COMMERCIAL NEWS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 878, 28 December 1888, Page 23

COMMERCIAL NEWS

Messrs Freeman R; Jackson and Co. repdi ton their Palmerston North sale, held On Dec, 20, as under Cattle were yarded in full supply, bidding dull), about one-half the total entry being soldi Sheep were Well cOihpeted for, and sold at about late rates. Four-year-old steers, £3 15a ; three-year-old steers, £3 to £3 2s 6d ; eighteen-months-old steers, 265; forward‘ -cows, £2 10s ; fat wethers, 8s lOd; fat ewes, 8s';; four-tooth ewes, 8s Id; store wethers, 8s; ewes and wethers, 8s ; two and four'tooth ewes, 7s sd, Messrs Lowes and lorns report at. their stock sale on Deo, 20 Cattle were in full entry, but dull of sale. Sheep were scarce. All cattle sold either under the hammer. or by private treaty afterward. The following arejjthe.figures :—Small beef, £4 ; buHooks and cows, 60s to 70s, or 12s 6d per 1001 b ; forward , bullocks, 75s ; 3-year-old steers, 60s ; medium, 50s ; cows and calves, 50s ; heifers, 35s to 40s ; yearlings, 28s tc 30s ; calves, 16s ; dairy stock, from £2 10s to £4 10s. Fat sheep, 7s 4d to 8a 6d. Pigs Weaners, 9s; slips, 14s; large pigs, 30s to 345. Horses, nominal. Laery and Co. report sales during the last week :—-Old potatoes, nearly out of the market, £6 nominal; new ,potatoes, £7 to £9'; onions, per lb ; malting barley, 4s ; feed do, 3s to 3s 3d ; oats, 3s lOd to 4s ; pollard, £5 10s } bran, £5 10s ; flour, £l2; oatmeal, £2O ; maize, 4s 6d to 4a 9d ; chafl, £5 to £5 5s ; milling wheat, 4s 4d to 4s 6d ; whole fowls’ wheat, 4s ; hams and bacon, 6d to 7d ; oheese, to sd, factories not in full work ; fresh butter, Sd to Bjd ; salt do, 9d ; eggs, lid to Is; lemons, 8s to 11a; mandarins, 9s to 18s; figs, 9s ; dates, 5d ; inferior do, 4d ; walnuts, 6d to 8d ; Brazil nuts, lOd ; Barcelona .do, 6d to 6Jd ; soft shell almonds, 9d ; preserved bananas, 7d ; crystalised ginger, dry, 7d ; preserved ginger In jars, 13a to'l4s per case; imperial plums, lid, in 281 b tins; chewing gum, 7s 6d ; monkey pocoanuts, 8s 6d per . gross. There have been no Island oranges in the market this laßt week. Rye grass seed, 2s 6d ; cocksfoot, 3Jd ;no inquiry for either; other kinds of grass seed without alteration. There has been some inquiry from Sydney for oats, chaff, butter, cheese, etc., but we are somewhat at a disadvantage here in not being able to seenre freight, the steamers nearly always filling np down South, and Wellington cargo shut out; the same may be said of the direct boats for London. This is a pity, as in both oases we often miss a market.. There is a good trade to be done with Rio de Janeiro if it were possible to get space regularly by any of the monthly boats, but for the past sir months none of the Direct boats would take any cargo for Rio de Janeiro from here. The Customs da ties collected, at the port of Wellington for the week ending Saturday amounted to £5346 15s 3d. Beer duty, £144165. • ' George Thomas and Co. report produce prices as follows :—The general demand for feeding grain and breadstuffs is light. The plentiful supply of grass greatly affects the former, while in flour the local bakers generally, some time ago, anticipating a rise in values, invested in stocks to carry them on well toward harvest; consequently sales at present are greatly restricted. Oats are valued from 3s 10d to 4s 3d, according to quality. Oatmeal, £l9 to £2O ; oaten sheaf chaff, £4 10a to £4 15s ; straw do, £3 ; fowls’ wheat is not plentiful, and prime whole samples command from 4s 3d to 4s 5d ; broken do, from 3s 9d ; flour, roller £l2 10s to £l2 15s ; stone £ll to £lllos ; bran, £5 10s ; pollard, £slos; maize, 4s 7d ; feed barley, 33 8d ; spiit peas, £ls ; beans, 4s ; Melbourne onions, 2d ; New Zealand do, l^d; new potatoes, £7 to £8 10s per ton ; good samples old potatoes, £7 ; cheese, factory, 6d ; hams and bacon, S^d; eggs, lid per dozen ; honey, 4d ; lard, 4d. Inquiries for poultry are extremely few ; we do not remember a Christmas season pass over with such a neglect and disinclination to purchase as on this occasion ; fowls rule from 2s 6d, ducks 3a 6d, geese ss, and turkeys 7s per pair. The fruit market is only fairly supplied with cherries, plums, and apricots. Oranges are not to be had, the season being almost over. Messrs Edwards and Mcßeath report We are still very busy, but servants are difficult to obtain owing to tha holidays comiog on. Messrs Arthur Warburton and Cc. report for the week Banks—Now Zealand, soles £8 10s, buyers £8 10s, sellers £8 15s ; Colonial, buyers 43s 6d, sellers, 445; National, buyers 355. Insurance- New Zealand, sellers 80s ; South British, 40s ; Notional, buyers 19s 9d; Union, sellers 265, buyers 25s 6d (cum div); Standard, 14a 6d to 15s;Colonial, 4s ; Accident,.7a 6d. Miscellaneous—Loan and Mercantile, 70s to 73a; Land Mortgage, 17s to 17s 6d ; National Mortgage, 11s ; New Zealand Shipping, sellers £2; Union Steam, £ll 10s; Mosgiel Woollen, 76s ; Kaiapoi Woollen, 60s ; New Zealand Drug, buyers 21s, sellers 21b 6dj Wanganui Gas, sellers £l2 10s; Wellington Trust and Loan, sales £6 • 10s ; Equitable Building, £7 2s 6d (new issue), sales 25s premium; Wellington Building and Investment, sales £6; buyers £6; Wellington Gas, sellers £lB and £9 ; Gear Meat, buyers 85s cum div. Messrs Arthur Warburton and Co. report the following returns of amalgam for the week from the Reefton mines Keep-it Dark, 7600 z from 230 tons; Globe, 6020 z from 220 tons.

