Commercial.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 253, 5 December 1872, Page 5

Commercial.

During the past week an average amount of business has been carried through, but without any great shew of activity in the import markets, the principal trade done having been in the despatch of up-country requirements and coastwise orders. In mojt respects, the operations occuring have been withont much interest. For sugars there has been, since the sale of the Bertha's cargo, a quieter demand ; supplies are now increased by the arrival of the Sara Drefus from Mauritius, but transitions shew little variation from last quotations. The enquiry for teas has been duli, with little inclination to immediate improvement. In hemp goods there has been a light business for the time of the year, the well-supplied state of the market repressing enquiry— wool packs are quoted at 5s Cd to 5s 9d, and cornsacks at 16s 6d. Sales of fair-sized parcels of oils are noted — boiled and raw linseed moving at 5s l£d and 5s 4.^1 ; colza and castor are offered at 6s dd without transactions ; kerosene, again quiet, and at 2s 6d, the present quotation, there is an indifference to buy. The spirit market ha* a languid look, and nothing of any note has recently transpired — Henessy'a brandy stands at 6s 9d to 7s ; for bulk, a scarcity of good brands in case has been experienced, but the supply of second qualities is ample. English malt is, for the time of the year, msving but slowly ; but with prices steady at late quotations. In hops, the effect of late advice 3 has been to weaken the market, and immediately on the arrival of new shipments prices may be expected to recede materially. Iv metals, the high rates prevailing have much restricted business and in the chief items — galvanised iron and fencing wire — the sales have been more than usually limited.

The grain market bas had nothing to enliven it recently, and (luring the remainder of the present month there will probably be little inducement to anything like busines. In flour, the best town and country brands are emoted at Ll4 for large, and Ll4 10s for small bags. Bran at 80s. Oats have been quiet, an average quotation for good samples being 2s 2d. W heats are quoted at 5s 6d, aud enquired for. Barley, very scarce, and good malting lots worth from 5s 9d to 6s 6d.

Messrs Driver, Stewart, and Co. report 30th November, 1872 :—

Fat Cattle.— 4B head were disposed of on Wednesday at the yards, and although the quality was fair to good, prices obtained were about 2s Gd per 100 lbs lower than last J notations. Bullocks brought from L6ss to ,9 12s 6d ; cows, from L6toLS 7s 6d. We sold 18 head averaging L 7 10s. We quote prime quality at 22s Gd per 100 lbs. Fat Sheep.— The following were penned and sold : 140 cross-breds (shorn), at 10s 6d to 11s ; 315 merinos (shorn), at 6s 6d to 8s ; 25 do (wool), at lls Gd ; 43 lambs, at 6s 3d to 9s 9d. Our sales were 340 wethers and 31 lambs. We quote shorn cross-breds at 2sd per lb ; do merinos, at 2d per lb. Store Cattle. — Good - conditioned quiet steers are still saleable at L 4 4s to L 4 15s ; cows, at L 2 15s to L 3 3s ; mixed herds, from 40s to 50. We have sold about 100 head at above rates.

Store Sheep.— There is a good enquiry for sheep of all classes, but buyers are cautious in fixing values. At present we are inclined to quote the following aa prices likely to be obtained : — Cross-breds, 6a 6d to 7s 6d ; merino wethers, 4s Gel to 03. At these rates we have to report sale of 5000 merino wethers, and 3500 cross-breds ; and 500 merino ewes (in wool) with cross-bred lambs at foot, at 12s tkl.

We held our usual monthly sale at the Reliance (Otokia) on Friday ; there was a very good attendance of bona fide buyers. We sold 120 head store cattle, at from 35s to SOd ; aud 700 merino wethers (in wool) at 12a 9d.

Wool is now coming forward freely, and we have several small clips, aud first portions of a number of others to hand, but wi!l not hoM our opening sale of the season until the 11th prox., when Aye shall offer about 1000 bales washed, scoured, and greasy wools. Shoepskins. — At our usual weekly sale on Wednesday there was a fair attendance of buyers, and animated competition, and all the lots catalogued, with one exception, were disposed of at satisfactory prices — say, station skins, merino, at 5s Gd to 6s Id ; butchers' (green) skins, merino, 5s lid to 7a Id ; cross breds, Ss lOd to 9s each.

