COMMERCIAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 304, 19 December 1908, Page 6

COMMERCIAL.

LONDON WOOL MARKETS. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Companly, Ltd., have received the following cable from their London oilice, dated 17th inst: Combing merino, short and shorn and clothing descriptions of sheepskins have advanced J / a d per lb, and coarse crossbred and lambskins have advanced %d per lb since last sales.

NEWTON KING'S REPORT. At the Haymarket on Saturday there was a fair entry of pigs, stores making 22s to 31s, slips lis (id to IDs, suckers (is lid to ()s (id, gig and harness £23, trap £0 10s. At lvaponga on Friday there was a good yarding, and nearly everything sold at the hammer. Yearling steers made 38s, 18-months heifers 375, 2-year empty heifers 40s to 48s, store cows 38s to 50s, forward cows £3 2s to £3 13s, fat cows £4 10s to £4 15s, bulls £2 to £2 10s. At Stratford on Tuesday there wis a smaller yarding than usual. Bidding was active for nearly all classes, small steers and store cows selling especially well. Steer yearlings made 37s to 403, 15- to 18-niout'lis empty heifers 28s to 345, 2-year heifers 37s (id, S'VSs'-year forward bullocks £4 15s to £5, store cou's 35s to 50s, forward do. .L<2 His to £3 10s, fat do. £4 ss, bulls £2 2s to £3. In the dairy yards springing heifeis made ; £2 15s to £4, cows £3 5s 10 £5 17s 6d.

At Kahotu on Wednesday I held a very successful clearing sale on account of Mr. J. H. Bleakley. There was a large attendance, and bidding from start to finish was very keen, excellent prices being realised for botli live and dead stock. The cows were a very nice lot, a good number being grade Jerseys, aud considering the advanced state of the season, sold unusually well. Cows hi milk made from £5 to £ll 15s, 18months heifers £2 10s to £2 15s, heifer calves 35s to 57s (id, pedigree bull 2o guineas. Implements, furniture, aud sundries made excellent prices.

VLCK.EK.S & STEVENS' REPORT. Messrs. Vickers & .Stevens report that there was a good entry of cattle in their lnglcwood yards on Wednesday. Bidding was good, and nearly everything changed hands as follows:—Yearlings £1 Us to £1 10s, empty heifers £2 2< to £2 7s, 20-months to 2-year old steeds £2 os (id to £2 lis, 2%- to 3-year steers £3 2s; store cows £1 lis to £3 0s Od, fat cows £4 to £4 ss, springers £3 to £4 15s. GRIFFITHS & CO.'S DAIKY PRODUCE REPORT. Messrs. E. Griffiths & Co. are in receipt of the following market report from their Loudon principals, Messrs, Mills & Sparrow, dated November Otu, 1908: The bright open weather which we mentioned in our last as likely to have its effect on the market, continues, aud the make not only in England and Ireland but" on the Continent is much heavier than usual. Butter.

Danish.—Contrary to all expectations, the quotation was reduced three kroners yesterday. This has upset the market very considerably, and buyers have, for tlie time being, at any rate, lost confidence. Siberian.—the drop in Danish has not affected the price of Siberian to any appreciable extent so far as these butters were selling on an altogether lower level, and prices at the close of the week remain about the same as last reported. French,—Supplies, instead of decreasing considerably, have been good, in fact in some districts tlie make has been very heavy, and prices in all the French markets are lower. The quotations for salted in some instances have been reduced in sympathy with Danish, and it is probable .that a general reduction will be made if the unusually heavy make for this period of the year and the exceptionally open weather continues.

Irish.—Supplies arc more liberal, and there is a disposition to meet buyers on price. American.—Neglected; the quantity offering is small, and buyers are not interested. Australian.—The butters ex s.s. Carpentaria, Oratava, and Pericles are to hand iu line order. The quantity of strictly finest on board was very small; these have found buyers at about late rates, but buyers have been very particular as to quality. The second grades have not met with ready sale, and we hear lower prices will have to be taken, as this grade comes into competition with the Siberian. New Zealand.—The s.s. Tongariro is due in a few hours, and her cargo will be available early in the week. The quality of butters ex s.s. Mamari has given general satisfaction, and buyers are now ■enquiring for their pet fac-~" tories. Cheese. Although there is no advance, we have to report a strong undercurrent t.i the market. Quality of recent shipments of Canadian' has been very fine.

