COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1261, 30 April 1896, Page 8

COMMERCIAL.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, report for the week ending 21th April, IS9G :

Wool.— The local demand continues very active for .".11 descriptions. Offerings, during the past week have not been particularly large. Nevertheless wo brought forward a moderate catalogue, which realised satisfactory prices. Good clean pieces sold at up to 5.!d; crutellings, lid to 51; locks, 1 ,’d to 3 Id. Sheepskins arc now coming forward more freely, and meet with keen demand. We cleared a catalogue of upwards of 1000 skins, for whicii the following prices wore readily obtained: Prime full wools, 5d to 541; medium to good, 3i|d to 4’,’d ; broken and inferior, lid to 2.41 per lb : green skins, 2s Gd to 2s 8d ; late shorn, Is Gd to 2s Id ; pelts, 5d to Is 3d each, according to quality. Hides.— This market continues firm at the level of last week’s quotations, with a fair number offering. Currct prices are—Prime stout ox, well flayed, 341; medium, 3d to. 3',(1; light, green cow hides, 2,'d; calf, skins, 3.1 d per lb.

Tallow.— Market very firm in consequence of the small quantity offering. .Wo quote —Prime mutton, AMT to £l7 10s ; mixed and medium, AMG to £IG 10s ; inferior, AMS to AMS 10s per ton ; tare, lnlbs per ce.it. Frozen M eat. —Under date IStli inst., our London ollice advise by cable that quotations are nominal, Wellington mutton being worth 23d per lb. Rauijit Skins. —Recent advices fromllomo report a decline in values of hi to Id per lb. The market in Dunedin remains unchanged at for best autumn 741 to Sid : medium, Gd to 7d ; summer, 3d to 541; suckers and inferior, Id to 2jd per lb. Hemp —There is very little business passing. Current quotations arc—G.t.a.q., Wellington, £9 5s to £9 10s ; f.a.q., Wellington, Jj'J to A;9 5s per ton. Fungus. —Values have advanced a shade during the week. Good, clean, dry parcels are now being enquired lor at 3id per lb.

Grain. — Wheat —This market presents no now feature. Business in the Mouth continues dull in consequence of a disinclination on the part ot buyers to operate except at lower values, which holders show no anxiety to accept. It is reported that the heavy rains lately experienced have seriotidy damaged a largo portion of the grain in stack that has boon insecurely thatched, and this may tend to cause prices to firm. Quotations are without change : Prime pearl, 3s 4.1 to 3s 5d ; prime Tuscan, 3s 3d to 3s 11: Hunter’s white, 3s 2d to 3s 3d, f.o.b. South, sacks extra. There is very little local demand, except for fowl wheat, for which there is a moderate enquiry at 3s 2d to 3s ml, ex store, sacks extra. Oats.—A very active demand has characterised this market during the week, and in consequence prices have firmed Id to ILI per bushel. Southern holders are arranging for three to six months’ storage in anticipation of .Mill higher values, which, iu view oi the shortage in Canterbury and the in liflcront yield as the result of threshing in Otago and Southland, is not without some inundation. To-day’s quotations are —Prime milling, 2s Id 4;o 2s 5d ; bright stout feed, C grade, 2s 2d to 2s 2.Vcl ; good feed, O grade, 2s ljd to 2s 2d, ex store, sacks weighed in. Chaff. —Market firm, with a !a:r supply offering. Quotations—Prime bright heavy bioats, Gss to G7s GJ, e.i.t., sacks extra. Onions.— Tim keen demand for shipment jus caused prices to firm con-.idurably during past week. Wo now quote—Als 10s to £8 10s per ton, according to quality. Potatoes. —Supplies are coming forward very freely, and prices, in consequence, are weaker. Current quotations are GUs to ties net, ex wharf, sacks in.

