COMMERCIAL.

Evening Star, Issue 9124, 3 May 1893, Page 3

COMMERCIAL.

The aropunf ut Mvettue-Cftlkipted at the Gpstom. % fgftßump.tioq

it' £371,780. It should have been £2,371,780, The secretary of the Sandhills Gold ' Mining Company, Limited, reports 17oz'14drtt Bgr of gold; for last week’s dredging. I The Roxburgh! dredge has been laid up for the past week for repairs to the machinery. The Ettrick dredge for the past fortnight has been pushing her way through old workings and obtained CJoz of gold, Our Reefton correspondent wires that the Cum*; berland Company have declared a dividend of 6d per share, equal to £BOO, and the Alpine one of «d, . equal to £BOO. . ' , At a meeting of Wilsoh River miners and business men, held at Invercargill last night, it was resolved to ask the Minister of Mines to humr on the construction of the tramway to the reefs, so that machinery could be got to the ground; that, the Postmaster-General be asked to give a more frequent mail service than monthly; and that the Warden’s Court business of the Held be done at Invercargill instead of Riverton. It was stated that the Government had got £2,0Q0 revenue from the field, and that the tramway would cost £7OO only. STOCK AND STATION REPORT. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, report for the week ended May 3 as follows: Fat Cattle.—The entry to-day at Burnside for the week’s supply was a small one, only 116 head being yarded, quality ranging from medium to good, but all light weights. For best quality competition was fairly active, prices ruling about tho same as last week, but medium sorts had less attention. Best bullocks brought £7 to £7 16s; medium, £6 to £6 17b 6d ; light weights. £4 17s fid to £5 17s fid; bast cows, £6 10s to £7 10s ; medium, £4 5s to £5; light and aged. £3 to £4. We sold for Air David Sutherland (Lochend) cows to £7 10s, Mr John Smith (Otakau). bullocks to £7 12s fid and cows to £5 10s, Mr Thomas Kirk (East Taieri) cows to £7 2a fid, for other vendors bullocks to £7 15s and cows to £6 7s fid.

Fat Sheep.—l,sol were ]ienued, mostly crossbreds, only 112 being mcrinoes. Several pens of the former were very heavy weights and prime quality, more especially the wethers, while the ewes wore only medium. There was a good attendance of the trade, and the supply being no moie than sufficient for requirements a fair demand was experienced. H’gher prices were obtained to-day, but, comparing quality, there was no improvement in values. Best cross-bred wethers brought 14s 9d to 15s 9d : one or two pens extra heavy, Ids to 16s fid; ordinary, 12s fid to 14s 3(1; best cross-bred ewes, 13s to 13s Sd; light-weights, 9s fid to 12s 9d; merino wethers, 6s 61 to 10s fid. We sold a nice lino of eross-hred wethers and maiden ewes for Mr James Liddle (Taieri Beach) at 15s 3d to 14s 9d.

Lambs.—l3s were penned, which met with fair competition, best fetching 10s to 12s 3d, others fis fid to Ps fid.

Pigs.—ls7 were penned, comprising all sorts. Porkers and baconers were in good demand, while all others had less attention, especially suckers. The latter brought 6? fid to 12s ; slins, 14s to 17s; stores, 21s to 27s ; porkers, 30s to 355; baconers, 39s to 57s—extra heavy, 60s. .Store Cattle.—The demand for these is now somewhat less keen; still, a good number change hands from week to week, but at prices more in favor of buyers. The turnip crop, unfortunately, has not been quite the success anticipated, and most graziers now find they have sufficient stock on hand for the feed they have, and are less anxious to further increase, except when good steers wanting but little to finish off are offering. Store Sheep.—A moderately fair business continues to lie done in these, but prices ruling earlier are not now obtainable, more especially for aged and mixed sorts, which are difficult to place at a very considerable reduction. Good cross-bred wethers, also good breeding ewes, are saleable at very full prices, though not quite up to those ruling a short while back. Most of tho sheep now offering are out of first hands. Graziers are not so keen to purchase under the hammer.

