Dunedin Commercial Report.

Otago Witness, Issue 1340, 4 August 1877, Page 11

Dunedin Commercial Report.

Witness Ofitok, Thursday Morning. Very Httlo business is doing:, but as this is the r--cognised slack period of the year, the present condition of things is only what can ba expected. Flour is quoted at £18 per ton in sacks, £18 10s m small bags, the demand steady. Wheat is in good demand, but of prime simples very little is offering. Quotations vary from 7a 3d to 7s 9d ; inferior qualities vary from 4a 9d *o 6s 6d, but are much neglected. Oats have been hinging from an absence of shipping orders, but are improving. Quotations are — for prime milling, 3s 6d ; feed, from 3s 2d to 3s 4d. " But," we are informed by Mr Diiver, "as it appears from reports of country auction sales in the Oamaru district at 4s 6d on the ground, at Ashburton 4% and in Christchntch 3s 9d— quotations are lower here than any shipping port in New Zealand. Melbourne market is rising, old stocks being cleared out. We have sold feed at 3s 4d, and quote milling at 3s 6d. Barley. — No enquiry, except for i feed, at 3a to 3s 3d." Oatmeal ia in good demand at £20 per ton ; pearl b; rley, at £22 ; bran, at £4 155 ; pollards, at £7. We notice among London telegrams the item — " wheat is firm," confirmed by a subsequent quota tion ef 68s, the average quite of last month. In provisions there is hardly a line that is in the least decree lively, and the moßt important are perfect drugs. Hams and bacon, both local ■ ured aiid imported known and valued brands, are alike almost unsaleable. In butter, thsre are enormous quantities in the market, and it is impossible to move it at any price. Of cheese, the same may be said. The estimate of the quantity in town of Akaroa and local make is very high. The nominal price in from 5d to 6d, but no sales cm be effected Cheese, Colonial, Canterbury, 8d to BJd ; hams, Colonial, 13 to Is 2d for prime : bacon, Colonial, lid to Is ; butter, lid to Is. Oatmeal, £16. Messrs it. and J. Mbbnan, George street, repoii the following as the latest quotations : — Flour— Large bags, L 1 8; small do, LlB los per ton. Oatmeal— LlB per ton. Pearl Barley— L23 per ton. Bran— L4 15s, including bags. Pollard— L7 6s per ton Chaff— L4 10s per ton. Hay— Ls 5s per ton. Potatoes. £3 to £3 10s. Wheat— 7s t!d for milling-; fowls' feed, 4s to 4s 6d. Barley— 3s to 3s 6d per bushel. Oats— 3s 3d per bushel to 3a 6d milling. Butter— Fresh, Is 2d per lb. Cheese— sJd to 6Jd per lb. Ergs— ls 9d per doz. Straw— £2 per ton. DUNEDIN WHOLESALE PRICES CURRENT. Flour, LlB and LlB 10s; bran, 90s; oatmeal, L 18: pearl barley, 235 ; chaff, 80s ; potatoes, £5. Dried Fruits.— Currants, 5Jd; Sultana raisins, 8d • Elemes, 6Jd to 7d ; muscatels, Is 2d. Ales.— Derenish's, 12s; Tennant's, or founder's. 12s ; Arrow's, 11s ; Bass's, 12s. Porter, duty paid — Blood's, 12s 6d ; Guinness'J, 12s 9d ; Pig brand, 13s. Tea, duty paid.— Common, Is lOd to 2s ; good medium, 2s 3d to 2s Od ; superior kinds, 2s 9d to 3s ; boxes, 25s to 325 ; orange pekoe, 2s 9d to 3s ; gunpowder, 2s 9d to 3s. Sugar, duty paid. — Fine whites, L5l to L 5 3; grey crystals, L4B to L 49; yellow do, L 47 to L4B; | second yellows, £45 to £»6 ; ration, L 39 to L4O • Victorian whites, L5O to £53 ; crushed loaf, 58s in kegs. Spirits, in bond. -Brandies : Otard's, 9s 6d ; do. in ease, 28s ; Associated Vineyard, 8s and 245; Ilennessy's, 10s 6d per gal. : do in case, 34s 6d ; Biaquit's brandy, 9s and 28s. Whisky, Glenlivet, 9s ; Rob Roy, case, 19s ; Old Highland, 10s ; Glenury, <»s 6d; Scotch and Irish, 5s to 7s ; Longjohn"s in case, 18s 6d ; Hazelburn whisky, bulk, 6s. Rum, 4s 6d to ss. Lome, bulk, 6s 6d ; case, 19s ; Geneva, JDKZ, per case, 13s 6d ; Old Tom, per case, Burnett's, 15s ; Swaine Boord's, 143. Kerosene. — Bevoe's, 2s 6d (duty paid); Diamond, none ; Neonday, 2$ Bd. Candles, lid to lljd. SKENE'3 LABOUR EXCHANGE. August Ist, 1877. The month just closed has been miserably dull. Work of all sort is' almost at a stand still. We can now look for a speedy improvement. Skilled tradesbuilders and their men— feelthe winter slackness most* Farm and station people are constantly moving, and in fa?t the genuine ploughman is difficult to be got. Couples ara at la3t beginning to move. Female servants are always in good demand, both for fanni and

