for sale next week. The samples we have reported upon do not by any means come up in quality to that received from Auckland, but the fibre is very strong and capable of great improvement. First quality flax is quoted at £3B to £4O I<7 ; second quality, £3O to £36. Manila hemp is now £SO to £sl for fair to good roping.

TRADE REPORT OE AUSTRALIAN MEAT AGENCIES. We take the following from Mr D. Tallerman's report, dated London, 7th August : We have no alteration to note in prices, which remain the same as at the date of our last report. The arrivals during the month have been light, and the quantity advised as shipped is small; we are now feeling the effect of the recent severe drought in the colonies. The telegrams in advance of mail, advising the resumption of operations by the various meat companies, have caused much satisfaction, and we anticipate a fair market for all that arrives in good order for some time to come. Our operations have hitherto been restricted to the London market, by reason of the short supply of meat here, and till it arrives in much larger quantities, we do not think it advisable to extend it to the provinces. It has been open to us, from the number of applications for meat, to place the whole of the stock in this market at any moment, but as that would have closed the trade for a time we thought it more advisable to limit our operations to a few districts. Australians need be under no apprehension as to overstocking this market. Authentic returns estimate the existing yearly deficiency in the animal food supply of London alone, at 102,000,000 lbs., while for the whole of the United Kingdom the estimate assumes the deficiency at 3,544,000,000 lbs., equal to about 70,000,000 sheep; in addition to this there is the existing trade in cured meats for naval and other purposes, reaching a very large amount, and which it is quite open for the colonies to legitimately enter, and compete with Canada, America, and the Continent. But it cannot be too strongly impressed upon all entering into this trade, the absolute necessity that exists for the greatest care being taken in what is sent to this market, and how it is sent; we repeat, that to pack b;id or poor meat can only result in loss to shippers and injury to the trade generally, and it should only be placed on r,he markets here by specially authorized agents connected with the colonies. One of the greatest dangers that threaten the trade at preseut is that of poor and bad meat from other places being sold here as Australian.

It is well known that at the present time parties are engaged in buying at a nominal rate all the refuse of the markets, which is being tinned and sold as Australian. We are also advised of the fact of a large quantity of .meat to arrive from houth America, tuat will be dealt with in a similar manner. It will prove a source of considerable regret if anything should interfere with the legitimate extension of this trade, but tbe matter rests in the hands of the colonists themselves, and must be dealt with by them.

Our agents in the colonies will give every information, but parties requiring special replies will plenso enclose stamps to cover postage.