COMMERCIAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume LX, Issue 2356, 30 March 1897, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

-"♦■ ■■••■. •'<"•'■'} ■ The Colonial Consignment and' Distributing Co. (Ltd.) report on the London markets under date 19th February, 1897, as follows :— New Zealand Mutton.— Arrivals have been Star of England 25,054, Rangatira 15,107, Rimutaka 12.110, and Matatua 12,723 carcases. Trade during the four weeks has been very slow, and the- last week has seen a further fall m prices, the j best sorts feeling the decline more than the inferior, best Canterbury mut-! ton that, for some time, has been held at 3|d and 3£d per lb, can now be bought at 3dperlb. Southland mutton is selling, at 2fd to 2fd per lb for the best light and inferior, ami ewes, at considerably less, j North Island sheep were selling at 2|d per lb, till competition brought them down to 2sd and 2£dper lb. Parcels from Auckland, Gisborne, Napier and Wellington, m the hands of several consignees, are now being marketed, and find a very dull sale. While >iew Zealand mutton has been retrograding m values, English mutton has as steadily risen, quotations at sllington on Monday show an advance of id per lb m a fortnight, the diminished imports of live sheep, 37,000 less than the corresponding period last year, and of Dutch mutton, from 39,888 cwts m December, to 17,488 cwts m January v enabling salesmen to advance prices, and evidencing how little connection there is between values of Home-bred and New Zealand mutton. It has been for months apparent to those connected with the market, how very much New Zealand mutton has fallen m public es- , timation, and how many butchers who have dealt m it for years have now given it up. The indifferent quality of so much' that has been offered, its generally stale damaged condition, and the" difficulty that was experienced m ensuring a supply of really prime mutton have driven butchers on to other meat, when they found their customers complaining and their trade jeopardised. In marked contrast to the very low prices generally ruling, some very prime Down wethers, prize takers at Wellington, m fresh bright condition, sold as soon as put on the market at 4|d per lb, and more of the same sort would have been taken had they been obtainable. New Zealand Lamb.— The Star of England brought 1645, Rimutaka 3610, and Matatua 2896. As with mutton, so with lamb, when stale, bleached, andperished, as it must necessarily be after six months' storage at Home, and ptfssibly a further period before shipment, sales have been dragging and prices low. Lambs of really prime quality when landed m August and September last, have been plentiful on the market, and have sold at 3id to 4d per lb., others stored m the colony for months, and only recently landed, sold at 3d to 3id Ser lb. while new season's lambs from apier and Wellington, very bright and fresh, and m capital condition, sold readily at 5d per lb., a few making up to Bid per lb. and giving satisfaction to buyers and their tiustomers.