COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 111, 12 June 1875, Page 5

COMMERCIAL.

Mb. Skenb, of the Dunedin Labor Exchange, reports that the week closed has given a deal of broken time to people at outdoor work. But it cannot be all sunshine. The arrivals by the " Earl of Zetland " are getting rapidly placed. Doubtless, they are of the right stuff, and will have no trouble in suiting themselves to Otago. The married folks with large families have a lot of trouble before they get suited, but, if steady, they are by far the best off in the long run. A good many "Victorians" are coming across. It does not look well when so many of them are " dead set" against roughing it. We get splendid people from Tasmania; they come too seldom. Females are still all needed. In-door trades are well employed. This is " St. Crispin's Harvest." Wages — Road, rail, and bushmen, Bs., 95., and 10s. per day ; ploughmen, £52 to £65 ; shepherds, £60 ; couples, from .£65 to ,£9O ; house girls, £26 to J>4o ; hotel girls, from 12s. to 30s. per week j dairy hands, 15s. to 20s. per week ; useful youngsters (boys and girls), 6s. to 15s. per weekj gardeners, £60 to £70 per annum. Sod fencers wanted by the chain. Shopmen and clerks only taken of colonial experience. Meeoeb's report for the week ending 10th June ; retail prices only : — Fresh butter, in % and 1 lb. pats, 2s per lb. j lump butter, Is lOd j powdered and salt b»tter, Is 8d to Is lOd. Fresh butter has fallen off very much, and is consequently very scarce indeed ; it has not been so Bcarce for many years. Salt butter, in kegs, Is 6d per lb. ; 4" cheese, best quality, 1b Id to 1b 2d per lb. j side bacon, 1b 3d 5 rolled 4 bacon, Is 2d ; Colonial hams, Is 4d per lb. Eggs are not bo scarce, and retailing at 3s to 3s 6d per dozen. Mb. Henby Beiveb, on behalf of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company reports as follows for the week ending June 9 :— Fat Cattle. — 140 head were yarded to-day, only a few of which were good beef, the remainder being very little better than " stores." In consequence of the large quantity of inferior quality offering, we quote prices at about same as last week ; any really food pens, however, would command a fair advance on late rates, lest bullocks brought from £9 10s to £11 ; ditto cows, £8 to £10 ss, or equal to 30s per 100 lbs. for prime quality. At the yards and privately we have sold sixty head. Fat Sheep. — One thousand were penned, but only about onehalf were sold. The whole, however, could have been placed at fair value. Best cross-breds realised from 14s6dto 16s 6d; ditto merinos, 9s to lls 6d ; or equal to 3}d to 3£d per lb. for former, and 2$ dto 3d for latter. We have sold at the yards, and privately, 750 cross-breds and merinos. • Fat Calves. — The market was much overstocked with 60 head, and in consequence prices receded considerably. A few only were sold, at from 15s to 455. Stobe Cattle. — We have to note an increasing demand for good, quiet, well-bred cattle of every description, and have, during the week, sold 250 head at, say* £5 10s for bullocks, and £4 to £4 10s for cows, and from 35s to 45s for mixed, herds, lots from 12 to 18 mouths old..

Stobe Sheep. — "We have no alteration to make in late quotations, and have no important transactions to report j in fact, very few desirable lots are offering. We quote cross-breds, four-tooth, and upwards, at from 13s to 14s 6d j ditto, two-tooth, at from 10s to lls 6d ; ditto, lambs, 8s j merino ewes, in lamb, six-tooth and under, at from 8s 6d to 10s; ditto, full-mouthed, 6s 6d to 7s 6d; merino wethers, six-tooth and under, at from 7s to 8s ; full-mouthed, 6s to 6s 6d. We have sold,about 2,500 at above prices. Wool — Cablegrams from our London house, 28th Maj, report that up to date, 130,000 bales had been sold. Competition on French account was active, but German dull. For scoured, the market was firmer ; medium and inferior greasy, market easier ; greasy, crossbreds, market easier ; superior clothing and combing, washed, advanced lid to 2d per lb. la this market there is no business doing. Sheepskins. — At our sale on Thursday last, competition was very active ; every lot offered sold at an advance on former rates, butchers' green skins briuging, for cross-breds, 3s 8d to 4s 4d eaoh ; merinos, 2s 4d to 2s lid ; dry skins, up to 5s lid for fall wool ; a superior lot from Moa Flat station selling at 12|d for cross-breds, and B£d for merinos, as before notified. I hold my usual weekly sale to-morrow (Thursday) at three o'clock.

Hides. — As anticipated in my last report, hides, in good condition, hare increased in value. Heavy green hides £ sold at 25s 9d to 27s 3d ; medium, salted, 18s to 20s ; inferior and light weights, 13s to 16s 3d. Grain. —Wheat : The market is unchanged. For milling samples, 4s 3d to 4s 4d for superior, and 3s lOd to 43 for medium qualities ; inferior, for fowls' food, meets quick sale up to 3s 9d. Oats have teen more inquired for ; we have placed shipping parcels at 2s 9d for feed, up to 3s for milling. Barley : G-ood samples of malt* ing are readily sold at 5s 6d to 6s for very superior ; inferior, 5s to 5s 3d. Milling barley, 4s 2d to 4s 4d.