COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 205, 9 March 1877, Page 12

COMMERCIAL.

Mb. Henry Dbitbb (on behalf of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co.) reports fox* the week ending March 7, as follows :—: — Fat Cattle.— An excessiTe supply of about 240 head were yarded, about one-half of which were of good to prime quality, balance little better than stores. Best bullocks at from £9 to £11 5a ; do cows, £6to £9 — or equal from 25s to 27s 6d per 100lb3 for prime pens. At the yards and privately we sold during the week 60 head. Pat Calves. — 25 were penned, which brought from 20s to 55a each,, according to size and quality. Fat Sheep. — 3100 were penned, which, being considerably in excess of requirement?, scarcely last week's quotations wore maintained— best cross-breds bringing from 9a to lls each ; xnerino3, from 6s 6d to 7s 6d, or equal to scarcely 2d per lb. We sold a draft on account of Messrs Blues and Duthie, of average quality, at quotations. Fat Lambs. — 400 were penned, many of them being of inferior quality, prices ranging at 5s 6d to 8s each. Store Cattle. — There is no change in the market, and owio? to the lateness of the season the demand has somewhat slackened. Good quiet bullocks, for winter feeding, are' however, saleable at about late quotations. Store Sheep. — The principal inquiry for thi3 da3J of stock is canfined almost entirely to young merinos, of which there are very few offering. Cross-breds, four-tooth and upwards, are saleable at prices which do not meet the views of sellers, consequently very few lots are changing hands, while merino ewes and wethers are entirely neglected* with very large numbers offering. During the week we have placed 4,000 of various sorts at last quotations. Sheepskins. — We catalogued 1000 skins, which sold at consider* able advance on last week's rates. Full wool dry skins brought 4} lid. to ss ; shearlings, Isßd to 2s ; pelts, 9d to Is 2d; lambs, 2s Id to 2s 3d. Hides were in better demand, especially gODd conditioned, shipping losts bringing a fraction over 4d per lb ; inferior and medium, 13s to 15s each. Tallow.— A few small lots sold ; inferior, £21 10s ; medium, £29 ; shipping tallow, good mixed, £31 to £32. Grain. — Wheat : Good sound milling samples, scarce, sell readily at 5s 6i ; medium, 5s to 5s 3d ; inferior, 4s to 4s 6d. Oats : Good old feed are wanted and very scarce, and as prices have advanced in Melbourne, old corn is not likely to be cheaper at present. New oats are not offering in quantity. Barley : We have placed some 1100 bags old malting at 3s 9d to 4s 6d, f.0.b. ; good demand. New sample! ar» not coming forward yet, barley crop being late. Mb. Skene reports for the week ending March 7, 1877 :— Affairs in the labor market move along quietly. The demand is good for labouring and farm people of experience ; town work is very quiet. Carpenters are fairly empl >yed, but nothing to boast of; blacksmiths are as quiet as ever ; couples are more asked for ; female servants are in brisk demand ; shopmen and clerks are too plentiful, and advice does not seem to thin their ranks ; shepherds are out of season now ; bushmen are wanted ; male hotel servants are in fair request. Wagot : Couples, £65, .£7O and £80 ; ploughmen, £52, £55 and £60 ; shepherds, £60 ; dairy and odd hands, 15a., 183. and 20s. per week : day labour, 75., Bs. and 95. ; house girls, 103., 12s. and 15a. ; hotel do, 12s. 15s. and 205. ; hotel cooks, 20a., 255. and 505. ; carpenters, 10i., lls. and 125. ; boys and girls, 6s , 3s. and ICs. ; shopmen and clerks, 30a., 50s. and 605. ; boots, waiters, barmen, grooms, 255. and 40s. per week. Mr. A. Mebcee reports a3 follows for the week ending March 7t7 t 1877, retail prices only: — Fresh butter, in i and lib prints, Is 2d to Is 4d ; fresh butter, in lumps, Is ; powdered and salt butter, Is 2i ; freshbutter is again plentiful, and the shops hare again resumed salting down ; but it will be good stock ; salt butter, in kegs, has been, selling well at 10£-d to lid per lb. Cneese, is very plentiful, and Provincial cheese, good quality. Is ; English cheese, Is 4d ; side and rolled bacon, lOd to lid; Colonial hams, Is 2d; English hams, Is 61; eggs are very scarce, and a great difficu'ty in supplying orders at 2s 6d per dozen. Mb. M. C. Fleming reports (wholesale prices) for tho week ending March 7, 1877, as follows : — Oats (feed), per bushel, 2s 4d ; milling, 23 6d. Wheat (chicks) 3a 6d to 4s. Barley, malting, 4s to 4s 6d ; feed, 2s 6d to 3s. Pollard, scarce. Bran, £4 15s, bags included. Flour, large bags, £15 ; small, £15 10. Oatmeal, £12. Potatoes, new, 4s per cwt. Hay (new), £3 10s ; old hay, .£5 per ton. Chaff, £4 10s per ton. Straw, £2 per ton. Mb. J. Vezey reports for the week ending March 7, 1877: — Retail : Roast beef, 6d to 8d per lb. ; boiling do., 4d to 5d per lb ; stewing do., 4d to 6d per lb.; steak, 6d to 9d per lb.; mutton, 3d to Gd' per lb.; veal, 4d to Sd per lb.; pork, 6d to 8d per lb. ; lamb, 2a 6d^fc 3s 6d per quarter.