COMMERCIAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 670, 7 April 1879, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

LABOR MARKET.

DUNEDIN, April 4, We are now into the yearly recurring interval of slackness ; between the harvest and winter operations harvest is well through, and a good many are needed for the steam thresher. Now is the season for men to secure winter billets. Every ploughman will be needed soon, as so many of them are constantly taking up ground, and turning masters instead of being servants. Couples are in good demand ; shoemakers are very scarce ; girls. as usual, are "mistresses of the situation;" shopmen and clerks are slack ; rabbitters are in good demand. Wages : Couples, £75 to £90 ; station cooks, 30s ; ploughman and shepards, £60, £65, £70 ; day labour at bush, road, and rail, 8s and 9s ; rabbitters, 3d a skin ; ordinary girls 10s to 16> ; upper do, 15s to 30s ; milkers, 15s to 255. ■ THE MONEY MARKET. We are glad to report that the state of the money market shows a decided tendency towards relaxation from the stringency, of the past few months. The floating ot the Victorian loan, which will change the position of the Victorian banks from borrowers into lenders, has had much to do with the improved ftone ; but it probably is principally due to the increased confidence shown in the Home Market, and the strengthened position of the Bank of England. The recovery, which we think we may say has at length commenced in our market, is likely to be permanent, inasmuch as ,in the northern parts of the Colony similar signs have been apparent for some time. Money which a week ago could scarcely be obtained at any price if now moderately plentiful, for good mortgages at least at 10 per cent.