COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1289, 12 November 1896, Page 6

COMMERCIAL.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, report for the week finding Cth November, ISD'3 ! —Wool—Since our last report, ftdvie.es from several wool centres indicate a firmer t-dhe in ail descriptions. The sixth series of London SaleS have been fixed to open on 26th inst. Clips are coming forward to the local market but slowly, 'owing to the broken state of the weather, which is interfering with the progress of shearing. The Wellington Wool - brokers' Association has

therefore been obliged to postpone its first sale of this season to 4th December. Sheepskins—These continue in good demand, and late values are well maintained. Quotations are i for butchers' green, extra prime, 5s 3d to 5s 8d ; prime, 4s (id to 5s ; medium to good, 3s 9d to 4s 3d each ; country dry skins, full-wooiled, 5Jd to 5Jd; extra prime, Gd : good, 4*d to 5d ; medium, 3Jd tc 4£d ; inferior and broken, IJd t-d 3d per lb ; pelts, Sd to Gd s'aVed ox and cow hides we have a market at an advance in prices lately .quoted. Damaged and light station hides, Id to 2d per lb. Tallow—Our London office cabled us "yesterday as follows :—■ " Market better. Fine mutton is worth 22s 3d, and good beef IDs 9d per cwt." Local quotations are unchanged. Prime mutton is worth 15s to 15s Gd ; Rood mixed, 14s to 14s 6d ; inferior, 12s to 13s per cwt. Frozen meat —Our London office, under date Cth inst., cabled us as follows:—"Mutton market weak, Canterbury mutton is worth 3gd, and Wellington mutton 3Jd \iev lb. Hemp—A better tone prevails in the hemp market, and advance of 10s per ton has been obtained on last week's quotations. Quotations are now forg.f.a.q., £ll per ton f.0.b." C4rain —A substantial rise has taken place during the week in both wheat and oats, more especially in tiie former, which has advanced Gd to 8d per bushel, and the latter Id to 2d. Good whole fowl wheat is now quoted at 3s lOd to 3s lid, ex store, sack-, extra. Good stout feed oats at2s4d to2sGd,saeksin,exstore. Maize is in fair supply, and is quoted at 3s to 3s 2d sacks in, ex store. Chart -There is Still plenty offering, with a poor demand. Quotations are GOs to Gss, sacks returnable, ex trucks or wharf. Potatoes —A ■ good demand still continues, and they are worth now from .£'4 10s to £5 per ton, sacks in, ex wharf. Fungus is worth from 3d to 3.Jd per lbfor good dry stuff.

Messrs Levin and Co., Limited, have received from their agents, Messrs Dalgety and Co., Limited, the following cable message, dated London, 4th November : —" The wool market is very firm and advancing. American buyers are operating freely."

