COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 179, 1 September 1876, Page 5

COMMERCIAL.

Mb. Heney Deiyeb, on behalf of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, reports as follows for the week ending August 30, 1876 :— Fat Cattle. — 130 head were yarded at the sales to-day, chiefly of good to prime quality, including a splendid draft from Mr. John Grigg's estate, Longbeach, Canterbury. The prices realised showed a slight advance on our late quotations — being, for best peas of bullocks, £12 to £16 5s each ; ditto cows, £10 to £13 — or equal to 35a per lOOlbs. A few prime pens brought at the rate of 37s 6d. We sold 303 head at the yards, on account of Messrs. John Grigg, W. R. Thomson, James Gall, and others; and have placed privately 50 head at above rates. i Fat Sheep. — 1,300 were penned, and this number being only a short supply, there was a considerable advance onjlate prices, and an unusually active competition on the part of the trade to obtain their requirements. We quote best cross-breds at from 14s 6d to 17s ; medium ditto, lls to 13s 6d — or equal to about 3d per lb. Store Sheep. — At this season of the year but little is done in this class of stock. Store Cattle. — No business of importance has been transacted. Wool. — By Suez mail, on the 25th, we received later catalogues of July sales, which fully confirm a decline in prices of 30 per cent from June, 1875, all descriptions being involved in the fall, which it is, however, satisfactory to know has been fallowed before the close of the sales by an advance of from 10 to 15 per cent from lowest prices. Sheepskins. — We sold a full catalogue at our auction this afternoon, realising very full prices, in some instances a slight advance on last week ; butchers' green crossbred* bringing from 3a 4d to 4j 7d each ; merinos, 2s 7d to 3s. Hides are again lower this week; few sold. Tnllow. — We sold some parcels of country -rendered, fair quality, at £27 to £29. Grain. — Wheat continues very scarce, none coming forward excepting to millers' orders. Present value for good milling, 5s to 5s 3d. Oats are not much in demand this week, but few offering ; prices are firm— for feed, Is lid to 2s ; milling, 2s Id to 2s 2d. Barley is very dull, brewers not buying ; for good samples, which are scarce, holders are firm at 4s 6d ; milling samples, 2s 6d to 3s ; feeding, 2s. Me. Skenk reports for the week ending August 30, as follows : — The labor market etill bears a very quiot aspect, more especially for town wants. A good many unsuitable people hang about town ; but no man or woman fitted for country work need be any time out of woik. Wages are slightly buck from last year, but industrious people are never grudged good money. Couples are quieter than last week. 1 Female servants ot all sorts rre very much needed. Many late ariivals, fresh from city life, are badly off; they expect too much. ' Wages- Couples, £65 to £80 ; ploughmen, £52 to £60 ; shepherds, £C oto £70 ; day labor, 8s and 9s ; general female servants, 10s, 12s, 15s, und 303 ; cooks, waiters, gardners, grooms, &c, 25s to 40s per week ; dairy hands, 15s to 255 ; boys, 10s ; storemen and clerks, 36s to 60s ; carpenters, 10s to 13s. Mr. A. Mebceb reports as follows for the week ending August 30, ! 1876, retail prices ODly :— Fresh butter, in £to lib. prints, Is 9d to 2s; fresh butter, in lumps, Is 8d ; powdered aud salt butter, Is6d. Fresh butter is now very plentiful, and prices is now falling; salt butter is , aleo plentiful, and quite a drag in the market. Cheese, of the best * quality, Is 2d ; side and rolled bocon, Is ; Colonial, bams, Is 3d ; 2 Knglith hums, Is 6d to Is 8d ; eggs are very plentiful, and retailing at : Is 3d to Is 6d per dozen. I Messes. M. and J. Meenan, George Street, report (he following I as the latest quotations : — Flour — Large bags, £12; small do, £12 10* per ton. Outmeal — £11 per ton. Peuil barley — £22 per ton. limn - ' — £5 5s per ton, including bags. Pollard— £6 per ton. Chaff— £4 per t ton. Hny— £3 15s to £4< per ton. Potatoes — £3 15s to £4 per ton. 3 Carrote — £2 10s per ton. Wheat — 4s 6d to 4s 9J per bushel. Bar1 ley— 2s 9tl to 3s 6d per bushel. Oats— Is lid to 2s per bushel. Cheese ! — 10d to lid per lb. r ' Me. J. Vezey reports for the week ending August 30, 1876 : — 1 Retail: Roast beef, Gd to 8d per lb. ; boiling do., 4d to 5 J per lb. ; \ Btewing do., 4d to 6d per lb.; steak, Gd to 9d per lb.; mutton, 3d to 6d per lb.; veal, 4d to 8d per lb.; pork, 9d to lOd per lb.