COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10624, 20 March 1896, Page 1

COMMERCIAL.

Daily Times Office, Thursday evening. The amount of customs revenue received to-day on goods cleared for consumption was £1475 0s lid.

COMMERCIAL TELEGRAMS. London, March 18. The total quantity of wheat and flour afloat for the United Kingdom is 2,tK9,500 quarters, and for the Continent 595.000 quarters. The American visible wheat supply is estimated at 92,400,000 bushels. Silver, 2s 7|d, ' CANTERBURY FROZEN MEAT COMPANY1 (Per United Press Association.) Cur'.STCHVJRCH, March 19. The fourteenth annual report of the Canterbury (Belfast) Frozen Meat Company shows that after writing £4000 off the works for wear and tear, and depredation, and transferring £2000 to the reserve fund, there remains at credit profit and loss acomr.it,» sum of £2505 16s. Of this £1200 was disfributeu in September as an interim oividend of 4 per rent., and the directors recommend, a further dividend at the rate of 5 percent, making 'J pnr cent, for the year. This absorbs £15C0, and leaves £10516s to carry forward. There was' a marked increase in the stock dealt with at the company's works, the numbers for the ye«r ended February 29, being —sheep 323,491, lambs 227,301, cattle 192, pigs 8293. Two reductions iii freezing charges have been made during the year. The principal additions to the works have beon the duplication of the manure-drjini; plant, and the erection of a large Hercules (refrigerator. The company has :uow been in active operation 13 years, and for that peiiod the total dividends paid (including the pre3ent one) amount to 102 per cent., while the aggregate of £32,75314s has been written off the ! .works-account and £5577 14s 6d accumulated as ; reserves. . .

'■-■- ' RAM AND EWE FAIB. • , The annual ram and ewe fair under the auspices of the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association was held yesterday at Burnside, but, though the; entries were .more nurnerons than ÜBUal, buyers were uot attracted to the extent that might have been anticipated. The following reports will show the results of the sales :— Messrs Vvkight, Stephenson, and Co. report as follows:—The pens at Buroside yard* to-day were full of stud and flock rams of the different breeds, Bordbr Leicesters predominating. At the same time, there was a good entry of Romney Marsh and Shropshire Down sheap. Lincolns, ou. the other hand, were sparsely represented, but what they lacked, in quantity was counterbalanced by the quality of the few sheep offered. The sale itself was almost a complete failureeven worse than last year's wretched affair. The only lots that commanded anything like compe-tit-iqn were the stud Border Leicester ranis of the Hon. M. Holmes (A'wamoa), Robert Grieve (Waianiwft), M'Kercher Bros. (Woodlauds), and Mr A. Murdoch (Centrewood), the Romney Marsh stud rams from Keirunga and Braemore, the flock.l of the same breed from Mr J. 11. j Mackenzie (of Glenkenich estate), and the Monte Christo and Windsor Park Shropshires. It wouW | be quite safe to say that from bO to 70 per cent, of i the sheep offered to-day failed to find purchasers, and in some cases it was impossible to elicit even a bid. The range of values for stud Border Leicester rams was from 4gs to ltffgs; for stud Rpmneys, from 3igs to 9gs; for flock rams of both these breeds, from lg -to 2Jsa; and for Shropshire flocks, from lg to 3Jgj. Our list of salea was as follows:—Border Leicssters: For Hon. Mathew Holmes (Awamoa), 6 selected studs, one and two shear, at from 4igs to lCJgs; Mr Robert Griove (Waianiwa), 3 selected studs, one shear, at from 3|gs to: 16gs; Mersrs M'Kercher Bros. (Woodlands), 6 selected studs, one and two shear, at from 3gs to Bgs, 20 one-shear flock rams; Mr Alexander Murdoch (Centrewood), 3 stud rams privately (prices withheld); Mr John M'CrostitftWaianiwa), 2 t«o-tooth'rams ; Mr A. Beaven (Brooklyn Farm), 8 two-tooth rams; Mr Kdward Menlove (Windsor Park), 2 two-tooth flock rams; New Zealand and Australian Land Company (Clydevale), 35 two-tooth flock rams: Messrs Murray, Roberts, and Co. (Gladbrookfc 5 two-tooth flocb.rams. 'Romney Marsh: For Mr J. R. Mackenzie (Meukenich),' 16 twoI tooth flock rams; Mrs C. Miller (Maungatua), 3 ' two and four-tooth' rams.. Shropshire Down : For Messra; JbhtfvKeid and Son (Monte Christo), 2( two and four-toota flock rams.; Mr Edward Menlove (Windsarf aA), 2Q two-tooth flock rams.

