COMMERCIAL.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 272, 9 April 1898, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Thk Waikato Argus Ofkick, Friday. MARKET PRICES CURRENT. HAMILTON. The following prices for the current week were quoted by the Hamilton tradespeople on Thursday : Bacon, per lb—Farmers : Wholesale, 6d ; retail, 6|d to 7d. Auckland : Wholesale, 7d to 7|d ; retail, 7Jd to 8d ; Cambridge : Wholesale, 6Jd ; retail, 7h\ to Bd. Canterbury : Wholesale, Ihd ; retail, 9d. Hams, per lb—Farmers: Wholesale, 7<l; retail, 7Jd loßd. Canterbury : Wholetale, Bsd : retail, lOd. Egßs, per dozen : Wholesale, Is to Is 6d ; retail, Is 2d to Is 9d. Dairy butter, per lb : Wholesale, 9d to lOd ; retail, 8d to Is. Factory butter, per lb—New Zealand Dairy Association : Wholesale, Is Ojd to Is Id ; retail, Is 2d. Cheese (farm made], per lb : Wholesale, 4d ; retail, 6d. Factory cheese, per lb : Wholesale, 4jd to 5d ; retail, 5Jd to 6d. Onions, per lb : Wholesale, ljd to lsd ; retail, 2d. Table potatoes (local), per ton : Whole sale, £4 10s to £5 ; retail, £5 to £6. Chaff, per ton—Old : Wholesale, £4 to £4 ss. New : Wholesale, £3 5s to £3 10? ; retail, £3 10s to £4. Sharps, per 1001 b: Wholesale, 53 6d ; retail, 6s. Bran, per 1001 b: Wholesale, 4s 6d to 5s ; retail, 5s to 5s 6d. Oats (Southern), per bushel, feed : Wholesale, 2s 8d to 3s ; retail, 3s. Seed i Wholesale, 2s 6d to 2s 9d ; retail, 2s 9d. Oats (local), per bushel : Wholesale, 2s Od to 2s 9d ; retail, 2s 9d. Fowl weat, per bushel : Wholesale, 4s ; retail, 4s 6d. Maize, per bushel : Wholesale, 3s 2d to 3s 5d ; retail, 3s 6*l to 3s 9d. Potatoes : Scarce. Chaff: Getting plentiful. Onions: Wanted. AUCKLAND. The following wholesale prices were quoted as ruling in Auckland on Thursday afternoon : Wheat, Southern 4s 3d, local 4s 3d, fowl 4s 3d (wholesale 4s 6d) ; feed oats, 2s i\(\ to 2s sd, ex wharf ; dun oats, 3s, ex whart ; chaff, £4 to £4 4s ; bran, £3 17s 6d to £4; sharps, £5; potatoes, Southern £5 to £5 us, local £4 15s to £5 ; maize, 2s 8d ex wharf, 2s lOd to 3s ex store. In the produce market present prices are : Dairy freßh butter, wholesale Bd, retail lOd ; second quality, wholesale 6d, retail 8d per lb; eggs, wholesale Is, retail Is 3d. CLEARING SALE AT KAUROA, RAGLAN. Messrs McNicol and Co. report : At Mr R. F. Lascelles' clearing sale, on Wednesday last, there was a large attendance of local settlers and a good number from Waikato. Stock being in good trim and implements in first-class repair, competition, was good, and tair prices were obtained; furniture sold well. Draught mares realised £l3 10s to £2l 10s ; aged draught horses, £2 10s to £9 10s; hacks, £9 10s to £lO ss; breeding cows, £1 7s 6d to £2 ss; weacers, 15s; one and a-half-year-old cattle, £1 7s 6d ; two and a-half to three-year-old steers, £2 12s 6d; breeding ewes, 5s 6d to 7s ; lambs, 4s lid to 6s ; wethers, 6s 6d. AUCKLAND MARKETS. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company (Limited) report :—Auckland Wool Stores, 6th April : We had a large catalogue at our sale on Tuesday. Competition all round was good with a tendency to easier prices for light hides. Hides : Prime stout ox, 6d to 7d ; heavy stout, 51d to s|d ; medium, 4}d to 5d ; light, 3|d to 4d ; scored and sloppy, -\d to yd lb lower ; cow. sound, 3sd to 3-Jd ; scored, jd lb less ; kip, 3 : }-d to 4d ; calf, sound, 4dto4fd. Sheepskins: Salted pelts, 2s 3d to 3s id ; lambs, 2s 3d to 33 3d. Horsehair, bones, etc., at late rates. Tallow : Best rendered, 13s 3d to 14s ; picked, to 14s 9d. Oats : Last week's quotations still hold good, viz., 2a 4d and 2s 5d to D and C grades. Maize : Shipments to hand this week are light, and sold on the wharf at 2s Bd. Chaff is again temporarily scarce, and is selling at £3 10s to £3 12s 6d at rail. Messrs Alfred Bcokland and Sons' Weekly Report.