COMMERCIAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVII, Issue 6509, 6 January 1882, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

Xryttttton Time* Office, Thursday Evening. CUSTOMS' EEVENUE. Tb» following was the Customs' revenue collected on Wednesday. Jan. 4 j—Wines. £sl; spirits, £598 17b 4d j 'ca, £l3 M*' 10d 5 siwar, £6 16s Id j tobacco, j 399 83 6d j kooJm by weight, £95 2s 7d ; ad valorem, £582 16s; other duties, £759s ; total. £15:60.* 4d. The Customs' revenue collected for tbo quarter ending Pec. 31, 1681, amounted to £53,870 7s 6d, compared witb £52.682 19s Id for the fame quarter of the previous year. The beer duty collected last quarter amounted to £3717 12s 6d. LOCAL MABKETS. Messrs H. Matsos? and Co report on the Live Stock Market, be., for the week ending Thursday, Jan. 5,1882, as follows : Yesterday's market at Amjixgton (the first in the new year) brought forward a somewhat larger supply of stock than on the previous week, though all classes (fat cattle excepted) represented less than an average r-ntry. Owing to the thin attendance, the sheep sale opened at about last week's quotations, but after the first few lota a better demand was experienced, and the bulk of the mutton on offer changed hands at firmer and improved rates. The cause of this via consider arose from the small entry, and tho fact that butchers have been buying very sparsely for the past fortnight, having in many instances quite run out of supplies. Prime and cross-bred wethers brought 9s 3s, Bs fid, to 10s; medium weights 8s Cd to 9s. Of Ktores there were a good few on offer, mostly old sheep, fully half of which were turned out unsold. Of fat cattle there were more penned on Wednesday than were actually required, the quality as a rule being especially good. In beef, us in mutton, most of tho trade were buyers, but the laree supply prevented any chance of better prices, and the major portion of the entry was disposed of at about late quotations In store cattle there is not much doing, lines of three-year-old useful steers being about the only class in request. Of fat lambs there were very few penned, all being sold at Is tr> Is Cdperheadr.se. In common with all others interested in agncull tural or pastoral pursuits in New Zealand, we haiwith pleasure the announcement of the prospectus of the Canterbury Meat Export and Freezing Company, now before us. This project, if it receives the support it is fairly entitled to, cannot prove other than a great boon and relief to the stock owners and others in this conntry. The subject is oo broad a one to fnlly discuss here, bnt we think

it must be patent to olCth&t tho successful opentag up of on outeido market for our surplus stock moans a (rash era in tho history of this Colony. Eton supposing; tha net returns for a time to bo not much in excess of what niity nt certain seasons he obtained here, yot tho Homo market; is unlimited-aud if its only olTcct is to giro us something like a fixed valuo for our meats, instead of as at present -a fluctuating scale of nay 30 per cent difference from time to tlnio-it will have done much for the New Zealand farmer. As far as Canterbury is concerned, wo have no ncslut* tion in saying that with proper arrangements in England for the storage and sale of our consign, went*, wo shall bo in a position to compare favourably with any other portion of the Australian Colonies. Wo look upon it as tho boundau duty of evety farmer in tho Province to as-14 hmown interests, by taking up a few i>haroH, and thus noip t» launch a sohemo tho nioet vital in ln»i«<rta«ce ever brought before tho New Zealand pub;io. rtie tutalqnsnilty of stockyarded ou W.-umislny compritod 8761 »heep and 351 head of e >tf I.;. of « h eh our entrv included 81*9 sheep, 205 fat. lambs, and I*6 head of cattle, for Messrs J. I>«m>*v t' Ml ehell, J. Davis, T. Hancock, J. tt. ««"';»• £• Grant, R. Duncan, T. D. Kobortsou, W. B Uark. bob, J Johns, M. Guy, J. Croßwo.l, A. K. r.aton, J.'ihomo. P. Manyon, Hrtttau and "J<>m<>ar, I. tfarr.G. Fergusaon, W. Dowllng, M. Maily, Gallagher Bros.. J. Taylor. J.SUrk. T.' J>bnw»,T. Baskeit, Trent Bros.. W. llrysnt, T. Ooniu.r D. Hampton, O. Brown, J. O'Ncll, J. Boylo, A. 1 or-gue-on, Henderson and M'Beatb, M. Hogen, ad others. In sheep our principal sales were RO ! cross-bred wethers from the ttlooarton estate, «t !Ps tJd to 9s 9d i for Tsrloos ownnrn—lw mlaofl croM.