COMMERCIAL.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 288, 14 May 1898, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Thk Wadcato Argus Office, Friday. MARKET PRICES CURRENT. HAMILTON. The following prices for the current week wero quoted by the Hamilton tradespeople on Friday:— Bacon, per lb—Farmers : "Wholesale, 6dto6Jd ; retail, 6id to Bd. Eggs, per dozen: Wholesale, Is 3d to Is 6d ; retail, Is 6d to Is 9d. Dairy butter, per lb: Wholesale, lOd ; retail, Is. Factory butter, per lb—New Zealand Dairy : Wholesale, Is 2d to Is 2Jd ; retail, la 4d to Is sd. Factory cheese, per lb: Wholesale, 4jd tosid; retail, 6d. Onions, per lb : Wholesale, l£d to IJd ; retail, ljd to 2d. Table potatoes (local), per ton : Wholesale, £4 10s to £5; retail, £5 to £6. Chaff, per ton : Wholesale, £3 10s to £3 15s; retail, £4 to £4 10s. Sharps, per 1001 b: Wholesale, 6s 6d ; retail, 6s 9d to 7s. Bran, per 1001 b: Wholesale, 5s 3d to 5s 6d : retail, 5s 9d to 6s. Oatß (Southern), per bushel—Seed : Wholesale, 3s sd; retail, 3s 6d. Feed t Wholesale, 2s lOd to 8» ; retail, 2s 9d to 3s. Oats (looal), per bushel Dun : Wholesale, 3s. Others : Wholesale, 2a 6d to 2s Sd ; retail, 2s 9d to 3s. Fowl wheat, per bushel: Wholesale, 4s ; -Maize, 'per bushel: "Wholesale, 3s 4d; retail, 3s Bd. Oats: Southern kinds firm. Chaff: Coming in freely. Potatoes: Prime very scarce, AUCKLAND. Tn the produce market prices are: Dairy fresh butter lOd ; second quality, 8d ; third quality, 6d per lb, wholesale. Eggs are Is 6d per dozen wholesale, and Is 9d per dozen retail. AUCKLAND MARKETS. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company (Limited) report :—Auckland Wool Stores, May 11th : At our sale yesterday we had the usual large catalogue. For hides the market was weaker, except for prime heavy hides. We sold heavy stout ox, 6d to 5Jd ; medium stout ox, 4d to 4fd ; light, 3Jd to 3|d ; cow, best lines, 3£d to 3J|d ; scored, 3d to 3£d ; picked, 4d to 4*d ; stags, Id to 2*d ; kip, 2£d to 3fd ; calfskins, sound, 4d to 4sd. Sheepskins : Large, 3s to 3s 9d ; medium, 2s 3d to 2s 9d. Tallow : Medium rendered, 13s to 14s cwt ; picked for tanners' use, 15s 3d. Bones : Present price, £3 10s ton, with good demand. Horns and hair at late rates. Oats : Arrivals have been very heavy, but as the Southern markets are firm last week's quotations still hold good, viz , 2s 6d and 2s6id, c.i.f. Maize: In short supply from our East Coast districts, but a shipment of 500 sacks has arrived from Gisborne, which was sold at 3s on the wharf. Price quoted ex store is 3s Id, with hardening tendency. Chaff is still firm at £3 15s to £3 17s 6d at railway. Messrs Hunter and Nolan's Report.—Grain, seeds, horsefeed have not been in excess of requirements, and the previous week's values were maintained. We quote : Maize on wharf, 2s lOd ; feed oats, 2s 9d ; seed oats, 3s 2d ; chaff, at railway, £3 15s to £4; ex store, £4 2s 6d to £4 10s ; bran, £4 10s ton. Horses: The numbers brought forward have been large, and a good many changed hands. We quote : Heavy draughts, from £l3 5s to £2312»6d; medium draughts, £8 to £l3 2s 6d; light harness, £3 6s to £l2 7s 6d ; hacks, £4 2s 6d to £8 ss. Wool, hides, skins and tallow: A large catalogue was gone through. For hides, there was a decline in value of from id to Jd lb. We quote: Stout ox hides, 4sd to 5d ; medium, 3Jd to 4d ; steer