LABOUR REPORT.

Otago Witness, Issue 1374, 30 March 1878, Page 11

LABOUR REPORT.

March 27th, 1878. Mr Skene reports : All are busy, and none are idle except those who do not mean to work. We have got a great many to deal with in the shape of useless men, sponging on their wives— anything in fact to escape work themselves. Deserted women and children are another blot, and a very serious one, on our otherwise respectable community. Work is plentiful ; and men should now save a bit from harvest. Couples of experience are in good demand. Females are as much sought after as ever. Builders are extra bUBy ; shopmen and clerks are always too plentiful. Wagescouples, £65 to £80 ; shepherds, £60, £6=>, and £70 ; day labour, Bs. and 9s. : ploughmen, £55 to £65 ; cooks, waiter-, grooms, gardeners, &c , £25 to £60 ; hotel girls, £15 to £30 ; house, and dairy maids, £12 to £15 ; bricklayers, 145. ; dairymen, 15s. to 255.

Mr J. A. Mackenzie reports for week ended 23rd March, as follows : —

National Bank of New Zealand, £3 155; Colonial Bank of New Zealand, £2 lls 6d ; National Insurance Com. pany, £1 12s 9d ; Standard, £1 4s ; Union, 14s 9d ; New Zealand Shipping Company, £3 14s : National Mortgage and Agency Company Of Now Zealand, £1 5s (5s premium).

Mr J. B. Bradshaw reports ag follows for the week ending Saturday, 23rd instant :—

Bank of New Zealand shares at £23 15s ; National Bank of New Zealand shares, £3 15s ; Colonial Bank of New Zealand shares, £2 10a and £2 lls; National Insurance Co shares, £1 12s and £1 12s 6d ; Standard Insurance Co shares, £1 3a ; Union Insurance Co shares, 14s 9d and 15s ; New Zealand Insurance Co shares, £4 12a O'l ; South British Insurance Co shares, £3 16s 6d ; Mosgiel Woollen Factory Companyjshares, £3 7s; Cromwell Quartz-mining Co shares, £2; All Nations Quartz-miningCo shares, 5s ; Victor Emanuol Quartz-niinincr Co sbaros, 7s 6d ; Guthr c and Larnach's Timber and Woodwaro Factories Co shares, £2 103. Money secured on freehold property, £8 per cent, per annum.

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

Insurance.— National, 325, 32s 3d ; Now Zealand, 955; South British, 78s ; Standard, 23s (3d ; Union, 14s 9d. Banks. Colonial Bank of New Zealand, 50a 6d and sls ; New Zealand, £24 ; National, 74s ; Union Bank of Australia, £60 10s. Other Companios. —Albion Brewing, 4s 6d ; Forbury Park, £25 10s ; Greymouth Coal, 40s ; Homeward Bound Quartz-mining, Reefton, £40 ; Hopeful Gold-mininp, Kcefton, 70s; Just-in-Timo Quirtn-mining, Reef ton, 8s; Keep-it-Dark Quartzmining, 20i ; Welcome Gold-miningf, Reefton, 50s; Kaitanjjnta Railway and Coal, £3 5s ; Mo'giol Woollen Factory, Css and 60s ; Mount Ida Pastoral Association, £11 7s 6d; National Mortgage and Agency Co, Limited, 255; Union Steamship, £7 15s; New Zealand Shipping Co, 75s ; Walton Park Coal, 103 6u.

Mr Hknrt Driver (on behalf of tho N.Z.L. and M. A. Co) reports for week ending March 27th :—

The market to-day was supplied with the following fat stock : 130 head cattle, \i calves, 16 TO sheep, 65 lambs.

Fat Cattle. — The number yarded was only a fair supply, and nearly the whole being of good to prime quality, bidding was, brisk, and showed a decided improvement in prices. Best pens of bullocks brought £10 10s to £14 ;do cows, £8 to £12 103— or equal to fully 30s per lOOlbs for priire quality. We sold 30 head at full rates.

Fat Calves.— Those penned ail found buyers at from 20s to 50s. We Bold 10 at quotations.