town houses, Shepherds are In slightly better demand. City bred men, storemen, clerks, and such, are seldom wanted at this season, and the new arrivals are principally composed of such. All who are unsuitable for farm work are getting piece work on the railways. Iron workers still complain of slackness. Wajres :— Couples, £52, £55, £GO. and £65 ; shepherds, £60 and £70 ; cooks, waiters, grooms, gardeners, &c, 20s to 40s ; station smiths, 40s per week ; country storemen, 30s and 40s per week and found ; carpenters, 10s and 12s ; house girls, 10s to 12s ; hotel do, 15s, 20s, and 30j ; boys and girls, ss, 6s, Bs, and 10s. COMMERCIAL TELEGRAMS. Auckland, July 27th. Mr Binney reports :— Ploiir : Oamaru, £17 ; Ounedin and Christchurch, £16 10s : Californian, £17 6s ; bran, £5 10s ; pollard, £7 (baqfs included) ; oats, 3s 8d to 3s lOd ; maize, 3s lOd to 4s ; oatmeal, 21s 9d ; pearl barley, £24 ; hams and bacon, 9d ; butter, 9d ; cheese, 7Ji; potatoes, £3 15s. The market is full of all kinds of produce. Trade quiet Mr Buckland reports :— Fat steers, 275 ; cows, secondary, 24a per lOOlba ; fat heifers. 23s 4d ; calves, mixed sexes, 38s to 535. Shares.— Buyers : National Bink, 70s; South British (old), 81s. Sellers: Bank of New Zealand, £22 10s. Mining sales, to-day.— Caledoniaß, £4 10s ; Moanaraiari, £7 12s 6d ; Waitekura, 12a 9d ; Alburnia, 58s ; Kuranui, 20s ; Piako, 10s. ' Auckland, July 31st. At auction to-d*y, Canterbury potatoes rea ised 43 ; oats, 3s 7d ; bran, £4 15s to £5 ; bacop, yd i Christchurch, July 27th. The wheat market is firm at 7s to 7s 3d for best milling; flour, £17 to £18; potatoes, £5; cheese, 6Jd; hams and bacon, 8d; bran, £4; sharps, £5 10s; wheat and flour, stocks are very low ; oats command a good business, at 3s 6d to 3s 9d, large quantities being returned to the country districts, where stocks are bare. Wellington, July 27th. Mr Thomas reports : Fiour, Colonial, £15 to £18 10s ; Adelaide, £24 ; oats, 48 to 4s 3d ; bran, Is to Is 2d ; wheat, chick, 4s 6d ; hams, lOd ; bacon, 9d • cheese, 8d ; pollard, 7s 6d ; maize, 4s 3d to 4» 6d : potatoes, £3 10s to £4. Oamarti. July 27th. The grain market is very quiet. Wheat, prime quality, selling at 7s to 7s 5d ; o*ts, large stock, 3s 9d to 4s— good milling would command a trifle better ; barley, unsaleable ; flour, £18 to £20 ; oatmeal. £29 to £30 ; pearl barley, £22 ; pollard, £6 ; bran, £4 ; potatoes, £3. _ . J Stonby, July 27th. Case brandy, 31s ; three-qrs., 8s 6d to 8s 9d ; kerosene, 2s, with a full market ; rice, unchanged ; Adelaide flour, £19 to £19 10s ; Adelaide wheat, 8s to 83 3d ; New Zealand wheat and oats, none in the market; tobacco is unchanged ; sperm candles, lOd to lOJd. Mr J. R. Mackbnzib reports for week ended 28th July as follows : — Sales.— Colonial Bank, £2 4s 3d and £2 4s 6d (cum div.) ; National Insurance, 31s, 325, 32s 9d ; Standard Insurance, 17s ; South British Insurance, 84s ; Keep it Dark (Reefton), 12s 3d. Sellers —Bank of New Zealand, £22 10s ; National B&nk, £3 12s ; Colonial Bank (cum div.), £2 4s 6d ; National Insurance, 335 ; Standard Insurance, 17s 6d ; New Zealand Insurance, £5 ; Mosgiel Woollen Co £3 10s ; We»lth of Nations (Reefton), £5 ; Keep It Dark, do, 12s 6d ; Fiery Crosi, do, 193 ; Welcomes, do, 40s. Buyers.— Colonial Bank (cum div.), £2 33 6d ; National Insurance, 31s ; Standard Insurance, 16s fid ; Mosgiel Woollen Company, £3 ss.

