COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1265, 28 May 1896, Page 6

COMMERCIAL.

MessrsFREEMANR. Jackson andCo.’s Wanganui stock report:—We had a good muster of cattle at Wavorley, mostly young stock; bitt vendors’ expectations wore rather in 6ico3s of buyers’ opinions, and the result was rather a modorato quittance. Very few sheep came forward, and those wore all sold. At Wanganui we had very few cattlo, but the sllcop yards wero taxed to their utmost, and wo have to report an increase on last week’s prices. Noarly all woro sold under the hammer, and at the close of the day only two pens remained unsold. Tlioro was koen competition for Mr Sargeant’s line of wethors. Pigs were dull of sale. Cattle—At Waverloy : Stoars, T2 7s (id to .£3 4s (id ; weaners, 22s Gd; milch cows, £2 to T 5 11s ; store cows, T2; fat cows, .£3 14s to Tt 4s; forward cows, £3 3s to £3 ss. At Wanganui; Cows, £2 to T2 2s; yearlings, 23s to 28s; woaners, 17s Gd to 20s, Sheep At WaverIcy : Ewos in lamb, 3s 7d to G» : wethors, (is 4d to 7s 9d. At Wanganui: Mr Sargeant’s wethers, 8s Gd to 8s fid; fat, 10s Id ; other wethers, 7s 3d to 9s 2d; fat wethers, 9s 7d to 9s 9d; fat ewes, 7s to 9s lid ; forward owes, 3s 8d to 5s Id; lambs, 43 2d to 4s Gd. Pigs— Baconors, 20s Gd; largo pork, 12s 9d to 19s Gd ; smaller, Gs Gd to 8s Gd; small pigs, 2s G(1 to 3s 4d. , Messrs Freeman R. Jackson and Co. s Johnsonville stock report (telegraphed last week to the New Zealand Mail) is as follows The cattlo entorod for the day’s Bale wero on the whole good ; a few pens of prime camo forward. Prices wero on a par with those ruling at last sale. Shoe]) were in usual numbers, but tho quality was only medium. No primo wero penned, and they wore all light weights. No pigs wore yarded. Cattlo—Best bullocks, £1 17s Gd to .£8 2s Gd; others, .£6 10s to T/ss; small stores, T 4 15s to Ts7s ; cows, T 4 5s to £■>; ox beef mado 17s Gd, and cow 14s per 1001 b. Sheep— Light wethors, 9s 4d to 10s 7d ; ewes, 78 Gd to 8s 2d ; store wethers, 8s 2d; lambs, 5s Gd to 7s. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, report for the week ending 22nd May, 189 G: — Wool.—Tho third scries of London sales closod firmly on 16th iust. Since tho close of the socond series all descriptions have suffered a doclino of 5 to 10 per cent. Iho notableabsoncc of American competition had a most baneful cffoct. Tho total quantity sold during tho past sales is 199,000 bales, of which 105,000 have boon taken for the Conionont, and 1000 bales for Amorica. It is tstimated that 75,000 bales have been held over for future disposal. Catalogues of local offerings coutinuo small, as is usually tho caso at this period of tho year. In sympathy with tho London market, prices obtaining aro a shade easier. ot good quality, well picked over, still command active enquiry. Sheepskins.—Market firm at For primo full-woolled crossbreds, 5d to s.|d; medium to good, 4(1 to 4jd ; broken and inferior, ltd to 3fd per lb; butchers’ green skins, 2s 9d to 3s ; modium, Is fid to 2s Gd ; pelts, 5d to Is Gd each. , Kabbitskius. —Tlicro is now a good demand for all descriptions, with a tendency to kin-kor values. Best autumn and early winter grey, fid to l(Qd ; medium, 01 to 8d ; summer, 3d to sjd ; suckers and inferior, Id to2id; best black, lOd to Is. Hides.—A largo number continue to arrive from Australia, and prices tend to rule lower. We, however, have no change to record as yet, and wo can repoat the quotations lately ruling, viz. Prime stout ox, 3J(1; medium, 3<d ; light, 2|-d to 3d ; green cow hidos, 2qd ; calf skins, 3Jd to 3kl per lb. Frozen Meat.—Lamb market better. Prime Now Zealand lambs are worth per carcase 4jd per lb. Hemp.—Practically no business passing. Fungus.—Very little offering. Quotations, 3d to 3|d per lb. Grain.—Wheat—There is a fair demand for feed parcels, and prices remain steady at for whole fowl feed 3s 2d to 3s sd, ex store, sacks extra. Oats—During (he week these have advanced another id per bushel, but it is anticipated that in the near future Southern supplies will be moro plentiful, and values in eonsequerico easier. Local prices remain at about the level of tlioso ruling a week ago, viz. —Prime stout feed fj grade, 2s 3d to 2s id ; D grade, 2s 2d to 2s 3d, ex store sacks in. Chaff. —The demand is equal to the quantity offering, and prices aro firm at tor prime bright heavy in oats, Gss to G7s Gd ; medium, 00s to G2s Gd, c i.f., sacks extra or returnable. Potatoes.—Stocks having eased off a little, prices are a skado firmer. We quote prime table Derwcnts, 09s to G2s Gd, ex store, sacks

