COMMERCIAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3571, 11 March 1886, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

ENGLISH MARKETS.

The following are extraota from the | National Morttrago and Agency Company' circular, dated London, January 28th : — WOOL. The first serie3 of colonial wool auctions for tho ourrent year was opened on tho 19th inst., the following being tho totals of new arrivals and tho nett quantity available for sale after deducting the wools forwarded direct and adding those held over from the December aerios: — Bales. Now South Wales and Queensland 83,900 Victoria 63,100 South Australia 33,000 Western Australia 800 Tasmania ... 1,200 New Zealand 15,000 Capeand Natal 27,600 Total 224,600 Of the abovo available total, the following havQ been catalogued and withdrawn to date: — Cata- Withlogued. drawn. Bales. Bales. Now South Wales and Queensland 31,694 3,882 Victoria 21,654 2,213 South Australia 8,263 492 Western Australia ... ... 399 — Tasmania 288 — New Zealand 5,529 137 Cape and Natal 11,703 2,722 Total 79,530 9,416 The attendance of bnyers is barely so large as is usually looked for at tho first series of the year, the French trado especially bein j but indifferently represented. Biddings on the opening night lacked animation, being made with considerable hesitation, and prices for all descriptions, with tho exception of good lightconditioned merino and crossbred growths, ruled m buyers' favor, and were marked by much irregularity. Tho position has not since been materially altered, but on the whole tho tone of the market is somewhat stronger, with rather less irregularity m prices. The decline on mushy, earthy Queensland and Now South Wales wools is fully 12 per cent, the proportion of such wools being extremely largo. Good sound combing wools, m light condition, are m demand for tho American tnarkot, and roaliso prices fully on a par with December rates. Crossbred wools of the finer grades rule on a par with Decembor values, while coarse deepgrown descriptions meet with strong competition at occasionally a slight advance on last sales quotations. The results of tho current eories have been very disappointing, the advices received from the manufacturing centres previous to the opening of the sales having led to the impression that a more healthy state of affairs existed, with more confidence m tho position of the article. The very inferior condition of tho Australian clip now being marketed has undoubtedly materially increased the difficulties of the situation, the bulk of the wool being either of a mushy character, or extremely heavy m yolk and earth. Some wools the new olip from New Zealand have been catalogued, and so far as can be judged from so small a quantity, tho condition and growth would appear to be snperior to that of the 1884-5 clip. Freßb. arrivals to date for tho second series of sales are as follow ; — New South Wales and Queensland, 14,275 bales j Viotoria, 1,735; Sonth Australia, 6,055; Western Australia, — ; Tasmania, 56 ; New Zealand, 5,047; Cape and Natal,—; total, 27,168 bales. OBAIN MARKET. No improvement can be recorded m this market, which still remains m a stagnant condition. The cold, seasonable weather of tho last two weeks has occasionally imparted an element of strength into tho trado, but it has been only of a transient natnro, and has not caused activity. Available stocks continue to act adversely and check speculative opera-, tions. The imperial average price of British corn for tho week ended 23rd inst. has receded still further to 29s 9d, as ngainst 31s lid m the corresponding week of last year. Owing to the rapid thaw, floods have ocenrred m various districts, although no seriou3 damage has been done, and the outlook is favorable for the growing crops, to whioh the occasional sharp frosts have as yet done no harm, although they are now not so secure as when protected by a covering of snow. Ex stand, only retail transactions are recorded. New Zealand wheats, which havo of late been rjrominent from the faofc of their not participating m the decline m Talnea, must now ba quoted la per qnartor lower, owing to increased supplies and tho gradually falling price of English. American quotations are easier, but are yet too high to admit of business. Flour is dull of sale withont material change. Oats, beans, and peas flld not meet with the enquiry whioh was expected m consequence of the colder weather, as American maizo and low qualities beans have been plentiful. Cocksfoot grass seed is unaltered. Tho quantity of wheat on passage or shipping to the United Kingdom is now 1,795,500 quarters, as against 1,579,500 qnarterg a fortnight ago, and 1,808,500 quarters at same time last year. The American " visible Bupply" is given as 55,975,000 bushels, as compared with 57,960,000 bushels on 15th inst, and 42,575,000 bushels at a dato corresponding to this m 1885. We quote present prices, ox granary as follow, viz. : — Wheat — Australian, 36s to 37s per 496 1b5; New Zealand long-berried, fine, 333 t0 33s 6d ; do, do, medium, 31s to 325 ; do, do, inferior, 29s 6d to 30s 6d ; do, short-berried, fino, 31s to 325 ; do, do, medium, 30s to 31s; do, do inferior, 29s to 30s. Flour— Australian, patent 26s 6d to 27s 6d per 280 lbs (gross) ; do, superfino, 24s 6d to 25s 6d ; Now Zealand, patent, 24s 6d to 25s Gd ; do, fine, 20s to 225. Barley —New Zealand, fine, 33s to 313 per 418 lbs ■ do, ordinary, 25s 6d to 20s 6d. Oats— New Zoaland, heavy, 30a 6d to 313 6d per Imp. or • do, ordinary, 27s to 28s. Beans— New Zealand, No. 1., 3is to 353 per 501 lbs ; do No •> 33s to 345. Peas-New Zealand, average, 33s to 35s per 504 lbs; do, wrinkle, norn , 52 3 Cockafoot-New Zealand, fine, 55s to 50a per xii lbs (nett). r BUTTKB Small parcels of good to fine New Zealand have been so d from 703 to 90s per owt but inferior descriptions are not m request. _ FEOZEN MEAT. There is scarcely any ohange to record m this market. Supplies of Home meat havo been fairly light on the whole, but tho domand has been fitful and prices irregular. Prime gootoh mutton boa touohed 4s lOd per stone o£ lbs during the fortnight, but bag relapsed,

md is now qnoted at the same prices as those lost given. Prime sides of boef steadily improved up to 4s 6d per Btone, but have also declined, and values are praotioally unchanged from those of 15th inst. Frozen mntton has been steady. Snpplies are light, and having been carefully handled, prices have not varied 4d per lb. The only arrival of colonial meat has been by the s.s. Rimutaka, from Wolhngton and Canterbury. The position of recent arrivals of Australasian mntton, beef, and lamb is as follows : — lalto* Shi P- C monf " 3 m 1/OCK. 11H.1H. p er ik 1885. D. of Westminster {s) Oct. 21 From Kookhampton ps. 1,944 BW to 6d Arawa(s) - - 13,934 M0d to s}d Dec. 2 From N.Z. ports ps. 381 E4d to 51d Tongariro (s) - - 10,380 M — „ 7 From N.Z. ports ps. 2,359 B +Jd to old *„,. ~~r\ 13,612 31 5 dto 5Jd „,*, AOr F^ B) N.Z.po r^ ra -^^ pto -6id 1885. lonic (s) - - - 15,277 SI 5d to 5Jd Jan. 4 From N.Z ports 96 Ljup to fJd nimutaka(3) - - d3 W 't^ 3 Z „ 25 From N.Z. ports P 3 - £° £1 _ To-day's quotations aro as follows ; — Prime English mutton (wethers) 4s 2dto 4s 6d, prime Scotch mutton (wethers) 4s 4d to 43 Bd, townkilled foreign mntton (wethers) S3 Gd to 4a. prime New Zealand uratton 3s 4d to 3s Cd, English and town-killed foreign beef 33 Sd to 4s, prime Scotch beof <ls 4d to 4s Bd, all per ,atone of 8 lbs. (By Temobaph.)