The closing month of the present year has been one of the best for a long time, and from all quarters is heard more hopeful signs of satisfaction for the coming year. Although there has been no startling advance in the prices of any one line, there has been a steady improvement in all our exports. From all parts of the country com© news of

the promising appearance of the crops, and although the month opened cold and unseasonable there Is little or no damage done to any of the growing crops. The harvest may be a week or two later this season, but the yield is expected to be fully up to the general average. The demand for our produce still continues from Victoria and New South Wales, and every boat whioh leaves our ports for those colonies carries a full load. The wool clip is progressing rapidly, and accounts from various parts of the Colony show that the clip this year is the heaviest we have had for some years. . New Zealand flax is obtaining such good prices in England and a great impulse has been given to that branch of our trade. New mills are belug erected in many parts, and more hands are employed in that industry at the present time than has been the case before. The export of wool, flax, and tallow from the port of Wellington during the present season is far larger than lu any previous season. In 1887 the exports from the Railway Wharf, Wellington, were 7523 bales of wool, 16 bales ol flax, and 260 tons of tallow ; while up to December 15th of this season the exports are —12,355 bales of wool, 4592 bales of flax, and 937 tons of tallow. In most lines of general merchandise the rise in freight has advanced prices in local markets, otherwise values are not much altered. Cement Is still firm and somewhat Bhort stocked. Provisions in the shape of butter and cheese are firmer in local markets, owing to demand for Australia. The quality ot the above lines this season are superior to former years, and the quantity is larger. The outlook generally for the New Year looks more promising than has been the case for the past five or six years, and speculators and buyers generally express a more hopeful opinion of the future. The long wave of depression haß now passed over, and the Colony appears to have entered upon a season of prosperity, which, although not characterised by any Budden rush or “boom,” is steady andfrom all appearances is destined to be permanent. ; WELLINGTON MARKETS.