-bredft,at9sj 78 jrerinos, at 5s 9d j 209 mixed l oroiß-bfcda. at 9s 9d [ 78 light weight*, at 8* 3d j 175 do, at 8» i 19* cross-breds, at 9o 9.1 1 "Ovdo, at 9.»9d; 130 cross-bred ewes, at Bs. Ktoros—lJ2 agra oross-bivd ewes at 5s 6d, 81 at 9s s Bi> cull merinos, at S» i 100 mixed ews-breds, at 7s. Vat lambs ■■ 20 at 7a fid, SO at 8s M,2y at Bs3».4*ata*6d,!*2»tTs 6d, SO at 7s W, 15 at 9a 3d. 30 at 7» 9J, *o. Fat cattle -4 at, £B U (3d. 7 at £i 15-, 4 at £ti 12s 6d. 4 at £6.5 at £6 7«6d, 2at £6 s*. 6 at £7 10*. 4at El, 4atfi6l2s6d,Bat£sl2s6d,*o. Stores nominal, e&'orday Uut, wa hold onr usual weekly sale of Cuttbrbcet Horsb M*met.—At Tattereall s, on horses &0. The entry comprised about 90 lots, includiag plough horse*, hacks, unbroken oolts, Ao. But, owing to the holidays and limited attendance, comparatively little business was done, a few medium class draught ho»es wore placod at from £l3 to £l7 each; about SO useful hack and light harness horses at *7 to £l4; weeds, Ac, 40s and upwards. We also told sundry traps, s:»sof barnesa, Ac, at satisfactory prices. m Woot, BaisreKisß, Fat, Hides, ab» Tallow BKK>Hr.-On Thursday, at our G-intorbury Wojl Stores we held our usual weekly sole of the above. Ths'e was sn average attendinco of fellniongers, but very litt'e inclination to do business was shown, the reason assigned being that the men hud not yet returned to their work. In pelt* a deolino of from 3d to 5d each took place, whilst in full wools a much larger decrease is prioo must bo quoted. In fat and tallow the prices realised were «eod and even throughout. The hides wero unsold. Our catalogue consisted of 2410 sheep-kiuß, 103 bags rough fat. 63 hides and calfskins, and a few packages of wool and tallow, aU with the exception of the bides being disposed of at quotations as under, vis., best pelts made la 5d to Is lOd ; second quality. Is Id to la 4d each; merino pelts, from lOd to Is 4d each; beat lambskins, la 9d to la lid each second quality, la 6d to Is 8d; isferior and small, Is 2d to Is 5d each; woollys, trom 4s to 6s 6d for best, whilst other prices varied from Is 6d. Ss 6d, Ss 6d to 3s lid esoh, great irregularity in the biddings being more noticeable in tho full wool skins than in the pelts. Bn oners' best rough fat brought Hi to 2Jd per lb; second quality, 2d to SJd; interior, only one bag at lid per lb. Hides and calfskins unsold. Tallow, from l|d to 2id. as per quality. Tallow in ciak, none on offer. CoouiaT Balkß.—On Tuesday, at the Corporation Yards, we held our usual weekly sale of live stock, Ac, for tha Aahburton district, tmr entty constated of 1794 sheep and 44 head of cattle. The attendance of farmers was the smallest wo ever saw at the yards, so one evidently being present hut those who were in charge of stock, the proximity of the holidays and the nor'-wester evidently deterring peeplo f-om speculation. Line after line of stock was offered and passed without a bid. We did not succeed in' ceiling a single head, nor do wo think other auctioneers were more fortunate. Mercahtile.—The holidays have seriously interfered with business, and transactions have been of a very limited character. There has been an .active demand for corrugated iron, consequent upon the rise in England. Cornsacks are beginning to be asked for, but the prices quoted leave little or no margin of profit to the importers. Sugars continue quiet. Crushed loaf sells pretty freely at fair prices. Teas are quiet. Credit is sound, and discounts remain unchanged. Land akd Propebtt.—But little has been done during the past week, owing to the holidays. At our usual weekly sale on Saturday, we had a large attendance, and disposed of a farm of 97 acres known as Springhill, at Lincoln, together with an eight-roomed house, and improvements, withont crop, at £2515s per acre, or a total of £2 97 15s. There is a good enquiry for properties of all classes, but the reserves are generally so high as to prevent 'business.

