COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1197, 8 February 1895, Page 8

COMMERCIAL.

WELLINGTON MARKETS. Messrs Laebt & Co. report current whole sale values as under, Farm and Dairy Produce.

Laery and Co. (Limited) report for the past week as under Wheat—The condition of the market remains unchanged. Business is at a standstill pending delivery of the now crop. We quote-—Prime milling, 2s 7d to 2s 8d ; medium to good, 2s s|d to 2s 6J-d, f.o.b. Southern ports ; whole fowls’ wheat, 2s Bd, ex stores. Oats —In moderate demand at unaltered prices. We quote—Prime short oats, Is lOd to Is lid ; njtout feed, Is 8d to Is 9d ; Danish, Is 8d; duns, Is lid. Barley—The area under crop this season is much larger than usual, and the yield generally promises to be above the average. We anticipate

opening prices will be somewhat low. Maize —ln moderate supply. Best samples command 2s 3d to 2s 5d per bushel. Pollard —In good demand at 70s per ton. Chaff —A fair quantity of primo bright heavy chaff has changed hands during the week at a slight reduction on prices last reported. The quantities available this yoar appear to be very largo, and indications are not wanting that prices will be very low. We quote —Primo bright heavy new season’s, 62s 6d per ton ; medium to good, 47s 6d to 55s ; old season’s, best quality, 70s per ton. Cocksfoot —Very little of the now season’s seod has yet roaelied the market, and opening prices cannot be established. Ryo-grass—Prime heavy machine-dressed still commands attention at 4s to 4s 3d per bushol. A. G-. Taine and Co. report of the markets for the week ending February Ist: Fat sheep—Market remains steady. Prime wethors, 9s to 9s 6d ; fat ewes, 6s to 7s 6d ; fat lambs, 7s to 8s ; store wethers, 2 and 4-

tooth, 6s to 7s 6d ; and 2-tooth, mixed sexes, 5s to 6s 6d. Sheep market depressed. Fat cattle—Wo quote prime bullock beef 17s per 1001 b; store bullocks, £4 10s to £5 ss; 2year - olds, £3 to £3 10s ; yearlings, 40s to 45s ; weaners, 23s to 28a. Pigs—Good demand. Slips, 10s to 13s ; smaller sorts, 8s to 9s-; baconers, 40s to 425. Wool—We have sold several good lines. Inferior crossbred, 6d to 6£d per lb ; bush stained, 5d to s|d ; and bellies, 4d per lb.

