COMMERCIAL.

Evening Star, Issue 11895, 25 May 1903, Page 6

COMMERCIAL.

The City of Wellington Electric Lighting I Company are issuing in Loudon £75,000 | 5 pep cent, debentures. The quantity of coal exported from Westport last week was 14,325 tons, and from Greymouth the quantity was: Blackball 2,220, Brunner 2,288 tons. THE WOOL SALES. THE ADVANCE MAINTAINED. Pres* Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, May 24. The wool sales closed very firm. Competition throughout the series almo-t equalled the boom of 1899. Compared with the March series, fine cross-breds were 7j to 10 per cent, dearer, lower grades 10 to 15 per cent, dearer; fine merinoes, from par to 5 per cent., medium 7£ per cent, dearer. During the series 88,000 bales were sold for home consumption, 95,000 for the Continent, 5,000 (or America, and 20,000 held over. The wool sales included the following clips;—Rakamona, 7|d ; Aviemore, B|d ; Richmond, 9|d; Highfield, 10jd; Matahuoi, 7^d; Waewalpa, 6|d. A CORNER IN CURRANTS. Pr«*» Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, May 23. The great currant monopoly has been completed. The English syndicate pur chase the entire annual crop, estimated at 150,000 tons, at fixed prices, the growers also receiving 50 per cent, of the profit after a dividend of 6 per cent, has been paid. / The Federation of Grocers of the United Kingdom have wired to the King of Greece a protest against the monopoly, which they intend to determinedly oppose. THE MARKETS. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, May 24. (Received May 25, at 7.40 a.m.) Copner: Spot, £62 7s 6d; three months, £6l 17s 6d. Tin: Spot, £134 ss. Lead, £ll 12s 6d. Galvanised iron, £l4 15s: best brands, £l4. Second quality German fencing wire, £6 12s 6d. 6 Tin plates, I.C. coke, 12s 3d: I.C. charcoal, 13s 6d. Iron bars, £6 15s • angle steel, £5 15s. Cements; K. 8.5., 5s lOd 5 German, ss. Hemp: Strong demand fair Wellington, May shipment, £33. Meat.—Sheep: Canterbury— Light 3|d, medium 3-Jd, heavy 3|d; Dunedin and Southland, 3|d; North Island. 3sd. Lambs; Canterbury—Light 4|d, All other sorts unchanged. Beef: Fores, unchanged; hinds, 4|d. River Plate sheep: Heavy and light, 3 9-16 d. Beef: Fores, 3 5-16 d; hinds, 4 7-16 d. The Department of Industries and Commerce has received the following cable from the Agent-General, dated May 23 ;—“ The mutton market is dull and weak. Average price to-day for Canterbury mutton, 3|d per lb; Dunedin, Southland, and Wellington Meat Export Company, 3|d lb; other brands—North Island mutton, ssd to 3|d. River Plate mutton is in small supply, and firmly held. The quantity of mutton going into consumption at present is very small. Lamb; The market is quiet. The average price to-day for Canterbury brand is 4|d; for brands other than Canterbury, per lb. Beef; The market is steady. The average price to-day for New Zealand hind-quarters is 4£d per lb; fore-quarters, o|d. Transactions in New Zealand butter are very limited, and prices irregular, nominally 97s per cwt; Danish, 100s. Cheese : Toe market is steady at 66a • new Canadian, 635. The hemp market is active at higher prices. Price for good fair Wellington, on the spot, to day is £35; May shipment, £33; June shipment, £32 10s There is scarcely any demand for cocksfoot seed on the spot. Prices are nominal hair business is being done in forward shipment, at 45s to 46s per cwt. Cross-bred WOOi IS nrm ” BRANDING HIDES. [Special to the Stab.] WELLINGTON, May 25. A Post representative has had a conversation with Mr John Holmes regardin''' comments made by Messrs George Wilcox and Co., of the ‘Sydney Mail,’ as to the loss caused by the present method of branding and flawing hides in Australia. Mr Holmes, who is one of the partners in the firm trading as Messrs Hirt and Co , whose tanneries are at Kaiwarra, has had lengthy experience in the handling of hides. The firm with whom he is connected have been established for many years, and Mr Holmes is well qualified to speak on the subject of branding and flaying. He said that this work was much more carefully done in New Zealand than in Australia, In Victoria particularly branding was extravagantly done, he having seen as many as nine brands on a beast, whilst three was a common number, and these brands were placed upon the most valuable part of the hide. From the tanner’s point of view the development of the freezing and meat export busmans had improved branding and flaying in New Zealand. It was seldom that a hide nowadays contained more than two brands, as the beasts did not change bands so often aa before. Freezing companies flayed the hides excellently, but farmers and butchers did their work very badly. Mr Holmes thinks there is a loss of good leather through this carelessness. If growers would brand low down on the hips of their cattle, or on the neck, the loss would be reduced to a minimum. Some breeders also made their brands too large, but in this and in other respects there had been a considerable improvement effected during the past

five years. Another gentleman in the hide trade suggested that the Stock Department might help towards a needed reform by issuing a leaflet' to fanners, showing by diagrams where the brand should be placed and how flaying should be done to preserve a maximum of hide