FINANCE AND TRADE.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 3957, 24 January 1900, Page 6

FINANCE AND TRADE.

“New, Zealand Times” office, Tuesday evening. The Customs returns for to-day amounted to £2575 9s. Messrs Freeman R. Jackson and Co., in conjunction with Messrs Abraham and Williams, report on their Johnsonville stock sale as follows:—Cattle in average numbers. The demand was somewhat sluggish owing to a, portion 01 the trade having purchased outside during the wj’ok. Prime ox beef, haudv weights, made 16s the lOOlh,- with an occasional pen up to 17s. Large framish oxen were at 15s, prices ranging from £6 5s to £8 ss. A few cow made £3 15s to ,£-l 15s. Sheep, in small numbers, proved adequate to the demand. No wethers were yarded. Fat ewes made 9s Id to 9s lOd ; secondary sorts, 8s Gd. A few lambs of fair quality made 9s 6d ; others, 9» 2d.

The Colonial Consignment and Distributing Company ‘ reports as follows under date London, 15th December: The Board of Trade returns for November, and Customs reports to December 9th, evidence the continued steady increase of all kinds of meat, with the exception of live cattle and sheep, which have come in diminished numbers from all exporting countries, except Canada, which this year lias sent 20,188 sheep more than last) and 1715 more than 1897. United States cattle have fallen away 40,526 head compared with last year, and 86,504 with 1897. Imports from Argentina this year are 1643 less than last year. but 11.669 more than 1897_. Canada this year has sent 14,918 less than 1898, 'and 32,759 less than. 1897. Total imports of cattle are 56,604 less than in 1898. and 106,941 fewer than in 1897. In live sheen United States are 20.497 less than 1898. and 61,504 than 1897; Argentina. 37,263 fewer than 1898, but 32,131 • more than , 1897. '‘Other countries” are 3870 less than last year, when 12.193 were received from Falkland Islands, and 28,089 from Denmark (Iceland). The total sheep imported amount to 581,042, compared with 622,484 last year, and are much on. a par with 1897, when 584,213 were received. In dead meat, American chilled beef has increased 478.453 cwt over last year, mid 680,811 cwt over 1807. while “other countries.'' Denmark. Holland. Germany. etc.. are 16.879 cwt and 6660 cwt over 1898 and 1897. After several weeks of not very excessive imuovts of chilled beef, generally a good deal above former averages, but still fairly manageable, last week brought shipments amounting to 80,019 cwt, by far the greatest weekly receipt since the trade began. United States alone sent 75,988 cwt. nearly equalling the former record of 78,296 cwt from aB countries. Cold weather has favoured this largo shipment, and as yet there has not been any great fall in values, which might reasonably have been expected with a market flooded with other meat products. Live cattle and sheep imports last week were also larger than for some time past. Dutch mutton has increased from 232.403ewt last year to 252,453 cwt this, Dutch pork from 190,787 cwt to 304.844 cwts. and other countries, chiefly United States, frem 257,998 cwt to 267.636 cwt. considerably more than four times the quantities received in 1897. The total imports of fresh pork since January Ist are more than double the amounts imported in 1897. In rabbits there is an increase of 39,859 cwt, almost wholly Australasian, importations from Ostend showing little year by year, and as a rule 'maintaining good values, notwithstanding the competition of the vast Australasian imnertations, which seem to have affectedneither prices nor demand ef the Ostend. but have rather t.ikl on urn sales of Australian, mutton.

Of the London butter market, the Colonial Consignment and Dis 4 1 ■b it ing Companv renorts as follows uadrv da. c i ho loth December: —Canadian an 1 States imports show a marked falling off during the month of November compared to the previous month, not

unusual at this time of the year. The total decrease amounts to about 27.000 cat, but it is fully made up by the increase of supplies from Australasia. In their frozen moat report of the 15th December. Messrs Gordon, VToodroffe and Co.. London, state that shipment of beef from Southland per the steamer Buteshire showed really fine quality, and was reported to be as good as any beef which had ever come from New Zealand. Dealing with River Plato frozen mutton, a London report of the 15th December says ; • —Zephv.us brought 21,391, Highland Glen 27.150, Heliades 14.875, Cordilleras 10,017. and Highland Lassie 41.974. the. total since January Ist being 2.309,910 carcases, or 38,371 more than last year. The cargoes were divided between London, Liverpool. Southampton and Newcastle. A steady trade has been done, with no fluctuations in values, which have kept firm at 2gd per lb in London, a concession of 2 per cent, being often made to big buyers.