in. Messrs A. G. Taine and Co. report on their horse sale on Saturday —There was a fairly good entry of a very mixed description, including a few draughts and half-draughts from tho country. Owing to our not being quite certain about their being forward in time, they were unsold, although the prices offered came vory near owners’ reserves. Thoy are now under offer privately, and will all find buyers. Draughts aro rising fast in the South, and good ones aro very scarce. Tho market on Saturday was a very dull one, not owing to absence of buyers exactly, but owing to the great lack of quality. When the right sort are sent, they sell if owners will accept fair value. The salc-s made on Saturday were mostly of lowpriced horses, and no guido to the market. Last week’s quotations stand good. Mr Matthew Henry reports of his Palmerston aalo —A moderate entry of sheep came forward to-day, while cattlo were a very poor show. Sheep with any substance sold readily at auction, whilo weakly lambs and mixed lines moved off slowly. The few cattle forward aoldat value. A good clearance was made at quotations. Cattle —Store cows, «£2 12s Gd ; yearling to 18-months, 33s ; strong weaners, 265; beefy cows, £1 ss. SheepForward wethers, 8s Gd; 4 and 6-tooth ewes in l. l fl~ ■ tn-rurovA aman 5a Id: WOolly

lambs, 4s 61 to 5s Gd ; shorn lambs, medium, 3s Id; full-mouth ewes, 4s Gd. Pigs— Porkers, 14s ; stores, 10s. Sydney, May 20. Wheat—Chick, 3s 3d to 3s Gd ; milling, nominal. Flour —Roller. c£ 10 5s to TlO 10s ; New Zealand, T 9 ss. Oats, scarce and firm —Good feeding, 2s 3d; no prime available. Maize—Prime, 2s Id. Barley—Cape, 2s fid to 2s lid. Pollard, fijd; bran, 9,d. Peas —Prussian Blue, 3s fid to 4s. Potatoes Circular Heads, £3 to T 3 2s Gd ; Now Zealand, £2 10s. Onions, plentiful, dull— Yiotorian, TG to £6 5s ; New Zealand, prime, £6 15s to T 7. Butter-Factory, lid to Is ; dairy, lOd to lid. Cheese—New Zealand, Gd to 61d. Bacon, old to Gd. Melbourne, May 20. Wheat, quiet, os Id to os 31(1. 1 lour Roller, £l2 10s. Oats, slightly weaker— Algerian, 2s lOd to 3s 3id ; stout white, 3s Id to 3s 2./cl ; Tartarian, 3s Id. Maize, 3s 4Jd to 3s 5kL Barley—Capo, 2s 31d. Bran, Is Ojd ; pollard, Is 3d. Adelaide, May 20. Wheat, 4s 4(1. Flour—Roller, TlO os. Oats —Algerian, 3s 9d to 4s ; stout white, 3s Bd. Barley—Cape feeding, 2s Gd to 3s ; seed, 3s Gd to 3s fid. Bran, 10Jd ; pollard, Is. London, May 20. The total quantity of wheat and flour afloat for tho United Kingdom is 2,460,000 quarters, and for tho Continent 1,270,000 quarters. The American visible supply is estimated at 75,100,000 bushois. The shares in tho National Bank of New Zealand are at 11; Bank of New Zealand 4 per cent, guaranteed stock, 105 ; New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company s 1 per cent, prior lion debentures, 93. V. London, May 21, The Bank of England returns published to-day show tho total reserve to bo T 37,991,000, tho proportion of reserve to liabilities being 59'40 per cent. Tiireo months’ bills aro discounted at l per cent. The following are the latest quotations lor Government securities: —

•Interest payable in May and November. flntorest payable in January and July. Frozen mutton is unchanged. Lamb, LI dearer. New Zealand hemp is unchanged. The English wheat market is quiet, and inolinod to weakness; the Continental is changing a little for tho bettor, and the American has a downward tendency. Sugar, weak—German, 11s Gd; Java, 13s No. 1 best Scotch pig iron, f.o.b. in Clyde, 46s fid. , , The Bradford wool market is dull. London, May 24. Rabbit skins arc in fair demand. New Zealand show a penny decline. Napier, May 22.