Wholesale Prices. FARM AND DAIRY PRODUCE.

"BOUGH ON BATS.” Clears out rats, mice, roaoHes, flies, ants, bed bugs, Beetles, insects, skunks, jack rabbits, sparrows, gophers. At chemists and druggists. "BUCHU-PAIBA.”. Quick, complete cure, all annoying Kidney, Bladder, and urinary Diseases. At chemists and. diuggists. ‘ Kempthome, Prosser & C<x» Agts* Wellington. Cardinal Moran told a Melbourne reporter that the Parnell letters were offered to the Archbishop of Dublin before they were sold to The 1 imes, and with a cool assumption of superior knowledge added, “ There is no question that they are impudent forgeries.” If there was no question there would be no commission. It is stated in Nature that one of th largest pine trees (P. Sylveatris) ever grown in Swedon has recently been out. It measured over 120 ft in height, and was 12ft 6in in diameter 2ft from the ground.

£ s. d. £ s. d Milk, quart - 0 0 4 to 0 0 0 Butter, fresh lb - - 0 0 0 to 0 0 9 Salt butter - . 0 0 0 to 0 0 91 cheese, Col. 0 0 5 to 0 0 51 Eggs, dozen - 0 0 10 to 0 1 0 Lard, lb. - - - 0 0 5 to 0 0 6 Bacon, lb. * . 0 0 6£ to 0 0 n Ham, lb. . 0 0 71 to o0 91 Fowls, pair - 0 2 0 to 0 2 6 Ducks, pair - 0 3 0 to 0 3 6 jsese, each - 0 0 0 to 0 3 6 Turkeys, pair 0 7 0 to 0 8 0 Hay. and Corn Market. £ s. d. £ 8 d Maize, Poverty Bay - 0 4 6 to 0 0 0 Cats, feed - - 0 3 9 to 0 4 0 Wheat do - - 0 4 0 to 0 4 4 Carrots ■- 1 10 0 to 0 0 C Hay, ton • 3 0 0 to 0 0 0 Oaten, ton - -• 3 0 0 to 0 0 0 Straw, ton - 2 10 C to 3 0 0 Chaff, — • 4 10 0 to 6 10 0 Oaten hay • - 4 0 0 to 0 0 0 Wheat straw - 3 0 0 to 0 0 0 Onions - 10 0 0 to 0 0 0 Potatoes, per ton-' - 9 0 0 to 9 10 0 Floor Market. £ s. d £ 8. d SharpB, per ton • • 0 0 0 to 5 0 0 Bran per ton, . 4 10 0 to 5 0 0 Adelaide Flour, per ton 13 0 0 to 13 5 0 Colonial Flour - • 12 0 0 to 0 0 0 Oatmeal . 20 0 0 to 0 0 0 Pearl Barley .. 15 0 0 to 16 0 0 Seeds. £ s, d £ s. a Ryegrass, bushel Q 2 0 to 0 3 Cocksfoot, lb. - 0 0 3 to 0 0 31 Wt. Clover, lb. - . 0 0 10 to 0 0 o Red, do . 0 0 8 to 0 0 9 Alsyke, lb. - - 0 0 10 to 0 0 C Cow Grass, lb. - 0 0 7 to 0 0 9 Timothy, lb. • 0 0 6 t; 0 0 0 Raps b. • 0 0 3 to 0 0 0 Linseed, per cwt. 0 16 0 to 0 0 0