Messrs Whitelaw and Co. report sales of shares during the past week as follows :—

Insurance.— National, 325 ; New Zealand, 955; South British, 83s; Standard, its 6d. Banks. -Colonial, 44s (cum div.) ; New Zealand, £22 103 ; National, 70s. Other Companies. — Mcgiel Woollen Factory, 67s 6d; Now Ze*land Shipping, 735; Walton Park Coal, 12s 6d.

Buyers. — Insurances: National, 325; New Zealand, 90s ; Standard, 17s ; South British, 80s. Banks : Colonial, 43s 6d (cum div.) ; New Zealand, £22 10s ; National, 70s. Other Companiec Albion Brewing, 4s 6d ; Greymouth Coal, 42s 6d ; Hopeful Gold Mining, Reefton, West Coast, £6; Keep it Bark Gold Mining, Reef con, West Coast, Us ; Kaitangata Railway, £7 ; Mcsgiel Woollen Factory, 67n 8d ; Mount Ida Pastoral Association, £8 10s ; .New Zealand Shipping, 73s ; New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency, 95s old issue, 60s new issue ; Otago and Southland Investment, 255 ; Walton Park Coal, 12s ; Welcome Gold Mining; Reeften, 255.

Messrs Fleming and Hedley report the sale by private contract, to Alfred Carsdale, Esq , Waireka, near Christcr,urch, of the well known 3-year old prize entire Morley's Fancy. When shiwn as a 2>year old, we prophesied that this grand colt would one day rival the fame of his father, ihe Muir Lad, and the result bears out our anticipations, tha consideration money for which he was yesterday exchanged, being close on £1000. Morley's Fancy is by Muir Lad out of Miss Pateraon, and took third prize in the N.A. and P. Associatiou's Yards as a yaarling, after being shipped from Melbourne, and first prize as a 2-year old, far outstripping all competitors of the same age ; also, first prize as a 3-year old, 'asainst Mr M'Gregor's famous colt by Superior, bred by Miller, of West Taieri. His sire, the Muir Lid, is by the Pride of Scotland, and was bred by Mr Mather, of fionniton Moor, Scotland, and is the champion horse of the Southern Hemisphere. He is owned at present by Mr Fisher, of Adelaide.

Messrs M-Landress, Hepburst, and Co, yesterday sold by public auction a freehold property, being part of section 15, block XX, Cargill street, and two dwelling houses, for £575.