AUCKLAND STOCK MARKET. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, report as follows : Horses: At the Durham yards on Friday horses were yarded in full numbers and disposed of. Heavy draughts sold at from £22 10s to £3i ; medium do., £lB 10s to £2O 5s ; .hacks ami light harness horses, £5 5s to CIS 10s: weeds, £2 10s to £(i ss. At I'ukekolie on Wednesday llieie was a very large muster of stock of all descriptions, and owing no doubt to the rain prices advanced all round, competition being very keen. Dairy cows sold at from 1-4 5s to £lO ; backward do., £3 5s to £0 10s; springing heifers, £3 17s ltd to £8 ; empty cows, £2 10 to :C4 4s ; two to tliree-vear-old-steers, L€i 10s to £4 17s (id; yearlings, £2 io £2 18s; calves, 15s to' £l.l(is. Beef, of which 120 head were penned, soltl well at .Newmarket rates. Cattle—The Newmarket Yards on Tuesday were well filled with cattle of all descriptions. Dairy cows sold at from £3 10s to a 2s (id; heifers. £3 10s Io £4 15s; emptv- cows, £2 10s to £3 15s: calves. .El to 1 14s. There •«;'.* a large yarding of beef, which sold at last week's rates, the market being much firmer, oxen selling to 23s per 1001b. airl cows Ills to 21s |ter 1001b. Steers sold at from Co 10s to £lO 17s (id. and cows £4 5s to £7 10s. The beef cattle wcrii of good quality throughout. Sheep were penned in full numbers at Newmarket on Tuesday and advanced on late rates, wethers selling at from lis !)d to 18s; ewus, lis 3d to 18s; hoggets, lis Od to 14s Od. Lambs were in full supply, and sold at from 7s !)d to 10s. Pigs.—Porkers sold at from 18s (id tj £1 17s; weaners, Ss Od to lis Od; baconers, £2 Ss to £3 2s. Hides—Market linn. We ijuole:- j Extra stout ox, 7d to 7'/.d; stout do.. (i'/,d to (i%d; medium do,, 5%d to 5%d; light do., 4%il to 5%d; cows', best lines

4%d, good 4>/ a d to 4%d, scored 4d to 4'/4d; stags', 3d to 3 ] /id; calfskins, 4d to o'/jd; kips, 3'/ 3 d to 4V 4 d. Sheepskins.—Market brisk. Best butchers' skins, large 4s (id to 5s 2d, medium 3s i)d to 4s, small 2s lid to 3s 3d; pelts and lambs', Is 2d to Is !)d. Tallow.—MarkJet firm. Best mixed, to 24s b'd; good, 21s 6d to 22s (id; inferior 17s (id to 18s fid; rough fat, l'/ 3 d to l%d per lb.

'OHKISTCHUKOH STOCK MARKET. At the Addington yards on Wednesday there was only a moderate entry of stock and a fair attendance. Fat cattle sold at about last week's rates, and store sheep and fat lambs showed little change. Fat sheep showed some improvement in coasequenee of a short supply. Fat pigs were rather dull of sale, but stores were in good demand. Forward store cattle sold well and dairy cows were dull of sale.

Only a small entry of store sheep came forward, anil there was practically no change in prices. A line of aged cross-bred ewes, with lambs, was passed at 8s (all counted), 230 cross-bred wethers sold at 12a (id, and 151 four-, six-, and eight-tooth ewes at 14s 2d to 15s. There was a fair entry of fat lambs, mostly of good to prime quality, but several lots were light and unfinished. There was good competition among the butchers, and a few were bought for export at prices ranging from las to llis (id. Prime lambs generally sold at lis to 17s (id, a few heavier weights to l'Js, and lighter sorts lis l)<l to 13s GO. There was a small yarding of fat sheep, a good proportion being prime wethers and ewes. The export buyers were not operating, but a buyer from the West Coast added keenness to the competition, and prices for prime sheep were rather lirmer. The range of prices was: Woolly wethers, 22s !)d; prime shorn wethers. IBs to 18s; lighter, 14s to 13s (id. l'riinc shorn ewes, 14s to llis 2d; medium, lis (id to 13s (id; agsd and light, 8s lid to Us. There was a large yarding of store cattle, including a line from Otago in poor condition. A good demand existed for forward steers and well-grown young sorts, but poor-conditioned lots were hard to sell. Wildings made 20s Gd to 355; 15- to 18-montlM cattle, :C2 !)s to £2 Ills; two-year heifers, C 3; two and

a-half year steers, £.l 17s (id; threeyear steers, £(i; three-year heifers, £1; dry 'cows, £3 7s. A line of three- and foiir-year-old cows from the South made £3, and a mixed line of 15-month to two and a-half year cattle :£2 5s to • £2 10s. Dairy cows were dull of sale at £4 to £7 10s. The entry of fat cattle comprised 357 head, and for prime steers and heifers there was a good demand at last week's rates, but for light and unfinished sorts ■there was a dull sale. Steers made £li

17s (id to £ll 12s Od; heifers, £5 to £9 15s; and cows, £4 lis to £8 5s (equal to 22s (id to 2os per 1001b. for prime, Ifls to 2t3s for medium, aud 17s to Ms Od for cow and inferior sorts). - Veal calves made 45s (id to 52s Od, extra large to .Hi. There was a small entry of pigs, mostly of medium quality. Stores met with a good demand, but fats were dull of sale and easier in price. Large baconers made 49s to 58s and lighter 44s to 43a (equal to 5d per lb) ; large porkers 38s to 43s and lighter 30s to 3fls (equal to s'/ 2 d per lb). Large stores, 24s to 35s ; medium 18s to 23s ; and weaners, 10s to 20s. The latter price was given for extra good quality.