Messrs Freeman R. Jackson and Co.’s Wanganui report (telegraphed on the 22nd to the Mew Zealand Mail) is as billows Wo had a good muster of cattle at our Waverloy sale on Monday, and the sheep pens were comfortably filled. Cattle were dull under the hammer, but wo succeeded in dispo-ing of the greater part at quotations. We also cleared all the sheep but ono pen. At Wanganui to-day very few cattle c tine forward, but sheep were largely in excess of the numbers advertised. The bidding for sheep was brisk, and fully Gd per bead on late values was obtained. Pigs were in small numbers, but there was no Cattle —At \\ averley : bteers, .£2 is to £8 12s Gd ; empty heifers, J;> 10s to .£3 ; springing heifers, AJ3 ; fat cows, AM to AM ; yearlings, 35s to 33s ; milch cows, £2 Gs to £5 10s; weaners, 21s to 235;) cows and calves, ,£2 lGs. At Wanganui •. Fat cows, AH ; yearlings, 30s to 3ls ; milch cows, £2 ,1s to AM 12s ; cows in calf, .£2 Is Gd. Sheep—At Waverloy: Fat wethers, 9s 9d ; lambs, 2s lid to 3s Id; owes, 2s to 3s Gel; store wethers, 5s 7d to 7s Gd. At Wanganui : Wethers, 8s Id to 8s id ; fat wethers, rfs lid to 9s Id; fat owes, 7s 1 Id to 9s ; lambs, 3s 3d to Is 7d ; empty ewes, 5s Gd to 7s. Messrs Freeman R. Jackson and Co.’s Johnsonville report (telegraphed on the 22nd to the New Zealand Mail) is as follows: The beef entered for the market was from middling to prime. Some very good bullocks were penned. The bidding was spirited both for cattle and sheep. A few pens of really v. ell-styed, grain-fed bacon pigs sold at full values; grass-fed pigs were dull of sale, and young pigs were hard to quit. Wo had a fair market for grain-fed pigs. Cattle—Best bullocks, £7 10s to -CS 5s ; others, £G 5s to £1 53 ; small bullocks, £5 10s to £6, equal to lGs per 1001 b. Sheep—No fat wethers came forward. Ewes, 7s Gd to 8s Id ; heavy ewes, 9s 4d ; store wethers, 7s 7d ; ewes, 4s 8d ; lambs, 33 4d to 5s Id. Pigs—Grain-fed baeoners, 27s to 34s ; good stores, 12s to lGs ; onrtlrAVO 1a fifl 1° Qd - _________

Messrs Abraham and Williams report At Colytou on Tuesday we had good entries of sheep, including a good line of 2 and 4toolli wethers; dry sheep sold freely, mostly making a good advance on recent rates, but ewes in lamb wore neglected. This improvement was if anything more marked at Palmerston on Thursday, the quality of the sheep offered, mostly good linos of forward wethers, produced brisk competition : and we disposed of the whole of the sheep offered at prices mostly beyond owners’ expectations ; cattle, in moderate numbers, were slow of sale, with theoxceptionof goodqualityyoungcattlc. We quote : At Colytou.—Mlieep—Forward wethers, Ss to 8s 5d ; others, Gs 9d to 7s Id ; fat ewes, Gs Id ; store do, 2s lid t: Is 3d ; culls, Is 8d ; woolly lambs, Is 5d ; small shorn lambs, 2s Gd. Cattle—Yearlings, 37s Gd ; weaners, 15s to 18s. At Palmerston. —Mhccji —Forward wethers, 8s 11, 8s sd, 8s 7>l, 8s S I and B.s 9d : 2-tooth do, Gs Gd to 7s Gd ; culls, 5s fld and Gs 3d ; forward empty ewes. 4s Gd toss 9d: 2 and 1-tooth c-wes, G~sd to 7s ;2-tooth ewes (empty), Gs; woolly lambs, Is 8 1 to l.s 8.4 Cattle —Forward bullocks, £1 18s : tat cows, £3 15s to £f 18s ; 2J-year steers, ,£3 ; 2-year steers, £'l 19s ; yearling and 18-months steers, ] 39s to 45s ; weaners, 2«) s. We have numerous enquiries for good shorn and woolly lambs. Messrs A. G. Tains and Co. report of their horse sale on Saturday We had a good entry, but the heavy rain no doubt prevented a large attendance. Included in the entry wore live good harness horses from Hockcn Bros., of Fcilding —all good sorbs. \\ e also offered six medium draughts and some contractors’ plant. We sold for Ifocken Bros, harness horses from ART to ,£2O, and on account of others medium draughts 1 rom £ll to £ 1 G.lmt offered nothing anything like special. A few good heavy young draughts would sell, but they mint lie good. Of the ordinary entry we sold light harness horses from £G to £3, and of the nondescript division from .£3 upwards. We offered some hacks but found no demand. Privately wo sold a good harness gelding for .£lB and anotlnr for .£ls. Mr Matthew Henry reports as follows of Thursday’s sale at Palmerston : —A small entry came forward, compose 1 oi odd linos. i\t auction the demand was dull, but pi ivatoly a goodly proportion ol stock changed hands, sheep being rather better ol sale. A fair clearance was made at quotations. Cattle —Z-yoar steers, ,£2 7s to .£2 12s lid; 18-month do., <£l 15s: weaners, 17s to 20:,; fat cows and heifers, .£ >; springing cows. £3 17s; do. heifers, .£8: 18-montli heifers, £1 10s. Sheep —Ewe*, mixed ages, ■ls Gd to Gs Gd ; shorn lambs, 8s Gd. | The following London telegram has been [ received by the New Zealand Loan and | Mercantile Agency Company Butter market quiet. Fine qualities range in value from 88s to 92s per cwt. Quotations nominal. London, April 21. The Bradford wool market is dull, and prices are unchanged. London, April 22. The total quantity of wheat and flour afloat for the United Kingdom is 2,3311,01)11 quarters, and for the Continent 920,000 quarters. The American visible supply ol | wheat is 8G,200,090 bushels. I National Bulk of Now Zealand shares, £1 | 5s ; Bank of New Zealand I percent, guar.ui- | teed stock, 107 ; Now Zea’and Loan and Mercantile Agency Company's 1 per cent, prior lien debentures, 98. London, April 24 The Bank of Kngland returns published to-day show the total reserve to ho jP35,G30,000, the proportion of reserve to liabilities being’ GO'OG per cent. Throe months’ bills are discounted at ;{■ per cent. The following are the latest quotations for Government securities:—