Tallow and Hides, — None offered, but the demand for both continues good, and fully {ate quotations are obtainable.

New Zealand Hemp. — The favorable tenor of latest advices from the home market has tended to enhance values here, but the quantity offering continues limited, and we have no sales to report. Quotations — Common, L2O 10s to L 22 ; medium to good, L22 10s to L 24 : fine, L 24 10 to 26. f* Grain. — Wheat is in better demand at a slight advance on lats quotations. The quantity, changing hands, however, is very trifling. We quote prime quality at 5s 6d net. Oats continue firm at 2s Id to 2s 2d for feed, and 2d for milling quantities.

There is no change to note in the market. Wheat is not offering very freely — good sorts are in demaud at 53 4d to 5s 3d ; second class has buyers at 4s. Fowl wheat, scarce, 3s 3d. Oats are. dull ; there is no export demand, and millers' requirements are becoming lighter — the value of milling samples is from 2a t » 2s 2d ; good feeding are in sale at 2s. "No barley. Flour continues in brisk trade; sale at lil4 to Ll4 103; second class meets with a good sale at Lll. Oatmeal, dull, fill 10s— sale is getting limited ; bran, L 4 ; pollard, L 5 10s ; pearl barley, L 24; potatoes, L 3 to L 5 for old crops, Ll6 for new ; hay, L 4; chaff, L 4; straw, L 2 10s.

A. Mercer reports for the week ending November 30 :— Retail prices only. Fresh butter in 41b and lib prints, best quality, 8d 9d to per 1b ; second quality, 7d ; fresh bvtter in lumps, CAd to 7d ; powdered and salt butter, Bd. The market is completely glutted with fresh butter, and the quality is superior to what has been for some time. There is no demand at present for salt butter in kegs ; stocks are very heavy in some of the storekeepers' hands, who are salting down large quantities weekly, and large quantities pouring in from the neighboring Provinces, either to order or consignment, to some of our merchants, destroy what little sale we might have —for good samples Sd per lb. is asked. Cheese is now getting plentiful, owing to the new coming into the market, and a fall in price may be expected for good, quality, 9d to lOd per lb; English ham, 1b 4d te Is Gd per lb ; Colonial ham, lOd ; side and rolled bacon, 8d to Qd per lb. Eggs are more plentiful thjs week and selling at Is 2d per dozen..

By Our Sloie?. — Why should we look to medical men to put down the eccentricities of fashion ? Because they can beat admioirter clo'.reform,

