COMMERCIAL

Evening Star, Issue 7505, 25 April 1888, Page 3

COMMERCIAL

The amount of revonuo eollcoted at tho Cnstomhou»o on goods cleared to-day for consumption was L 1.023159 sd. We understand that the K&itangaU Railway and Coal Company (Limited) have determined to open out their Elliotva'lc property at onee, and that Mr W. P. Watson, the general manager of tho company, proceeds to Londt n shortly to purchase plant and make other arrangements. STOCK AND STATION REPORT. Mr Donald Stronach (on hchalf of tbn New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, reports for the week ended April 25 as follows : KatC ittle.—MO head were yarded atßurnsideforthiß weck'ssale, nearly aUmediumquality and light weights, only a very few primo. There was a pood attendance of the trade, and a moderate demand fir beet quality, but competition for medium was dull, and no improvement in price. Best bullocks brought L(i 6s to LS 5s ; ordinary, L 3 7a 6d to L 5 15s. Cows in proporFat Sheep.—3,36s wore penned, Including 764 merino ewei and wethers, inferior to medium. The oross-breds consisted of n variety of classes. Considering last week's heiry entry, values wero fairly maintained. In addition to tho umal demand for local consumption, there wero purchasers of suitable lots for export and also for boiling down. Best cross-bred wethers brought 8s 3d to 9s Od ; medium, 5s 6d to 7s 9d ; best do ewes, 8s to 9a lid ; inferior and maJium, 5s to 7s; merino wethers, 4b 9d to 5s 01; merino ewes, 3s 4d to 3s 9d. We sold on account of Mr W. Quinn, Makikihi, crosshred owes at 9s to 0a lid ; Messrs Ross Bros., Bushy Park, cross-bred wethers at 9i; Mr S, Cameron, Ot una, crossbred ewes and wethers at 8s fid. Fat Lambs.—There wero only 161 of th:se punned, medium to good. Competition was fairly active but without any improvement on late values; prices ranged from 4s Cd to 7s. Wo sold on account of Mr S. Cameron, Otama, 37 at Cs 9i to 7s. Pigs.—l 26 wero penned, comprising all sorts for which there n a good demand ; every description selling well. Suckers, 5s 6d to 9s; light stores, 13s to 20s Cd ; heavior d", 24s to 27a; porkers, 30a to 32b 6d ; ba-oners, 45s to 59a Store Cattle.--The demand is very gma'l, but there are buyers at fair market value for well-grown, quiet bullocks in firward condition, suitable for winter feeding. No sales, however, of any importance are transpiring in tho meantime. Store Sheep.-The demand for theso baa considerably toned down lately; still there is somo Inquiry for 1 and 6-tooth morino wethers and ewes, also for 4-tooth cross-bred wethers, but there being Jpftreely any of theso now offering transactions are limited. On Friday last, in conjunction with Mr W.Quinn, of Tapanui. wc disposed of the balarjco of the Merino Downs flock at the following prices ;-For Moo'h m-rlno wethers, 5s 2d ; 2-tooth merino ewes, 4s 7cl; U-olh do do, hi rod; «««H oros < bi erl ewes and wothorc, bj 7d and 6s Id respectively, which is considered satisfactory. , ~, „„„„,, Wool -Mort, eatiefai-tor;- acyjmitd <l the proxies' ot the present series pf sales in Londcn continue to