Mr Henry Driver (on behalf of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co.) reports f or,the week ending August Ist :—

Fat Cattle. — Only 110 came forward, and, in consequence of being a short supply, prices advanced fully 2s 6d per lOOlbs. Best pens of bullocks brought from £10 to £14 10s ; do cows, £7 to £11 10s— or equal to 32s 6d per lOOlbs. for prime quality. During the week we have sold 40 head privately. Fat Sheep. -2400 were penned, but nearly 1000 of them were but little better than stores. Owing to the trade being in want, of sheep, prices improved at least Is per head. Best cross-breds brought from 11s 61 to 14s— ar eqMal to fully 2Jd per lb. for prime mutton. Store Cattle and Sheep.— We, have not heard of any transactions during the week in either cattle or sheep. Wool.— Cablegram from London, dated July 30th reports :-r-Wool flat, prices unaltered. The next sales are expected to show a decline. Catalogues to hand per Suez mail show a more f ivourable schedule of prices for the first week of Jute sales than have been anticipated from cable advices.

Sheepskins at our Monday's auction were well competed for — 1500 skins catalogued, which brought very full prices. Cross-breds, green, 4s lOd to 4* lid • merinos, 3s 7d to 3s 9d ; station skins, 6Jd per lb. Hides were in good supply and brisk demand. We sold 200. Green butchers' brought 21s 3d to 25s 9d • wet salted heavies, 20s to 25s 6d ; inferior, 12s 9d. Tallow.— Only a few lots of medium mixed came to hand this week. Prices are f ully 'supported— £30 to £33 per ton.

Grain.— the market for wheat is unaltered for best quality of milling, stocks of which are very small in both the northern and southern districts, and quote 7s 10 7s 9d for good to choice samples ; inferior sorts are neglected, and therefore nominal in price. Melbourne market, hardening both for breadstuffs and oats, has given more firmness. — Oats have advanced in that market fully 3d pei bushel, with a very firm and scarce market. There has been more doing in this market for local consumption, at 3s 4d ts 3s 6d ; milling. 3s Bd.— Barley : In the absence of fine samples, no' business is doing in malting ; feed and milling are in request, at 3s to 3s 3d.

Messrs Wright, Stbphensok, and Co., report for the week ending Ist August, 1877, as follow! :

Fat Cattle. — The market was barely supplied to-day, only 110 head being yarded, in consequence of which prices ruled a shade higher. We sold 74 head on account of Jas. Smith, Esq., Greenfield ; Mr George Wallace, and others. Bullocks brought from £9 to £13 ; cows, £7 10s to £9 12s 6d — prices equal to 30a per lOOLb for prime quality, and 25s for medium. Privately we have placed 30 head at prices equivalent to 27s 6d per 1001b.

Fat Calves. — None yarded.

Fat Sheep.— 2ooo of all sorts were penned, consisting chiefly of cross-bred ewe 3, the greater portion of them finding buyers at prices about the same as last week's quotations We sold, on account of James . Smith, Eaq., Greenfield, 520 cross-breds at 10s 61 to 12s 3d ; on account of Mr John Andre*, 500 do, at lls , on account of Messrs R. Gibson, Schaw, and Smith, 300 cross-breds at from lls 3d to 14?. The foregoing prices are equal to 2£d per lb. Privately, we have quitted 750 cross-bred h at a price equal to 2*d per lb. Store Shegp.— We have enquiries for young' merino

and half-bred sheep, but very few are offering. - During the week we have placed 2500." Horses. — Good heavy draught and strong up-sUnd-ing coach horses are in good request. We quote firstclass draughts at from £45 CO £56 ; medium, £35 to £40 ; light, £25 to £30 ; good saddle and light harness horses, £23 to £30 ; medium, £12 to £20 : light and inferior; £3 to £10. Sheepskins.— For our sale this week, the supply waa a large one, 2150 being catalogued and sold. There was a full attendance of the trade, and brisk competition for every lot, prices obtained showing an advance on last week's rates. Butchers' green skins,-half-breds, brought from 4s 3d to 5s Id ; merinos, 3s 4d to 3s lOd ; station skins, np to 5s sd.