Appointment. —Mr John Logan has been appointed a Visiting Justice of the Dunedin Gaol. The Waste Land Board. — The newconstitution of the Board is Messrs J. T. Thomson and W. A. Tolmiet- Chief Commis"" sioners ; Messrs Hughes, Duncan, Allan, and Reid, Commissioners. Martin's Bay. — Mr "Warden Beetham, with an influential party, purposes starting from Queenstown on the 4th December, in order, if possible, to find a better track to Martin's Bay. The Volunteers. —At a special meeting of the Artillery on the 27th, Lieut;. Jack was unanimously elected captain ; Sub. -Lieutenant Muir, first lieutenant, and Sergeant J. C Morris, subaltern. Goldpields. — The goldfields limits have been extended to include 60,000 acres, bounded by a line from the source of the Mataura along the Eyre montains to the •source of the Eyre river ; thence to its junction with the Matauri, ; thence following up the Mataura to its starting point. The Opera. — The opening of the opera season at Auckland was H failure. Mr Cagli went to the Choral Hall, but the public was dissatisfied with the arrangements. Only thirty persons attended the first two nights, and the company immediately went to the Theatre, where they drew good houses. Then the Choral Society guaranteed Mr Cagli LI 00 a night if he went back to the Choral Hall, which he has done, and by all accounts is doing very well there. Our readers will be glad to learn that the company includes, after all. those deserved favorites, Signor and Signora Coy and Signor Tournerie. Interprovinclal Cricket. — At a meeting of Cricketers, Nov. 29th, held to consider the necessity of making arrangements for the Annual Match— Otago v. Canterbnry—Messrs W. D. Murison, Rattray, and Beal, were constituted the match committee. Immigration. — We understand that Mrs Howard has been recommended by the General Government to the Apent-General for employment as an assistant immigration agent ; and intends to leave the Colony, via Melbourne, on the 4th prox. It is intended, before she leaves, to present her with a testimonial, in recognition of her past efforts in the cause of immigration ; and we learn that considerable subscriptions have been collected by ladies who have interested themselves in the matter. A subscription list lies at our office. Provincial Revenue. — The amount of Provincial Revenue for the quarter ended Sept. 30 last was L 57,449 ; and the expenditure dnrine the same periodL46,6s6. The items of revenue were — Crown lands, L 26.27 1; gold export duty, L 421 4; goldfields revenue, L 400 4; harbor dues, L6B ; dog tax, L 42 6; sale of Government buildings, L 28 1; repayments by the General Government under Public Works account, LlOl6 ; do. do. Road Boards and Public Works account, L 355 2; repayments, L 465 ; educaL 95 3; licenses, L3ll ; tolls, L 280 5; railways, L 1616, and the balance sundries. The Auckland Goldfields. — The following figures show the yield from the Auckland goldfields during the month of October : — Tons of stone Ounces of crushed. gold. The Thames ... 7722 ... 7844 Coromandel ... 799 ... 1039 Totals ... 8521. ... 8883 During that period the Caledonian mine yielded 964 ounces from 1597 tons of quartz ; the Bright Smile, 556 ounces from 440 tons ; the Moanatairi, 769 ounces from 1300 tons ; Nonpareil, 344 ounces from 240 tons ; Tookey's (tribute), 352 ounces from 225 tons ; Sons of Freedom, 231 ounces from 100 tons ; the Cure, 476 ounces from 250 tons ; Bismarck (Ceromandel), 472 ounce* from 352 tens. - Acclimatisation. — At a special meeting of the Council of the Acclimatisation Society, on 2Sth Nov., it was resolved to despatch a hundred trout ova to Major Richardson at Puerua, and a similar number to Mr .Humphreys at Strath Taieri. The Governor. — The Superintendent has received the following telegram from his Excellency : " The Governor and Lady Bowen shall have great pleasure in attending the Caledonian games on Ist January ; also the Masonic ball, to which they have been invited on the 26th December. His Excellency has just had a very successful meeting at Foxton with all the leading chiefs and tribes. He congratulates Otago that his successor is a Scotchman." Police. — Sergt. T. Meredith Smith, lately stationed at Queenstown, has been promoted to the rank of Sergt. -Major. Court of Appeal. — In the Court of Appeal at«\Vellington, the judgment of his Honor Judge Chapman^in the case of Coneys v. Weldon, has been confirmed. Sporting. — The programme of the Lake District Races — to be held on the 16th and 17th January, 1873 — has been issued. It comprises the undermentioned events, viz. : — Maiden Plate, ISO ; Grand Stand Handicap, LGO ; Wakatip Handicap, IAQ ; Hack Selling Race, L2O ; Handicap Hurdle Race, L3O ; Hack Hurdle Race, L 25 ; Queenstown Handicap, L 80; Publicans' Purse, L3O ; Handicap Trotting Bace, L2O ; Consolation Handicap. L2O. The total value of stakes offered is L 375. The Earthquake. — The shock of earthquake felt in Dunedin on Wednesday was also experienced in the country districts. Near Otepopo it was felt at 12 45 p.m., and is described as having been a rumbling sound resembling thunder, with a direction from north to south. It was also observed that the waters of the Otepnpo river were disturbed on tbe surface ; the oscillatory movement lasted from three to four seconds. At Waikouaiti it was also felt at 1.45 p.m., but only slightly; and at Pleasant Valley Mr Young observed the door leading from the kitchen into the bar open and shut without any obvious cause except the earthquake, there being no wind a 6 the time. Pigeon Shooting in Canterbury. —Mr R, Redwood, of Nelson, and Mr W. C. Maxwell, of Canterbury, recently had a match on the Ricarton road, near Christchurch, the latter gentleman receiving five birds. The Lyttelton Times states " that the weather waß very favorable to the purpose, and there was agoodJy number of spectators present. Mr lAe&wood Bred with one ot Purdie's gun?, and Mr Maxwell used a Manton. The conditions were twenty-three yards rise, l\oz shot, and the follewing is the score :— Mr Redwood— o, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, JO, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, I, 1. 1, 1, I, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1 ; total 44. Mr Maxwell— 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, Lftl, 0, 100, 1 1 ; total 30 In justice to Mr Maxwell it should be said that he had a large Bhare of ill-luck, not only in the manner in which many of his birds shot away from tbe trap withont rising to SB to afford » reasonable chance to him, but also in tbe percentage of birds wbieb, though killed, fell outside the bounds. Mr Redwood* wsore is certainly • splendid one, Mid fully Uwi out Ml reputation*

