COMMERCIAL.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3178, 20 April 1871, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Auckland. — Mossrs Hunter and Nolan roport that the horae market has not boon characterised by any remarkable activity, the class offered being generally of inferior description. We quote dairy cows, at calving, from £9 12s fid to £11 12s 6d ; two-year-old steers, from £4 2s 6d to £4 12s 6d ; calves, from £1 13s 6d to £2 ; beef, from 22s to 26s per 1001 b. Sheep, best quality, from I7sto 19s 9d ; second quality, from 11s 3d to 13s ; lambs, from 8s to lls ; store lambs, from 4s 6d to 6s 6d each. The sale of hides, wool, and flax held on the 11th ut the Haymarket was thinly attended, but good prices ruled throughout. Salted hides brought 3£d the 1b ; sheepskins, 2£d to 3|d the 1b; wool in grease, 5d to 7£d ; washed, 8f d to lOfcd ; scoured, ll£d per lb. The flax offered at auction wns of medium quality only ; it brought from £11 103 to £15 108 the ton, with the exception of one lot inferior, which sold for £6 10s. Tow, £3 10s to £4. Flax of a better quality is selling freely at prices varying from £16 10s to £20 the ton.

Flax. — Messrs Gh & J. A. Noble report as follows on Feb. 3rd :— New Zealand.— This market has been dull throughout the month, the bulk of parcels offering not being of sufficiently good quality to tempt buyers to operate beyond actual requirements, really fine parcels maintain their value ; this fibre being only used, to any extent, for roping purposes, partakes of the general dullness of the hemp trade. They also give th<3 following prices :— Now Zealand, dressed (good), £30 10s to £36 10s; common, medium. £17 to £28 10a ; rough, £15 to £16 103. Tickle & Co roport:— On 19th January, 1,333 bales New Zealand were offered and met a good demand, about 900 bales sold at higher prices, ordinary uncleaned £16 5s to £18, middling more or loss cleaned £21 5s to £26 ss, good middling to good chiefly cleaned £27 5s to £31 ss, fine cleaned £36 10s to £36 15s, tow £8 10s to £13 10a On Ist February, 1530 bales New Zealand flax met loss demand, and only 650 bales sold at a decline of 30s to 403 per ton, ordinary £16 to £17 ss, medium more or less cleaned to chiefly cleaned £20 to £26 per ton. Preserved Meat.— On 31st January, of 1105 cases Australian preserved meat, a part sold, boiled mutton in 4:b tins at 6i-d, 61b tins 6d, 71b tins s£d, collapsed 4£d, boiled beef in 41b tins 7£d, 61b tins 7*d, spiced ditto in 6lb tins at 7d, collapsed 6d, the remainder withdrawn or bought in, boiled mutton in 51b tins, collapsed at s^d up to 8d in 21b tins, boiled beef 7d to Bd, stewed kidneys Bd. 24 casks mutton hams withdrawn. 19R tins Australian essence of meat bought in, beef Is, mutton 9d to la.

Tallow.— " Tickell's Trade Review" for February reports :— On 20t,h January a good supply was offered, but there being less competition,""sold at rather easier rates for sheep, but at full prices for beef. Of 1139 casks Australian 578 casks sold. Sheep fine 44s 6d to 44s 9d, good 44s 3d On 27th January a considerable quantity was offered by auction and met a rather sluggish demand. Of 2139 casks Australian brought forward only 910 casks found buyers at previous rates for sheep and at about 6d decline for beef. Sheep, fine, 44s 6d to 44s 9d, good fair to good 44s to 44s 3d, dull yellow to fair 42s to 43s 6d, moro n 1 less dark and inferior 38s to 4ls 9d, mixed melting good fair to good 41s to 425, rather dark to fair 38s 6d to 40s 6d, more or less dark 37s to 38s, greasy 36s 6d, very dark firm rather dreggy 3Gs 6d, very greasy 355, greaße 54s 3d. Beef fino 425, rather dark to good fair 398 9d to 41s 6d, dark to very dark 38s 9d to 39s 9d, one lot nearly black 34s 3d. On 3rd February, a good supply was brought forward and met only a languid demand at irregular prices, and in some instances 6d to 9d decline for sheep arid about 9d to previous rft^es for beef. Of 2252 casks Australian 1321 casks sold, sheep, fine 43s Gd to 44a 6d, rather dveggy yellow to good 41a 8d to 43s 9d, rather durk 40s to 40s 9d, more or less dark 38s to 39s 6d, very dark 36s 9d to 37s 3d. Mixed molting fair to fine 40s to 425, dark dreggy to rather dark fair bodied 36s to 39s 6d, very greasy 35b down to 34s 6d for very dark rather dreggy, and 33s 6d for nearly black. Beef, fine 41s 3d to 425, fair to good 409 9d to 41s 9d dark and rather dark 38s 9d to 40s 6d, darker and very dark 36s 6d to 375. On 10th February, a good quantity was offered, but the demand continued languid, except for the low qualities, and of 2660 casks only 828 oasks sold at 6d decline for the better qualities of sheep. Of 1429 Australian, 610 casks sold, good to fine sheep 42s 6d to 43s 9d, fuir to good fair 41s 9d to 42s 3d, dark to middling 3 -'s 6d to 41s 3d, good fair to good mixed melting 39s 6d to 40s 9d, rather dark to fair 38s to 39s 3d, dark very greasy to fair bodied 35s 9d to 37s 9d, dreggy 35s 6d, watery 3*9 to 34s 6d, very dark 355, low greasy and dreggy 325. Beef, fine 41a Gd to 425, dark to good 38s 6d to 41s 3d, very dark 37s 9d to 38a At the annual meeting of the Maritime Insurance Company, says " Tickell's Trade Circular," allusion was made to the frequent frauds practised on underwriters by speculators, who systematically buy up rotten ships, load them to the scuppers, and, having insured them and the cargoes heavily, despatch them on long voyages, with the well nigh certainty that they will founder. It was stated that this class of fraud is continually on the increase, and that England stands a chance of becoming known to posterity as a nation of scuttlcrs and wreckers. Alarming as this statement appears to be, the remedy is very simple ; it certainly can be no difficult matter forthn Marine Insurance Companies to exercise a little more vigilance as to granting policies on uiißeaworthy ships ; ond if it is true that men are regularly employed to prowl about tho docks looking out for any crazy old craft that they can buy up for this nefarious trade, the officers of tho companies ought to be able to detect them and all proposals to insure declined. If the underwriters and the offices Trere not so eager for business, and if iC v^ere made penal not only to insure, but to grant policies on unseaworthy vessels, we should hear los 3 of disasters at sea.