Commercial Intelligence.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 15, Issue 760, 10 February 1870, Page 2

Commercial Intelligence.

LONDON WOOL AND FLAX MARKET. WOOL. We extract as follows from the European Mail, 3rd December : The higher grades of fleece wool hold a comparatively less favorable position. The supply of New Zealand wools on the market is very limited, and the rates current for them are relatively fully equal to those kinds of Australian to which they most nearly correspond. The result of the November series of wool sales, which opened on the I.3th ult., and will continue current until the Bth inst., may be regarded as already determined by the sale of 115,543 bales which have so far passed the hammer. The total arrivals of new wool amounted to 97,361 bales, of which, however, only 6,683 bales were from New Zealand. Of the wool held over from the earlier series, in all about 28,000 bales, it is estimated that about 7,000 bales were of New Zealand production, thus giving as the entire stock from that colony about 13,700 bales. The sales at the commencement were numerously attended botli by foreign and home buyers, and the anticipations expressed in our last issue of a firm market were fully justified by the opening ([notations, which may be stated for New Zealand fleece and grease wool at from the highest September rates to |d per ib advance, and for scoured descriptions Id per lb higher. The lower grades of Sydney, which were in strong demand, commanded a rise of Id per lb, while scoured wools, both of Sydney and Port Phillip production, made a like advance. In the better description of Sydney and all kinds of Victorian fleece wools there was no quotable variation from the best rates of the previous series. Notwithstanding that during the last week the market has been hardly so numerously attended by foreign buyers, competition to this date for all kinds of Australian and Npw Zealand wool has on the whole, ruled unusually steady ; the only descriptions tyhich have

perceptibly suffered during the progress of the series being Cape—especially scoured kinds —the quotations for which during the first few days were driven to an extreme point by the excessive eagerness of the Belgian buyers. The arrivals of wool to date for the February sales amounted to .8,522 bales. The to'ml importation of wool from all quarters to the present date are stated at 622,598 bales, against 633,400 bales for the twelve months of ISSS. From New Zealand the shipments to date are given at 8'1,666 bales against 81,688 bales for the previous year. IX\X. The following is extracted from the New Zea. land Loan and Mercantile Agency Company’s Circular, dated 3rd December; —* “ Since the date of our last issue the arrivals of this staple have been small, and the quality below that of previous shipments,—some parcels, we notice, being very partially cleaned at one extremity, and the flag being apparently only bruised. As freight and other charges on these .parcels are relatively the same as on the better sorts, we cannot flunk that the results will be cohsidered satisfactory by the shippers. Bright and well-cleaned parcels continue iu demand at prices slightly under our last quotations. “ Manilla hemp, with which this staple comes into competition, may now be quoted at 20s to 40s per ton lower. We do rot anticipate any great reaction on the late high prices realised for New Zealand flax for some lime to come; but this will mainly depend on the Manilla hemp market. Sales since the 4th November are as under;—Fx Hawkesbury—November 10: 73 bales, £35 to £35 ,15s per ton for sound; 1 bale, £4O 15s ditto ; 3 bales, £4O ditto. Ex Norfolk, from Sydney—November 11: 11 bales, £39 15s ditto ; 7 bales, £4B 15s ditto ; 3 bales tow, £l6 2s ditto. Ex Hawkesbury, from Sydney: 68 hales, £l2 to £42 15s ditto ; 2 bales tow, £lB 5s ditto. Ex Percy, from Auckland.—November 18th: 38 bales, £39 15s per ton for sound. Ex Walter, from Sydney.—November 25th : 3 bales £33 per ton for sound, 1 ditto 236 ditto, 7 ditto £53 ditto, 8 ditto £36 ditto, 1 ditto £33 ditto ; ex Liberator, from Sydney ; 54 bales £37 10s per ton for sound, 5 ditto £33 10s ditto. December Ist.—Ex Walter Hood, from Sydney; 33 bales withdrawn at £4O. Ex City of Pekin, from Melbourne.—December 3ud: 35 bales, rough, £3O 155.” Messrs G. and J. Noble favor ns with the following valuable information respecting New Zealand flax:— “Late arrivals have been small, and quality of the bulk below previous imports, some being only partially cleaned at the extremity, and the flag apparently only bruised. In this state it is not suitable for working with Manilla hemp, consequently values are materially altered. Well cleaned, bright parcels continue in good request at slightly lower rates owing to a decline of 30s'to 40s per ton in Manilla hemp.” “The 38 bales, ex Percy, from Auckland, brought £39 15 per ton.” Messrs Ellis and Hale mark a large demand, and prices obtained very high, many of our rope manufacturers now using this article. 38 4 hales in auctions were all disposed of at high prices, there being a good competition ; line clean long, £53 ; fair and good, £43 15s to £4B 15s; partly cleaned, and Inownish and mixed, £33 to £39 15s. Tow, £lO as to £lB ss. AUCKLAND LIVE STOCK MARKET. [CAREY, GLLLES, AND HUNTER.] Auckland, Feb. 5, 1870. The muster of horses was not quite so good as lor the last mouth, and less animation was displaved iu bidding Ilian last week, nevertheless an average number changed hands. Hacks sold from £9 to £ll ; light harness horses, from £ls to £lB 5s each. The market has been moderately supplied with cattle this week. Store stock have been brought forward sullicient for requirements. Fat beasts were in short supply, but of good quality, and sold higher than for some time past. Dairy cows were in full supply, hut mostly of a bad description. Good cows at calving realised high prices. Sheep. —Tiie Yards were well filled with both fat and store, which obtained an advance in price on the previous week. A good number of both fut and store pigs met with ready sale. The following is a list of prices ; —Dairy cows from £ll 15s to £l3 ss, yearlings from £4 3s 6d to £4 10s, two year old steers, £7 3s 6d to £7 13s 6ds each. Sheep, half-breds from 13s to 18s; merinos, from 8s 6d to 11s each. At Papakura on Wednesday an unusually large number of cattle were penned, principally young stock which met with ready sale. No good dairy cows were offered, a good number of horses met with ready purchasers at fully Auckland prices. Cattle sold as follows : —Yearling steers from £4 13s Gd to £5 ; one and a half and two year old steers, from £6 las to £7 7s 6d ; calves, from £3 14s to £3 each.