Tho Colonial Consignment and Distributing Company cabled to Nelson Bros, to-oay: “ Stocks of all kinds of frozen meat aro very heavy. To-day’s quotations are—Best Canterbury mutton, 3,id per lb ; ditto Dunedin, 2'd; Napier and North Island, 2 3-Sd. Our sales last week wore a little above the estimate.” THE ADDINGTON MARKET. Christchurch, May 20. Thero wore moderate entries at Addington to-day, and business all through was fairly brisk. The entries for the day comprised 12,80 sheep, 3GB cattle, and 500 pigs. Fat Cattle.—lso head of mixed quality were yarded, and bidding was more free than of late, but no alteration in last week’s prices can be quoted. Dairy Cattle. Best cows, £7 to £.); medium kinds, .£llos to TO 10s; inferior and aged, T2 to T 4. Store Cattlo—Fair yarding, but nearly all business done privately. Fat Sheep.—Largo yarding, and all really good butchers’ sheep sold at up to last week s quotations, hut freezers were, if anything, slightly easier. Second rate ewe mutton not sought aftor; prime heavy-weight crossbred wethers, 153 Gd to 17s ; prime freezing wethers, 14s to 15s; medium ditto and prime mixed sexes, 12s fid to 14s Gd ; maiden owes, 13s and up to 16s for extra good ; heavy weight ewes, 11s to 14s Gd; medium trade ewes, 8s Od to Ills fid ; merino wethers, Gs to 8s Gd ; ewes, 5s fid to 9s. Fat Lambs. —Small supply caused slight, improvement in better classes, which biougiit ‘Js Gd to 12s 2d; others, (is to 8s fid. Store Sheep.—The entry showed slight improvement in quality, ami turnip sheep were in strong demand; crossbred wethers and maiden ewes up to 11s 8d ; crossbred breeding ewes, 5s Gd to 8s 7d ; good forward lambs, 7s to 8s 3d; others from 5s to Gs Gd ; merino wethers, 5s Gd to Gs ; merino ewes in lamb, 3s ,( L .

Bigs. —Yarding of good quality. Baconers and porkers averaged 3d per lb. CHRISTCHURCH PRODUCE MARKET. Christchurch, May 20. Thero has been but little passing in tho grain and produce market during the past week, the high prices now ruling for both wheat and oats standing in the way of speculation, and only those who aro compelled to do so for immediate requirements have made purchases. In consequence of the advance in oats, millors have raised the price of oatmeal £1 per ton. This is the only alteration in quotations. Chaff in in request for shipment, but potatoes and onions are very dull. AUSTRALIAN NOTES. Sydney, May 23. In tho investment markets Sydney and Melbourne stocks have been well supported, but tho firmness of holders of all kinds of stocks, more especially Government _ and bank securities, limits business. Miscellaneous stocks changed hands freely at late full rates.

The week has been a dull ono in the import market, and business ha 3 been mainly restricted to small country orders. . For tho first 20 weeks of the year tho imports into Sydney show an increase of T 1.391,000, and tho exports a decrease ol TGOfiJ 00 as compared with tho corresponding period of last year. . , . ~ Another good general rainfall lias further improved tho pastoral and .agricultural outlook. The produce markets have closed quiet with the exception of feed oats, which arc very scarce, selling readily at 2s od to Gd for ordinary and New Zealand piimo. Onions, which arc scarce aro quoted at Tb ; other values arc unchanged. Melbourne, May 23. The crop prospects are assured owing to another good rain-fall. ... , The import market is still without much life. Wheat is quiet, holders refusing to sell under reserves, the quotations at countij stations, where stocks arc very low, being above what the city millers are prepared to offer. Feed produce lines aro steady, and oats very firm. The shortage of tho past season s wheat crop becomes more apparent as tho actual returns come to hand lor the first 20 weeks of this year. For that period the gross receipts of wheat and flour rcccivod by rail at Melbourne and Port Melbourne amounted to 315,800 bags, compared with 1,080,000 bags for the corresponding period of last year, whilo the deliveries at Geelong decreased by over half a million bags. The gross expott of wheat and flour from Melbourne during the same period showed a comparative decrease of 472,000 bags. On the basis of the present returns tho Age estimates a total shortage of 413,000 bags.

