SKENE'S LABOUR EXCHANGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1160, 21 February 1874, Page 16

SKENE'S LABOUR EXCHANGE.

February 18 The sttto of tho Labour Market I have pleasure in reporting as being very satisfactory, especially for employers The farmers are now in tho throng of harvost and ps the c are no serious complaints from tlioin of scarcity of hands, it is a good sign. Many men who have had only casual work, have takon a turn in the harvest field, whoro they will earn a little money and bo more thoueht of thin idling about town. A few late arrivals cannot be placed on any terms, as thpy have neither trade nor stamina, Tho following ar« about the current rates :—Harvest Hands 42s to 50s and 55s per weok, and found ; 1 Furm Hands, single, £5i »o £55 per year, and found ; I Farm Hands, married, wifo to help, £05 to CBO per I voar • Lads to milk cows. 10s to 15i ; Useful Boys, 89 I to 103 ; Roadmen, 9s per day ; Quarrymen, 10s perday; 1 Railway men, 8s and upwards. Female Servants are from £40 to £52 per year ,the htghost sum is readily i "iven for thorough Cooks ; Youn* Girls get 0s -nd 8 porwook. Masons and Carpenter* »re itlll from 1 12 i to 15b, but vary scarce j I»Uo« rod Suitors, are » HttU nUtck at preset,

Messrs Wright, Stephkjsoh, asd Co. report for tha week ending 18th February as follows :— ,

