COMMERCIAL.

Western Star, Issue 20, 28 March 1874, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

Tue Western Star Office, Riverton, Friday. The following ’are the market, quotations for produce : —Wheat, 3s. 9d. to 4-9.; oats, new, 2s. 9d. to 35.; barley, malting, 3s. Gd. to 4s. ; inferior, 2s. Gd.; butter, fresh, Is. to Is. 3d. per lb.; eggs, Is. to Is. 3d. per doz.; chaff, £5 per ton ; hay, £3 to £3 10s. do.; potatoes, new, £G do. The following is the amount of Customs duties collected at the port of Riverton for the week ending27th March:—Spirits,-£l6 ss. 2d.; tobacco, £7 17s. Gd.; tea, £23 12a.; goods by weight, £ll 10s. lOd. ; ad valorem, £72 6s. sd. ; other goods, £7 145.; total, £139 ss. lid. Rates of wages in the Western District: — Ploughmen, .£7O to £B3 -per annum ; farm labourers, £55 to £65 do.; harvest hands, £2 10s. per week and found ; carpenters, 12s. to 15s. per day ; bricklayers, 12s. to 13s. do.; sawmill hands, Bs. to 13s. do.; labourers, 10s. to 11s. do.; female domestics, £lO to £6O per annum.

$ DUNEDIN. Messrs. WnioitT, Stephenson, and Go. re-

port for the week ending 21st March, as follows : Fat Cattle. —The number to band was unusually small, only 50 bead being yarded, which sold readily at 20s. per 10011). Wo quote prime quality 20s. per 10011).; medium do., 17s. 6d. We sold 30 head privately at 20s. per 10011). Fat Sheep. —l,soo were penned, of, which we sold 1,000 hnlf-breds at 12s. 3d. to 12s. Od. ; and 100 merinos at 9s. 3d. We quota—Prime halfbreds, 2ld, per lb. : do. merinos, 2d. to 2-Jd. AVo also sold privately 200 merino wethers at 2d. per lb. ; and 300 do. ewes at If d. Fat lambs arc in good request, but not many came forward. We sold 36 at 9s. 6d. Store Catlte. —No transactions. Store Sheep. —Young merinoos are in good demand, whilst old sheep are not so much sought aftei’. We sold 2,500 cull merinos at 45.; 1,200 merino Cwes, full-mouthed, at 4s. 6d. ; 750 halfbred ewes at Bs. 6d. to 9s. AA r e quote merino wethers ss. to ss. 6d.; do. ewes, 2,4, and 6tootll, 75.; do. full-mouthed, 4s. to 4s. 6d.; cross-bred ewes, Bs. Od. to 95.; do. wethers, Bs. Horses. —Good draught mares are the sort most in demand. AVe sold a portion of Mr. Trestrail’s lot ex Omeo, at from £45 to £53. AA'e also sold a draft of 16 head light coach horses at from £6 10s. to £l2. AA r e quote first-class heavy draughts £55 to £65 ; medium do., £3O to £35 ; geod hacks and light harness horses, £25 to £3O medium do., £l2 to £l6 ; light and inferior, £4 to £7. Sheepskins. —Our weekly sale was well attended by buyers, but the bidding lacked spirit, and prices obtained were hardly equal to last week’s rates. AA T e sold butchers’ green skins at Is. 6d. to Is. lid.; lambskins at Is. to 2s. sd. ; station skins, Is. 2d. to 2s. lOd. Hides. —AVe only offered a small quantity, which brought about last week’s rates. Grain. —Wheat is in good demand. Fair samples of new are saleable at 4s. 9d. per bushel. Oats are scarce and few offering. Old are worth 4s. 2d. to 4s. 4d.; new, 3s. lOd. per bushel. COMMERCIAL TELEGRAMS. Wellington, Friday. —Oamamfiour, £l3 10s. to £l4; Canterbury, £l3 to £l3 10s. ; wheat, ss. 9d. to 65.; chick, 4s. 3d. to 4s. Gd. ; oats, old, ss. 6d. to ss. 9d.; new do., ss. to ss. 3d. Christchurch, Friday.—Grain market easier, though active. 4s. 7Jd. is the highest quotation, but several parcels changed hands to merchant exporters at higher rates. One line superior Tuscan of 10,000 bushels fetched 4s. 9d. Flour has ready sale at £l2, in sacks £l2 10s. Oats are bought up largely for local consumption at 4s. 3d. Barley is in keen demand at 4s. 9d. to 5s good barley is scarce, but plenty of secondhand is offcrilig. AUSTRALIAN. Melbourne, 19th March. Brcadstuffs are without alteration. Sales of wheat have been made at up to ss. Gd. Oats are very scarce and much wanted at ss. Gd, for feeding, and 4s. Bd. for milling and seed parcels. Large sales of Hennessy’s brandy have been made at 9s. Gd. ; Otard’s, Bs. 2d. Advices have been received of short shipments. Cameron’s tobacco is in belter request. Speculative business in candles has resulted in the sale of several thousand boxes at full rates. Teas and sugars arc quiet. New Zealand 4 per cents, are obtainable at £9l. Bank of New Zealand shares are Wanted at £l6 10s.