SKENE'S LABOUR EXCHANGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1240, 4 September 1875, Page 11

SKENE'S LABOUR EXCHANGE.

Everything in the labour market is particularly quiet, but a change to the better need only be looked for with a decided improvement in the weather. Farm operations are well advanced. Station work is still quiet. Tho buildin? tn-de is fairly emploj cd. Indoor trades seem in a healthy state, most work bei: jj l>r pi°ce. Female servants are more plentiful, but ths difficulty is to jret girts with any experience. Couplet are seldom asked for nt pre-ent. Winies ; Smart girls, £2'i to £52; cooks, barmen, waiters, giooins *c.,20s to 505 per week: ploughman and shepherds! £55 to £0") ; couples, £75 to £5)0 : gardeners, dairy hands, and km ckiibouUi, 20s to 30s per week ; n a^ou-j carpenters, and br-cklayers, 10s to l."« per day • B'-oremen, 3- r >s to 60s ; useful boys and girls, 5s to 15s l>er week , day labourers, Bs, fts, and 10s per day.

Statejikxt showing the amount of Customs Duties collected at the Port of Dunedin from the Ist to the 31st day of August, 1875 :—

Messrs WntGUT, Stki-uexson, aud Co. report, for the week ending 28th August, as follows : —

Fat Cattle —130 head were yarded, of which about one-hdf were good qnalitv, but the rest little better than .stores. AVc sold 51 head at pries equal to 40s per 1001b for good qua'ity, and 32s o'd per 1001b for medium do. "rivatuly, also, we sold 24 head at quotations. We wish to call special attention to oar sale by auction on Otli September of 80 head prime stall-fed bullocks ths property of Jawo^ Shaiid Eaci it his f.vrm, West Taieri. '

Fat Calves.— ls were yarded, which sold at 33a to «7s 6d each.

Fat Sheep.— The market continues over-supplied 3000 were penned, mostly lulf-breds. of which about one-half only were quitted. We sold ii>o half-breds at from lGs to 17a. We quote prime mutton, 3|d to 4td per lb.

Store Cattle. — Wo have no transactions to report. Store Sheep —We have enquiries for cross-breds, hoggets, mid 4 and 6'tootbs, but have no transactions to report. Horses.— Draughts are not so much enquired for, bttt light harness horses arc in good demand. During the week wo told a team of eiuht horses, wiunron, and h>iruo*s, for £540, aud at our yards on Saturday a portion of Mr Tres.traH'B shipment, ex Omeo, from Mel. bourne, at from £4S to £00 en 'i. We quote first-claes draughts, £00 to £70 ; nied-un iKiUOto £50 ; light do, i-25 to £35 ; good hacks ai d light harness horses £30 to £35 ; medium do. £15 to £?3 ; light and ln» ferior, £.5 to £'0.

Wool.— By tho Albion, from Jlolhourne, the follow* injf cable telegram has been i eceivrd, dated London, August 17Mi " The Lomloi wol sules opened this evenfnsr. The arrivals amount, to 298 000 bales, and inwards of SOOO bales wcr- off red. The attendance of home aud foreign bujers w is large, and bidding cammonced with spirit. Prices , as compared with last soric-i, show a slight decline. Sydney wool is tmc penny lower," Sheepskhib.—At our weekly sale there was a full attendance of buvef.f. There was gocd c impetitloii, and every Jot was disposed of at prl.-e.-i slightly in advance of last week.-, rates. Butcher!,' green' skins, half-bi-eds, brought 5s lid to (5s 8d : merinos, 4s (Jd to 4b 8d : station skltisi, 2s Od to 5s Od. according to quality IliiJes.— The market still remains depressed. We *old 60, chiefly light and medium weightu, at 13s fid to 20s od, being equal to B|d to 4d per lb. * OT ««w Grf jn..«Wbß»t witiwn jn good de»aß4, hut wa

being worth 4s (id to 4s 7d ; medium, 4s 3d to 4s 4d f >wls' feed, 4s per bushel. Oats are in fair request; at •2s 8d to 2s 9d for good feed, and 2s lod for milling samples. Barley saleable, at 5s (jd to 5s 9d for prime malting, and 5a per bushel for medium do.

Mr HESiir Drivkii (on bebalf of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company) reports, for the week ending September Ist, 1873 :—

Fat Cattle.— Sixty head only were yarded at the weekly sales, but a low pens of which were of prime ([utility. These brought prices considerably in adv.inee of late quotations, one or twj pens of very prime cows realising close upon 50h per 1001b. We do not expect, however, that these high rates can be considered as ully established, as a good supply ue.vt week wou d cause a decline to about late quotations. At the yards we sold 35 head, and luve placed GO head for private delivery.

Fat Calves.— Kone were forward. Good vealers much wanted.

l-.it Sheep —2000 were penned, consisting chiefly of trend quality cross-breds, but :u the trade was fully Mipp ied by private d •liveric.-i, it was very difficult r'» obUun late prices. Abutb >ut 1-200, however, were sold at from 15s to 20< ior cross-breds, and 12s to 13s for nu - liuoes, or equal to 4d per lb. We sold 300 at yards and C 0 privately. Store Cattle and Sheep.— We have no alteration to note in this description < f stock, us few or no lots of importance are offering, and we have no transactions to report.

