COMMERCIAL.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2018, 22 November 1886, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

THE AUSTRALIAN MARKETS. (reuter’s telegrams). SIDNEY, Nov. 1. New Zealand wheat i 3 selling at 4 Id per bushel ; New Zealand oats 2s 4d ; maize, per oGlbi, 3s 4d ; pollard lOd rep bushel. Potatoes, for which there is no sale, are quoted at 50s per toD. Adelaide, Nov. 1!), Wheat is selling at from 5s to 5s Id per bushel ; Adelaide flour, town brands, Ll 1 5s toLll 15s per ton : country brands LlO 12s 6d to LlO 15s per ton. THE WELLINGTON MARKET. Wellington, Saturday. George Thomas aud Co report produce prices as follows : —“The market quotations for flour are much the same as when last reported ; leading brands maintain their value, and, judging from the scarcity of milling wheat, the teudency to reduction is somewhat remote. o»ts, if anything, are weaker, although no decided change in values has taken place ; sales are exceedingly limited, and quite retail injcharacter. Bran and pollard remain stagnant, and fowls’food—barley, wheat and maize command a fair amount of attention. There is no enquiry for peas, beans or rye and cocksfoot grass seed and consequently stocks are light. A slight breeze has caught the old potato market, and for really good, picked samples buyers are to be found, and prices rule from 40s per ton. Wo quote flour Lll to Ll2 10s; bran and pol« lard L 5 ; oats 2s 4d to 2s 7d ; oatmeal Ll2 to Ll2 10s ; maize, 3s 8d ; feed barley 2s 9d ; fowl wheat 4s 31 (o 43 Gd ; cheese Gd to 6H ; bacon and haras G.f d to 7d ; Sydney onion? Ll2, and ’Frisco Ll 6 to LlB, The following are arriv 1? to date of spring products and the respective realisations New potatoes Id per lb (retail price should rifle at lid) ; green peas 1r per peck ; rhubarb 4s 6d per doz, gooiebsrries 3? 6d per 4-gallon case ; eggs 9d to 91 ll ; fresh butter 7d per lb ; honey in the comb 0* Gd per dozen lb boxes. The fruit market is quite bare, and supplies expected next week sboul 1 realise full values. Poultry is in good demand at last quoted rates.” SINCLAIR AND MACALfSTER’S OPENING SALE OF STOCK. The announcement that Ihe newly constructed sale yards in Alfred street would be brought into requisition for the first time ou Satur lay last brought a large and representative gathering of farmers and others together. Amongst those present were many who came simply for the purpose of. inspecting the yards and the opinions universally entertained and expressed were that the plan of the yards had been well thought out and executed, reflecting much credit upon the enterprise of the Arm whose property they are. The supply of stock offered for sale was not up to expectations but considering the dullne.-s of the times and the fact that there were other attractions demanding the attention of farmers for the day, the stock yarded were numerous enough to sa’isfy those present that the accommodation the yatds afforded was notin excess of the rapidly growing necessities of the district. Mr S. J. Macalister acei as auctioneer and made a few opening remarks, in the course of which he said that his firm had planned and constructed the new yards, having in view chiefly the objects : fir A, of placing them in a convenient and central position, and secondly m thing the appointments and yard accommodation such as he hoped would meet with universal approval. As to how far th<y had succeeded in effecting those ends those present would be the best able to judge. One of the objects in view in mak ng so large an outlay on yards was tiie belief that the extensive practice which prevailed in the Wairau of butchers and dealers effecting direct sales would be le-sened considerably if they were each satisfied that they could transact business equally well by means of auction sales. In no other district throughout the Colony, bo far as his experience went, did the practice prevai'ing here extend, and, as far as he could gather from the opinions expressed by those interested in the ourchase and sale of stock, a desire to submit stock to public auo im and dispose of them in that manner was rapidly growiugand would he thought prove more satisfactory to all p»rties in the end, He recognised the fact that although the sale yards might in themselves be perfect much depended up on the auctioneer, and although it was not his intention to expatiate at great length upon the merits of the articles or animals submitted for sale, he hoped, while giving purchasers credit for knowing exactly the value of what they intended to purchase, he would not fall short of pointing out, in the seller’s iotereits, the merits of the article offered for sale. Mr Macalister then, in the name of the firm which he represented, thanked those who had that day brought stock and other articl-s for sale. The public were then invited to celebrate the opening of the yards with a drop of “ mountain dew” and the sale commenced. The stock offered for sale consisted of 48 head of cattle, 12 horses, 7 pigs, and 58 store sheep, most of which were sold at satisfactory pripes. The cattle ranged from L2 to L 7 5s a head, Horses were not in demand, aud only a few hacks were disposed of at from L 3 os to L 6. Butchers’ porkers sold well at from 25s to 30s. The sheep were bought in at 2s 3d, but subsequently sold at 29 Gd a head, Several vehicles were offered but found no purchasers, *