Fat Sheep.— Of the quantity forward, nearly onehalf were merinos, and the trade being short of sheep, there was a jrood demand, and an improvement in price to tho extent of Is to Is 6d cacli. Best crossbreds brought 10a to 13a 6d ; do merinos, 6s Gd to 9s or fully 2Jd per lb for former, and 2d latter. We suld 250 at quotations. Fat Lambs.— Theso Hold at an advance in price of Is per head. B^st lambs may be quoted at 83 to 10s Gd. At yards we sod 50 lam'is at top rates. Store C.ittle. — There is only a moderate demand, with few offering Lots of mixed ages and sexes aro worth £4 to £4 10s ; quiet well-grown bullocks at £5 to £7 ; do cows, £4 to £5. We have sold 100 head mixed cattle.

Store Sheep,— Owing to the limited number offering, wo have but few transactions to report. Values remain unchanged, with an almost unlimited demand. During the woo It v>o sold 3000.

Wool.— Tho latest London cablogram reports:— " Wmol sales proceeding very languid, in consequonco of which withdrawals wero large." In this market up to the present time thoro h good demand for all descriptions at a littlo concossioa in price. Wo sold on Monday a few lots of stragglers' wool at very satisfactory rates. Sheepskins. — Our weekly auction on Monday was fairly supplied with >kins. A full attendance of buyers cleared off the catalogueof 1000 with good competition. Bare pelts &ulcl at 3d to 10d each ; shearling cross-bred, 2s to 2s 6d ; merino do, Is Gd to 2s 3d ; lambs, Is 4d to 2s 8d

Hides.— We sold 150 inferior medium weights at 3jd to 4}d for best heavies, equal to an average of 4d por lb.

Tallow.— Some of our buyers being absent, we held over our lots for Monday next.

Grain.— This market is quite bare of any description, tho harvest having been so much delaj-ed by unsettled weather. Farmers are now too busy stacking to attend to threshing or delivering. In a week or two wo expect ccn^iileiab'e arrivals ; me.m vhilo all business is suspended, excepting small deliveries of wheat at the mill- ; prices quoted, 4s 3d to 4q Gd. Oats : Stocks arc quite bare, export orders cannot bo executed pending supplies. Dealora tako off every lot

coming in, at 3d 6d. Barley : There is a little doing in malting samples, at 4s Gd to ss',s ', very choice heavy grain, 3d to Cd higher. Feeding is wanted at 3s 3d to 3s 6d.

Wright, Etepiienson, and Co. report for the week ending 27th March, as follows :—

Fat Cattle. -The modorate supply of 130 head was yarded, the greater portion ©f which were of prime quality. We sold tO head, 50 of which were from iho N.Z. and A. Land Company's Edendale estate, and were of very prime quality, the bullocks averaging £13 4s 6d, and the cows £10 12s Bd— or equal to 32s 61 per 1001b. Privately, we have sold 50 head at prices equivalent to 30s per 1001b. Fat Calves. -About 20 pennod, and sold at from 25s to 42s 6d each.

Fat fcheep.— The number penned (1671)' was not f ulficicnt to meet the requirements of the iradi, consequently prices ruled ful y 2s per head over late quotations. We sold 1406 as follows :— On account of Kdward Menlove, Esq., 500 cross-bred wethers at 12s 9d. and 27 cross-bred ewes at 12s ; on account of Messrs Murray, Koberts, and Co., 312 merino wethers (tjood) at 9s ; on account of Alexander Brown, Esq., 467 merino wethers (medium quality) at from 7a to 8s ; on account of Mr John Bruce, 100 crosa-breds and merinos at from 5s to 9s or, say, equal to 2d per lb. We have also sold privately 800 at market rates.

Fat Lambs.— Only 65 camo forward, ana of course prices ruled much firmer. These brought from 9s 6d to 10s.

