COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8179, 14 February 1890, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

Nkw Zealand Herald Office, Thursday evening. The Customs duties to-day amounted to £937 8s Bd.

Intercolonial Federation now being discussed in Melbourno by representatives is of immense importance to New Zealand, and it is desirable that we begin to realise tho necessity of forming a judgment of how the interests of this colony will be affected by our joining or keening outside of what will undoubtedly be the great Southern Confederation. Captain Russell's speech at tho Conference admirably expresses current views, but as interest deepens it is right that on such a vital matter Parliament should be able to reflect pronounced as against uncertain views. For this reason, we refer to the matter as of supreme commercial importance, for looking at tho protectionist leanings of the Continental majorities, it is just possible that the penalty of New Zealand's refusal to enter the Federation will be a hostile tariff. The value of free interchange of natural productions and manufacture of natural products would be undoubtedly a great benefit to a!' Australasia, and to this colony in particular, but there is serious importance to bo attached to the risk of being outvoted in a Dominion Parliament on matters where tho interests of this colony arc different to Australia, and while producers will probably bo favourable to anything that will give them a free market to our neighbours, the national interest involved in an irrevocable bten might clash with that of a section. Ihe week has been a quiet one with distributors, who have been inconvenienced by tho difficulty of filling sugar orders. The import market discloses no new feature. The flax market continues weak, largely in consequence of there being no sailing vessel fixture for London. Everybody is expecting to see the Pleiades or Willow bank (coming groin Rockhnmpton) laid on, when buying is likely to be stronger. Considerable lots have, however, been placed at from 20s to 30s per ton reduction on late rates. The samples of new season's wheat continue to please, and they come from all the different wheat districts. Millers arc very decided in their encomiums of the quality, and farmers have their hopes a little raised by the further reports of shrivelled grains in the South Australian crop, and the loss through rust in New South Wales and Victoria. It may be sentimental to deplore our neighbours' losses, but on the principle of everyone for himself, our grain growers reckon others' losses in the light of their own interests. The latest advices from London arc that the English market is holding firm at 35s 6d to 36s per quarter, and general surroundings most certainly point to increasing values. We were shown last week a letter to a buyer of New Zealand butter, that " You can send forward any quantity of the same quality as per Tongariro. There is no limit to the demand for such grand quality." This shows that if the quality of this article continue to improve as it has done within the last few years, the probability of great future trade with London is undoubted. It is rough on makers and shippers that after all anxieties to produce a good article, that careless treatment by shipping companies should increase the risk of good returns. Several complaints reach us in this respect. Maize, 2s 10(1 ; fair demand. New South Wales is taking all our surplus at this price, and there are several orders still open. Wheat: New milling, local, has been selling at 3s, but farmers are asking 3s 3d for really prime samples, at which price buyers are holding off. New Southern is not yet in the market, and best Borts of old are pretty well exhausted. Oats : Local arc selling at Is 9d; Southern, bright short feed, 3s. Potatoes : Shepherd's, 30s ; Hobarts, £2 ss, with a dull market. Bran is firmer in consequence of tho dry weather. In the local produce market the prices are:—Best farmers' butter is 9d per lb ; second quality, 6d ; and third quality 4d per lb wholesale. Eggs arc lOd per dozen wholesale, and Is per dozen retail. Auckland market report will be found on page 0.

KAURI GUM MARKETS. For ordinary gum of good quality this market is steady, but so much of the ordinary now arriving is so poor and swampy that a wider range is probable between the different qualities. East Coast is steady and unchanged. Supplies for the 12 days of February are about 195 tons. We quote : Poor ordinary, 33s to 3(5 ; fair ordinary, 37s to 39s ; best ordinary, 40s ; East Coast, 555.