and cow, 2Jd to 3sd; calfskins, 2d to 4d lb ; sheepskinß, Is Gel to 3s 9d; lambskins, Is 5d to 2s 9d; pelts, 6d to Is 4d. Wool, dull of sale, inferior fleece, 4£d to 5Jd ; lambswool, 5d ; pieces, 2jd to 3Jd; bones, £3 5s ton; tallow, 10s 9d to 12s 9d cwt; horsehair, Is Id to Is 2£d lb. Cattle: At the Newmarket yards on Tuesday there was a very large muster of fat * atock, no doubt owing to the scarcity of cattle last week and the consequent rise in prices. The bidding for prime quality was very keen. We quote : Prime oxen, from 18s to £1 per 1001 b; medium fatted oxen, 15a to 17s ; cow*, 13s to 15s; steers brought from £4 12s 6d to £lO ; cowb, £3 10a to £6 15s. Dairy and store stock in average numbers. Dairy cows brought from £3 10s to £6 12s 6d. At Pukekohe on Wednesday the yards were again well filled. Dairy cowb brought from £3 5s to £6; dry cows, £1 5s to £2 2s 6d; grown steers, £3 5s to £4 Is ; two to three-year-old steers, £1 15s to £3; calves, from 7b 6d to £1 2a 6d. Sheep: Scarcely the average number was yarded at Newmarket on Tuesday. Competition was brisk, and well-fatted sheep rose la per head on last week's quotations. Fat wethers sold at from 8a 9d to 13a 6d ; ewes, 6s 6d to 10s 9d ; store ewes and wethers, 5s to 7a 9d; lambs, 3s 3d to 8s 9d. Pigs : More plentiful than for some weeks. Porkers from £1 to £1 17s 6d ; weaners, 4s 9d to 17s. FROZEN MEAT AND BUTTER. The New Zhaland Loan and Meb•antile Agency Company (Limited), report under date :—London, March 26th, 1898 : Frozen Meat : There has been a fair demand for all descriptions of frozen mutton during the past fortnight. Really prime Canterbury light-weight sheep are scarce, and for anything choice 3£d per lb. is obtainable, while for heavier and lesa prime carcases 3d to 3fd is realised. Secondary New Zealand sheep meet a fairly ready sale at 2|d to 3d per lb. For Australian sheep, supplies of which arc light, prices are somewhat weaker than at date of our last advices, 2sd per lb. being the extreme price realised. With heavier supplies than usual at this time of the year, values for lamb, consequent on forced sale, have seriously declined, being now quoted at 4d to 4£d per lb. An effort has been made by holders this week to combine to advance prices, aud it is expected that this will be practicable next week. Australian lamb has met a Blow demand, and prices have receded to 3fd to 4d per lb. Australian beef has met a dragging sale, but stocks being light values are well maintained. Today's quotations at Smithfield are : Prime selected New Zealand mutton, 2s 2d and 2s 6d per 81b ; average do., 13 lOd and 2s 2d ; Australian mutton, la 8d and Is 9d ; prime New Zealand lamb, 2a 9d and 3s ; Australian lamb, 2s 3d and 2s 8d ; Australian beef—fores, Is 7d and Is lid ; hindß, Is 9d and 2s 2d. Butter : The market has been very quiet, and with a reduction last week in the Danish official quotation, there is little demand for Colonial sorts. The Victorian season being over, supplies are light, and quotations for choicest are nominal. To-day's quotations are : Choicest, 98s and 102 s per cwt; fine, 90s and 96s ; good, 86s and 90s.

Only one person in a thousand dies of old age. . , „ r • All the local bodies in the Waipa, Waikato, Piako and Raglan Counties advertise in The Waikato Argus. This in itself, proves that the Argus is the beat advertising medium.