COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 206, 16 March 1877, Page 12

COMMERCIAL.

Mr. Henry Driver (op behalf of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co.) reports for the week ending March 14. as follows :—: — Fat Cattle — 150 head were yarded, of which only a few pens were of good quality. .Although the supply forward was a small one, prices did not advance as might have been expected. Best bullocks brought from £9 10s to £13 ; do cows, £6 10s to £9 15s, or equal to 27s per lOOlbs for best quality. We hare sold 80 head during the week. Fat Calves. — Only a few penned, which we sold at from 223 6d to 50->. Fat Sheep. — 2500 were penned, but the trade having been well supplied of late there was a difficulty in making sales at anything like satisfactory Trices. We quote best croes-breds 8s 6d to 11s; do merinos, 6s to 8s 6d, or equal to a little over 2d per lb. for prime mutton. Fat. Lambs.- 300 forwarded, and found buyers at late quotations say from 6s to 8s 6d. Store Cattle. — We have no alteration to report in the prices lately ruling for this description of stock. There is a fair demand for quiet steers and cows for winter feeding, principally for the northern p irt of the province. Store Sheep. — There still exists a very active inquiry for young merino sheep, of which there are but few offering. Cross-breds ate also wanted, but buyers will not submit to prices lately demanded by settlers. During the weak we have sold 12,000 of various sorts, principally aged merinos, at quotations — merinos, two, four, and six tooth, 5s 6J ; do, full-mouthed, 3s ; merino ewes, two, four, and six tooth, 6s 6d to 7s ; do, full-mouth, 2s 6d to 3s 6d ; cross breds, fourtooth and over, 7s to 7s 6d ; do, two- tooth, 6s to 6s 6d. Wool. — The latest cablegrams report the wool sales weak and prices irregular. The Victorian clip of last season (which wool preponderates at the present series) was very weak in staple and badly grown, owinj; to the drought, which may in some measure account for weak and imgular prices. There have been no public sale 3 of wool this week, but we have good inquirers for any lots coming in. We shall hold a sale of wool on Monday next, at two o'clock. Sheepskins. — At our weekly sale on Monday last we sold every lot at full rates. Pelts sold at Is Id to 19 7d ; shearlings, Is lOd to 2s 4d ; lambs, 20d to 2s 6d ; full-wool merinos, 4s lid ; cross-brcds, 4s lOd. Hides. — A small supply. We sold heavy hides at 20s 6d ; medium, 15s. Good demand both for shipment and local trade. Tallow — Demand good; price unalteied. Fair quality brings 288 to 30s ; in shipping order, 31s to 325. Grain. — Wheat market is declining in value. Millers have supplied immediate wants, and will not increase stocks except at lower rates. Up to the present time the deliveries are in better condition than was expected ; superior milling has been sold at 5s 6d to 5s fair sound groin ; second class unsound parcels are nominal. For oats there is a fair demand, old corn mostly inquired for ; good to heavy feed selling at 2a 6d to 2s 9d ; new have been dealt in to some extent for forward delirery at 2s 2d to 2s 3d ; milling. 2a 6d. Barley. — Malting samples are in good demand ; bright new at 4s 9d to ss; old, 4s to 4s lOd ; grinding and feeding samples neglected. 11 R. Skenb reports for the week ending March 14, 1877 :—: — We are now experiencing the usual slackness between harvest and ■winter operations ; neither masters nor men are inclined to enter into long engagements until the March Race Meeting is over. Couples, country-bred, aie always welcome, but we hare too many quite unfit for the country. Town work is pretty active, but it is very irregular. Carpenters are busy, but blacksmiths and the iron trade in general is far from active. Hotel servants are now in brisk demand. Female servants in all grades are short of the demand. Ordinary day labor is plentiful, but many who try it are utterly unfit for it. Inquiry for clerks and shopmen is very moderate. Wages — Couples, £65 to JEBO ; ploughmen and shepherds, £52, £55, and £60 ; station cooke, 20s and 25s ; waiters, barmen, gardeners, grooms, &c, 25s ; carpenters, 10s to 13s ; country blacksmith* about 50s per week ; house and hotel females, 10s, 12*, 15s, 20 i, and 30s; dairy hands, 15s to 255; boys and girl*, 6s, Bs, and 10* ; storemen, clerks, ice., 30i to 60s. Mr. A. Mbbobb reports as follows for the week ending March 14, 1877, retail prices only -.—Fresh butter, in i and lib prints, Is 3d to Is 5d ; fresh butter, in lumps, Is 2d ; powdered and suit butter, Is 2.1 ; fresh butter is etill Tery plentiful, and several of the> shops are salting down. Suit butter, in kegs, Is Id per lb ; cheese of the best quality, Is ; English and American cheese, Is 41 ; side and rolled bacon, lUd to lid ; Colonial bams, Is 2d j English hams, Is 6d ; eggs, although oot Tery plentiful, ate retailing at 2* per doz.

Mb. M. C. Fiemino reports (wholesale price?) for tho week ending March 14. 1877, as follows :— Outs (feed), per bnsliel 2s 3d ; milling, 23 6d. Wheat (chicks) 3s 6d to 4s. Barley, malt ing, 4s to 4s 6d; feed, 2s 6d to 3s. Pollard, scarce. Bran, £4 15s, bags included. Flour, large bags, £15 ; small, £15 10. Oatmeal, £12. Potatoes, new, 4s per cwt. Fay (new), £3 153 ; old hay, £5 per ton. Chaff, £4 10s per ton. Straw, ±2 per ton. Me. J. Vezey reports for the week ending March 14, 1877 :~ Uctnil : Roast beef, 6d to 8d per lb. ; boiling do., 4d to s<l per lb ; stewing do., 4d to Gd per lb.; steak, 6d to 9d per lb.; mutton, 3d to 6d per lb.; veal, 4cl to 8d per lb.; pork, 6d to 8d per lb. ; lamb, 2s 6d to Sa 6d per quarter.