Store Cattle.— We have buyers for grown cattle. Our sales during the week comprise 80 head mixed cows and bullocks, and 150 head young cattle at our quotations, which are as follows : —Bullocks, 3 to 5 years old, £6 to £7 ; cowa, £4 10s to £5 ; mixed, £3 10s to £4. Wo de&iro again to call special attention to our bale to-day (Thursday, 28th March), at 1 o'clock, at the Pound Yards, Outram, when we shall sell, on account of David Grant, Esq., Granton, 230 head, well bred mixed store cattle, nearly fat, and ia good condition. Store Sheep of all classes, but "young merinos and cross-breds in particu ar, continue in busk inquiry. We quote cross-bred wethers, 4 and 6 tooth, at from 7s to 7s 6d ; do do, 2-tooth, 6s Od ; do lambs, 5s 6d to Ca ; merino wethers, 2, 4, and 6 tooth, at 6s ; do fullmouthed, 4s to 4s 6d ; do ewes, 2, 4 and 6 tooth, 7s ; do full-mouthed, 3s to 4s ; do lambs, 5s to 5s Cd. At th> above quotations we have sold 7700 cross-breds and merinos.

Countiy Kales.— On Thursday, 21st instant, we held a sale by auction at the Corporation Yards, upper Maclaggan street, of dairy cows, the properly of K. B. Martin, Esq. There was a fair attendance, but the bidding lacked spirit. Cows brought from £4 10a to £9 ; yearlings and 2-year-olds, from £2 7s 6d to £4. On Tuesday, 26th instant, by order of Mr Charles Waters, of .Springfield Farm, North Taieri,* we held a clearing sale by auction of the whole of his hones, cattle, pigs, crops, farming implements, &c. There was an unusually large attendance of farmers and others, and the bidding was > cry animated, everything being sold at very satisfactory prices. Draught horses brought from £23 to £40 ; do, unbroken colts. £19 10s to £36 ; do, two-year-olds, £13 10s to £17 10d ; light harness horses, £14 to £15 ; do do, unbroken colts and fillies, £0 to £17 : cows, £6 5s to £8; heifers, £2 15s to £5 10s ; yearlings, £1 12s 6d. Crops in stack, farming imp'ements, household furniture, dairy utensils, &c, brought full rates. Horses. — Young heavy draught mares and geldings continue in great demand. Saturday hst> being' a public holiday, our weekly sale t Jok place on Monday, 25th instant, instead, when we disposed of. a draft of pnre - bred Shetland ponies, on account cf James Marshall, Esq., by whom they '.w,ere bred, and for which the competition ' was very keen. They realised from £17 to £27 eich. Of other classes also a fair proportion changed hands. We would again direct special attention to our gale at the Provincial Yards, on Saturday, 30th inst., when we shall offer 25 vory superior heavy draught m»res and geldings, drays, timber waggon, harness, &c, on account of David Proudfoot, Esq., from his Blueskiu contract, which is completed. These animals will be found on inspection to be one of the finest lots of horses ever offered in this market, they having been Belec.ed with great judgment and regardless of coat. W e quote first-class draughts at from ' £60 to £60 ; medium, £35 to £45 ; light, £25 to £30 ; good hacks and light harness horses, £20 to £25 ; medium, £10 to £17 ; light and inferior, £3 to £7. Wool. — The following cablegram has been received under date London, 23rd March : " Tho wool gales show considerable weakness ac the sates progress. The languor in the demand led to several withdrawals." Sheepskins.— Theie was a full attendance of the trade at our weekly sa'e on Monday. We catalogued 1650 skins, for which the competition was very brisk, and prices showed an advance on last week's rates. Butchers' greenskins (pelts), sold up to 2s 3d ; lambskins, 2a Id to 2s lOd ; station skins (full-woollod merinos) up 10 6s. Hides are in good demand, and well-conditioned lots are saleable at equal to 4d per lb. We did not offer any this week. Grain.— Wheat is in fair request, and good samples milling are saleable at 4s 6d per bushel ; and for extra primo samples, 4s 7d to 4a 9d. Oats are in good enquiry, aud saleable at from 3s 3d to 33 4d for feed * and 3s 5d to 3s 6d for prime milling for imme-iiato delivory. Barley— Prime malting wanted, but little offering ; present value, 4s 6d to ss.

MaciißAK Brothers report for week ending 27th March, as follows : —

Fat Cattle, — A moderate supply of 130 head was yarded for to-day's market, all of which, with the exception of a few pens, were of really prime quality. The demand was active, resulting in the sale of the whole, at up to 303 per 1001b. for prime, and 25s for medium quality ; best bullocks brought £12 10s to £13 17s Gd ; medium do, from £8 10s to £10 ; best cows, £10 to £12 10s ; medium, £6 103 to £8. At the yards we sold 54 head at quotations. Privately we sold 48 hoad.