Hides.— There is a better demand, and values have advanced Jd to Jd per lb. this week. We sold 85 at from 2ls to 26* 3d for heavy weight*, and from 15s to 17s 6d for light and medium— prices equal to from 4d to 4f d per lb. Tallow is in arood request, but few parcels suitable for shipment offering. We sold several lots of medium qualivy at from £30 to £32 per ton ; inferior, £24 to £26.

Grain.— Wheat continues in good demand, but few lots of prime quality in the market. We have no alteration in values to report. Prime samples are readily saleable at 7a 9d per bushel ; medium, 6s" 6d to 7s 3d. Oats are in better inquiry, and easy to quit at 3s 6d to 3s 9d for prime tniling ; feed, 3s 4d to 3s sd. Barley remains neglected, and little business doing in it at present.

Messrs Maclean Brothers report for tha week ending Ist August, as follows : —

Fat Cattle.— There was but a short supply of 110 head forward for to-daj's market, all medium to prime quality. The demand was consequently more active and prices advanced about 2s 6d per 1001b. Bullocks brought from £$ to £12 10s ; do cows, from £6 to £10 2s 6d— or equal to 325"6 d per 1001b for best quality beef, and 27s 6d to 30s for medium. At the yards we sold 40 head on account of Wm. Souter, Esq., at top quotations. , Fat Sheep.— 24oo sheep were penned, but of these abeut 700 were simply stores, and the remainder were only of medium quality, at all events not up to the quality of the supplies of the lasf few weeks. Prices obtained for fat shtep ranged from 11s to 14s— or equal to 2|d per lb, and for the stores in question, which we sold at 6s 9d each.

Store Cattle —Very few are now offering, and the demand is comparatively inactive, as most buyers have supplied themselves for the season. Store Sheep.— We have no transactions to report but note continued enquiry for good young cross, breds and merinos. We have also buyers for really good young merino ewes, which would command full prices, but there are few or none of either description offering. " "

Country Sales.— At Bilclutha, on Friday, 27th ult. we held a general sale of stock, when about 140 head cattle, and about 600 sheep were yarded, all of which found buyers at full prices. ' ' . Property.— We have to report the sale, on account of Messrs W. and J. C. Todd, to James Souness Esq of the View Park property, Anderson's Bay— lo acres' with house, orchard, &c— at £1200 - Sheepskins.— There was but a moderate attendance of buyers at our iisualsale on Monday last, owing to the departure of the mail steamer that day. Competition was; however,' active, and full prices were obtained We catalogued and sold 1000 skins. Butchers' green cross-breds, at up to 4s 9d ; do merinos, 3s 4d to 3s 8d : dry skins.at Is 8d to 3s sd. Hides continue in very good demand, "and good sound lots wet salted command from 4d to 4}d per lb according to weight" and quality, vn Monday lust we soldtfO at prices ranging from 16s to 29s each. •Tallow.— We -catalogued 26 pa.kage3, the bulk of ' which, however, was withdrawn, and will be offered together with a fewtons additional prime mutton at our sale on Monday next. We quote inferior dark at £25 ; good ordinary, £30 ; prime bright, at up to £34 per ton.'

Grain.— Wheat : Really prime milling commands up to 7s 9d,-and is offering in very limited quanf ty ».. ?r? r 4 i °» 1 T to good, 6s 9d to 7s; inferior, 5s 6d to, 6s; fowl feed, 3s 6d to 4s "4d. Oats have been in somewhat better request during the week, but prices are without change. X We quote ordinary to good feed at 3s 3d to 3s sd ; milling, at up to ' 3s 7d ; very prime, for milling or seed, might possibly bring up to 3s 9d. For barley, we have had more enquiry, but very little business has transpired except' in regard to very ordinary samples for feed, which" have been sold at 2s 9d to 3s 3d. Prime bright malting may be quoted as worth 4s 6d. -Inferior and ordinary malting very dull of sale ; quotation, say 3s 6d to 4s. WOOL SHIPMENTS FOR 1877. ' 'We are indebted to Messrs Cargills.-Gibbs, and Co and the New Zealand Shipping Company for the following compilation :— - • The total exports of wool to London from Qta°-o and Southland for this season comprise 70,967 bale's viz. : - * From Port Cha'mers .. ' 56,338 "bi1es Bluff Harbour .. 14,629 do. The shipments last year comprised 67,369 bales •— Erom Port Chalmers .. 52,669 bales " Bluff Harbour .. 14,800 do. Seventeen ships have been despatched during the season, viz. : —

