COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4144, 2 July 1874, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

The following report is given in the European Mail of'the sth May:—Ear Shells—of 87 cases 9 casks 10 bags New Zealand green only 2 cases sold ; medium at Os. per dozen, the remainder withdrawn. CHRISTCHURCH. Tho grain and produce market is thus reported upon by tho Times of Saturday :—ln grain there is no alteration to notice. Business lias been almost confined to transactions between merchant and merchant. Wo repeat last week’s farmers’ quotations as follows: —Wheat, 4s. 3d. to 4s. 4d., or 4s, sd. for extra prime ; oats, 4s. to 4s. 3d.; barley, good bright malting samples, 4s. 6d. to 4s. 9d. We have to note a fall of 10s. per ton on flour, bran, and sharps, the result of competition among millers, Tho present prices are— Flour, £lllos. in sacks, £l2 in 1001 b. bags, £l2 10s. for 601 b. bags ; bran, £5 15s. per ton ; sharps, £0 10s. per ton, with 10s. extra f.0.b., in Lyttelton ; oatmeal, £25 per ton. Farmers are still receiving 12jd. to 13£d. for butter, with no prospect of fall; and for cheese, Cjd. to Cd. Bacon and hams are worth Sid. in cloth, f.0.b,, in Lyttelton; hams only, lid.; bacon only, 7Jd. For potatoes as high as £3 10s. per ton has been vaid. during the week. DUNEDIN. Tne Guardian of Saturday last reports thus of the week's transactions The very inclement weather which wo have experienced during tho past week has made trade oven duller than on the previous one. Tho country traffic has fallen off considerably, although rates of cartage are not very high for this season of tho year. Brandy still keeps its position, and shows no signs as yet of quieting down. Holders of superior brands evince no disposition to do business in this lino except at top figures. Several parcels of mm have changed hands (luring the week, but the prices remain unchanged. In whisky there is not much stir, but there has been a slight run on Olcnury and Campbelton, Geneva is brightning up, but the imported spirit is losing ground, in consequence of the demand for the local article. Kerosene has been active, owing to the reduced market having been replenished by the 1,700 cases brought by tho William Gifford. Sugars are very dull indeed ; in fact they have made but a very slight movement for some time past. Tho corn and grain market lias been somewhat quiet during the week. LONDON WOOIIiARKET REPORT. The second series of colonial wool sales for tho year commenced on April 28, being somewhat later than tho commencement last year. The arrivals to date of'sale comprised : New South Wales and Queensland, 52,787 bales; Victorian, 117,440 bales ; Tasmanian, 9012 bales; South Australian, 35,995 bales; West Australian, 3915 bales; NeWrZcaland, 40,100 bales; Capo and Natal, 34,119 ; total, 293,380 bales, being the largest quantity to hand for one sale over known. The nearest approach to it was in that most depressed year, 1870, when 273,900 bales were to hand. Messrs. Jacomb. Son, and Co., commenting on the fact, gay“ Tho present circumstances of tho market arc most widely different from those of that depressed year, when the trade was in a condition but little able to deal with such a supply. About 39,000 bales more were disposed of in the first series this year than in 1873, and, as stocks in tho manufacturing districts are now very light, wc may reckon that thus tho equivalent of a very material proportion of the expected increased production of this season has in fact already gone into consumption. That circumstances have pushed forward a larger bulk of wool rather earlier this year than previously, will not, wo think, be looked upon os any very disquieting circumstance

when practically considered. South American accounts predict a decreased production thence this year by reason of a bad season. At the first night s sale there was a largo attendanceDf French customers, and a fair sprinkling from Germany and Belgium, while the homo trade was fully represented ; the biddings did ’ not show very great animation, and prices for combing wools may be quoted about Id. to 14d., clothing descriptions Id., and wools in grease about Id. below the average of February-March rates. Under date March 1, Mr, Helmuth Schwartze remarks :—“ The second aeries of sales of Colonial wool commenced on the 2Sth ult. The following are the arrivals Sydney, 52,787 bales; Port Phillip, 117,440; Van Diemen’s Land, 9012 ; Adelaide, 34,995 ; Swan River, 3915 ; New Zealand, 40,100; Cape, 34,110. Total, 203,380 bales. Of the above 283,380 bales, 13,000 bales—Booo Cape and 5000 Australian —were forwarded direct to Yorkshire and the Continent, leaving about 280,000 bales for disposal in this market. Heavy supplies were expected, but the actual arrivals considerably exceed even the largest estimates, and, in the rather indifferent condition of the trade, this exceptional accumulation of wool has not failed to produce a corresponding depression in prices. Port Phillip and Sydney fleece rule 2d. lower than at the close of the March scries, the decline being strongest in the case of Inferior faulty lots, of which there is a plentiful supply. The fall is less marked in scoured sorts, especially where clean shafty wools are concerned, and still more moderate in greasy kinds, which sell but Id. to Id. below March quotations, and even reach them occasionally. On washed cross-bred there is a strong decline (2d. to Sd.) ; on greasy, however, only about Id., owing to a fair amount of foreign competition.