Fat Cattle.— Only a moderate number came forward, of which about one-half were good quality and the rest middling. 74 head were yarded. We hold on account of James Shand, Esq., and Mr M* Master, 40 head at from £5 15s to £8 7s 6d. We also sold privately on account of Mr W. Souter, of Flag Swamp, a very prime lot of 25 cows and bullocks, at £7 7s 6d round. We quote prime quality, 20s per lOOlbs. ; middling do, 17s. Fat Sheep. — 400 merino wethers were penned, and sold at from 7s 6d to 8s 6d. This quantity was fully sufficient for the requirements of the trade, as a considerable number contracted for came forward during the weok. We sold privately 1000 cross-bred wethers on station, at prices equal to 2Jd per lb. We quote cross-breds, 2}d per lb ; merinos, 2d to 2Jd. Store Cattle.— No transactions. Store Sheep. — We have enquiries for young merinoes, both ewes and wethers, but very few are offering. We sold 1000 2-tooth cross-breds, mixed sexes, at Bs, and have placed several lots under offer. We quote cross-breds, 2 and 4 tooth, 8s ; ewes, do, 9s to 11s ; lambs, 7s 6d to 8s ; merino ewes, 2 and 4-tooth, 7s ; do do, full-mouthed, 4s to ss ; do wethers, 2 and 4-tooth, fis 6d to 6s ; do do, 6-tooth and fullmouthed, ss. Country Sales.— On Tuesday, 10th instant, at Springfield Farm, Poitobello Road, wo held a sale on account of Mr John Matheson, of the whole of his dairy stock and mixed cattle. There was a largo attendance, and the bidding was spirited. Dairy cows brought from £3 to £9 5s ; 2-year olds, 44s ; yearlings, 24s ; horses aud other effects at satisfactory rates. On Friday, 13th inst., we held a sale at Hopehill, East Taieri, of a portion of the stud flock of Leicesters of James Allan, Esq. The attendance was not so numerous as might have been expected, considering how seldom an opportunity of 'this sort occurs for securing such valuable stock of this description. A good portion, however, of the lots submitted found purchasers as follows :— Full-mouthed ewes, £4 5s to £4 15s ; 2-tooth do, £7 5s ; 4 and C-tooth do, £5 ; rams, 6-tooth and full-mouthed, £5 to £5 5s ; ditto, 2-tooth, £5 5s ; ram lambs, £4 10s to £5 5s ; ewe lambs, £ 4 10s. We sold privately, on account of W. A. Tolmie, Esq., and Messrs Borton and M'Master, 175 merino rams, at satisfactory prices, and have placed several other lots under offer. Station Property.— There is a good demand for firstclass properties, both freehold and leasehold. We have to report having sold, on account of the Hon. Thomas M'Kellar, of Victoria, the Tapanui Station, consisting of 11.216 acres freehold, and 32,500 acres leasehold, with 23,500 sheep, horses, &c, subject to a leiise having 3 years unexpired, for the sum of £40,000, the purchaser being David M'Kellar, Esq., Waikaia Plains. We also understand that John M'Lean, Esq., of Morven Hills, has sold his Lindis Station, with 140,000 sheep, &c, to Col. Whitmore, for £128,000. Horses. — The demand for strong heavy draught! continues good. We sold on account of Mr Solomon Brown an extra good team of 8 horses, waggon, and harness, all complete, for £550 ; also, at auction on Saturday, on account of Mr Wm. Thomson, ex Alhambra, from Melbourne, a shipment of draughts, light but useful farm mares, at from £30 to £49 each. We quote first-class draughts, £60 to £70 ; medium do, £30 to £45. Good hacks and light harness horses, £20 to £25 ; medium do, £12 to £14 : light and inferior, £3 to £7. sheepskins. — Our weekly sale was well attended, and prices obtained were about equal to last week's rates. Station skinn sold at 3s lOd to 4s lOd each lambskins, 19d to 22d; pelts, 12d to lSd. Hides.— We sold several lots of medium weights at from 17s 3d to 19?. Grain.— Wheat is in good demand, and first-olass samples are saleable at an advance on late rates. We quote first-class. 4s 9d per bushel ; second and inferior, 4s to 4s 3d. Oats are scarce and wanted— milling and feed being worth 4s and 3s lOd respectively. _________ Messrs Driver, Stewart, and Co. report as fol lows for the weekending February 18th :— Fat Cattle.— There was a vory full supply at th« weekly sale to-day— in all about 180 head —moat of which, however, were taken by the trade at prices considerably under late sales, as tlie number was in excess of requirements. Consequently we cannot expect late prices next week unless a limited Dumber is yarded. Bullocks brought from £5 to £9 5s ; cows, from £4 2s 6d to £6 10s. We sold 70 head on account of Messrs A. M'Laren, Win. Gordon, Alex. Ironside, and others, at above quotations ; and have, during tho week, sold 130 head privately. Fat Sheep.— About 500 of all sorts were penned. Cross-breds brought from 93 9d to 12s ; old ewes, 5s 9d : merino wethers, 7s 6d. We sold 200 at the yards, and have placed privately 500 half-breds and merinoes at 2jd for croBS-breds, and 2d for merino wethers. Fat Lambs.— Very few were penned to-day, and sold at 8s to 9s. We have sold 100 at former prices. Store Cattle.— At our Mo3giel sale on the 17th, we disposed of about 100 head of store cattle at from £3 to £4 15s, and have placed privately 60 head at £5 10s. The latter, however, are large quiet bullocks, in fine thriving condition. Mixed heids at this time of year are only saleable at low rates. Store Sheep —We are still able to report numerous enquiries for almost every description of sheep, and we have during the week placed 6000 of various sorts at our quotations. Young merino ewes aud eros j-breda are most sought after, with but few offering. We quote cross-bred wethers, 2-tooth, 8s to 0s ; ditto, 4-tooth and upwards, 9s to 10s. Cross-bred lambs, 7s 6d to Bs. Merino wethers, 2, 4, and O-tooth, 6s 6d to 7s ; full mouthed, 6s to 6s ; young merino owes, 6s 6d to 7d. Real Property — We have sold on account of Wliliam Black, Esq., his Milbourne Estate, near Tokormiriro, consisting of about 3000 acres, at £2 lOi per acre, the purchaser being Mr Douguld WEwing, of Mocraki. Wool. — Owing to the departure of the Engl'sh mai steamer to-day, our sale this week was hold on Monday. There was a full attendiineo of buyers, and although the advices by tho inward European mail, received that morning, were calculated to depress tho market, we aro able to report that prices were sustained to within a fraction of the rates ruling at the earlier sales, as shown by priced catalogue annexed. AYe catalogued 703 bales, of which 292 bales wore sold, several lots woie withdrawn for want of instructions, and the remainder passed in. Tho catalogues of tho London No\ ember - December sales toliiind by the mail, »boy« referred to, show a much greater decline in prices than the cablegrams previously ra:oi\ ed had led U3 to expect, more especially in tho case of inferior descriptions of greasy and scoured wools. Considerable interest is therefore manifested in regard to tho opening rf the February series on the 17th ult, respecting which, it is presumed advices will reach the Colony in about ten days from date. Prices catalogued: Gi easy— Cross-bred, spikodcirclo, 2s bales, 11 Jrd • do J 5, 5 do, 12MI ; bUck.Taieri Lake, 1 do, lOkl ; cross-bred, E R G. 2 do, lOjd ; lambs, B S 1 do lOJrd • fleece, W J, 1 do, IQ\A : do, J B over C, 1 do 103 d ; pieces, E R G,l do, 3£d ; cross-bred. 10, merino, 7, S, 17 do, lid ; cross-bred, M'F, 11 do, lljd ; fleece. J R, 5 do, ll|d ; cross-bred, L M in circle, 56 do, lid : fleece, LM in circle, 14 do, 10m ; Leicester, LM In circle, 1 do, lOJd ; pieces, LM. in olrc c, 4 do, 6jd ; locks, L AI in circle. 2 do, 3Ad } half-bred 0, merino 4, M in diamond, 10 d.P, 12-Jd ; half-bred (part « ashed) 1, morhio 2, AA In square. S» do Hid ; cross-bred and merino, <JA, 3 do, 12Jd J fleoco, CC, 3 do, 101 d ; oros3-.byed;, A. 4 do, ll}d ; cross-bred 4, merino 1, Q, t dr>. 12-^d ; ileoao, AC over B 1 do Hiid; pieces, <-> over H, 18 do, Sjd ; Leicester and half-bred, WP.,4 do, 11 id ; Leicester and half-bred, WT a da, 13d ; merino 0, lmlf-brod 14,, WT, ! : da 19(1. Washed— Cross-bred 3, merino 1, JN", 4 'bales, W\<\ : cross-bred, A C, 3 do, 18jd[ do 18 merino 4, M in diamond, 22 do, lOd ; niorißQ llooco PA 6 do, lOjd ; pieces, locks, and fleece, PA, 2 do 'laid ; cross-bred and merino, NI, 3 do, lOd } cross-bred 4, merino 26, spur ww MA, 30 do, 17d ; pieces, spur ww MA, 2 do, IBd ; locks, spur ww MA, ldo, lOd ; mid 35 bags at various prlcei. Sheepskins, Hides. »nd Tallow— We k»ve no* h-lfl k sale this week, but purpoie Qfferißg ft quWftty o$

