COMMERCIAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXI, Issue 7223, 24 April 1884, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

Lyttelton Times Office, Wednesday Evening. STOCK REPORT. At the Addington Yards on Wednesday a large entry of Sheep came forward for the week’s supply. In fat sheep the quality was not up to the average. A few lines of prime cross-breds sold from 17s to 18s 3d; second and medium quality were dull of sale at prices a shade below late rates. We quote 2jd per lb as an average for best lots; ■while second quality made from 2d to 2id per lb. In store sheep the biddings were only fairly animated. Sound-mouthed merino ewes sold in drafts from 4s 6d to 7s 8d; 2 and 4-tooth cross-bred wethers, from 12s lOd to 13s 3d each. Store lambs, Prom 8s 6d to 9s 2d. Fat Cattle. — A full entry' yarded. Best pens of steers sold from £8 10s to £9 10s, equal to an average of 19s per 1001 b. For stores, only a small supply was yarded, for which description the biddings again dragged, and there was no alteration on late prices. CUSTOMS REVENUE. The following was the Customs revenue collected yesterday : Spirits, £232 16s Id ; wine, £7 Is; heer, £36 19s 6d ; tea, £5517s 4d ; sugar, £l9B 5s ; tobacco, £37 19s 6d; cigars, £8 2s; goods by weight, £B6 17s Sd; ad valorem, £B7 ss; other duties, £l4 12s 4d; tota', £765 15s 2d. ENGLISH. Messrs Miles Beds. & Co. report under date March 4 : Wool.— The first series of sales of Colonial wool for the year commenced on Feh. 12, the arrivals at that date having amounted to 317,669 bales; but on Feh. 19, when the list closed, these had increased to 359,132 bales, of which 31,000 Australian and 18,000 Capes were forwarded direct from ship to the Continent and the Morth. Including 10,000 bales of wool held over from previous sales, the total available quantity was as under:— Bales. New South Wales and Queensland...ll7,soo Victoria ... ... ... 93,500 South Australia 49,000 Western Australia 1,500 Tasmania ... ... '... ... ••• 500 New Zealand 17,773 Cape of Good Hope 40,359 Total 320,132 The sales opened with a good attendance of buyers, but, although biddings were fairly active, a weakness was observable in most descriptions of wool. Australian greasy parcels were quite id per lb lower, while sound combing merinos, though not participating equally in the decline, were certainly less firm than they were at the preceding series. Wasty and inferior sorts show a decline of fully 5 per cent, and in some cases considerably more. In cross-breds, good greasy lots were unaltered, but for medium and coarse prices were irregular. Since the first few days the sales have progressed with rather more animation, and some purchases of merinos light in the grease, have been made on American account; but prices remain unaltered, -and, altogether, there is a want of briskness in the market.

■Wheat, Flops, &c.— There has been bat little alteration in the state of our wheat market during the past month, trade being still extremely dull. Stocks in granary have decreased to some extent, in consequence of a falling off in the supply; but white wheats are rather weaker, owing to the recent large arrivals off coast from California. The total quantity of wheat now afloat for Europe is now estimated at 2,000,000 quarters, against 2,300,000 quarters at this time last year. The “visible supply" in America, though showing a decrease, is still heavy, being 31,825,000 bushels. _,>u.dntlian wheat, on spot, is slow of sale at 45s Cd pfet 4961 b, ex store. Cargoes by iron vessels are offered at 42s 9d to 435, c.f. and i., to United Kingdom ; and by steamer for London direct, 41s is about the price ruling. Of New Zealand wheats the supplies still consist mainly of ill-conditioned parcels, which are heavy of sale at 26s to 35s per 4961 b, ex store. Good long-berried brings 42s to 455, and good round-berried 38s to 41s. Off coast, the Durisdeer, 6500 quarters, has been sold at 395, delivered sound to Bristol Channel.

Flour is dull of sale, and prices ore about the same, viz.: —Superflue Australian, 30s 6d to 31s Cd ; fines, 25s to 275; and New Zealand, 26s to 30s per 2801 bex store. New Zealand oats are firm, and fine heavy parcels sell at 28s to 30s per 38411, ex store; lower qualities range from 22s to 25s per 3201 h. Malting barley is in demand, but the market Is hare of New Zealand at present. New Zealand beans are worth 39s to 40s per 5041 b. Tallow and Hikes.— Since the date of our last report, the demand for Australasian tallow has been very limited, the sales, public and private, comprising only about 2148 casts, at gradually declining prices until last Friday, when all descriptions of mutton and hard beef were Cd per cwt dearer, whilst other qualities of the latter brought previous prices. We quote good to very fine mutton 41s to 42s 6d, and fair to very fine beef 37s 6d to 39s 6d per cwt. The deliveries from warehouses last month were small, being only 8691 casks, against 5594 casks same time last year. The imports were 4303 casks, and the stock this day in importers’ hands amounts to about 8000 casks. Hides, too, have been dull of sale, aud present prices are s|d to sid for really prime; others, 5d to 5Jd for heavy os; light, 41d to 4;<l; and cows, 4Jdto 4Jd. Fhozen Meat.— The Dunedin’s parcel has now bean disposed of. The lambs belonging to this shipment did not meet with a very ready sale, as there is not ranch demand for Lambs just now, the season not being sufficiently advanced. Had they been larger, they would have sold very well for small mutton.

The Tongariro’s cargo has nearly all been sold. The sheep have not been so well spoken of ns previous parcels, being mostly rough- half-bred merinos, with no size in the legs (by far the most valuable part of the carcase), and the meat was tough. Some of the carcases ex s.s. British King have been brought on the market, and the sheep are in very good order, hut like the Tongariros shipment, the quality is not so good as earlier supplies. The sheep are small, aud have too much of the merino breed to suit the London butchers. The best sheep are making 4s per stone, and

HmnUor ami Interior carcases 8s M to 3s 10d per stone. Lambs rouge in price from 3s 8d up to 5s id for finest quality. lUnk Rate, raised on Feb. 7, from 3 percent to per cent*