;The MutuaT, Agency Company of New Zealand (Limited) report:—The entry was a large cne, numbering 1400 to 1500 of all classes. Of this number we catalogued 422. The sale opened with stud rams, and occasionally some little excitement was manifested when something special came under notice, but flock rams generally were painfully neglected, and the sale soon became a very dragging one.. The attendance was a fairly representative one, but the majority of those present were sellers, consequently a great proportion of the entry was turned out unsold. Oar principal sales of stud raniß were:—For the trustees of the late Mr A. C. Lang(Keirunga estate), 1 Romney eight-tooth at B|cs, 1 Border Leicester twotooth at 7gs; John Reid, Esq. (Eiderslie), 3 Border Leicester up to 3igs; Messrs D. Murray and A. Douglas, Border Leicerters, Cheviots, and Shropshires. in flock ranis.our principal sales were:—For the N.Z. and A.L.. Company (Clydevale), 30 Border Leicesters at up to 3}gs; Murray, Roberts, and Co. (Gladbrook), 5 do (two-tooths) at 2gs ; Mr Jas. Gow (Invermay), 24 do at up to ljg; Mr Jas. Oughton (Janefleld), 4 do at lig; Trustees late A. C. Lang (Keirunga), 10 do up to 2is6, 4 Romneys (two-tooth) up to sgs; MeßsrsT. H. Russell (Milburn), W. Grey (Milburn), Wm. Boag (Fendalton), Robert Cnllen (Or, hiro); John M'Crostie (Waianiwa), Alfred North (Portobello), John Reid (Eiderslie), Adam Drysdale (Kennington), Jas. Wyllie (Outram), D. Murray (Pukerau)—Border Leicesters, Romneys, and Shropshires.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company (Limited) report :—There was an average yarding as to quality and numbers. Competition was very sluggish except for a few extra well-bred Border Leicesters. The attendance of buyers was small, but the Palmers ton and Maniototo districts were fairly represented. Prices obtained were much in buyers' favour, and several well-known breeders prefsrred to take home their rams rather than accept the prices offered at auction. Several lots were sold after the sale at prices slightly over the passed-in bids. Stud rams sold as follows:—Border Leicesters, I6}gs to 2gs ; Romney Marsh, 9gs to 2gs. . Flock rams :—Border:Leicesters,' 2£gs to Jg; 'Romney Marsh, 2ks to jg; Shropshire Downs, 3Jgs'to Iff. We sold on account of'the following breeders and owners rams of.yarious breeds at current prices : F. R. Royd (Wainiatukii), D. Murray (Fukerau), James Boss (Kartigi), John M'Crostie (Waianiwa) A. Keir (Mataura), J. Soraerville (Milburn). W. Grey (Milbnro), W. Hall (Clarkesville), and Glenledi estate. -. . . . ,

The Farmers' Agency Company (Limited) report:—The entry was a large one, mostly made up with Leicesters and Romneys, with a few pens of Lincolns and Downs. The attendance was smaller than for some years past,, and buyers were few. At the commencement a few pens went off briskly enough, but the. buyers were Boon satisfied, and then it became almost impossible to do business except at ruinous prices. Border Leieesters ranged from le to 15|gs Romneys from }g to 6igs, Lincoln flocks from lg to l}g, Downs from lg tp 4}gs. We sold: .For Mr W. Grey (Milburn), 21 Border Leicesters at Hg to 3gs; the N.Z. and A Land Company. (Clydevalo), 15 do (two-tooth) at 2ga to 3gs; Mr James Sutherland (Purakanui), 4 Border Leicester* at 2°-s, 2 do (two-tooth) at 2gs 2do dn at lfe,6 do ram lambs at lg; Mr Wm. Smith (Tottenham), 14 do (two S??J°? r;V^ tl') at i lg; Mr A- O: .Thompson (Otakia), 41 Romney Marsh rams (two four and six-tooth) at Jg to lig; Mr J. B. Sutt<m (Fair?i ew-ir 6. LincSl. nook$ook fams'(two-tooth) at lj g;j Mr Watson Shennan (Conical Hills), 20 Border Leicester rams (two-tooth) at 2Jgs.

Some time ago four gentlemen who were Btrangers to each other were playirjg whist, when one of them bad the whole 13 trumps dealt to him, and yet he did not.win. " Impossible !" you say. Not at all. His partner led an ace, he t tramped it, and his partner flung down his hand in disgust. The only "trump" that never fails is the new Waterbury Watch—a marvel of cheapness. Obtainable everywhere. ■■•■.;