Grain.— We note » slightly improved demand for wheat, good samples of which are saleable at is 9d. Outs are in request, and any parcels offering are readily taken &t 3s Id to 4s for old oats, feed and milling qualities respectively.

Messrs J. and A. Maclean report for the week ending 18th February, as follows :—

Fat Cattle.— About 70 head were yarded on Wednesday, from medium to prime quality, and were all disposed of at fair prices, prime quality realising about 20s per 100 lbs ; for medium and inferior there is very little demand, in consequence of which prices have fallen and cannot now be quoted at over 15s to 16s per 100 lbs. Prime quality as above. Fat Sheep. — 400 merinos were penned, no cross-breds being forward, which were disposed of at from 7s 6d to Ss 6d tach, according to quality. We qtiute prime cross-breds, 2Jd per lb; ditto, merino, 2d. Fat Lambs —40 were penned, which changed hands at 0s each. We have, during the week, sold a draft on account of Mr Stanhouse, at full rates. Store Cattle.— We have, during the week, delivered a mob of 532 head, to Messrs E. Mitchell and Co., of Christchurch, and have sold several small lots at satisfactory prices. Store Sheep. — The demand for young sheep of all kinds is greatly in excess of the supply - good young merino ewes are not to be had at any price, when -old ones are plentiful. We have sold and delivered 7500 full-mouthed ewes and wethers, and 2600 half-bred lambs), at full rates, and liave placed several large lots of all classes under offer. We quote 2, 4, and O-tooth merino ewes, 6s to 7s ; full-mouthed, 4s 6d to ss ; wethers, 2, 4, and 6-tooth, 5s 9d to 6s f6d ; fullmouthed, 5s ; cross-bred ewes, 2, 4, and 6-tooth, 10s to 12s ; do wethers, 2 and 4-tooth, 8s to 9s; do lambs, 7s Cd to Bs.