COLONIAL DAIRY PRODUCE. In their weekly market report, dated 10th April, Messrs W. Weddel and Co., London, state : Butter.—The demand for Australasian butter has been exceedingly quiet, and at tho close of the week the market is depressed. Tho season of Faster always is a very dull ono in the provision trade, and generally colonial butter falls rapidly in value as soon as the Faster holidays are passed. This year, though there is very little on the market, it appears as if tho same decline was about to begin. When choicest Danish is realising only 90s in Copenhagen, Australasian cannot long maintain its present price of 90s to vis in London. Indeed, both best and choicest colonial are from 2s to 4s down on tho week, and next week will pro bably go lower still. Owing to tho breaking up of tho drought in Australia, small quantities may from time to time he sent forward, but it would bo tar better to store this in tho Colony until next October, for by the time it arrives, prices will be very low. New Zealand butter in small quantities is coming forward, and the last vessel that left tho Colony has only four tons of butter aboard, so that it is apparent tho New Zealand season is also over. For tho sixth week in succession tho Copcnhtttren committee have lowered tho official quotation of Danish, and still their market is reported as quiet. On February 27th the price was 112 s, to-day it is 90s, showing an average fall of 3s Sd per cwt. a week. Tho price now is 3s Gd below the corresponding week of last year. This successive lowering of the quotation lias completely demoralised the market, and buyers have lost all confidence in tho stability of Copenhagen prices. Cheese.—The market for Canadian is firm, and at Liverpool yesterday prices were Is higher. It is the belief of many well informed hAlio trade that the market will remain firm for some weeks with an upward tendency. New Zealand finds a slow sale except for white, which is exceedingly scarce, and tins is true of Canadian as well. _ Prices remain unchanged since last quotation.

— Price. Variation as compared with last week. £ s. d. Im. Consols, 2} p.c. 112 5 0 5 - higher N.S.W. 4 per cent. 122 5 0 5 - higher N.S.W. 3.V p.c. 109 15 0 15 - higher N.S.W. 3 per cent. 102 0 0 Unchanged Victorian -1 p.c. 115 b 0 10 - higher Victorian 31 p.c. 107 15 0 10 - higher S. Australian 4 p.c. 111 10 0 pi ■ higher S. Australian 3| p.c. 112 0 0 5 - higher Queensland 4 p.c. 117 0 0 pi - higher Queensland 3 V p.c. no 0 0 10 - higher New Zealand 4 p.c* no 10 0 pi - higher 'sew Zealand 3.\ p.c.f 109 15 0 15 - higher Now Zealand 3 p.c. 102 5 0 5 - higher W. Australians! p.c. 112 0 0 20/- higher Tasmanian 31 p.c. 110 10 0 30,- higher

WELLINGTON MAEKET8. Messrs Laery & Co. report current wholesale values as under Hay and Corn Market. £ s. D. £ 8. D. Feed barley 0 2 8 to ft •j 9 ft Maize 0 (3 3 to ft 3 2 Oats, feed _ 0 2 3 10 to ft 5 Wheat, milling 0 3 to 0 Fowl Wheat 0 3 ft 3 7 Rye Corn 0 3 3 ft Seed Harley 0 3 4 10 0 Hay, ton 4 0 ft to Oaten, ton 3 10 ft 3 ft Straw, ton 2 15 0 to ft Chaff, oaten sheaf ... 3 10 ft Wheat, straw 3 0 ft to 10 0 Onions, •1 0 0 ft Potatoes. ft Potatoes 2 17 ft to 3 5 Farm and Dairy Produc B. £ £ s. D. s. D Milk, quart ... 0 0 21 to ft ft Hotter, fresh farm, lb 0 0 7 8 Putter, separator ... 0 0 ft to (1 ft 1ft Salt butter 0 0 ft to ft ft 7 Cheese ft ft 4 to 0 0 4.V 4] Loaf ft 0 Eggs, dozen (tresli) ... Bacon, lb ft 2 ft ft ft 51 Ham, lb ft ft 7 Fowls, pair ft 2 ft Ducks, pair 0 3 0 Geese, pair _ ft 4 ft to 0 ft Turkeys, pair ft ft ft 7 Ft®uit Market. £ a. D. JC B. L\ Roller (lour ft 5 ft Pollard 5 ft 0 Oatmeal 11 ft ft Bran 4 ft 0 Si! EDS. £ s. D. £ s. y % Ryegrass, Farmers’ lots ... _ • •• Ryegrass, Machine dressed ... 0 2 9 to 0 ft 3 4 3 ft 1 ft to ft Cocksfoot, lb ... ft ft 31 1ft to 0 ft 4i Wt. Clover, lb ft ft Red Clover, lb ft ft ft Alsykc, lb ft ft ft Cow Grass, lb... ft ft ft Timothy, lb ft ft 5 ft Rape, per owt 1 5 1ft 1ft Linseed, per owt ft