LIVE STOCK & PRODUCE MARKETS. AUCKLAND Messrs. Hunter and Nolan's Weekly Report. —Grain, needs, horsefood, &c. : More than sjHH. cient for requirements have been brought forward, the demand has been slow at the previous week's values. We quote : -Oats, Is Od to 2s 3d per bushel ; maize, 2s 3d to 2s lOd; bran, £3 lO.s por ton; pressed meadow hay, £4 per ton. Horses : There has been much vitality in the market and an increased number have changed hands, and there was ' an upward tendency in value /or those of a good stamp of all descriptions. There was a good many submitted by auction at tlio Durham Yards on Friday. Competition was steady throughout, anil most of the lots were cleared at the expectation* of vendors. Wo quote :— Hacks, at from £1 17s 6d to £10 6«; light harness horses, from £8 to £11 ; medium draught, £7 to £13 10a Wool, hides, sheepskins, bones, tallow, &c. : Large quantities were pitched at the Durham Yards on Tuesday, and there was brisk demand Crossbred wools sold at from 7Jd to 7Jd per lb ; lambs' wool, from 71(1 to 71d per lb ; stout ox hides, 4d to 4}d per lb; medium 3d to 3}d per lb; cow, ljd to 2£d per lb; calfskins,, 3jd to 4Jdper lb; sheepskins, from 2s 8d to 3s lid each; pelts, from Is Od to 2s Id; lambskins, Is 6d to 2s Od ; bones, £4 10s per ton ; tallow, £17 to £18 6s per ton. Cattle: The supply has been an average one, and the demand steady, with little or no alteration in value. There was a moderate muster of all descriptions at Newmarkot on Tuesday, but the Pukokohe Yards on Wednesday wero well filled. There was an upward tendency in value for dairy cows, while stores and fat beasts maintained the previous week's values. We quote: Steer calves, from 10s to 17s 6d each ; yearlings, 18s to 22s Od ; 18 months to two years old, £1 to £1 15s; grown steers, from £2 10s to £3 16s; dairy cows, from £3 6s to £6 10s ; dry cows, £1 to £1 16s ; beef, ox, 14s to lfls per IOOIbs ; cows, 12s to 14s. Sheep : No stores were yarded at Newmarket on Tuesday, and there was barely an average muster of fat ones. In consequence of the dry weather the trado only purchased for actual requirements at the previous week's values, but those were sustained. Wethers sold at from Os 3s to 13s; ewes, from Cs to 12s 0d: lambs, 7s 9d to 0s Od each. Pigs: But a limited number were yarded, but the demand was brisk for good porkers, at from 3d to 3Jd per lb live weight. Messrs. A. Buckland and sons' Weekly Report.—At the Haymarket during the past week fodder has ranged from Is Od to 2s the cwt ; oatencliaff, £2 16s and £3 the ton; oats. Is 0d to 2s inferior wheat, Is 7d; hurley, 2s id the bushel; old wheat is Inquired for. At Che horse market on Friday a larger. number than usual were sold, prices without alteration : Useful stock ranged from £0 to £11 ss. On Tuesday an unusually large muster of hides sold at fully late values: Damaged, from }d to lid; ordinary hides, lid to 3Jd ; heavy sound ox, up to 41d ; calfskins, 2Jd to 4jd the lb ; tallow, 17s Od to IBs Od ; bones, 4s 6u the cwt. Sheepskins, also in full number, wore better worth: Pelts ranged from Is 3d to 2s 0d;. lambskins, 2s 3d to 2s Od each. About 25 bales, principally lambswool, brought from 7d to 7}d the lb. At Remuera, on Thursday, dairy cattle at profit, or near their calving, advanced in price fully 10s each store cattle at lower values. Fat cattle, in full number, kept last week's values. Ship-borne oxen were from 13s to 14s ; local steers, 16s; cows, 10s to 12s the lOOlbs. Sheep plentiful. Sold irregularly. Young sheep kept their price, but aged sheep, particularly ewes, were much lower in price. Store pigs were low in price, but porkers were in demand at full values. Prices obtained wore; For dairy cows, £3 16s to £8; store cows, 10a to 80s ; steer calves, 12s 0d each. Averages for (at cattle were : -47 steers, £6 6s; 89 steers, £0 4s; 16 steers, £5 18s ; 11 steers, £5 0s; 7 steers, £6 10s ; 27 steers, £4 16s ; 8 steers, £4 12» Od ; 12 cows, £3 7s Od. Averages for sheep were:— wethers, lis 8d ; 80 wethers | lis lOd ; 120 wethers, 10s ; 130 ewes, 0s ; 60 ewes,; 0s; 70 ewes, 7s 0d; 70 ewes, Os 9d : 60 ewes, 4s lOd ; 76 ewes, 4s 7d each. Porkers brought from 21s to 27s ; weaned, 6s Od each. Messrs. O. W. Binnky and Son's Report.— On Tuesday we cleared an extra large catalogue of

hides, sheepskins, wool, tallow, etc. Bidding was brisk throughout, and values of hides advanced id to Id per lb. Stout prime ;ox are still In short supply and sell at 4Jd ; heavy stout, 3Jd to 4d .; medium.Sd; heavy cow, 2Jd; medium, lJd to 2d (one lino of 238 cows sold at 1 13-KJd ; light, lid ; kip, heavy, ljd to 2d; light, 2Jd toßd ; calf, BJd to4M ; damaged, Jd to lid per lb. Sheepskins: A few full wool sold up to 6» 9d ; salted and green meet ready sale at an advance on previous sales. Extra (picked), 8s ; average lines, la lOd to 2s 3d. £h» catalogue included 600 dry shearlings, which sold from 6d to lOd each. Wool: Lambs, 7d to 7*0.; crossbred, 7d to 74d per lb. Tallow : 17s to 18s 6d par cwt.; rough, lid per lb. Bones: 4s 8d per cwt. ; shanks, 6s per cwt. Messrs. Stone Bros.' Beport.— feed oats, 2s 2d; black oats, 2s Id; Danish. 2s; fowl wheat, 3s3d; feed barley, 8s; maize, 2slid; crushed, 2« lid ; chaff, best oaten 80s, bright straw (good) 00s. Flour: Bycroft's first quality, £10; superfine, £9; Golden Gem, £0 10s. Oatinoal, £12; bran, £4; sharps, £4; Sout. urn bains and bacon, 8d; Auckland dairy-fed, 7Jit; vinegar, Is 6d. Tea: Boxes, 16s; half-chest. Is 6d ; half-chest Indian, 2s. Bonedust: Auckland Tallow Co. £7 10s; Buncorn, £7 10s; S. and G. Pure, £610s; " Farmers' Friend ' £5 10s. Hobart palings, 6 foet, 15s per 100; Manila rope, Sil and Od: Europe, 7d; cornsacks, 44 by 201, per dozen, 6s 6d; currants, sd; kerosene, "Light of Age" brand, Is Od; colza oil, 3s; salt, Black Horse, fine, £6; ; coarse, £4 10s.