Bain*. — We have during the week sold, on account of the New Zealand and Australian Land Company, to J. Moore »nd Co., Wonganul, 18 pure Leicesters, from the celebrated Clydevale flock, at prices up to £20 each ; also, on account of Andrew Todd, Esq., Johnstown, East Taieri, 20 ram lambs, at £2 ss, and have placed under offer 600 young merino rams belonging to noted breeders Country &»les.— On the sth instant we held a clearing sale of household furniture, implements, stock, &c, at the farm of Mr P. Peterson, Lake Waipori, when every lot was sold at fair prices, bullocks realising from £3 10s to £0 10s ; cows, from £2 17s 6d to £6 ; colts and fillies, from £0 to £16 ; draught horses, £20 to £35.

Sheepskins and Tallow. — None forward. Hides. — We have during the week placed a parcel of medium weights for shipment, at full rates.

Grain — Wheat quotations are without change. In oats, we have disposed of several lots, at full ratei. We quote prime samples wheat, 4s 6d to 4s 9d ; inferior, 4s to 4s 3d ; oats, 4s.

DUNEDIN, SATURDAY, FEB. 21.

Judging from the numerous applications which, in certain districts, have been made for land offered for sale by our Provincial Government under the deferred payment system, it would appear that the sale of land in this manner meets with the approbation of the public. It is rather extraordinary this should be the case, considering the strict and somewhat illiberal character of the provisions of the Act. Without doubt, the Act has been framed ostensibly with the intention of encouraging bond fide settlement, and guarding against speculation. Some of the provisions of the

Act, however, while they do not ap-

pear absolutely requisite to secure bond fide applications, involve applicants in the outlay of unnecessary expense. On the drafting of the Bill it should have been borne in mind that applicants under the deferred payment system, were most likely to be a class of people with whom it is a matter of great importance to economise every shilling. The land offered for sale may be situated, and proposing purchasers may reside, Jmany miles from a district land office, yet for several

purposes, the personal attendance of the applicant is required at the Land Office. Tkus section 49 of

the Act has been construed by the

Lands Board to require an application to be made in person, and not by an agent, and it is certainly not easy to see how the section could be differently interpreted. A large amount of utterly useless expense may be incurred by this wording of this section. What possible objection could there have been to the application being made through an agent ? Again, by section 52b, the holder of an interim certificate is obliged to call at the District Land Office to sign thelicense tooccupy. There is another journey for the applicant. Why should it not have been sufficient for the license to be executed in the presence of any Justice of the Peace ? It may sometimes cost the applicant what to him may be a considerable lump of money, before he can become an authorised occupier of a bit of land under the Act;. There is one condition in the Act of a preposterous and highly objectionable character, viz., that (section 54) every applicant shall take an oath before a Justice of the Peace, that the application is made by him in conformity with, and not in violation of, any provisions of the Act. An Act was passed several years since in England for the express purpose of doing away with unnecessary oaths, and substituting in certain cases a simple declaration in lien of an oath. Surely,

this is a case in which a simple declaration or affirmation under the Imperial Act would be more fitting than an oath. The provisions of the Act as to the sale of iand on deferred payments appear effectually to guard against land speculation and dunimyism, but an occupier or licensee under the Act, before he can claim his Crown grant, has to observe many conditions, ' on the non-observance or non-perform-ance of which bis land is liable to be forfeited ; and it does not appear that the occupier, when ousted from his land for non-observanceV)f anycondition,can claim any compensation for improvements. Thus, if it should appear at the end of the three years for which the license is given, that the value of the improvements, instead of amounting, as required by the Act, to £1 per acre, amounted to only seventeen shillings per acre, the occupier would not only ho disabled from claiming bis Grown

grant, but his land would be forfeited, and he could make no claim for com- [ pensation for his outlay of seventeen shillings per acre. In the case of & mortgage of land, a mortgagor does not forfeit his estate for nonpayment of interest until the mortgagee takes stepa to realise his* security; but it would seem the license to occupy under this Act is ipso facto void if the annual fees, payable half-yearly, "are not paid on the day when dap. There is no reason to suppose the Land Board will administer the Act in an illiberal or captious manner, but a purchaser under the deferred payment system will do well to be very careful and particular as to the strict observance and performance of every condition of his license.