Interprobincial Items.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1531, 5 December 1873, Page 38

Interprobincial Items.

AUCKLAND. Long-woolled Sheep. Major Jackson, of the Waikato district, has disposed of some of his sheep. Four long-woolled rams fetched £6O each, and ninety ewes of the same breed £lO each. Live Stock Market. Mr Buckland reports for the week ending the 20th November ! —On Friday last, the horse stock from Poverty Bay occasioned a numerous attendance. There was a steady inquiry throughout the sale, and satisfactory prices were obtained. Those were all of light description, adapted for riding or light harness, and brought from £7 to £2G each. Heavy draught were also in demand, and several changed hands at prices varying with their quality, from £lB to £46, and all brought forward were sold. At Papakura, on Wednesday, there was a large muster of cattle of all classes : 320 head sold ; the greater number bought for the Waikato. Dairy cows were of good quality, and at lower than usual values. Other descriptions of cattle maintained late prices. Rates given wsre, for fat cattle, 27s to 30s per lOOlbs; dairy cows, £5 5s to |£7 each ; calves to ten months old, 19s to 40s; from 12 to 18 months old, 45s to 60s; two to three years old, £4 to £5 10s ; three years and up* wards, £5 10s to £7 15s each. At Remuera, on Thursday, dairy cows were in short supply and better worth. Store cattle—in moderate numbers only—sold at slightly lower values than have lately ruled. Fat cattle in full supply ; 165 head sold, many of large size; prices were lower—ship-borne ss, Auckland-fatted 2s the lOOlbs. Fat sheep in average supply, and maintained late values. Lambs in moderate numbers and at higher values. Pigs scarce, but no improvement in price. Prices for fat cattle were from 22s to 28s the lOOlbs; fat sheep 4d the lb ; lambs, of good quality, averaged 20s each ; inferior, from 10s each.

Messrs. Hunter and Nolan, under date 28th November, report:—Horses. There has been continued animation in the market, and the supply, although so largely augmented lately, is still unequal to requirements, particularly those adapted for quick work. The number submitted for sale by auction at our yards on Friday last, was not nearly so large as the previous week, but still considerably over the average. The competition was good, and prices were firm. We quote hacks from £l2 to £l6 ; light harness horses from £l6 10s to £24 2s 6d. At Mr Snodgrass's sale on Saturday, there was a very large attendance ; the bidding was of the most spirited character, and high prices ruled throughout, particularly for the well-bred stock. Dairy cows sold from £6 5s to £ll 15s; yearling heifers, £2 5s to £2 18s each; yearling bull, £ll ss. At Newmarket there was a fair muster of cattle, and, with the exception of dairy cows, the demand was spirited, and many pressing wants remain unsatisfied. Some store bullocks, from Wangarei, attracted confsjderble attention. Fat beasts were not sufficiently numerous for trade wants. Good animals were keenly competed for, and prices had on the whole an upward tendency. We quote yearlings, £2 5s to £3; weaned calves, 30s to 32 ; two-year-old steers, £4 7s 6d to £4 17s 6d ; three-year-old steers, £7 to £8 12s Gd. Sheep suitable for the butcher were penned in limited numbers, but no stores offered. Fully last week's prices were obtained, gliorn wethers sold from 18s to 28s 3d; merino wethers from 13s to 14s; fat lambs, 13s to 24s 6d each. Pigs were yarded in increased numbers, and were well competed for at from 2£d to 3£d per lb., live weight.

Duplex Voting. Not long since the Daily Southern Cross contrasted the purity of elections in New Zealand with the state of things in Mudgee, N.S.W., where, at a late election, some of the electors voted three or four times, and 478 spurious votes were recorded. Perhaps some of the Aucklanders have profitted by the hint; at all events it seems probable that Mudgee will not he long able to maintain its peculiar preeminence over Auckland in this respect. The Southern Cross thus begins its leading article on the 21st inst.:—" Nearly two hundred double votes in an election is rather a serious amount of fraudulent voting. There were actually 194 votes of this description ; in other words, that number of frauds punishable by fine and imprisonment were deliberately -committed on Thursday the 6th day of November, between the hours of eight in the morning and four in the afternoon—that is, an average of fully 24 frauds every hour during the process of polling. The following are the figures showing how the double votes were given :—Thus, for Mr Williamson the names of 98 persons appear on the rolls as having voted twice ; for Mr Dargaville there were 69 ; and for Mr Lu.sk 27 ; making the 194 of a total. The Principal Returning Officer, at the declaration of the poll yesterday, stated the numbers as follows :-For Mr Williamson, 2,929 ; for Mr Dargavillc, 2,440 ; and for Mr Lusk, 1,817. These were the figures as ascertained before the comparison ; and from these he deducted the 98, 79, and 27 from the respective candidates, according to the number of double votes recorded for each." Iu this case the result of the polling is unaffected by the false votes ; but in the case of a more closely-contested election it is easy to see that very serious results might arise. The Cross calls for an exposure of the fraudulent voters, and recommends the Government to advertize their names in the Gazette.

OTAGO. Eailway Progress. Messrs. Allan and Stumble, says the Dunedin Star, are making good progress with the Oamaru-Waitaki line. They are carrying out the work in a very systematic fashion, and are using all labor-saving appliances—as, for instance, a scoop drawn by horses, which does the work of ten or twelve men. Out of Ammunition. The volunteers of Dunedin must have blazed away a tremendous quantity of powder and shot during the last couple of months. The stock at any rate has become so completely exhausted that a supply amounting to 25,000 rounds was forwarded to Dunedin by the Wellington. The practising for the Melbourne meeting might account for the scarcity of the ammunition. Dunedin Cheese Factory. The Dunedin Guardian says ;—The Cheese Factory commenced the season's operations about a week ago. As was observed by our reporter some time since, it was with a good deal of doubt and at considerable risk that the venture was made, Time, however, and not a very long time either, has endorsed the foresight or business talent—-or it may be both—of the projectors, and not a few, who, when it was first proposed, regarded the whole affair as absurd and certain to come to greif, would now consider themselves very lucky if they could but recall the opportunity they then despised.