Messrs Aclajtd, Campbell ahd Co. report on the live stock market for the week ending Thursday, Jan. 5, as follows -.—At the Addington yards, yesterday, there was again a very small entry of sheep, only 3761 being penned. The market opened very quietly, and several lines were passed unsold, but matters improved somewhat; more animation was apparent and sales were effected at a slight advance on last week's rates; undoubtedly this was owing to the short entry and to the fact that for the last few weeks butchers have bought very sparingly. We quote best eross-breds 9s to 9s 9d, medium 7s 6d to 8s 3d. Only a few lines of fat merino wethers were penned; nearly every lot was passed unsold. One line of medium sheep made 5s 6d. In store sheep little or no business was transacted, nearly every lot being passed unsold, the only lots placed being inferior sheep at low prices. Fe.l lambs sold well at prices for extra good 8s 9d to 9s 3d, good 7s 6d to 8s fid, medium 6s to 7s. Cattle : 351 yarded. For fat cattle the market was again a very dull one, and we can quote no improvement on late rat*a. The market for store cattle is completely stagnant, little or no business for this class of stock being transacted. At the Ashburton on Tuesday, Jan. 3, there was an average entry of sheep, and a very small entry of cattle. The sheep might just as well have remained in the paddocks, as there was hardly a buyer present, and line after line were passed unsold. We placed a line of old merino ewes, with a small percentage of lambs at 4s 3d, and that was about all the business transacted. Messrs B. WitKnr and Co. report:—At the Addington Yards on Wednesday 3761 sheep and 351 head of cattle were yarded. In fat sheep there was a limited supply offered, mostly good quality lots, for which description the sale opened very dull; but towards tl e close of the sale there was a 1 decided improvement, and prices a shade in advance of late rates were obtained. A large tnpply of good and prime quality fat lambs changed hands at farly satisfactory rates. Several drafts of store merinos were offered, but, not reaching owners' limits, were paused in unsold. Fat Cattle. —a. large supply offered, for which the biddings dragged throughout the sale; while only a few pens of store cattle changed hands, and at very unsatisfactory prices to vendors. We sold prime cross-bred wethers at 9s 6d; good ditto at 7s 9d. Fat lambs at from 6s 6d to 7s 9d. Fat steers from £6 to £6 17s 6d ; ditto heifers from £5 2s 6d to £S. On Thursday we held our weekly tale of sheepBkins in our Now Zealand Wool Stores, at which there was a fair attendance of buyers, and a good demand for the various descriptions offered. Lambskins, large. Is Bd'to <s lid; do, second quality, Is 4d, la 6d, Is 8d; pelts, large and early shorn, 1h 63, Is 9d, Is lid; do, medium, lid. Is 3d, Is 6d; do, small and late shorn, 6d 9d, lid; country crossbred, large, 5s lOd, 6s Id; do do, medium, is 7d, 3s sd, is 7d, 5s lOd; do do imsll, Is sd, 2s, 2s 7d; do merino, large, 53 Sd. 5s 7d, 5s lOd; do do, medium. Is Ba, 2s 9d, 3s lOd, 4s 7d, hi 3d; do do, small, If Id, Is sd, Is 9d. Fat and Tallow—6l packages were catalogued «nd all sold. The trade was well represented, and the competition was brisk. There was an improvement in prices compared with last week's sale. Fat—Best quality, clean and well saved, to ■fd per lb; second quality, to 2J-d per lb; heated and infe-icr, at Id per lb. 'fallow in small lots, from Id to 2 J ,d per lb, and from 5s toU2sjper owt, according to quality. Wool—We beg to remind onr clients that oar next wool sale of the season will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 17.