Wool. — Our London cahlcxram, dated August 19th, states :—'• WooUales oponcd at an a\ erase decline of Id to lid on last siles p.-ices. The principal decline bus been on superior and medium washed New South Wales and Queensland. Up to date 300,000 biles have arrived, and 10,000 have been sent to the manufacturing districts direct. Trade in the manufacturing districts unchanged." This decline svas not anticipated and our advices so far do not show New Zealand wools to have participated to any extent. So laige a qu unity haying unived in time for the.-.c series of saie<, has no doubt had some effect upon the opening pr.ceji, coupled with the he.ivy failures already announced, amounting in the aggregate to over 20 millions sterling. Wo arts, notwithstanding', inclinad to expect amore healthy tone afteritis seen wlut amount of withdrawals are made as the sales progress Tho quantity already to hand does not increase the known quantiiy reniiinine of last year's clip, but the whole within abf.ut 50,000 bales being put on the market has weakened it.

Sheepskins - Our weekly sale last Thursday was well attended by buyers, every lot being taken at full prices. Gi ecu cross-bivds, from os 9d to 03 sd ; Leicesters, 7s ; merinos, 4s 7d ; dry skins— cross-breds, js Id ; merinos, 3s Sd to 4«. To-morrow being a holiday, our sale takes place on Friday at 2 o'clock Hide 3 met a ready sale nt the 1 ite reduction in prices. Inferior. 15s to 10s : medium, 18s to IDs j heavies, 21s to 22 sOd.

Tallow.— We sold country lots at 25s to 28s : fair to good inferior, 20s G I to 235.

Grain.— There is a steady local demand for wheat, which does not appear to be influenced in any way by distant markets. We quote good milling, 4s 4d to 4s Gd ; extra, 4s 7d ; inferior, 4s to 4s 2J. out cablegrams advise Australian wheat firm at 56s to 575, and likely to be maintained, from the inferior quality of tbe new crop in Great Britain. Oats are in less demand this week, Melbourne market offers no induce* ment to shippers, our quotations of 2s 8d to 2s 9d for feed with difficulty maintained. Barley for lualthiir purposes inquired for nt 5s (id to 0d ; inilluijf. 4s gd t3 4s 4d.

Mac&bvn* BnoTHKRa report for the weok ending 2Qth August, as follows :—: — Fat Cattle.— There was but a moderate supply of about 100 head yarded for yesterday's market, about half of which were Rood to prime, the remainder medium quality. Competition was considerably keener than the previous week, and prices improved say, 2s Od to 5s per 100 lbs, and we now quote prime quality at 42 < Gd to 455; ordinary, 32s tfd to 35s per 100 lbs. At the yards we sold 35 head on account of the New Zealand and Australian I and Company at from £13 10s to £10 LOs for bull.icks, and £8 lUsto £13 for cows and heifers. At outratn, on 24th inst. wo sold 01 head on account of Donald H.urie. Esq. and othera. at from £i:j 3> to £10 10s for bullocks, and £10 to £10 for cows, the latter bung very superior. Fat Calves.— A faw only were penned, which fetched frnni tKM to 70>. eacli. Demand good. Fat feheep were again in excessive supply, close on 3000 having bton penned, chiefly good to prime crossbreds ; but of these only about 1000 changed hands, at a reduction on late rates— say ut 15s to IS-. Shi eacb ; equal to 33d to 4d per pound. At the yards we sold 390 at above Kites, and we have delivered 300 under contrnct during the week.

Store (battle continue in excellent demand, bot illthough wo have souw Urge tr .inactions pending Hales during the week have been Innitotf to&inall mixed lot»Quotations unuhmiged. Store Sheep.— No transact loi-.i to report. Horses. -We won 'd direct u'Umtoii to our sale of first-class draught horses ;. t tne (J. .wmorcial Hale Yards on Satimby, ths 28-h in-t., nt nuon. on itccomitof Messrs John Bidden ttnu Sons. \V e |„ive t« repon' tho salo on account of David Ursmt, Kmi v, that, enterprising breeder. Mr Uiuhatd lu-muifcell, of thy pure ehprWioni heifer. \l.*, Rose, by X.»* «f th« IJutteriiieh— d.un White .le-ymine by Kov.il Butterfh27th, vide N.Z Her.l lim.k „t 7."> -ni oj,s. 3 Woo!.— Nofurt erud.ica-. iuve b-cn rcuoKed from the Home m-urket; and in thelucal jiuiket has, bean iw business done. Sheepskins.— Our salo to-day brought together <» full attendance of buyer* ; anil the various lots nfflereJ were well-competed tor, and bj ought full prices— j»v for cross-breds, from X, to as 7.1, and merinos from 4* to 4s lOd. Dry skins, from Is 3d to in, airourdhig to

Hides arc dull of sale, and prices cmiuut now be quoted at over 3'Jd per lb for ho«u«1 vast silte.-i. Wo sold to-tUy 50 at 14s Gd to 19b 6U., according to weiirtrt, andqivility. b Tallow — None offered.

Grain.— Prime samples of wheit are wanted at frtnrt 4s Od to 4s 7d ; ordinary quality, 4s 3d to 4s 3d. Fowls' feed also la in rajueat at 3* W i., 4s. Oats l W ve Ireetv in twr demand fur local consumption at *'«7d for infotior, up to 2s Od for heavy feed. Miller ure buvmst very sparingly at ab..ut -2s JOd for choice nuaiity Prime malting barley is SVtvlv * doable at 5-.9U bufr ordinary and inferior descriptions- are neglected a* as 3d.

Spirits Do, N.Z Cigars 1 ibacoo VMno Ale (u bottle) Dv (in wood) . . Tea Coffoe, Ac Do (roasted Susrar Opium vfoods hy weight . . Ail vrt/orrm .. Other duties . . £?,263 7 11 434 f> S 405 7 (i . . 2,8 415 0 7(SO 13 10 220 15 8 7.') 0 0 .. 1,450 7 3 105 2 t> i 2 .. 2,4f13 13 7 mo io o .. 1,'25-i 4 S .. tf.3'2B 8 S 003 a II Total Gold ..£27,77* (I 4 iSi 17 1