COMMERCIAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1825, 6 December 1888, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

AUCTIONEERS' REPORT.

TIMAKU. Mr M. R. Guinness (for Hie Now Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited) reports (or the week ending Saturday, December Ist, as follow* : Wudidjks Yards—Fat Cattle : The market is well supplied, and nt Ihese jards fair numbers b»ve been received. Tlie quality has hecn aboyo tlie average, and alt have found buyers ot fall rales, viz., 18s to 19s per 1001 b for prime quality, and 16s for eecond class. Stores—Average yardings bavo been brought forward, the bulk cf which changed hands Ht late values—2-year-old cattle £2los to £3, 18 months 25s to 32s 6d, yearlings 20s to 30s, Fat Sheep—During the pnst fortnight there has been a fair demand, und the entiies, which have been about average ones, have been all disposed of at satisfactory prices. We sold 40 prime crossbred ewes at 10s lOd, 120 halfbred do at 8s 6d. In stores, we sold 95 crossbred woolly ewes (with lambs at foot) at 13s Bd, and 30 shorn do do at, Bs. There is a good prospect for all olasscfl of store shesp, and all good 2-toot.!i crossbreds placed on the mark't are quitted at very satisfactory values. Wool— Our Christchurch branoh reports that their sale on the 22nd and 23rd ult., passed off with great spirit, and since then cablegrams both public and private have been received, that a substantial advance of |d to Id per lb was obtained upon the closing rates of October. In Australia the sales are progressing under favourable circumstances, and higher rates are ruling than those current at the corresponding date last year. Sheepskins—Best butchers' crossbreils 5b to 5< 6d, second quality 4*? 6d, 43 9d, to 4s lid. Country skins —per lb. sjrd t,o 6d for crossbreds, merinos 6|d, factory woolly skins 6£d, do pelts is eaoh. Hides—The supplies are excessive, and the depressed state of the market make it very diflknlt to effect sales, even at reduced rates. Our quotations are—6olb and over 3£d, 50 t 05910 2fd and under 2£d, cut and damaged ljd. Xallow and Fat are in good rlem-ind, and all lots coming forward ave easily quitted. We huve disposed of all on hand at. the folio .ving ratcc :—Rough fat 8s to 12s, and rendered 10s to 15s per owt.

DUNEDIN MARKETS. At the grain sale nt Dunedio on Monday oats wore from 2d to 4-1 lower than lt«et weik, owiog to tho news of the rainfnl: in Australia, and several prime lots wereso:d at prices which ranged from 3' 7d to 3s lOd. Wheat showed a eunll increase, and sold up to 9d.

AUSIItALIAN MABKETS. Sydney, December 4. New Zealand produce on consignment clears smartly at good prices. There is a good deal of speculation in the produce market, and buyers are purchasing shipmen i a from New Zsaland at high rates. Value?, however, are depreciated by evury shower of rain. Large qumtiti.es of produce are purchased for the country mnkets, although much has been secured for local requirements. The weather today has been very fine throughout Austral';), no rain having fallen in Victoria, South Australia, and New South Wales. In Queensland also the weather has been fine with the exception of the Oardwell and Mackay districts to the north Tambo district, 600 miles an the interior. In Sydney parcels of New Zealand wheat are selling at from 53 2d to 5s 6d.

ENGLISH MAEKEIJS. . ! ■■' - London, December, J. Australian wheai ; ex warehouse. 445. The market business is restricted. The English wheat market is firmer; continental a little better; American tending upwards. ; Australian flour, ex store, 50a; New Zealand flour, 25's 6d. Colonial beans, 395. Oats, from,26m. .At the wool sales to-day there was increased animation in the bidding, and the improvement in prices since last auction ranged from ;6 to 10 percent,. French and German buyera operated freely'. It is expected the advance on some kinds wi 1 become more pronounced as the saleß progress. Up to the present the chief advance has been in merinos. American buyers purchased large quantities. The catalogue to date included 35,800 bales, ef which 35,000 wero sold. Tallow—Australian mutton, 34s ; beef, 333 9d. Nov. 4 At the wool sales yesterday, 10,000 bales were sold. At the wool sales to-day competition was brisk, and prices very firm.

THE FBOZEN MEAT TRADE. Weili#gton, Deo. 3. rs£Details of the scheme elaborated in London by Messrs Elworthy, Davidson, and others, for the sale and oarriage of frozen meat from the colony, mentioned in the cable news six weeks ago, were received by the Birantaka'g mail, and discussed in Wellington by r»presentatives of the various shipping coin'r i >ies to day. It is proposed to submit tt,om at onoe to the various par Mes interested. The following are the mali features :—(1) the meat is to be paid for in oash upon sbipmont at the rate of 2id per lb, frozen, free on board. At the rate obarged for frotziap this practically means l|d to the grower as n minimum, no matter what price may rule in England. (2) The above applies uD*to an average price realised in London of 40. Of what may begot over this amount 40 per cent goes to the power, over 5d 80 per oent. On these terms, provided thoaverage London prices is 3|d, growers would receive 2£d frozen. Freight would be Id, and London charges, inoluding marine insurance against all risks, would be sd. The same return to the growers rules up to an average London price of 4|d, but freight and London oharges gain the advantage of the rise, the former being then! 3-lOd. Above 4Jd and up to 5d the growor_ receives MOd for every farthing rise, whiob, at an average price in 'London of 4Jd, leaves him 2£d. At 5d ■growers receive 2 3 5d and 80 per cent of all exoess over sd. The basis of the proposal ii that the growers of New Zealand shall receive a goofl minimum price T?ith partici* pation in all improvements in the London market, while the steamers shall be free from the present uncertainty'of procuring o»rg>. The soheme has already been favourably commented upon here. ■