Messrs John McNairn and Co., Glasgow, in their fortnightly report issued on the 20th December, state Butter —During the past fortnight the market has still remained demoralised, caused by the heavy arrivals, and it has been almost impossible to cloar any quantity of stuff, unless at i uinous prices. The very fact of choice Danish having been offering at, the, prices shown on the other side, 98s to 100 s, will show you the exact position, and when we tell you that large quantities of really fine goods have been sold at 92s to 945, you can well understand the state of affairs. Unfortunately our weather here has been very open, and not at all seasonable ; this has curtailed the demand, and consequently reduced prices. We must say we can’t see any great chance of improvement, unless we have frosty weather, because prospects of heavy arrivals make buyers' very shy. A. G. Taine and Co. report of their weekly Saturday’s horse sale : —Wo had a good entry of horses of all classes excopt draughts. There was a good attendance, and we cleared the biggest part of our entry. Wo offered on behalf of Mr Jas. Lighten, of Hawke’s Bay, six useful horses, suitablo for express and sjiring-dray work, and Sold thewliolo of them at fair prices. We sold of the Hawke’s Bay lot 4-year-old colts, partly broken, at <£ls, £l4los, £l4; unbroken colts at ,£10; agod harness horse at £5 10s. Of our general entry wo sold harness horses at £B, £8 10s and <£lo ; and passod a few good harness sorts out of condition at <£lo to <£l2. Condition alone prevented thoir selling. Aged harness horses we sold at .£6 to £8; hacks, mostly agod, ,£4, .£5 and up to £6 10s ; crocks, from <£l upwards. Bidding generally was fairly good for best harness horsos, but in many instances vendors’ rosorvos wore too high. Wo have a draft of good draughts coming from the South, and harness horsos and hacks from the North, which wo expect to reach us on Saturday. Townsend and Paul report the horse sale held in their yards, Harris street, as follows : —The demand for any sorts that were yarded was very limited, with the exception of a few light trap horses, which wero Eassed in. Tho draughts wero of an inferior ind. By the Wakatipu, which arrives about Thursday next, Mr Workman is bringing a good useful lot of all kinds, so that buyers may look forward for something very good next Saturday. Wo quoto for good draughts, £lB to £22 ; light do, £l4 to £l6 ; express horses, £lO to £l2; cab and brougham, £l2 to £l4 ; good all-round hacks, £7 to £l2 ; others, £2 to £4 10s. Edwards and Mcßeatii roport of tho labour markot: Domestic servants, both men and women, have been in good demand during the week. The following latest London markot quotations, correoted by cable to hand 4fch February, have been received by tho New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Compant (Limited): —Frozen meats—Mutton market weak; lamb markot quiet. Canterbury mutton 3gd per lb ; Wellington mutton, 3£d per lb: lamb, primo N?w Zealand, per carcase, ssd. Tallow —There i.i a rather better , demand. Fine mutton, 23s 6(1 per cwt; good beef, 21s. Batter —Markot dull. Now Zoaland fine qualities, 94s to 90s per cwt. London, February 1. The total amount of reserve in tho Bank of England is £27,820,000, and tho proportion of resorve to liabilities 69T2 per cent. Consols, 104^. Three months’ bills, 3 per cent. New South Wales 4 per cents., 109 ; TV do, 1011. . Victorian 4 per cents., 102; 3.} do, 96i. South Australian 4 por conts., 107; 31do, 101$-. Queensland 4 por cents., 105 ; 3$ do, 99{. Tasmanian 3k por cents., 99. Wostern Australian 4 por cents., 112. Now Zoaland 4 per cents., 107; 3k do, 101$. Now Zoaland long-borriod wheat, 24s 9d, flat; Adolaido wheat, 265; Victorian, 24s 6d, weaker. Mutton, first quality, 3Jd. Lamb—Average 5d ; finest, 6£d. Hemp, quiet; 86 bales, common to middling, Now Zealand, sold at £l2 5s to £l3 2s Gd. Sugar—German boot, 9s 6d ; Java, 11s 6d, markot firmer. No. 1 beßt Scotob pig iron, 41s 3d. London, February 3. Tallow Medium mutton, 22s ; medium beof, 295, Tho English wheat markot has a downward tondonoy, tho Continental is woak and declining. and tho American is woak and changing a little for the worso. Throe months’ bills are discounted at i to 1 por cent. London, February 1. Tho Commission appointed to enquire into tho question of the construction of light railways, with the view of assisting the farming industry in isolated districts, advises that the County Councils should be empowered to authorise the construction of light local railways, subject to the decision of the Board of Trade in cases of magnitude. Tho Commission expresses no opinion in relation to tho manner in which the Councils should provide the funds for carrying out tho works. The regulations of the Board of Agriculture forbid steamers with live cattle touching at Dunkirk, or anywhere else this sido of Suez. If they do, cattle from Australia will bo prohibited from landing in England. London, February 2. 1 Tho Gulf of Bothnia’s consignment of