payable iu May and November. ■{■lnterest payable iu .January and July. New Zealand mutton —First quality, 3',d per lb ; second, 241. The Fnglish wheat market is weak, without quotable changes, but tending downward. The Continental m irket is dull, while the American is changing, if anything a little tor the worse. The .sugar market is quiet -German, !2s9d ; Java, 1 Is. The wool market at Bradford is quiet, with restricted business. No. 1 best Scotch pig iron, f.o.b. in Clyde, IG.s 141. The Bradford wool in irket shows a cautious tone, there having been fresh failures. London, April 28. Tallow —Mutton, fine, 21s 3d; medium, 2Us ; beef, 19s and 18s Gd. Sydney, April 22.

Wheat— Chick, 3.s Gd ; milling, New Zealand, to arrive, 3s 7d; local, nominal. Flour —roller brands, ABO to £lO ss. ‘.‘Oats — New Zealand, good feeding, Is 1 Id ; prime, 2s, fair demand. Maize—Plentiful at Is lid. Barley—Cape, 2s lOd to 3s. Bran, 941 to 10(1; pollard, lOd. Peas—Prussian Blue, 3s Gd to 8s j9u. Potatoes—Circular Heads, £8 15s to £|. ; local grown, jCB. Onions—Now Zealand, £9 to £9 10s; Victorian, Aid. Butter—Dairymade, 8d ; factory, 9d to 9}d. Cheese plentiful ; New Zealand, G4l. Bacon, Gd to 7d. Sydney, April 25.

Tlio activity and rapid rise which has for some months marked investment stocks show signs of reaching a limit, and a slackening tendency in the volume of business is apparent this week. Nevertheless there has been a steady turnover, both in Sydney and Melbourne, at late full prices. Bank shares deposits, Government securities, brewery and insurance stocks, are in good demand.

There was a small clearing at the wool sales held during the week. The offerings were chiefly tail ends and dips, and there were no high class samples. Competition was keen, and values good. The prices for greasy were well maintained, but scoured sorts were hardly so strong.

condition of trade is afforded by those companies which so far have announced the results of the half-year’s business. Harrison, Jones and Devlin have declared an interim dividend of S per cent, per annum, as compared with G per cent, for the corresponding period of last year. The import market continues animated. The wholesale trade is quite steady, and indications are that values aro becoming more pronounced in favour of importers. Breadstuff's are without change. Large quantities of ’Frisco flour, held in store, are offering at low prices. Jhe feed and produce markets closed brisk and firm ; onions a little easier. Dairy lines are in good demand. Melbourne, April 22.

Wheat, nominal at ssoid. Oats —Algerian, feeding, 2s lOd to 3s; Tartarian and stout white, B.s to 3s Id. Maize, 3s 741 ; barley, Cape, 8s Id : bran, Is Id £2 10s to £2 15s ; onions, linn at .£7 10s. Melbourne, March 25.

Splendid rains have fallen in the whole colony, which have tended to improve trade and put more life in the import market. Country orders show considerable expansion, an 1 prices are steady. Urcadstults are neglected. A trilling business has been done in wheat, which is quoted at ss. Feed produce lilies are firm. Adelaide, April 22. Wheat, dull at 4s 8d to 4s 41; Hour, roller brands, .£lo to ABO 2 s Gd. Oats-Dun, 2s Gd ; Algerian, 8s to 8s Gd. Bran, lOfil; pollard, lid to 1141; barley, Cape, 3s (id. Nauier, April 21. Messrs Nel-on Brothers have received the following cablegram from their London house Stocks of frozen meat of all kinds still very heavy. To-day’s market quotations are": —Best Canterbury mutton, 3.}d per lb ; Lunedin, Zj'd ; Napier and North Island, 241. Sales last week much below estimate, as market glutted with meat.” ADDING I’ON MARK FT. Christchurch, April 22. The entries in most classes ol stock at Addington Yards to-day were good. The attendance was large, and the business all through showed plenty of animation, more especially in the sheep classes. 4’at cattle - I'wo hundred head yarded, the bulk good handy steers. Bidding was brisk, and a good clearance was made without alteration of values by weight. Steers brought from £5 to .£9 15s ; heifers, .£1 17s Gd to £7 2s (id ; and cows, AM to £7.

