COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1264, 21 May 1896, Page 7

COMMERCIAL.

Messrs A. G. Tains and Co. report of their horse sale on Saturday—There was only a moderate entry, which included a few draughts. The attendance was good, and a fair number of sales resulted. Wo have sold draughts, young and big, from .£25 to <£3o; medium, .£lO to =£2o, and have a demand for more. The entry o c good harness horses was very limited. Sales wore made from =£S to .£l2, tho latter price being for two good useful sorts ; weedy sorts from £2 10s to =£6. A consignment of good harness horses suitable for butchers’ and grocers’ carts would find buyers, and also sonic of a superior kind for harness work. Privately wo have disposed of a few good draughts at very satisfactory prices. Messrs Abraham and Wi lid am,s report : At Pahiatua on Tuesday our entries, both of cattle and sheep, were in oxccss of advertised numbers. The sheep, with tho exception of one or two lines, were of rather inferior quality. Good quality lambs and wethers were freely competed for, with rather a dragging sale for others. We practically quitted every line offored. Good conditioned stoors sold freely at recent rates, but several lots of cattle were turned out unsold. At Palmerston on Thursday wc had very full entries of sheep, considerably more than wco advertised, with an average entry of cattle. Wethers and dry sheep, excepting first-class quality, wore somewhat easier, and as is usual at this timo of the year, condition begins to make its weight felt. Good lambs and Jjinooln ewos in lamb, of which wo had a good entry, were well competed for, and wo clearod the yards with tho exception of two or three pons. For cattle, tho buyers wore conspicuous by their absence, and wo had a tussle to clear the bulk ol those enterod. Fat cows and healthy young steers maintained their value. We quote : At Pahiatua.—Sheep—Forward wethers. 8s 3d to 8s Id ; 2-tooth do, 7s 3d ; culls, 5s Gd to 6s ; ewes (empty), 4s 3d to 4a 9d ; in lamb, 5s Id to Os; 2-tooth mixed (snail), 4s lOd; lambs, shorn, best, 5s lOd ; others, 2s 7d to -Is 6d. Cattle —21-year steers, £3 ss; 2-year do, =B2 15s to =£2 18s; store cows, j£2 12s 6d; cows in calf, £2 7s Gd; dairy cows at profit, £5 2s Gd to =£s 5s ; well-bred weaners, 28s Gd; sparling heifers, 39s to .£2 2s. At Palmerston.—Sheep—Fat wothors,9s lOd ; fat ewos, 7s lOd ; store wethers, 8s to 8s lid; 2-tooth do., 7s to 7s lOd ; mixed ewes and wethers, 5s lOd to 7s lOd ; forward ewes, Gs Sd to 7s : others, 2s 5d to 4s -Id ; Lincoln owes in lamb, 5s 7d to 8» ; G-tooth do., 8s 9d ; Romney do., 5s -Id to 7s; others, Is 5d ; woolly lambs (good), Gs 9d ; others, 4s to 4s Gd ; shorn do. (good), 5s Gd ; others, 2s 7d to 4s 7d. Cattle—Fat cows, £1 10s ; fat heifers, ,£ 1 2s ; fresh conditioned 3-year steers, .£4 to £1 10s ; 2.1 -year do., .£2 17s Gd to -£3 Gs ; dry cows, £3 to =£3 11s ; yearling and 18 months, 365; weaners, 14s Gd. Messrs Freeman It. Jackson and Co.’s Wanganui stock report (telegraphed on tho 13th to the New Zealand Mail) is as follows:—At the Wanganui yards to-day sheep maintained last sale rates. They were well competed for. The bidding for cattlo was fairly good. Pigs were better in value. We cleared out all the stock with the exception of a small pen of cattle. Cattle—Fat cows, ,£3 15s to £1 3s; small bullocks, .£5 ; I empty heifers, £2 5s to .£■! lbs ; I store* cows, £2 2s ; milch cows, .£5 to £5 10s; yearlings, 335. Sheep—Fat I wethers, 9s 3 i to 9s 9d ; fat ewes, 7s Gd to 8i ; fid; empty ewes, 4s 7d to 5s lOd ; 2-tooth j ewes, 7s 9d ; others, 5s 7d tolls 01. Pig— j

email haveners, 2.s to 23s ; large pork, 17s G-i to 19s; porkers, 12s to 15s Gd ; small pigs, Is Gd. The New Zealand Loan and .Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, report for the week ending loth May, IS9G : Wool.—Under date 12th inst. our London office cables as follows :—“|The wool sales will close on lGtli inst. Since the opening of the series tho following are par to Id per lb lower : Merino washed and scoured, superior, medium and inferior, and greasy merino, medium and inferior ; fine crossbred greasy, washed and scoured ; medium crossbred, washed and scoured ; coarse crossbred, washed and scoured ; greasy merino lambs, medium and inferior. Other descriptions unchanged. The total quantity catalogued to date is 145,000 bales.” Local transactions during the week have not been largo. All parcels, however, continue to realise well up to the London equivalent. Clean crutcliings are in exceptionally active demand. Sheepskins. — We brought forward a satisfactory catalogue of all descriptions at our sale this week, for which late prices were easily obtainable Butchers’ skins, in consequence of increased length of staple, showed an appreciable advance. We quote For prime full-woolled crossbreds, 5d to 5 Id ; medium to good, 4d to 4',‘d ; interior and broken, ILI to 3;d per lb. Butchers’green skins, 2s o r d to 2s lid ; medium. Is 8d to ‘2s ;

Rabbitskins.—Best autumn skins are a shade firmer than whon we last quoted, being quoted at 9d to lOd ; medium, Gd to 8d ; summer’s, 3d to 51 d; suckers and in* ferior, Id to 2Jd ; best autumn black, scarce, Is per lb. Consignments solicited. Hides. —Wo have nothing new to report, Values remain at the lovel of chose ruling a week ago. Frozen Meat.—We have no change to report.