Messrs H. Bekmetts and Co. report on the Stock Market for the week ending Thursday, Jaa. 5, as followß :—On Wednesday, at the AddiDgton Baleyards, thore were yarded lor the day's sales—--3761 sheep and 351 bead of cattle. Fat sheep— The entry though small, was folly sufficient for all requirements, the trade apparently caring only to operate from week to wee*, owing, no doubt, to the scarcity of feed. Stores—Owing to the continued dry weather there wap very little business doing, though for good sound-mouthed fresh-con-ditioned merino ewcß, there ia a growing enquiry. Fat lambs—A fair number penned, which sold at prices slightly in favour of vendors. Fat cattle— A large supply came to hand, the quality for tho bulk being fully up to tho average. Bidding throughout the sale was exceedingly languid. Stores—A good average entry; but excepting tboso sold privately little business was done, buyers acting with extreme caution. No pigs oame to hand. Our entries were—6l6 sheep und 112 bead of cattle from Messrs J. M'Duko, T, Noy, E. Clarkson, D, Feobney, K, Bowes, J. timSth, E. Johnson, J. Thompson, Bennetts Brothers, and others. The following wero the principal ealos: -Pat Cattle.—l at £7 IBs, 3at £0,2 £7,3 at £5 10s, '& at £5 7s 6d. Stores-5 at £4 2s Od. 3 at £3 17a 6i, i at £l, 3 at £2 2s 6d, 2 at £1 1"h 6d, 26 at £2,28 at £llos. Sheop- 63 at 6s Bd, 18 at 4s, 331 at Is 9d. At oar City Baleyards and Auction Booms on Saturday last there was a good attendance. The entry of poultry wan rather largo, but bidding not being very spirited, tho prices wero a little below tho usual. Good table f uwls (otched from 2a (M to 3s 0d; inferior, 2h 3d to 2s Od ; ducks, 2s 6d to 3s 6d j geose, 5s to 6* 6d; tui keys (inferior), to 7s. The eatry of pigs was extrtjnuly limited; one line only of porkers beiug penuod, wbich sold at 14*. There is no alteration to note in hams, bacon, or cheese.

Mossrs J. T. Fonn and Co. report on the live stook market for tho week ending Thursday, Jan. 5, as follows: Tho same, it not greater, spirit of deadness prevailed at tho Addington market on Wodnetday aa on the previous weok. The place during the' early'part ot too day, say up to 11 o'clock, looked mora like a holiday, and every one seemed indifferent as to what .was going on. Th<-re was only a moderate supply of shoep, but still more thsn sufficient for the requirements. The trade oomphin of no business, very little being consumed. This we are not surprised at, considering tho weather we have beon getting lately, and matters are not likely to mend muoh until we get a regular downpour, and harvest over. Wm quote mutton at lid par lb, and beef at 17s 6d Eor lOOlbs, and 20s for extra good quality. Thorn avo been very 'ew lines of good store sheep psasintr through tho AddiDgton yards lately. Wo enquired the reason, and tho reply was that loesl markets were more convenient, for both buyer and seller.

The demand for store sheep still oontlnnes brisk, oupootally good sound mouthed merino ewes, from choice flocks. During the week we bavo tola 7000 for tho Hon William Bobinson, at from 5s 6d to 7s etch. Wo bavo also sold 800 two-tooth merino rsms for the Cheviot Hills Station at from SO to £3 3s each, and could readily plane another 800 at tamo prices it Mr Bobinson had them to spare. Cur entries on Wednesday were ou account Messrs h. Qarforth, B, H. Amycs, 0. J. Harper. Chovorton, L. Toaswill. V. Tooth, W. Webb and others. Wo sold cross-breds from 8s 3d to bh Od each, and joun* oattle trom £l l6s to 41310 a each. We to ind beef diffieult to quit at owners' reserves, ana had to turn out several Hues of fat stock unsold. Today we are botding a very largo olearing sale of cart horse*, farming plant, growing oops, *o„ on ncoomnt ol the trustees of the Ute Sir J. C. Wilson, at tho Hinds, and wilt nivo full particulars in nest week's report Wool, Hide*, Bough Pat, Skins and Tallow.- At our sale of the above on Thursday, wo bad the usual attendance «t btiyors, and catalogued a very fair entry, Pnll-woo'led merino skins sold up to 8s 3d net, and »p to OsOd each j erossbred pelts mado from Is (Mi to Us 3d each | morino poUs wont up to Is eaoh i lambskins, from Is 9d to «s oaohj rough fat, from !i|d to 2Jd per lb i htdes, 4d per Ib.-Our next wool sale will take plaoo on Tuesday, Jan, 17,* when wo shall have tho plea, sure of offering three of tho be«t clips of merino wool we lvavo had through our hands this season. We luvito buyers to iuspoat ptovlous to sale,

