COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 132, 12 November 1875, Page 5

COMMERCIAL.

Me. Skenb reports for the week ending November 10, as follows : It is satisfactory to report continued improvement in the labor market. Most of the late arrivals from Britain have got away, only those unaccustomed to plain country work get stuck up. Too large a majority of city-bred people still come here. No doubt they will yet make good settlers, but it will be very hard upon such to reverse their lives and habits. Couples are freely wanted. Female servants are very difficult to secure. Farm and station take all likely people. Sheep shearers are concentrating on the different sheds. Office and shophands are far too plentiful. The building trade is quiet. Wages—' Hotel females, £36 to £52, and cooks and housekeepers up to 30s per week ; private house servants, £26 to £40 ; useful boys and girls, 6s to 10s per week ; day labourers, Bs, 9s, and 10s ; couples for country, £75 to £90 j ploughmen, £52 to £65 ; shepherds, 25s to 50s by the week, or £70 by the year ; carpenters, 12s and 13s per day ; dairy, farm, and station odd hands from 15s to 25s per week ; shopmen and clerks, 30s to 50s per week ; sheep shearers, £1 per 100. Mr. Heitby Dbiver, on behalf of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, reports 'as follows for the week ending November 10 : — Fat Cattle. — A fair supply of 112 head came forward at saleyards, chiefly good to prime puality. Best bullocks brought from £16 to £19 15s, cows from £12 to £16 10s, or .equal to 4<ss per 1001 b for prime quality. We sold 89 head on account of Messrs G-uinness, McDonald and Doring, Dunn, Maunsell and Lindsay, and others, and have placed 50 head privately. Fat Calves. — Only few forward, which brought extreme rates. Fat Sheep.- — About 1,000 were penned, consisting of prime crossbreds, and all fotind buyers at our late quotations, Say 21s to 26s for heavy weights, and 17s for medium, or equal to 4jd per lb. Fat Lambs. — 120 were penned, and disposed of at 7s 6d to 11s 9d. Store Cattle. — An active demand still continues, good well-grown bvillocks bringing from £6 to £7 10s ; cows, £4 10s to £6. Store Sheep. — No transactions. Wool. — By San Francisco mail we have our file 3of catalogues up to the 21st September, which show very little alteration in prices, except in good combing merinos, which are in some instances Id per lb higher. The effect of the inferiority of the clip of last season is now. telling by the prices realised. The scarcity of good combing gives that description increased value, whilst the superabundance of defective clothing and .faulty wool keeps those sorts depressed and yery irregular in price. The brokers' reports condemn half -washed wools, or attempting washing at all, when a clear, bright wool cannot be produced, greasy realising a greater proportionate value. We have advices of the opening of tho wool sales in Victoria, showing a fair quantity of wool sold at a decline of Id to 2d per lb on tho opening sales of last year, the greater decline being on superior light grea'-y. Sheepskins. — We had a fair supply of skins at our weekly sale on Thursday last ; competition was brisk. Green cross-breds sold at 5s lOd to 6s 5d each ; merinos, 4s to 5s 6cl each. Dry skins, cross-breds, 5s to 5s 6d ; merinos, 2s to 4s. Hides continue dull and neglected by shippers. We sold green butchers' at 20s 6d to 21s 6d ; medium, salted, at 20s ; inferior, 15s to 16s. Tallow. — The London market is still advancing, with small supplies expected. We quote good shipping parcels at 35s to 365. At our sale to-day we offer good county rendered. Grain. — Wheat is in more demand, and will bring more money. At present no transactions are -reported at advanced rates ; 4s 6d for fair average milling, to 4s 9d for very choice. Oats are still in full supply, with little prospect of better prices ruling before the new crop is in the mar!<et ; 2s is the best pviee obtainable for good feed ; milling, 2s 2d. Barley is quite neglected, brewers and millers being fully stocked.

Fobbeabance. — The last, best fruit, which comes to late perfection, even in the kindliest soul, is tenderness towards the hard; forbearance towards the unfortunate, -warmth of heart towards the cold, and philanthropy towards the misanthropic.