COMMERCIAL.

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 208, 7 April 1877, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

KAKARAMEA FLOUR .MILL. The following arc present prices aQ Hie above Mill : —Rest Flour, .bid per ton ; No. 2 flour, £l4 10s per ton ; pollard. 7s per 100 lbs ; brim, i>- per 100 11 is; gristing, in lots of not ]iss than 20 bushels. Is per bushel. EDWIN PAYNE. April 7. L 877. Vv'imLtXGTOX, April 2. The New Zealand Loan and .Mercantile Agency Company report, under date London, March 27 ;—Wool market unchanged. Hales cln-ed at, an average decline of 2d to 2d. 21.7,0110 bales Avere sold. 4.000 hold over, and j;32.(100 taken fur export. The next sales commence on the Hlh of May. Tallow market quiet. At the public sales, 2,200 casks from Australasia sold from 41s to 295. Wheat.— Adelaide. 56s ; New Zealand. 5-1 s; per P.Hilbs. Leather market, flat. 500 si les front Australasia sold since last report. Best side, lid. O Wanganui, sth April, 1577. TTIODUCK Market.—Mr George A. Hurley reports produce selling prices; Oats, unaltered. Wheat, prime samples are in the market at (is (id ; inferior, 5s Gd. Maize, nominal, ss. Potatoes, 5s ; very best. Flour, Uatmini, £l6 10s. Bailor, no demand; except from other ports, f.0.b., at about lOd to Is. Business for past week dull, Mkluouksk, .March 21. G OLT)8BO 110 UftH ’.B .110 XT HLYCIi 1C U LAE.— Wool. —At the dale of our last month’s report the season was nearly over, and the transactions since Hum have been comparatively unimportant, the total quantity sold during Hie month being about 2750 hales. Prices have remained nearly the same, any alteration being in favour of the buyer, the less favourable advices respecting Hie progression of the February and March London sales having caused a tendency towards reduced rates. The lots offered, as is usual at the close ot the season, have generally been in inferior to ordinary condition, consisting chiefly ot remnants of clips, and parcels of secured. The telegrams received from Loudon during the month respecting the commencement and progress of the February and March sales arc not so satisfactory as was anticipated, the series having opened at a reduction of Id. to lid. per lb. on Hie rates current in November. The usual annual statistics respecting Hie production of "Wool have reached ns by this last mail, and we learn that the imports in'o London from Australia and Now Zealand during 1876 were 771,283 i- -.1 n on. nuo nm,,.-, iu.~, tm--showing ah increase of 71,662 bales, or about 10 per cent. The imports from the Gape of Good Hope during'lß76 were 170,941 hales, whilst, those for 1875 were 175.595 bales, thus showing a decrease of 4654 bales. The importations into Europe from Hie South American provinces during 1876 were 272.176 hales, being an estimated increase of about 22/100 bales over the yield of 1875, thus showing an increased produclion to the extent of over 12 per cent. As the South American bales generally average from 7 cwt. to 8 cwt. each, the total quantity will ho equal in weight to more than double the number of bales of Australian Wool. For some years the production of Buyer Plate Wool made but little progress, but it is evidently now beginning to come forward in increasing quantities. It cannot, however, compete Avith Australian Wool for fineness and quality' ; but, from its suitability for mixing with the medium sorts, it tends to reduce the value of our ordinary to average Rescript ions. Wc learn that the clip of the United States for 1876 is not so large as it was the previous year. It will be evident from I lie foregoing figures that Hie production of Wool is not increasing to a large extent, and it is equally certain (hat with the constant augmentation of population consumption must be progrcs-iing fully in proportion, consequently wc may reasonably infer that our .staple will continue to maintain satisfactory prices for the grower. The great object should he to insure high rates by unremitting attention to careful breeding and classing, for our choicest Wools can evidently' maintain their premier position against, all competition. mmr —■ ■ i. .