Dairy cows —A medium entry of dairy cows contained very few good soils. Best cows springing and just calved realised from AM to AJB ; others from .£3 to .£5 10s. Store cattle —The entry was mainly of aged cows, and the business done affords 1.0 indication ot' values. Fat sheep— The market was well supplied, ail 1 there was an improve! ilomaml lor all daises, the advance being particularly noticeable in freezing sheep and best ewes. Best freezing wethers, 13s Gd to 15s 7d ; medium wethers, 11s Gd to 13s ; best heavyweight owes, 11s to 18s (M ; good sorts, 9 s to 10s ; inferior, 7s Gd to 8s fid ; merino owes, 5s to 7s Gd. Fat lambs —Fat lambs came forward in fairly large numbers, and met with go id demand, all being sold at twin 10s to 12s Gd tor prime sorts, and 7s Gd to 9s Gd for interior to medium. Score sheep —Largo entry, and good demand for all healthy well doing sorts, but cull lambs and inferior ewes were nol sought after. Pigs—A medium entry of pigs contained some very good fat sorts, which showed an advance of about 41 per lb, whilst stores rose from 2s Gd to Is per head.

CHRISTCHURCH PRODUCE MARKET. Christchurch, April 22. During the week there has not been much doing in wheat, and prices have weakened about 41 all round. A good deal was offering yesterday, and a number of linos changed hands, the market closing with firmer tone, and several enquiries for export.’ Many lines now coining forward show depreciation by the late wet weather. Oats remain firm here, and as prices in the Son 111 have hardened, are likely to keep up. There is nothing doing in other cereals. Onions have gone_ up 25s per ton, and potatoes are hardening, both being exported to Sydney in fair quantities.

The following are current prices: Wheat Pearl, 3s 3d to 3s 41; millers’ mixed lines, 8s 2d to 8s 41; Tuscan, 3s 21 to 8s 81; Hunters, 8- 2d to 3s .»d. Oats—Prime milling, 2s to 2s Id; short teed, Is lnd to2s ; duns and Danish, 4s 91to Is lOd. Parley —Malting, prime, Iks Gd to Is ; medium do, 3s"3d to 3s Gd ; second quality, 2s Gd to3s ; feed 2i 3d; Capo barley, 2.s 3d to 2s Gd. Beans-Well saved, 2s 3dticks, 2s 41 to2sGd. Peas—Bine Prussians, 3s Gd to 3s 9d ; white 8s 3d to 3s Gd. Flour Millers quote! roller, .£10; stone, .£9 10s. Sharps, AM; bran,, £B Ids ; oatmeal, ,£ll 10s; oatsheat chaff, 45s to 17s (id at handy country stations, according to quality. Onions, .£8 at country stations. Potatoes—Kidneys, 355; Dcnvonts, 85s to 87s Gd, both at country stations. Grass

seed : Ryegrass— Farmers’ lots, 2s Gd to 8s 3d ; machine - dressed, to Is ; heavy weignt, 4s 3d Cocksfoot—3d to 841 ; town machinedressed, 41 to lid, extra to 441. Dairy produce : Cheese —B,'d to 41 ; loal, hi to l-H. Battci —Factory, lud ; dairy, 7d to Sd. Salt. Gd. Bacon and hams, (id.

Price. Variation as compared with last week. X s. (1. [in. (Tmsols, 2 1' p.c. 112 r> o 27 - hi •’her X.S. W. !• per cent. 121 10 0 in - higher M.d.w. ::.i p.c. in;-! 11 lo - higher N.S.W. '■> per cent. lot 5 0 •JO - higher Victorian 1 p.c. 111 O 0 1.7 • higher Victorian lit p.c. 107 0 0 .7 - higher S. Australian t p.c. HI! lo 0 10 - higher S. A ustrulinn 2‘ p.c. 110 ,7 0 Unchanged Queeusoui! n.c. in; 0 1) 1.7 - IP-her Qiwo:h!:i!1 1 pa:. i (M 10 u 10 - iipj'h or New Zealand ! p.c* Ilf) 10 0 2o - higher 'tew Zealand:'..', p.c.f PM 10 0 til - hi;’her New Zo ilaii‘1 •> p.c. 101 0 0 17.- higher W. Australian 1 p.c. 110 7 o „ Tasmanian 31 p.c. 107 10 0 M - lower