Hemp.—Market quiet. Quotations nominally £9 10s to £lO per ton. Fungus.—None offering. Quotations unchanged at 3d to 3jd per lb. Grain, —Wheat—Market well supplied with feed wheat, which, at the moment, is dull of sale. Wo quote : For good wholo fowl feed, 3s 2d to 3s sd, ex store, sacksextra. Oats —In consequence of the largo quantity being stored, Southern markets continue to harden. Local values, though firmer, have not improved in proportion to tho advance reported from South. To-day’s quotations are—Prime stout food, C grade, 2s 3d to 2s Id ; D grade, 2s 2d to 2s 3d, ox store, sacks in.

Chaff.—A good enquiry exists, and values have a tendency to firm, though wo have no material change to record. Wo quote—Prime bright heavy in oats, Gss to G7a Gd; medium, 60s to 62s Gd, c.i.f., sacks in. Potatoes.—Market unchanged. Stocks aro still in excess of demand. Quotations— Prime table Derwents, 53s Gd to 60s, ex store, sacks in.

A London market cablegram received by the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company states :—Tallow —Market weak. Fine Now Zealand mutton is worth 20s per cwt; New Zealand good beef is worth 17s 9d per cwt; quotations nominal. Frozen Meat Lamb market better. Prime Now Zealand lambs are worth per carcase 4§d per lb. Sheepskins Market inactive. Morino lias declined Id to jd per lb ; crossbred combing lias declined ,d per lb.

Sydney, May 13. Wheat—Chick, 3s 3d to 3s Gd ; milling, Now Zealand, 3s Gd; prime local, nominally, 4s 3d. Flour—Roller brands, £lO 10s ; Now Zealand, £9 ss. Oats—Best feeding, 2s 3d. Maize Prime, 2s. Barley—Capo, 2s 9d to 3s. Pollard and bran, 9jd to lOd each. Peas—Prussian Blue, 3s ltd to 4s. Potatoes— Locally grown, £2 to £2 10s ; New Zealand, £2 15s, Onions, £G ; New Zealand, £7 to £B. Butter Factory, lid to Is ; dairy, lOd to lid. Cheese—Now Zealand, large, 6d to G.jd. Bacon, 51 <1 to Gd. Sydney, May 18. Compared with tho same period last your, an increase of 38 per cent, in tho value ol tho imports is shown. Tho contraction in tho exports is wholly the result of the drought. Melbourne, May 13. Wheat, 5s Id. Flour, roller, £l2 10s. Oats— Finn ; Algerian, 3s 3d ; medium Tartarian, 3s; stout, 3s 3d. Maize, 3s 7d. Melbourne, May 18. In wheat the only noticeable feature is tho improved demand in the country on milling account. A large proportion of the country mills have almost worked out tho earlier purchases of wheat, and will roquiro to conic into the market shortly. Adelaide, May 13. Whoat, Is 4d. Flour—Roller brands, £lO ss. Oats—Feeding, 2s Gd to 3s ; stout white, 3,s 8d ; Algerian, 3s Od to 4s. Barley, Capo seed, 3s Gd to 3s 9d ; bran, lOjd; pollard, llid. Adelaide, May 18. Thoro is a bettor demand for whoat, and indications scorn to point to slight improvements in rates, although timo alone can show whether these improvements will be maintained. The opinion of those who have closely studied the matter differ widely on tho point of exportable surplus. London, May 13. The total quantity of wheat and flour afloat for tho United Kingdom is 2,280,000 quarters, and for the Continent 1,210,000 quartors. Tho American visible supply of wheat is 77,700,000 bushels. Australian and New Zealand Mortgage Company’s 4J- per cent, debentures aro quoted at 107. London, May 14. The Bank of England returns published to-day show tho total reserve to bo £37,152,000, the proportion of reserve to liabilities being 59'10 per cent. Three months’ bills are discounted at 15-lGtbs per cent. The following are the latest quotations for Government securities: —

— Price. Variation as compared with last wook. Im. Consols, 2'{ p.c. £ s. d. 112 0 0 5 - higher N.S.W. 4 per cent. 122 0 0 Unchanged N.S.W. 3$ p c. 109 0 0 55 higher N.S.W. 3 per cent. 102 0 0 5/- higher Victorian 1 p.c. 114 15 0 15, - higher Victorian 3.1 ]).c. 107 5 0 5,'- higher S. Auslraliun 1 p.c. 114 0 0 15 - higher S. A list ralian 'U ]t.c. lil 13 0 10 - higher Queensland 1 p.c. 110 10 0 5,- higher Queensland 3.1 p.c. 109 10 0 5,- higher New Zealand 4 p.c*' i 115 15 0 5'- higher New Zealand 31 p.c.f 109 0 0 Unchanged New Zealand 3 p.c. 102 0 o 15 - higher W.A u>tra!i;:n 31 p.c. 111 0 0 : lo - higher Tasmanian 31 p e. j 10!) 0 0 i 15 - higher