Commercial.

Opunake Times, Volume IV, Issue 195, 15 May 1896, Page 3

Commercial.

London, May 10. At the wool sales good qualities were firm, but inferior had a downward tendency. The sales close on the 16th inst. Tallow—Fine mutton 20s, medium 19s; fine beef, 16s Bd, medium, 17s 6d.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company report under dale London, May 6th : Wool —Since close of last sales greasy merino medium and inferior, washed merino medium andinfeiior, and-scoured merino and inferior are £d and Id per lb lower; scoured merino superior, fine washed crossbred, fine scoured crossbred and medium greasy crossbred are per lb lower ; washed merino superior endTfine greasy crossbred are Id per lb loafer : medium, washed crossbred, mfcflium scoured crossbred, greasy mlftino lambs, superior and greasy nSjerino lambs media*® and inferior ar|%f er lb luwer; greasy crossbred lajuffiTTire per lb higher ; medium greasy Srossbrecjgis.par at helper lb lowbr; slips per lb ; crossbred market is easier. Coaapetion of both Home and Foreign buyers is active'fW&H except jyools of a faulty character, which are negfected., There is no American donfand. Up l to date 69,000 bales,, have been sold.The total quantity withdrawn to date is 9000 bales. Frozen Meats—Lamb market weak. .New Zealand mutton is worth per carcase 4£d per lb. ■ Tallow.—Market weak, New Zealand fine mutton tallow is worth 20s 3d per cwt; New Zealand good beef tallow is worth 18s 3d per cwt. Quotations nominal.

THE BUTTER MARKET. Messrs W. Weddel and Co, London, report on the 27 th March : Butter. —The demand for colonial butter has been very slow, and it has been only with difficulty that last week’s prices have been maintained. At the very close of the week a lowering of values to the extent of 2s per cwt has to be recorded. There are great complaints at the slow discharge of the Massilia. She docked on Monday evening, 23rd, at 5 o’clock, yet her butter did not reach the market before this morning. The Oratava has actually placed her butter on the market as soon as the Massilia, though she left Australia a week later. For the fourth week in succession the Copenhagen Committee have lowered the price of Danish butter, a fact which we believe is unprecedented for the month of March,, and the total fall during the last four weeks is now 14s 8d per cwt. The present quotation is as follows : Finest factory, 88s to 91s ; choicest factory, 92s to 995. The combination in Manchester has been too powerful for the Danes, and has forced the Copenhagen Committee to bring their butter down to a price that will enable the retailer to offer it at a shilling a pound. This is an advantage to colonial, as there will be more profit to the retailer in buying colonial at a few shillings lower than Danish and retailing it at the same price. The quantities of Danish, Swedish and, Finnish butters coming forward diminish week by week rather than increase. The quantity afloat from Australia is only 275 tons, and from New Zealand 250 tons against a tolal of 2400 tons last season.