—At the Haymarket during the past weak, meadow hay brought from 3s to 3s 9d the cwt ; wheat straw is in demand at higher values; chaff, £3 7s 6d to £4; Chesterfield guano, £3 10s; potatoes, £3 to £4; bonedust, £5 the ton ; maize, £2 10s ; oat», 2s 7d to 33 ; cocksfoot, 5s to 7s ; ryegrass, 4s 6d to 6s 3d the bushel. On Friday horse stock, in moderate supply, were at late values. A pair-of unbroken heavy diauglit colts brought £SO; draught horses, with a ton trial, £7 10s to £ls 10s ; tax-cart and harness, £l6 10s ; spring carts, £7 to £l2; gig, £9 10s; buggy harness, £1 2s to £2 113 ; hackney saddles and bridles, £1 15s to £2 lis 6d ; side-saddle 3, £2. On Tuesday hides fully kept their values. Ox hides ranged from 3i;d to 5,1 d ; cow hides, 3-id to 3?d ; kip, 2jd to 3jil; calfskins, 3jd to sjd the lb ; tails*, Is 5d the dozen ; eowhair, lid; horsehair, Is 4d the lb ; fat, id and IJd ; tallow, 10s to 13a the cwt; sheep pelts, Is to 3s Id ; lamb pelts, Is lOd to 3s each. At Waiuku, on Saturday, a full muster of cattle, a large proportion steers, found ready buyers at improved values. At Itamuera, on Thursday, dairy cows in usual numbers were at late values,these at profit were from £3 10s to £6 each. Fat tatvta were without alteration in price, oO sold. Fat cattle, in usual supply, 245 sold, were at last week's quotations. Steers were from 103 to 183; cows, 12s to 14s the 1001 b. Steers brought from £5 10s to £9 15s ; cows, £3 to £6. Fat sheep, in average number, 1200 yarded, were without alteration in value. Wethers sold from 7s Od to lis 6d ; ewes, 6s Od to 8s G;l each. Lambs of good quality sold freely, from 6s to 9s tich ; 200 yarded. Pigs, in limited number, were at last week's prices. Heavy pigs up to £2 ; porkers, £1 to £1 ]ss each ; weapera, 4s.

FROZEN MEAT AND BUTTER. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Auen'cy Company (Limited), "rer>ort niuler date :—London, February 26th, 1»0S :—-Frozen meat: With more seasonable weather during the past fortnight, there has been an improved demand for all descriptions of frozen mutton, and prices have been well maintained. For small carcases of best Canterbury 3Jd per lb i* obtainable, but heavy carcases are hard to quit at 2§d to 2Vd per lb. Secondary drscript ons are now quoted at from' 2§d to 3£d per lb. Australians are firm at 2fd, being an advance of |d per lb on the week \\ ith increased supplies it has not been possible to support the high prices ruling for lamb at date of our last circular, and the demand being somewhat curtailed by the colder weather, from s]d to 6d per lb represents top values for New Zealand and 4Jd to Od per lb for Australian. Frozen beef has met a quiet demand, but stocks being light, holders are

firm, ami valued arc without material change. To-day's quotations at Smithfield are :■—Prime selected New Zealand mutton, 2s Id to '2s -Id per 81b ; average. do., la 0(1 to 2s 2d ; Australian mutton, Is 9d ; prime New Zealand lamb, 3s 4d to 43; Australian lamb, 3s to 3s 4d ; Australian beef fores, Is 7d to 2s ; do. hinds, Is lOd to 2s 4d. Butter : With « further advance in the value of Danish, and a stronger tone generally, Colonial sorts have met a better demand at higher prices, up to 100 s per cwt having becu obtained f<sr choicest. The outlook appears tairly favourable for the maintenance of values in the near future. To-day's ((notations fire :—Finest, 102 s to 106.- per cwt ; fine, 90s to 100*; good, 84a to 945.