live cattle has been sold to the French War Office. The agents have wired for a further consignment of live stock, but this time to be sheep. Melbourne, January 31. The Millowners’ Association, formed with a view of amending the unsatisfactory and unprofitable state into which the milling business has drilled, has decided that after July 1 the terms of sale for flour shall not exceed one month from date of delivery. The price has been fixed at £5 15s. There was a feeling in favour of a higher price, it being alleged that tho amount named barely covered the cost. Melbourne, February 2. The standard of fair average quality of Victorian wheat for this season has been fixed at 58$lb. Sydney, February 3. Eight of the Gulf of Bothnia’s shipment of cattle died, and others are likely to follow them, a 3 they refuse to eat dry feed. It is feared the mortality on the voyago will be very great. [Twenty-six head of cattle from Mount Cornish Station, 400 miles west of Roclcliampton, are on board the Buteshire, which has just loft Lyttelton en route for London.] ' Napier, February 1. • At a meeting of the Hawke’s Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Society, Captain Russell gave notice of a motion affirming that it is absolutely essential for the proper supervision of the stock industry, and in the interest of the consumers of moat, that a regular scientific branch should be added to the Government Agricultural Department, and the services of a bacteriologist obtained from Europe.

THE WOOL MARKET

Messrs Levin and Co. have rocoivod the following cablegram from thoir London agents, Messrs Dalgoty and Co. (Limited) : “Tho markot for the bulk of good greasy wools is firm, with good demand, especially for tho hotter qualities. American buyors are operating freely. The prices of medium and inferior merino flooco end of merino pieces are, if anything, tonding downwards: Crossbred fleoco wool is lower by a Id than at date of our last message, and is difficult of 5a10.”.., . - London, January 30. _ At the wool sales to-day, a medium selection was offered, and bidding was slow, oxcopt for boat groasies and soourod for America. Prices wero unchanged. London, Februai’y 1. An unattractive catalogue was offered at the wool sales to-day. Tho bidding was slow, and jn-ices were weaker. London, February 3. At the wool sales a medium selection is slow of salo. Up to date 175,000 bales have been sold, including 10,000 to American buyers. London, February 4. At tho wool sales there was only a medium selection offered, and pricos wero barely maintained. Many bales wore withdrawn. Dunedin, February 1. Tho third wool sale of the season was held to-day. Competition was fairly aotive for best grades, for greasy crossbred and merino, but the. prices obtaining for inferior and medium cross and half-bred wero $d to Id por lb lower, while those for merino wore fairly well maintained.

- ' -T’ r A - '' £ s. D. £ s. D. Milk, quart ... ... 0 0 3 to 0 0 4 Butter, fresh farm, lb 0 0 7 Butter, separator ... 0 0 9 to 0 0 10 Salt butter ... ... 0 0 7 Cheese ... 0 0 4k to 0 0 .41 Loaf 0 0 5* Eggs, dozen (fresh) ... 0 0 11 Bacon, lb 0 0 0* Ham, lb 0 0 8 Fowls, pair ... 0 3 0 to 0 3 6 Ducks, pair ... 0 3 5 Geese, pair ... 0 5 0 Turkeys, pair.,. 0 7 0 Fdour Market. £■ s. D. £ s. D. Stone flour ... 7 0 0 Boiler flour ... 7 15 0 Pollard 3 10 0 Oatmeal 9 0 0 Bran ... 2 10 0 to 2 15 0 Hay and Corn Market. > V- •• £ s. D. £ s. D. Maize ... 0 ,2 6 Oats, feed ... '0 1 9 to 0 1 10 Wheat, milling' 0 2 9 Fowl Wheat .0 2 8 Bye Corn ... 0 2 9 Seed Barloy 0 4 0 Carrots 1 10 0 Hay, ton 3 10 0 to 4 0 0 Oaten, ton .v ... 3 10 0 Straw, ton ... - 2 10 6 Chaff, oaten ehoaf ... 3 10 0 Wheat, straw... 2 5 0 to 2 10 0 Onions, ... 0 6 0 Potatoes (new) 2 10 0 Seeds £ s. D. £ s. V, Byograss, Farmers’ 0 2 9' to 0 3 3 Byograss, Machine dressed ... 0 4 3 to 0 4 9 Cocksfoot, lb 0 0 4 to 0 0 5:1 Wt. Clover, lb 0 0 10 Bod Clover, lb 0 0 9 Alsyke, lb ... 0 0 9 Cow Grass, lb 0 0 9 Timothy, lb 0 0 4 Linseed, per owt 13 10 0 Bapo, per cwt 1 5 0