THE WOOL MARKET. Mr K. Gibbs, manager of the Australian Mortgage Land, and Finance Company, Limited, reporting! to Messrs Cargill, Gibbs, and Co., Dunedin, under dato ' London, Bth Jane, says :— The opening of the public wool sales on the Bth May was marEed by" a large attendance of buyers and capitu competition, but yet a decline in prices from tLe closing rates of the preceding auations to the extent of Bto 10 per cent, was at once registered. In the course of a few days, the market improved, and increased animation was apparent for about a week The course of political affairs in France then caused a check; the market assumed a duller aspect, aud prices, in many ca»es, lost the little advantage tbey had, gained. More spirit, however, has again been shown during the last few days. Prices are certainly firmer, and offer a little higher. On the average, the fall may be said to be 5 pec cent, from March closing prices. Some sorts, espe'cully cross-breds, show a stronger decline, whilst inferior greasy Port Phillip Sydney, and Adelaide remain almost unchanged. The want of confidence occasioned by mauy small failures ha>j increased the prevailing depression in the homo wade, .md the uneasiness produced by the war has arrested, the progress of business on the continent' Up to the present, the qmntities brought forwar i in the sale have beea 154,704 bales (142,941 Australian 11,763 Cape), but of thsse about 14,000 biles have been taken in, and as the catalogues daily offered are comparatively, small, there seems every reason to believe that unless a change for the better takes place we shall see a good deal of wool held over for the August, sengs.

oadea bjr the Albion Shipping ,Co , antf Shaw, Sarill , and Co. : Prom Port Chalmers — William Davie .. 840 tons 3 115 bales ' Invercargill .. 1,250 do 5,083 do Eliz. Graham .. 593 do 3152 do Tiiuartl .. .. 1,306 do 5,620 do Duuedln .. 1,243 do 5,721 do Calypso.. .. 1,014 do 4,777 do Marlborougb. .. 1,150 do 5,295 do Oamaru... .. 1,306 do 3,884 do Wild Deer .. 1,016 do 1,580 do From Bluff HarbourJames N. Fleming 992 do 4/24 do 10,720 tons. 42,851 bales. Loaded by the New Zealand Shipping Co • From Port Chalmora— Mataura.. .. F93 t<ms 3,92* bales Wairoa .. .. 1,057 do 3,964 do Otaki .. .. 1,055 do 3,704 do Hurunui .. 1,054 do 3,911 Go Ferneflen .. 818 do 2.679 do From Bluff Harbour — Border Chief .. 1,011 do 6,486 do "Waitara.. .. 833 do 4,519 do 6,7! tons

xne iouowinjj are the chief Russell, Ritchie, tnd Co. . . Ganjills, Gibbs, and Co. . . N.Z.L. and M. Agency Dalgety, Nichols, and Co. Murray, Roberts, and C 0 . .. Robt. Campbell and Co. . . H. M'Donald J. Rattray and Co New Zealand Shipping Co. Wrisrht, Stephenson, and Co. M'Pnerson and Co Miles, Hassell, and Co, Joseph Clarke Stock and Co. P.Fulton Nichol and Tucker . . . T. S. Sibbald M'Lean Bros. Martin, Maitland,and Co .. :sh nippers :— .. 15,168 bale: .. 11.687 do .. 10,302 do .. 5,428 do .. 6,050 do .. 3,058 do .. 3,121 do .. 2,396 do .. 2,341 do 1,696 do .". 1,290 do .. 2,012 do .. 1,297 do 868 do 642 do 596 do 586 do 461 do 436 do