ENGLISH. The following is trom tho N.Z. Loan nnd Mercantile Agency Company's Circular of Nov, 18:~ Wool,—Tho fourth and last series ot sales for tho current year will oommenoe on Nov. 82, and. aeoording to tho published programme, will probably close on Deo. 10. Tho total arrivals to date ombraoo some 87,315 bales, which msy bo slightly anvmented by tho opening day. Otthis quantity about 91,000 bales are of the von Austrnlliuclip. , , Transactions since oloso of tho last series have been on a moderate scale nntll within the past ton' days, when oonsldorablo put chases wore made of wools suitable to homo requirements at prices which marked a deotded advance upon values ourtent during tho auotlons. Notwithstanding the large supplies dealt with under the hammer, there Ib reason to believe that tho stooks of raw mat. rial are, for the season, unusually light, and as manufacturers and spinners are fully oi gaged a strong demand is ' expected when the next sales open. The Antwerp sal*s of Blver Plate and other wools began on Nov. 8. The first day's catalogue contained tho following assortmsnt of Australasian wools, vis.:— Bales. Now South Wales 919 Port Phillip 841 New Zealand. &3* Total ... ••• 199* These were placed at an average of last London sain rates, with the oxooption of low cross-breds, whioh, in the absenoe of Koglish competition, wero about id per lb lower. With the progress ot tho sales the market has hardwied, and on all kinds of Buenos Ayres and Monte Vldean wools an advance is reported equal to about )d per lb. Arrivals tor next sales are as fellows : Bale*. New South Wales and Queensland 19,995 Victoria 14.818 South Australia ... 7,634 Western Australia Tasmania 1,554 New Zealand 9,045 Cape of Good Hope ... 40,835 Total 87,815 Cobh Mabkt.—A strong downward tendenoy in the wheat market has been exhibited during the month, checked however within the last few days by a alight improvement in the demand and a ooasequent i taction in favour ot sellers. In the case of South Bnsßian wheats the extreme deolino was at one time as much as 7s per quarter, bnt the reduction in values finally brought in Continental buyers, and several cargoes of this description arrived off coast were taken for foreign destinations. East Indian wheats, which have been in large supply, have suffered to the extent of 2s to 3s per quarter. Other soite have participated more or loss in the decline, bnt inferior kinds have been most affeoted. On the month New Zealand wheat may be called Is lower; Australian samples are scarce, being confined to a few small shipments whioh are being dealt with in almost a retail manner. For any considerable qnantity 58s would be the top ourrmt value, though some small parcels have been placed at from 59s to 60s. A lane parcel of Soath Australian wheat, varying considerably in quality, has arrived in London per Gateside, and the prices will probably rule at 56s to 58a per 4J6lbsexship. No reoent business has transpired in Colonial wheat for forward shipment, but with lower prices ruling for California and Oregonian descriptions late quotations oould not now be repeated. The Pons M lii, with 2562 quarters, from Melbourne, now at port of call, has been offered at 57s o.i t . terms, but cot being sold has been ordered to Grimtby. The Sarah Scott, with 4730 quarters, from Lyttelton, also off coast, has been withdrawn from ale and ordered to Hull, the price required, 53s c.i.f., not being forthcoming: New Zealand malting barley is Bteady, owing to the limited supplies of really good English growth. Oats, beans, and peas are qniet, and witbout alteration. The following are to-day's quotations ex granary:— Victoran t o^atu} SBBMto6OB ° dper4Wlb NewZealand,longberriedsssodto67sod „ „ Average ... 53s (d to 54s Od „ Australian Flour, super 41 sOd to 42s Od per 2801 b. „ households Sis Od to 36s Od „ New Zealand Flour ... 36s Od to 33s Od „ „ oats, flue, 28s0dto34e0dperlmqr. „ ord.feed24sodto2B3 0d „ „ barley, malting 40s Od to 48s Od per 4481 b. „ beans ... ... 45s Od to 46s Od per 5041 b. „ peas 38e0dto45s0d „ „ rye 40s Od to 42s Od per 4801 b. Australian peas 38s Od to 40s Od per 5041 b.