COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 196, 5 January 1877, Page 5

COMMERCIAL.

Mr. Henry Driver (od behalf of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co.) reports for the week ending January 3, as follows :—: — Fat Cattle. — 200 head were yarded at the sale 3 to-day, chiefly of good to prime quality. Owing to the abundant supplies which hare come to hand during the fortnight, prices did not show any improvement. Best bullocks brought from £U l(b to £12, or equal to 30a per lOOlbs. A few pens of extra prime quality ic.ilised a little higher rates. Fat Calves. — 25 were forward, and sold at prices ranging from 25 s to GO3. Fat Sheep. — 2500 were penned, of which the trade took 1500, the balance being sent to the boiling-down establishment, We quote best cross-breds at from 9s to 113 ; medium, 7s to 9s. JN'o merinos forward. Fat Lambs. — 350 penned, which realised prices at from 6j to 11s, according to quality. Store Cuttle. — 'lhere is still a good demand at recent quotation*. We shall sell at Mosgiel, on Monday next, 150 head of superior cittle. Store Sheep. — We have nothing yet to report, although several transactions arc pending. Wool.— Market firm. Holidays and showery weather have re. far Jed shearing operations. Wool comes to hand very slowly. Our opening public sale takes place Tuesday next, Sth inst., when we sh*.ll offer some fine clips of washed and givasy. Sheepskin". — Very few offering in *001. Pelts, no demand. Dry station skins selling 5M to 7d per lb ; crossbred', 5s ; meiinos, 4s to 4s 6d each. Hides. — No sales of hides this week. Tallow is wanted. Medi'im mixed, 28s to 31s. Grain. — Wheat is in the hands of millers ; no quotalion?. Flour steady at £lfi to £1G 10s per ton. Oat* ore in good demand, and prices unchanged — 2s 3J. to 2s 4d. 'Barley has sold : prime malting at 43 6d ; feeding in good demand, 2' Gd to 3s. Mr. Skexe lepnrts for the week ending January 3, 1877, as follows : — Affairs in the labor market are sound ; mostly all can get work who are willing, although, perhaps, not in all cises to their liking. Neither masters nor men are inclined to ontm 1 into fixcl engagements until after the liolidiye, when, with (lie certainty of a heavy harvest, employment will be easily found. The demand for hotel servants, and for females for nil departments is very brisk. Couples are more asked for. Day labor at pick and shovel is plentiful ; but working men spoil their prospects by sticking too closely to town. A fetv shopmen and clerks are moving. The building und iron trades are quiet. Wages — Couples. £35, £70, and £80 ; ploughmen, .£32, £53, and £G0 ; shepherds, £G0 to £70 ; day labor, Ss and 9* ; shearers, 17s 6d to 20s per 100; dairy hands, 15s to 20s ; homo girl*, 10* to 13s ; hotel gills, 12*, 15i>, 20j, and 255 ; cooks, waiters, gardeners, &c , '25s to 50s. Mr. A. Mercer reports as follows for Ihe ue<-k ending J.mtnry 3, 1877. retail prices only: — Fresh butter, in I a.id lib print«, 1* to Is 2d ; fresh butter, in lump?, 10 1; powdjred and suit butter Is; fresh butter is still very plentiful, and the grocers are salting down largo quantities every week, and no demand for 3alt butter. Cnee«e, best quality. Is 2d ; new season cheese (fi ie), Is 2d ; side and rolled bocon, lid to Is; Colonial hams, J* 2d ; KnglUh hams, Is Gd ; eggs are now very plentiful, Is Gd lo Is SJ per doz^n. Mr J. Vezey reports for the week ending January 3 1877: — Retail : Roast beef, Gd to Sd per lb. ; boiling do., -1A to od p< rlb ; stewing do., 4.1 to Gd per Ib ; steak, GJ to 9J per lb.; mutton, 3d to Gd per lb.; veal, 4d to SJ per lb. ; pork, 9d to lOd pcrlb.; lamb, 3s and 4s per quarter. Mr. M. C. Fleming reports for the week ending January 3, 1877, as follows :— O-its (feed), per bushel 2- Id to 2s 2A ; milling, 2s Id. Wheat, milling, Gs to Gd 3d ; fowls, 3s GJ to 4*. 13 irlef, uniting, 4sto4*6d; feed, 2s 31 to 2s Gl. Poll.ird, £G Kb, bigs included. Bran, £5 15s, bags included. Flour, large baj^, £1(5 ; small, £16 10. Oatmeal, £12. Potatoes, old, G~ to 8s per ewt ; potatoes, new. 7s to Ss per cwt. Hay, .£ I perron. Chaff, £1 p. r ton. Straw, t2 per ton.