COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 136, 10 December 1875, Page 5

COMMERCIAL.

Mr. llexhy Dbtteh, on behalf of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, reports as follows for the week ending December 8 :—: — Fat Cattle.— lso head fair to prime quality yarded, all of which were sold at prices a shade easier than last week-. Beat bullocks brought from ,£l2 10s to £IC> ; ditto cows, from .£9 10s to .£l3 10s ; or equal to 32s Gd to 35s per 1001 b. for prime pens and 27s Gd to 30s for medium. At the yards we sold 60 head on account of Messrs. Watt Brothers, Lindsay, Maunsell, and M'Donald, and 40 head privately. Fat Calves. — Only a few penned, which realised for prime vealers extreme rates, say up to 90s each, according tc size and quality. Fat Sheep. — I,GOO came forward, but the trade being already fairly supplied, only about half this number were disposed of by auction at rates considerably below our former quotations, say from lGs to ISs for best cross-breds in the wool, or 3|d to 4d per lb., and 30s Gd to ]2s Gd for shorn, or equal to 2d to 2]cl per lb. At the yards, and privately, we disposed of 500. Fat Lambs. — About 200 penned. Only a small portion sold at 7s Gd to 12s. Store Cattle. — Owing to the abundance of grass, the demand still exists for cattle fit for grazing-. We have during the week sold 200, at say £Q Gs to £S 8s for bullocks, and £!• 4s to JES 10s for cows. Store Sheep. — As yet little or no business has been done in this description of stock, and any quotations mean-while must be purely speculative. We are, however, inclined to think that a, reduction upon last year's prices must be submitted to. Wool. — We are still without advices of the progress of November sales in London, owing to the continued interruption to cable communication. We received per Alhambra a telegram from our London office, bearing date 13th November, advising wool market unchanged ; 80,000 bales nrrived for November sales ; Antwerp sales flat. We sold a. few small lots of cross-bred fleeces on Thursday last : TJ, 4£ balei, lOd per lb. in grease ; jtfcK, 1 bale and 2 bags, 11. id ; T over T, 5 bales. lOgd. We sliall offer at our usual sile to-day several small lots. Sheepskins. — Owing to the holidays, our usual supply did not co/ne forward last Thursday. We had brisk competition for green cross-bi'eds at Gs 4d ; dry, 5s 5d ; merinoes, 4s 7d. Hides sold freely. Green butchers', 21s to 32s 3d; wet salted, about 4d per lb ; yearlings, 8s Gd ; heifers, 14s. Tallow. — Our London telegram quotes the market quiet. Mutton, £48 ; beef, £4.0. In this market no buiiness to report. Gram. — We cannot report any change in this market ; millers are fairly supplied at 4s 4cl to 4s Bd. Oats are more inquired for ; sales are made at 2s to 2s Id for feed, and 2s to 2s 3d for milling. Barley: 5s 3d is the top quotation for malting, at which rate we placed a small parcel ; for milling there is a limited demand at 3s Gd to 3s Od. Me. A. Mercer, reports for the week ending December 8 — Retail prices only : — Fresh butter, in £ and 1 lb. prints, Is to Is 2d ; fresh butler, in lump, Is ; powdered and salt butter, Is to Is 2d ; the I supply of fresh butter is still very plentiful, but some of the dairies 1 have commenced salting down, and making cheese, f-'alt butter in keg, j lid, hut no domnnd ; cheese, of the be^t quality, ]•* 2ri ; side und rolled bacon, Is 2d to Is 3d; colonial hams, Is 3d; English hams, ]s Gd to Is 8d ; eggs are very scarce, and in good demand at 2s per dozen. Mb. Skene reports for the week ending- December 8 : — Work is plentiful enough, especially out-doors ,but it is seriously hindered with the unusual quantity of wet and broken weather. It has prevented many from putting past their usual allowance for the Christmas holidays. Men who work from hand to mouth cannot be expected to look on complacently, and console themselves by saying we will have a splendid crop. The pi-esent is everything with them. The building- trade in town and country is pretty active, but not so full of life as last year at this time, but wo cannot always be under full steam. Business in Dunedin is reviving fast, but far too many shopmen and clerks come here, and spoil then- own chances and those of their predecessors. Servant girls cannot be spoken to till after the holidays. Wages — Ploughmen, £02, £00, .£(SO, and .£65 ; shepherds, .£7O per year, or 40s to 50s per week for short time; dairy and cattle men, 20s and 25s per week ; couples, .£75 to £90 ; house and hotel females, from 12s to 15s and 30s per week; useful boys and girls, Gs to 10s per week; carpenters, 12a nnd 13a per day j day laborers, 8s and 9s ; sheep shearers* 20s per 100 \ wool claßsers> 20s and 25a per day.