reach us. Lateat cablegrams report that proslpscla arc improving. All good cross-bred', irreasy and scoured, arc realising full prices, and in somo instances allowing an advanco on late quota'ione. Medium qualities maintain February 010 tint? rotes, nut inferior and faulty qualities aro weak and irrciii' r Continental representatives seem to bo thepri. c A ....eiii'n m. On Moi.day we catalogued 03 ba f cs 1 I .dp' .Mid 2>. bags, both greasy and scoured. All the I ml buyers were present and competed spiritedly, the whole beinic disposed of at very «itisf.icoiy prlco*. Greasy coming, half-bred and (itarler-bcd, brought up to Old; 10 balos greasy marino. 7JI; aliped half-bred, 81; do lambs, 10;|d; ecoured merino, Is 4Jd ; do quarter-bred, Is 3:jd; do half-bred hollies. Is 2jd per lb. Sheepskins.-On Monday, at our weekly auction, there was an exceedingly pood demand experienced, when nearly all the buyers in tho trade were present, and competed or it lily for the lots on the catalogue, which com-p-ised a largo assortment of both dry and green skins, the latter again showing a further advance on last week's rates. Doubtless the improvement in the tone of the wool market at Home has tended to infu«e more confidence ; at any rate buyers operated with much moro freedom than they have done of late. Country dry cro93-brcds-infeiior to medium brought Is 3d to .3s(JJ ;do do merino, Is to 2s 01; merino to full-woolled cross-breds, 3j 9d to 6s; do do merino, 33 to 4s Gd ; dry pelts, 2d to Is; butch; rs' green crossbred-, best 3s fid, 3s 51, 3s 3d, 33 Id. 3s, 2s 03, medium to inferior 2s Cd, ii 4d, 2s 2d, 2s; green morlnonp, good to best Is 10J, Is lid, 2s, 2s 2d, inferior la 3d to Is Ci; lambskinf", 2s Cd, 2s 9.1, 3s, 3s 61 L Rabb't-skins.—The market still continues bare ol supplies; a brisk dcinind, however, is experienced All offered meet with good competition at the hands of the local buvcrs, who aro increasing in nunner, and an evident "desire on the part of each to operate freely in order to secure a pori ion of the small lots Offering. On Monday we offered and disposed of several small consignments at auction, when summer skins brought CJd to BJd ; sucUcw, 2jd per lb. Hides T>c market continues firm at late rates, all descriptions being e sily disposed of to both Shippers and If cil tanners; but while the market is quite lure, there is hardly any improvement in price, especially for indifferently saved lots. Heavy hides in porfect condition have the preference at all times, and would fetch a shado more. We quote inferior and bulls', ljd to 2d ; light, 2.(1 to 2 : fd ; medium, 3d fo 31 d ; heavy weights, 3J(I to 4]d per lb. Tallow.-This market is without any material change since aur last. The tone, however, continues firm, cauicd by a slight demand tor shipment, also by a keener desire on the part rf our local manufacturers to purchase more freely in ord. r to keep up diminishing stocks. We quote inferior and mixed, 12s to las ; medium to good, Es fid tn 17s ; prime mutton, 18s to 10s; rough fat, inferior 7a Cd to 8s Cd, medium ti good On to 10i Ci ; best mutton caul, lis to 13s per cwt. Grain.—Wheat: The market during tho past week has shown lees animation. Deliveries arc coming to hand pretty freely, and nearly all going into store ; a considcrab'o portion of which i< unfit for milling, and only saloiblc for fowls' feel In prime samples very little business been done ;mi lers are holding eff In expectation of easier p ices, and in the meantime are working eff previous purchases. The tone of the market is dc cidedly weaker. We qu"to prime milling velvet and Tuscan, 3s to S< 21 ; medium to good (nominal). 2s 8d to 2s lid ; soft and inferior, if whole, 2s to 2i 6d, broken very little sale ( x store, sacks weighed in) terms.-Oats: In tho earlier part of the week a brisk domand existed for tho heavy bright ports for shipment, and large sales have been effee ed. Millers also bought fraely, but tho few fine days enjoyed last week enabled threshing operations to he prosecuted with vigor; in MiiscquoriCe deliveries since have been on a much larger scale, and almost all tho growerß bein; anxious to disp'si of their consignments without delay buyers are less anxious to do business except at a concession on last week's rates, and, now having a better ohoice, damp or of inferior qua ity aro dilnVnlt 11 pluco at anything approaching ordinary rates. The want of freight is blro an nhstaclo in Iho way of clearing off consignments. Wo quote from actual sales : Prime milling, Is BJd to Is 9d ; short bright fesd, 1b 3d tolsSJd ; medium, Is CJd to Is 7Jd (ex store, sacks weighed in) net cash. Barley: A good business could be done in this cereal, but deliveiies continue small. Wo quote primo malting, 4s Cd to 4s 7d ; medium, 4s 3ito4s 5d (sacks extra); feed and milling, 2s 3d to 4i (jacks weighed in), term?. Ornsi Seed.—A few saliß are occasionally made at from 2s 31 to 2s (id for maehine-drcßged rye saaa seed. Coeksfoot seed ; No improvement, in the demand. During the week we sold 2.000 bubo's wheat, IC.COO do oats, 1,000 do barley, 500 do ryegrass seed. MININO NOTES. The lite excellent return from Ihc Sunrise (late Kerp-it-Dark). Advanco Peak. has drawn general attentiou to that locality. An ounce to the ton from 100 tons of ston», when, as in the present case, tho whole willh ef the reef wis crushed, is certainly capital, as tho stone avcrngod from 4ft to 7ft in width. The company held a mectimr as rood as the trial crushing was finished, and decided to register themselves undrr the Companies Act. The nxiat satisfactory pait ef the affiir was that a dividend of L 5 per share was paid out of this 100 tons, and MOO carried to the reserve fund. l'Vui" men were put on to continueiretlingout stone, :md tenders called for carting another 100 tons to the battery, when it is expected that another crushing wil take place ore the season closes. Another excellent feat urn in Hie management is that they intend to keep men at work all winter getting out stone, to that when spring comes a large quau'ity will be ready for the battery. The great drawback to iilacctown has been tho shortening of hand* at tho commencement of winter, when the mines shou'd ho pushed on, and then when the water was uiest plentiful (in swing) there was little or no stone to crush. Months elapsed beforo it was out, and (lion the dry weather cime in, and, consequently, a short supply of water. However, tho Sutviso Company arc about to show that a reef at an chv.ti.m of nearly (I,oooft cm be worked all winti r; and with all its present drawbacks lOdwt to the ton will pay for everything. It ia projected that a "roller crusher" and self-acting tramway from tho mino thereto will be used for the future operations of the company. Should the present prospects continue, this will bo one of tho safest mines for dividends in tho district. As Advance Peak is a perfect network of reefs, parties are already talc ng up ground on the lines of tho various lodes formerly prospected ; and it is expected that ere next soason many companies will be at work there. The Premier is s'ill turning out excellent stone ; the final result of 613 tons crushed turned out 4870z of retorted gold. There aro now 200 tons in tho paddock, and crushing has started ntrain, as there is still plenty of water to keep the machine going nt a good nwincr. The mine is one e>f the nio«'. valuable properils in the Otago goldliolds, as it has always given rxcellent returns from the day the reef was first struck.