Messrs A. G. Taine and Co. rcuort on their horse sale on Saturday : —We had a good entry, mostly of light harness horses, for which there is little demand. The attendance was limited, and buyers none too plentiful. Wo had no draughts entered. For good draughts and spring carters with good trials there is a good demand, but very few coming forward. We sold light harness horses, £8 to £l2 ; hacks, £4 to £G 10s ; and a large number of crocks from 10s upwards. We can only say of the sale that the class was very poor, with a few exceptions. Mr Matthew Henry, Palmerston North, reports under date Novembers: —A good muster of cattle came forward to-day. Sheep were limited in numbers, but were quite equal to the demand. A fair proportion of cattle changed hands at prices in buyers' favour. Quotations as under: —-Cattle —Fat bullocks, £5 ss; fat cows, £4 2s ; 3-year steers. £4 ss; 2-year steers and heifers, £1 18s; yearlings, £1 Gs to £l'lls; wcaners, 15s to 19s. Sheep—Ewes with lambs, 7s Gd. Pigs—Weancrs, 4s 6d to Gs Gd. Messrs Abraham and Williams report : —On Monday last we had fair entries of both sheep and cattle at Levin. Notwithstanding the inclement weather there was a good attendance. Sheep of all classes were freely competed for at prices somewhat better than recent rates, with the exception of one pen, for which good otters were made. We cleared the lot. Good sorts of young cattle sold freely, other classes dull of sale, female stock being mostly turned out unsold. Store wethers, lis 3d ; forward ewes, 7s 7d to 9s; ewes and lambs, 7s Gd to 9s 9d ; culled shorn hoggets, 4s 2d. At Colyton on Tuesday cattle were in limited numbers only. The demand was weak, and business done insufficient for quotations. Sheep, below average numbers, were in good inquiry, reserves in some instances being in excess of market values, which became a bar to business, but the greater portion was disposed of. Good store wethers, in wool, lis 9d ; forward ewes and wethers in wool, 9s 9d ; ewes and lambs, 9s ; empty ewes, mixed ages, Gs Gd. At Palmerston on Friday a full muster of cattle came forward, the greater portion being wanting in condition and quality. However, buyers were present and, operating with more freedom than of late, practically cleared the lot. Beef in moderate enquiry only, some of the fat cows going back unsold. Sheep, in fewer numbers, were dull of sale under the hammer, though the greater portion was afterwards disposed of. Prime fat ewes, 7s 3d ; others, Gs 3d; -1tooth maiden ewes in the wool, 10s 6d ; ewes, mixed ages, 8s; store wethers, fair quality, 10s Gd. Fat cows, £4 3s to £4 7s Gd; fat bullocks, £G Gs ; 18months steers, £2 8s Gd; 3-year steers, £3 10s to £3 15s; ai-year bullocks, £4 ss; 21-year steers, £3 Is; yearling steers, 32s ; 18-months heifers, 32s Gd; mixed yearlings, 27s Gd. Joiinsonvit.lk, November 4. Freeman R. Jackson and Co.'s Johnsonville stock report:—We had some prime cattle entered for the sale. The rest were middling. Prices were lower than at last sale. The yards were well filled with sheep, mostly ewes. All were at lower values. One pen of extra heavy wethers made 13s 4d. Pigs— All sold in favour of the vendor. Cattle—Best bullocks, £8 to £8 12s Gd ; others, £G 15s to £7 10s ; smaller sorts, £6 2s 6d to £G 10s, equal to 16s and lGs Gd the 1001 b. Sheep—Wethers, 8s 7d ; ewes, Gs Gd to Gs lid ; extra heavy wethers, 13s 4d ; lambs, -Is to Gs lid. Pigs—Baconers, £2 10s ; large pork, 25s to 30s; porkers, 15s to 20s ; voung pigs, 10s to 14s. Wanganui, November 4. Freeman R. Jackson and Co.'s Wanganui stock report:— As a consequence of the severe weather, some of the entries for Waverley, and also Wanganui, did not come forward. The yardings at both places were small. At Waverley we quitted the entry with the exception of one small pen of cattle. At Wanganui bidding was slack, ana part of the entry left the yards unsold. Only a few pigs came forward. We quote : Cattle—At Waverley : Yearling heifers, 30s ; 2-year steers, £2 10s to £3. At Wanganui: Fat cows, £3 to £3 17s; store cows, £2 15s ; 3-year steers, £4 ; 18-months cattle, £2 to £2 ss. Sheep—At Waverley: Wethers, 10s ; hoggets, 9s 6d. At Wanganui: Fat ewes, 9s Gd ; shorn fat ewes, Gs Gd. Chuistchurch, November 4. Activity in the local wheat market continues, and it is understood that the millers have still further advanced the price of hour for export. The tone of the market is quite upheld, and the sale of several lines is rerxjrted at country stations or for local consumption at equal to 4s 3d, f.o.b. Locally very little is offering, holders feeling confident of a further advance in the near future. In consequence of a further advance in Southern quotations, oats have again improved, and the market is characterised by a firm tone, especially for heavy sorts, suitable for Home shipment. In other cereals there is but little doing. Oatsheaf chaff continues to be exported in fair quantities, but buyers will only operate to fill orders. The trade doing in potatoes has been almost of a retail character, as all orders for Northern centres are being curtailed, but the market closes firm at quotations. The following are current prices : —Wheat —Pearl (prime milling), 3s lid to 4s 3d ; Tuscan, 4s Id to 4s 2d ; Hunter's, 4s to 4s 2d ; good seconds, 3s to 3s Gd. Oats — Canadians, 2s to 2s 2d ; short feed, 2s to 2s Id; Tartars, Is lid ; duns and Danish, Is lid to 2s. Barley— Malting, prime, nominal, 3s Gd to 3s 9d ; medium do., 2s 9d to 3s 4d ; feed, 2s 3d to 2s Gd. Beans (nominal), 2s Bd. Peas —Partridge, 3s 6d. Flour — Millers quote roller, £ll ; stone, £lO. Sharps, £3 10s ; bran, £2 15s; oatmeal, £ll 10s ; oatsheaf chaff, 40s (at handy country stations for prime samples). Potatoes—Derwents, 65s to 67s 6d, market fluctuating, at country stations. There was a good attendance at the Addington market to-day, but entries were not so large as was exnected seeing that there will be no sale next week. Fat cattle—About 250 were yarded, the entry being composed of mixed lines. Steers brought from £5 to £8 10s ; heifers, £4 15s to £7 7s 6d; cows, from £3 15s to £6 15s. Beef sold at about the same rates as last week, the best bringing from 18s to 19s Gd per 1001 b, and secondary from 14s. Dairy cattle—Dairy cows were again very dull of sale, the top price being £5. Store cattle—The tone, of the market showed a slight improvement. Yearlings, £1 15s ; two-year-olds, to £2 15s ; thrae-year-old heifers, up to £4 ; three-year-old steers, £5 10s; good store cows, to £3 10s. Fat sheep—A good entry, composed mostly of butchers' sheep. The sale opened well, and late values were maintained till near the close, when the market completely collapsed. Good competition was shown for a few wethers that came to hand, but there was little or no demand for maiden ewes. The range of prices