Fat Calves. — 14 were penned, which sold at 303 to 45s for gsod ; inferior, 15s to 25s each. Fat Sheep— l67l were penned, about one-half of which (an unusually large proportion) were merinoß. In consequence of the short huppiy competition was brisk, and prices advanced about Is per head. Crossbreds fetched from 10s to 13s 9d ; merinos, 7s 6d to 9s 3d (or wethers ; 3s 6d to 5s for ewes. We quote prime mutton at a shade over 2d per lb. Fat Lambs —Only C 5 were penned, which were keenly compoted for at from 103 to lls 6d each; Siore Cattle. — We have no transactions to report.

Store Sheep. — We note a continuance of the demand for almost all descriptions, and prices for young merinos arc a shade firmer. Wo quote merino wetbers 2, 4, and G tooth, at Gs ; do, full-mouthed, at 3s 6d to 4s 3d ; do ewes, 2, 4, and G tooth, 6s 6d to 7s ; do do full - mouthed, 3s to 4s 3d ; cross-breds, 4 and 6 tooth, 7s Gd ; do, 2-tooth, Cs Gd to 7s ; lambs at 5s 3d to 5a Od. We have sold 1000 young merino ewes a'u Bs. Country Safes.— We would direct special attention to our sale at Balclutha on the 29th instant, whon we shall offer, on account of John Anderson, jun., Esq., 140 head well-brod cattle and 1200 merino sheep', and on account of other vendors, about 120 head mixed, cattle.

Wool.— Cablegrams from London of date 22nd March aro us follows :—" Tho wool sales show considerable weakness as the Bales progress. Tbe languor in the demand led to several withdrawals The bank rate Is 2 per cent." On Friday,' 22nd instant, we hold our eighth salo of this season, when 203 bales were submitted, all of which, with tho exception of one lot, were sold at very satisfactory prices. Priced catalogue is hereto annexed:— Greasy cross-bred, N, 2 bags, Sgd; do lambs, do, 7 do, lOJd; do locks, Puarua, 1 bala, 29d; do cross-bred, 01, 1 fadge, 9gd; washed locks, RC in circle, 1 bale, 6d ; greasy, 4 Ist combing, 2 12nd do, 5 Ist clothing, 3 2nd do, Mount Albert, 14 bales, ll£d ; washed looks, do, 1 do, 7Jd ; scoured crosj-bred, AA, 3 do, 18Jd ; do locks and pieces, d>>, 1 do, 12|d ; greasy cross-bred, N, 1 do, 9|d ; do do, AP conjoined, 1 do, 9Jd j do merino, cross in circle, 2 do, lOJrt. On account of tho Underwriters : Scourod cross-bred 11 bales, do meriao 25 do, dirty fleece 3 do, do stained 10 dp, do meiiuo pieces, 9 do, do, do Btained 4 do, F, G2 bales, at lsCd; do merino 25 do, do cross-bred 2 do. do pieces 4 do, locks 1 do, T, Si do, at Is Gd ; do three-quarter-bred do 4 do, do cross-bred 4 do, do Leicester 2 do, J, 10 do, Is 4^d|; do cross-bred 3 do, do pieces 4, do, do soedy and dihcoloured 5 do, M, 12 do, Is 2Jd. Sheepskins.— At sale on Friday we had but a few lots, which were keenly competed for. Hides aro in better request, and may be quoted at 4 1 per lb for sound wot salted. During tho week we have disposed of 70. Tallow.— Good bright tallow in shipping order is worth £31 to £32 ; medium, £27 to £30 ; rough fat, £18 to £21 10s. (Very little ottering.

Grain.— Wheat for immediate delivery is in better demand, and prime samples have been sold at 4s Od to 4s 9J. Comparatively little of the new crop is yet on offer. Oats : The market has beon quite bare of stack, and tho arrivals, which have been slight, have been freely taken at up to 3* Gd for best food. We quote for future delivery feed at 'is 3d to 3s 4cl ; railling,3s scl to 3s Gd. Barley : Prime malting is saleable at it Od to s*. but onto' food and milling samples aro offor« ing, which arc difficult to quit at 3s to 3s <M.