Dalgety and Company, Limited, reporting on the sixth series of colonial wool sales, under date London, 12th December, state ; —Perhaps the most remarkable feature in the series just concluded has been the great rise in value of medium and coarse crossbred wools, the future of which at one time seemed so dubious. This may partly he due to the supply having been very moderate, and also to the demand for the United States, which, although not on a large scale, was sufficient to drive up values in some eases, even over 20 per cent., but nte doubt the fact of the very low prices ruling for these wools as compared with the finer qualities has also contributed to the advance. Shoe wools, which were 'in ample supply, did not show as much advance as other descriptions, and the rise on the coarser and shorter wools 1 did not exceed 10 per cent. Statistically, the position of merino wools is very sound, stocks being lower than lias been known fer many years, trade good, and all reports pointing to further reduction in supplies: and -although in medium and coarse crossbreds the same position as regards stocks and prospective supplies does not apply, yet these wools are still at a very low level, and it would seem that the high values of the finer wools must eventually tell still more in their favour. Against these favourable factors we must, however, place the check to business, which after a time generally follows an exceptionally high range of values, and also the possible effect of the present high rate of interest, which tends to limit speculative operations.

The Department of Agriculture received a cablegram from the AgentGeneral to-day giving the following London quotations : —Butter. 98s ; there are signs of improvement. Cheese. 58s; market firm.

WOOL SALES. Messrs Murray, Roberts and. Co. have received the following wool ' market cablegram from their London house, Messrs Sanderson. Murray and Co., dated 22nd January :‘‘ Market steady.” The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, is in receipt of the following cabled message from its London house:—“Wool.—The sales* progress flatly, and there is much irregularity in the bidding. Withdrawals are heavy. Merino is 10 per cent., fine crossbred and crossbred 5 percent lower.’’ PRESS ASSOCIATION. MELBOURNE, January 23. The wool sales show sympathy with the London market; Merinos and fine crossbreds have declined from Id to Ltd per lb, and coarse crossbreds Rl, as compared wun the previous sale. (Received January 24, 0.55 a.in.)' LONDON. January 32; At the wool Rales better competition has been manifested. Merinos show a hardening tendency. DUNEDIN SHAREMARKET. DUNEDIN, TuesdayThe following are yesterday’s Stock Exchange quotations:Ahauri River, buyers par, sellers 6d premium; Alexandra Lead, sellers *los 9d premium ; Alpine Consols, buyers 15s Gd premium; Arrow- Junction, buyers 6s Cd, sellers 8s Gd premium; Arthur Point, sellers par. Bendigo, buyers 12s Cd premium; Blue Duck, buyers 9d, sellers Is Cd premium; Boundary Creek, buyers 5s 3d, sellers 5s 9d premium. Cairnmuir, buyers 13s, sellers 13s ,9d premium; Cardrona No. 1, buyers Is premium; Cardrona Valley, buyers Is premium; Centra! Electric, buyers £3 12s premium ; Chatto Creek, buyers £3 ; Cromwell, buyers £3 2s Gd. Dobson No. 2, sellers 3d premium; Dunedin, sellers 15s; Dunstan Pioneers, buyers 2s Gd, sellers 2s lOjd premium. Eclipse, buyers 9s premium ; Electric Exended, buyers 12s 3d, sellers 13s premium; Endeavour, buyers 7s Gd premium; Erickson’s Reward, buyers Is 9d premium; Ettrick's (new issue), buyers Is, sellers 2s premium; Evans’s Elat, buyers £1 13s, sellers £1 14s; Excelsior, buyers 4s, sellers 4s Gd premium.

First Chance, buyers i2s 6d premium; Fourteen-mile Beach, buyers £1 2s premium.