was : Best shorn wethers, 13s to 15s 63 ; inferior do., 10s 9d to lis 9d; maiden ewes, 10s to 13s Gd ; best shorn fat ewes, 10s to 12s ; medium do, 8s to 9s; shorn merino wethers, 4s 6d to 9s 7d ; best crossbred wethers in wool, 16s to 19s; medium do, 12s 9d to 14s Gd; best crossbred wethers and nlaiden eWes in wool, 15s to 183 Gd ; medium do. 12s Gd to 14s Gd; fat ewes in .wool, lis 9d to 15s 6d! nierino .wethers in wool, 7s 6d td iSs iod; Fa§ lambs—A very large entry came forward, arid prices ranged from 8s to 12s. Store sheep—There" was | only a small entry. Good wethers sold at i values equal to last week's; good young ewes, with a large percentage of lambs, were also in request. Shorn crossbred wethers brought from 9s to 9s 2d ; crossbred wethers in the wool, 12s Gd : crossbred ewes in the wool, and lambs, 12s to 13s ; shorn do, 9s 8d ; shorn crossbred ewes, 8s ; merino ewes, in the wool, 8s to 8s 3d. Pigs—There was only a moderate entry and high prices ruled, as buyers had to obtain two -weeks' supplies. SatJondrs brought from 29s to 40s Gd; porkers, 19s to 325; choppers, 31s to 455; stores, Ss 6d tp iGs, 6d: Bacdners realised 3*d to 3?d per lb, and pdrkerSj 3*dto4d;

London, Ndvembe'r 3; There is good enquiry for wool, at prices 5 per cent, above the closing rates of last sales, except for inferior sorts.

London, November 6. The Bank of England returns published to-day shows the total reserve to bo .£25,470,000 (£504,000 less than last week), *hc proportion of reserve to liabilities being 51'96 per cent, (IT2 less than last week). Three months' bills are discounted at 3 9-16 per cent., a rise of I'lb' per cent. The following aro the latest quotations for Government securities :

Unchanged

*lnterest payable in May and November, ilnterest payable in January and July.

New Zealand frozen mutton, first quality, Sfd ; second, 3£d ; lamb, 3|d. New Zealand hemp is unchanged. Wheat —New York red, number 2, red winter, 77i- cents. The English wheat market is firm, with an upward tendency ; the Continental is showing an upward tendency, while American is advancing continuously. The sutrar market i 3 firm. German, best, 9s lAd ; Java, 10s 9d.

Variation as — Price compared with last week. £ s. . a. 2 : }% Imperial Consols .. 109 5 0 15/- higher. 4% N.S.W 118 0 0 Unchangedi 3i% N.S.W ICG 0 0 10/- higher. 3% N.S.W 100 15 0 5/- higher, 4% Victorian 111 10 0 30/- higher. 8J% Victorian 101 5 0 i 10/- higher; 4% South Australian 110 10 0 Unchanged* 3-}°o South Australian .. 109 0 0 30/-higher. 3% South Australian — _^_ 4% Queensland 110 15 0 5/- higher. 3h",o Queensland .. 105 5 0 5/- higher. 4% New Zealand* 3A% New Zealand! 110 15 105 5 0 0 Unchanged. 5/- higher. 3% New Zealand .. 99 10 0 10/- higher. 3.J% West Australian .. 103 5 0 5/- higher. • > /o ■* eao .uiMrdiiitu . . i S.V.'b Tasmania .. .. | 107 10 0 Unchanged.