COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 180, 8 September 1876, Page 5

COMMERCIAL.

Mr. Henry Deiver, on behalf of the New Zealand Lean and Mercantile Agency Company, reports as follows for the week ending September 6, 1876 :—

Fat Cattle. — 140 head were yarded, and all sold at about last quotations. Best pens of bullocks brought £14 to £17 ; do. cows, £8 to £12 — or equal to 37s 6d per 1001 b. for prime quality. A few oE the best bullocks were unusually fine and heavy weights.

Fat Sheep. — 2,300 came forward, and all found buyers at prices slightly lower than laßt week's rates. We quote best cross-breds at 12s 6d to 15s ; medium do., lls to 12s 6d ; merinos, from 9s to 12s 6d — or equal to 3d per lb. for former, and 2|d latter. We sold 1,200 at yards, and have placed 1,000 privately at quotations. Store Cattle and Sheep. — Nothing to add to last week'B report. Wool —No further advices per cable to report. San Francisco mail due in Auckland on the 10th will bring later catalogues of the July sales. No wool offering here.

Sheepskins. — At our weekly auction this afternoon we catalogued 1,200 skins, which sold at very full rates, butchers' green cross-breds realising 3s 8d to 4s 2d ; dry cross-breds, 2s ]Id to 3s 6d ; merinoes, Is 5d to 2s lid ; pelts, 3£d to Gd.

Hides. — We sold 150, principally wet salted. Heavy weights, 15s to 17s 3d ; medium, 13s to 14s 9d ; inferior and light, 9s 6d to 12s, or 3d to 3id per lb. ; green butchers' 16s 9d to 18s

Tallow. —A few lots of inferior sold at 23s 6d to 27s 6d for medium.

Giain. — The only wheat ariiving is coastwise, to millers' orders. We quote wheat, good milling, ready sale, at 5s 6d— a price which should be taken advantage of, as sereral cai'goes are afloat from San Francisco, the low prices in Great Britain having turned the attention of shippers there to these colonies. The expectation of importations to Auckland has kept flour in that market from answering to the advance which has taken place in this market. Oats are still hardening from scarcity of supply. Feed is selling at 2s to 2s Id ; milling, 2s 2d to 2s 3d. Barley continues dull, prices nominal ; 4s to 4s 6d, good to prime malting ; dark and inferior, 3s 4d to 3s 6d ; milling, more inquiry, at 2s 6d to 2s 9d.

Me. Skene reports for the week ending September 6, as follows : — Prospects in the labor market are gradually improving, and inquiries are being made for station couples. The broken weather is not over yet, and laboiers must not look for regular time for a month yet. Couples are quiet. The building trade is fairly active for the season. Ordinary trade is still quiet, consequently inquiry for shopmen and clerks is slack. Female servants are almost out of the market. We can do with a few shipments of good useful female servants ; by all accounts, the old country cannot spare such. Inquiry for ordinary l.ibor is improving. Wages — Couples, £65 to £80; shepherds, £60 to £65 ; ploughmen, £52 to £60 ; day labor, 7s, Bs, and 9s ; carpenters, 10s to 13s ; dairy people, 15s to 25s ; house girls, 10s, 12s, and 15s ; hotel girls, 15s to 30s ; gardener?, grooms, cooks, barmen, waiters, 25s to 50s per week.

Mr. A. Merger reports as follows for the week ending September 6, 1876, retail prices only : — Fresh butter, in 4 to lib. prints, Is 9d to 2s; fresh butter, in lumps, Is 8d ; powdered and salt butter, Is6d. Fresh butter is now very plentiful, and prices are now falling; salt butter is also plentiful, and quite a drug in the market. Cheese, of the bett quality, Is 2d ; side and rolled bacon, Is ; Colonial hams, Is 3d ; .English hams, Is 6d to Is 8d ; eggs are very plentiful, and retailing at is 3d per dozen.

Messrs. M. and J. Meekak, George Street, report the following as the latest quotations :— Flouv — Large bags, £12 10s; small do, £13 per ton. Oatmeal — £11 per ton. Peail barley — £22 per ton. Bran — £5 15s per ton, including bags. Pollard— £6 per ton. Chaff— £t per ton. Hay — £3 15s to j>4 per ton. Potatoes — £3 15s to £4 per ton. Carrot e — £2 10s per ton. Wheat— 4s 6d to 4s 9J per bushel. Barley— 2s 9d to 3s 6d per bushel. Oats— ls lid to 2s per bushel. Cheese — lOd to lid per lb.

Me. J. "Vezey reports for the week ending September 6, 1876 : — Retail: Roast beef, 6d to 8d per lb. ; boiling do., 4d to 5d per lb.; etewing do., 4d to 6d per lb.; steak, 6d to 9d per lb.; mutton, 3d to 64 per lb.; veal, 4d to 8d per lb.; pork, 9d to lOd per \\j.