Galtee More, buyers 19s, sellers £1: Galvanic, buyers 7s, sellers 7s 6d premium : Gentle Annie, buyers 6s 3d, sellers 7s 3d premium ; Gibbs’s Beach, buyers 2s 3d, sellers 2s Gd premium; Gibbston, buyers Is, sellers 3d discount; Gold Queen, buyers 16s 3d, sellers 17s premium ; Golden BeOch, buyers £3, sellers £3 2s 6d; Golden Bed. sellers 5s 9d premium; Golden Chain, buyers Is 3d premium; Golden Elbow, buyers 3s 3d. sellers 3s Cd premium; Golden Falls, buyers 10s 3d premium; Golden Gate, sellers £6 17s 6d: Golden Gravel, buyers Is 9d, sellers 2s 3d premium; Golden Horseshoe, buyers 2s 3d, sellers 2s Gd premium; Golden Link, buyers Is 6d. sellers 2s premium; Golden Point, sellers £1 18s 6d ; Golden River, buyers 2s, sellers 2s 2d premium ; Golden Standard, sellers Is premium; Golden Terrace, buyers 8s Gd ; Golden Vein, buyers par, sellers 3d premium ; Great Beach, sellers Is premium; Central. buyers 9s 6d premium; Greenstone Creek, buyers 9d, sellers 6d discount: Grey River Consolidated, buyers Is, sellers Is 6d premium. Halfway House, buyers 165., sellers' 17s 3d premium • Harris Beach, buyers par; Hartley and‘Riley, buyers £9 15s. sellers £lO. Junction Electric, sellers £2 10s. Kawarau Bridge, buyers 2s 6d, sellers 3s fid premium ; Kawarau Consolidated, sellers Gd discount; Kelly and Casey, buyers 5s 6d premium ; Klondyko, sellers, £1 10 s. Last Chance, sellers 2s discount: Leaning Rock, buyers Is lOjd, sellers 2s premium; Leviathan, buyers ss, sellers 7k 6cl. Magnetic, buyers £3 7s fid. sellers £3 9s; Majestic, buvers 6s, sellers 7s premium; Manuherikia, buyers £3 2s fid, sellers £3 7s fid premium; Matau. buvers £3 17s fid:’ Merrimac, sellers 7s 6d premium: Metallic, sellers 3s fid premium ; Miller’s Flat Electric, sellers 9d premium : Moa Fiat, buyers os 9d, sellers 6s premium; Molyneux Hvdraulic Companv (B issue), sellers £1 12s Gd ; Monte Christie, buyers 12s premium; Morning Star, sellers £1 6s; Morven Fc tv, . buyers par, sellers 2s premium , Nauraai, buyers 3d, sellers 9d premium: Nevis, buyers £1 4s. sellers £1 10s;

Xew Alexandra, buyers £2 ss. sellers £2 9s; Xgauara Xo. 3. buyers 3s 6cl, sellers 5s 3d premium : Xugger. sellers 8s premium. Old Dunstan. buyers 3s. sellers 3s Gd premium ; Orwell Creek, buyers Is Cd pre'i' inm. Paul’s Beach, buyers Is Od premium ; Perseverance, buyers £3 10s. sellers £3 15s ; Prince of Wales, buyers 7s Gd premium. Reeves Proprietary, buyers par. sellers Gd premium ; Riley’s Beach, buyers £1 10s. sellers £1 15s : River Bank, sellers 11s premium; River Molyneux, buyers 9s Gd, sellers 10s 3d premium ; Roxburgh Jubilee, buyers 7s 9d. sellers 8s Gd ; Royal Maori, buyers 7s premium. Sailor’s Bend, buyers £1 7s Cd, sellers £1 9s premium ; Shotover, sellers par; Sixteen mile Beach, buyers 7s Gd, sellers 8s Gd premium ; Smith’s Creek and Bannockburn, sellers Is discount. Teviot, buyers 4s, sellers 4s Gd premium. Upper Magnetic, buyers 10s premium. Vincent, buyers £2 Is 3d. sellers £2 ss: Vincent Extended, buyers 12s Cd prcnpium. Waikaka Forks, buyers Od, sellers 2s premium ; White Star, buvei's 2s 3d. sellers 3s 3d premium.