Dr Livingstone's Choice of a Gkave. — A. correspondent of the Glasgow Herald writes : — Here is an anecdote related by Mr Stanley, which seems to me characteristic of our'^great traveller ; but of this I -phall.give, not Mr"Stanley*s 'own wUrds, but' the substance of what ho said. Your readers will judge for themselves :— One day, during the long excursions which Livingstone and Stanle> made together, the party had ridden for hours through a dense brake, in M'hich the stalks of grass rose above their heads. Suddenly they came to an open space, in the centre of which was a tree, and over which green herbage grew. The spot was at once refreshing to the eye and soothing to the mind. Gazing on the scene for a few minutes. Dr Livingstone then turned .to his companion and said— "There's where 1 should like to lie." The youthful and vigorous American replied— "Doctor, you must not think of dying, but of living and finishing your discoveries." 'I he elderly traveller still went on. in the same strain, aaying that he always thought of the grave as a still and peaceful place — the end of life's vain tumults — and that this spot entirely realised his anticipations. Probably it recalled the spot on the Zambesi where ho buried his wife. Mr Stauley still refused to take tho same sombre view of the matter, and he said — "But, Doctor, you must not think of dying in Africa — certainly not to be buried there. Yout must be in St. Paul's, or Westminister Abbey : that is the place for yon." This appeal had not the effect of dispelling Dr Livingstone's melancholy mood. I think Mr Stanley is even now unable to understand why the great traveller should be as contented to lay his bones in a quiet resting place in Africa as to have them laid in either of our national mausoleums. It seems to me that the story— simple though it be— is eminently cbaracceristic of the two men, and therefore I make it public. The Education op "Women m Tasmania. — Tas-nania has just had her annual educational field-day, and it was of unusual interest, because for the first time the female sex was admitted to tbe competition, and seven of the girls earned the degree of Associate of Arts. Bishop Bromby was particularly eloquent on the subject. The Bishop, quoted with approval Charles Kiugs ley's dictum that if "it were necessary tbat only one of two parents should be sensible and well educated, it would be most for the public good that that parent should be the mother." There is undoubtedly much to be said on the Bishop's side. George Herbert declared that one good mother was worth a hundred schoolmasters Napoleon the Great, who had the shrewdest mind of the day, averred, when France was at the height of her glory, that her great want was mothers. Not enly is it that the influence of home life under a well-educated woman leaves an indelible impression on the tender mind of the child, but the something we ea'j geniustact, quickness, nous — is traced as a rule from the parent, Who ran to help us when we fell, And kissed the place to make it well. Even Pitt, it is said by his historian, owed more to the clever mother than his stately father, the great Chatham. In the Siddons family dramatic genius was received and transmitted by the female side. It was his mother of whom the elder Matthews learned elocution. But all this is by-play. The question is — When will our Melbourne-Uni-versity admit our Melbourne girl graduates to their degrees ? —Dally Telegraph. The Interprovincial and Vienna ExnißiTie^s. — A meeting of the various sub-committees appointed to make the necessary arrangements for the Exhibition of the products sf New Zealand for transmission to the International