Wool.—Private and Press telegrams lately to hand report the sales now held ni London progressing with a considerable amount of firmness. Competition for medium sorts is keener, but the market for sujierior greasy merino is inactive, The total quantity catalogued up to the 30th ult. was 310,000 bales. There is no business of any consequence done iq the local market, all the greasy wool being now practically disposed of ; and the felluioqgers’ wool is shipped on owner’s account, hardly anv being offered here lately. Sheepskins.—There is a very much livelier tone pervading the market lately, an excellent demand being experienced for both dry and green skins, Tlie latter are how turning oft a considerable quantity of wool, in consequence prices are gradually advancing. On Tuesday we presenteda full catalogue, comprising the usual varieties, to a large attendance of buyers, which seem lately to be increasing. Every lot was keenly competed for, resulting in very full prices being obtained, all sorts being again in good request. Country dry cross-breds, inferior to medium .brought IslOd to 3s 8d ;do do merino. Is Sd to 2s lid; fullwoolled cross-breds—good 3s lOd to 4s 10(1, best 4s lid to 6s fid : do do merino—good 3s to 3s lid, best 4s to 5s 9d; dry pelts, 2d to Is 7d; green cross-bred pelts—best 3s Is to 3s 4d, selected 3s 5d to 3s fid, medium to good 2s fid to 3s ; do do merino, It Sd to 2s 3d ; lambskins—best 3s 3d to 3s Bd, medium Is lOd to Its Id each. Rabbitskins.—The strong demand experienced lately shows no abatement—lf anything, it is increasing. There are only a few offering, lint they arc keenly competed for at auction, when very full prices are always secured, There are buyers In the market prepared to operate extensively immediately supplies are to hand. On Monday we had all the buyers at our auction sale, when bidding was exceedingly lively, resulting in prices being obtained showing an advance on those realised last week for parcels of the game skins offered then. Quotations for autumn skins, fid to Is Id ; summer do, 7(1 to BJd ; black and fawn, 7d to 9}d; suckers and half-grown, 4d to fid per lb. Hides.—We cleared out all to hand this week at prices on a par with those lately ruling, and quote heavy hides 2d to 2Jd; extra do, 2Jd to 3d; medium, IJd to 13d ; inferior to medium, Id to lid er lb. Tallow.—Owing to the weaker tone of the market at Horne, buyers here are less anxious to operate at late rates; nevertheless, all offering realise nearly equal to previous quotations. Best rendered mutton fetch 21s fid to 22s fid; medium to good, 18s fid to 20s fid ; interior to medium, 14s to 17s (id ; best rough fat—mutton caul, 14s to 14s fid : medium to good, 12s fid to 13s fid; inferior to medium. 11s to l2s per cwt.

Grain.—Wheat: This cereal continues to have a fair demand, prices 'remaining pretty steady at about equal to those ruling lately. Deliveries from the country are not very extensive, and would not be much more than sufficient for" requirements hadl millers not been pretty well stocked a little earlier. Consignments coming from the North also enable them to lie less dependent on the local supply. At the same time all offered for sale, no matter of what description or quality, ipeet with a ready sale. Fowls' wheat is in short supply and wanted, hut buyers hardly care to advance on late rates. Quotations for best milling velvet and Tuscan, ?s fid to 2s lid—extra prime' a shade more; medium to good. 2s fid to 2s fid; Inferior to medium, 2s 3d to 2s 5d ; broken, 2s to 2s 3d (ex store, sacks weighed in, terms).—Oats: The market this week has shown some slight Improvement, principally owing to tho fact that sellers are not forcing sales, declining meantime to quit except at prices a little more In their favor. The quantity coming forward Is slightly falling off, and, as consignments in store arc being held for better values, buyers, to supply their orders, have had to increase their limits id- to Jd per bushel. . Transactions are chiefly confined to purchasers of stout, bright Spai rowbilla, but other sorts are now selling with more ease, though without any appreciable advance. Quotations: For bright stout feed and milling, Is BJd to Is fid ; medium to good. Is 7LI to Is BJd ; inferior, Is fid to Is 7d ; good Danish, Is 71 dto Is fid ; long Tartarians, clean and suitable for seed—best, Is fid to" Is 10d ; medium. Is 7Jd to Is BJd (ex store’ - sacks' extra, net).—Barley: With the exception at prqno malting, there is no demand ’of, ally qv.fiEsSiUCUCer Stout milling is worth ahyt>i 26, BUt no inquiry for any o thep sou! Quotations ; For best malting, 4s to 4s'3d ; ‘ medium to good, nominally, 3s 3d to 3s fid; feed and milling, 2s to 3s (ex store, sacks extra, terms). Grass Seed.—Small parcels of ryegrass seed arc being disposed qf qq occaaiqqs, hut the business now being done is pot extensive; prices, however, continue firm. Stocks being low, holders are not anxious to quit except at prices allowing some advance. Quotations for best dressed perennial, 3s 3d to 3a fid; medium, 3s to 9s 3d (ex store, sacks extra, net).—Cocksfoot has little, if any, inquiry, though further on an improvement in the demand is anticipated. Quotations nominal—say, fqr best dressed, 3Jd to 33d: medium, fid in Hd per- lb. Potatoes, Consignments have not been so numerous during the past week, In consequence, a keener desire to purchase has sot in, also better prices obtaining, Quotations for best Derwents, 52s fid to 55a; medium, 45s to 60s per ton (ox store, sacks weighed In). Chaff.—The market is fully supplied with inferior and medium, while really good is not sq plentiful. Quotations for prime. fid to 60s; medium, 42s fid to 465: inferior, light, and green, 30s to 40s per ton (ex' trucks, sacks extra), Dairy Produce.—There is no change to note in either demand or value*. The market shows no animation, the sales effected being only retaillots, heqt kqg blitter (dairy-made) fetching did to 7d—extra prime Jd tq Id more; medium nominal; factpvy,made dull at 10d to lid per lb.--Prime factory cheese) Medium size - has a little more attention, fetching 4Jd to 4Jd, but,loaf is only worth 6d to 5Jd; dairy-made, 2d to 4d per lb. .Flax.—Market seems to be drooping. -Local buyers, uncertain as to the course of the market at Home, decline to operate; in consequence sales in the meantime are to Quotations nominal. ‘