THE LONDON SKIN MARKET. A writer in the London newspapers which make Australian affairs their speciality, writes as follows on a subject which cannot but have interest for many members of the community : —That Australians should, now-a-days, require to be taught the best manner of making the most money out of their hides and sheep-skins, may appear somewhat unreasonable. Twenty years ago, or less, those commodities were often absolutely wasted; but now that every carrier on the roads, every butcher and storekeeper up country is interested in them, one would have thought they would be treated in the best and most profitable manner. Judging from a circular issued by Messrs. Windelor and Bowes, of London and Liverpool, this does not appear to be the case. Under date April 20, these gentlemen write —and we hope their utterances may receive attention, as follows: growth of the sheep-skin trade at Liverpool —where the import from the River Plate has increased ninefold during the past seven years—leads us to beliovo that with proper management the sale in London of Australian skins may bo largely developed, and we invite the co-operation of wool brokers, hide brokers, and other interested parties. Last year’s import of Australian and New Zealand skins into London was 30,078 bales, containing about 360,000 skins. Owing to the large increase in fellmongoring power, ten times this quantity could be easily absorbed. At present Australian skins labor under several disadvantages ; they are carelessly packed, and often so much worm-eaten that the pelt or skin portion is nearly worthless: then they are sold in a straggling sort of way at irregular periods. Concentration and publicity arc necessary to draw full competition. We beg to suggest that importers should select some accessible and central place for storage, so as to save buyers the time and trouble at present wasted in wandering all over the town, also that the brokers should unite in selling on the same day. To show the magnitude of the skin trade wo subjoin a statement of the import into England alone in 1873, viz.—River Plate, 20.201 bales, containing about 3,500,000 skins ; Capo of Good Hope, 12,082 bales, containing about 1,100,000 skins; Australia and Now Zealand, 3078 bales, containing about 360,000 skins. River Plate skins are received in pressed and hooped bales, weighing 900 to 1000 lbs., containing nine or eleven dozens each, and almost always in an unwashed state, with the heads and dung-locks trimmed off. The skins are classed into Merino, No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, scabbed, and torn ; they are folded first lengthways and then doubled again, but before being baled the skins are cured as follows, to prevent worms : —After being stripped from the sheep the skins are stretched out to dry on ropes on wires in the open air, but screened from the sun to prevent the skin becoming brittle ; when they are thoroughly dry, the fleshy side is painted with a solution made as follows—3o lbs. of arsenic and 2S lbs. of soda are mixed with 50 gallons water and boiled for three hours until dissolved ; one quart of this solution is then added to one gallon of water, and the mixture is applied with a whitewash brush, so as just to damp the pelt. Skins should not be dried too quickly, or they will crack where folded, and as a matter of choice it would be better not to fold them at all. A similar method might be applied to Australian skins. NEW ZEALAND HEMP. Messrs. Schroeder and Mortleman of London, make the following report of the hemp market up to the 4th of May:—Our last was dated IGth ult., since which the market has remained quiet. 280 bales have been offered at auction, ISO bales of whicli sold at rather easier rates, Toppets at £ls ss. to £l6, and middling to fair hemp, £lB to £2O. Delivery in April, 1874, 114 tons ; in April, 1873, 130 tons ; Stock, the 30th April. 1874, 2460 tons ; 30th April, 1873, 690 tons. Arrivals amount to 1885 bales since last advice. Manilla hemp remains dull, with a drooping tendency, the quotation for fair current to-day is £33 to £34. 0 Messrs. G. and J. A. Noble report on the same date :—Although still unable to alter our last quotations for this article, we have to report considerable irregularity in the sales during the past month. This has shown itself chiefly in the medium grades, otherwise the trade is fairly steady. Quotations will bo as follows: —Common, £ls 10s. per ton ; fair, £l9 10s. per ton ; good, £2l to £22 per ton ; fine, £27 10s. per ton. Landings for April, 1873, 171 tons ; deliveries ditto, 127 tons ; stock, Ist May, 645 tons. Landings for April, 1874, 249 tons ; deliveries ditto, 104 tons ; stock, Ist May, 2468 tons. The following are the particulars of the public sales of imports from Wellington Glenlora—OD, 11 bales, sound, sold, £2O ; OD N, 10 bales, sound, sold £l9 ; anchor 2, 12 bales, bought in, £2O; anchor K, 4 bales, bought in ; CTG, 44 bales, bought in, £24 ; HM, 12 bales, bought in, £23. Halcione—O in diamond, 528 bales, bought in, £24; 11 bales damaged sold, April 23, FC in diamond, 10 bales, sound, sold £lB 10s. ; 37 bales, sound, sold £lB 15s. BY TELEGRAPH, AUCKLAND. Mr. Alexander Saunders reports Sales r South British, 495.; City of London, 325. ; Crown Prince, 21s. ; Whan, 755. ; City of York, 11s, Buyers ; National Bank, 755.; Fiji Bank, 555. ; Caledonian, 197 a. 6d. ; Crown Prince, 225.