Exhibition at Vienna, was held yesterday afternoon, at three o'clock, in the Provincial Council Library. His Honor the Superintendent occupied the chair. The meeting was held for the appointment of judges in tbe various classes, and the following appointments were made :—Wool:: — Wool : Messrs Ludlam. C. Hurst, J . Hossack, D. M'Lean, and — Dowling ; three to form a quorum. JFlax : Messrs J. A. Bird, I. B. Sheath, T. M. Hassal, J. P. Jameson, ti. Forbes, and J. Birch: three to form a quorum. Grain and Flour ; Messrs J. L. Wilson, D, Christy, A. Duncan, W. Boag, W. Miles, and W. Vincent ; three to form a quorum. Coal and other Minerals :Dr Hector, Dr Haast, Rev. C. Fraser, Messrs J. Anderson, J. B. Stansell, Langdown, and Montgomery j three to form a quorum. Machinery : Messrs Seloy, Taucred, JeukuiS) Adam <T. komairiro), G. Thornton, E. G. Wright, and Wilkm ; three to form a quorum. M iscellaneous An ides ; M essrs E. (». Wright, Sawtell, Hawkins, A. J. White, J. P. Jameson, W. D. Wood, Gordon, J. J. Fletcher, and W. H. Lane ; three to form a quorum. Mr E. G. Wright moved the following resolution : — " That the names ef the gentlemen appointed by this committee to act as judges at the exhibition of New Zealand produce and manufactures, about to be held in Christchurch, be forwarded to the General Government, with an intimation that the committee will be glad if the General Government will add the names of any gentlemen from other parts of .New Zealand whom they may think it desirable to nominate in each class as judges." — Lyttelton Timee, Nov. 22. FlßE.— Shortly after half-past five o'clock on November 29th, a h're broke out in a dwelling house in Filleul street south, occupied by Mrs Conncllan, dressmaker. It was discovered by some boys playing at the back, and though an immediate alarm was raised, it had obtained such a firm hold, and spread with such rapidity to the house adjoining, occupied by a fish hawker named Fowler, that little or no time was left for the removal of goods. Mrs Connellan was only able to get out a sewing machine and a few articles of drees, and, in addition to her stock, lost all the money she possessed, which was in a chest of drawers that were burnt. When the Brigade arrived on the grouud, the two buildings were fairly ablaze, and the grocery store next Mrs Oonnellan's was in danger ; but the water was only play, ing for a minute or so when the fire was completelysubdued. The delay that occurred in finding the plug, and the subsequent bursting' of the nose, were painful illustrations of the truth of the Brigade's oftrepeated complaints, and show what might happen if a serious fire were to break out. The Corporation has at length ordered new hose ; it should now lose no time in having the situation of tbe fire plugs in the bystreets iudicated. Mrs Connellan and Mr Fowler were uninsured ; but the dwellings, which belonged to Mr W, Asher, were insured for L 75. The fire was caused by the use of kerosene in lighting a fire. A correspondent calls our attention to the fact that a teaspoonful of salt thrown into a tin of kerosene will effectually prevent kerosene from exploding, and says it has been practically proved that such is the case.

The Visiting Justices of tbe Dunedin Gaol, Air Strode, Resident Magistrate and Chairman, and Mr J. T. Thomson, have sentenced Plummer to receive 25 lashes with the cat-o'-nine-tails, for refusing to work on Bell Hill, and other acts of insubordination. If this warning is not effectual in arresting 'insubordination, the' Visiting Justices are prepared to vindicate the discipline of the Gaol by the severest «uten C c provided by tk« Gaol regulations,