COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume V, Issue 214, 1 June 1877, Page 12

COMMERCIAL.

»~t Mr. Hbnrt Driver (on behalf of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company) reports for the week ending M*j 30, as follows :— Fat Cattle.— 110 head were yarded at the market to-day, consisting of good to prime quality, and prices were firm at about last week's quotations Best pens of bullocks brought from £10 to JBI3 10s ; do cows, jEB to .£lO 10s— or equal to 27s 6d per 100 Ib. for^i prime quality, and 22a 6d to 25s for medium. * Fat Calves. — 14 were penned and aold at from 25s to 65a, according to weight and quality. Fat Sheep.— lß9s came forward. There was a further improvement in prices of about Is 6d to 2s per head on anything like good quality. Best cross-breds brought from 10s 6d to 14s; merinoa. from 5s 6d to 9s— or equal to 2jd per lb for prime mutton. At the yards we sold 400. Store Cattle. — There is a demand for all descriptions of store cattle at about £6 to £7 15s for three to five-year-old bullocks, and £3 10s to £5 for cows. Store Sheep. — We have no transactions to report. Sheepskins. — We had a full supply at our weekly sale on Monday, principally green butchers', which met brisk sale. Crossbreds, 3s to 3s 4d; merino, 2s Id to 2s 8d; lambs', Is 6d. Hides continue in good demand at late rates. Green butchers' sold at 18a to 2ls6d; wet salted, light and inferior, 12s to 15s; medium, 16s to 20s. Tallow — We sold several small country lots at 28s to 30s ; one prime lot of mutton in shipping order sold at i>34 per ton. Grain. — Wheat market is very firm at 6s 3d to 6s 6d for good to prime milling — very choice would bring a still higher rate; inferior brings 5s to 5s 6d. Oats have advanced since Monday to 3s per bushel for all good samples fit for shipping, at which price some holders refuse to sell. Barley is a very heavy sale, the supply too great of discoloured samples, which, if at all fit for malting, sell at 3s 6d to 4s ; brighter samples range at 4s 3d to 4s 6d ; very choice, none offering. Feed samples are more inquired for as oats are advanced, and inferior wheats are too high for fowls' feed— 2s 9d to 3s. Ma. A. Mercxb reports as follows for the week ending May 30, 1877, retail prices only : — Fresh butter, in I and lib prints, Is 4d toIs 6d per lb ; fresh butter, in lumps. Is 3d ; powdered and salt butter, Is 3d. Fresh butter this season has been more plentiful than usual, and this week it is getting scarcer in good brands, and likely to advance. There is no demand for keg butter at Is Id toIs 2d. Cheese, lOd to Is ; English cheese, Is 3d to Is 4d por lb (no demand) ; side and rolled bacon, 9d to lOd per lb ; English ham, Is 4d (little or no demand) ; beef ham, 9d ; eggs still very scarce, but not much asked for at the present price, 3s 3d to 33 6d. Mr. J. Fleming reports (wholesale prices) for the week ending May 30, 1877, as follows : — Oats (feed), per bushel, 2s 6d ; milling, 2s 9d. Wheat (chicks), 3s 6d to 3s 9d. Barley, malting, 4s to 4s 6d; feed, 2s 6d to 3s. Pollard, scarce. Bran, £3 15s, bags included. Flour, large bags, £17 ; small, j£l7 10s. Oatmeal, .£l6. Potatoes, new, 4s per cwt. Hay, new, jE4; old hay, ,£5 per ton. Chaff, £4 per ton. Straw, £2 per ton. Mb. J. Vezet reports for the week ending May 30, 1877, retail : — Roast beef, 5d 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, 2d to 5d per lb; veal, 4d to 8d per lb ; pork, 6d to 8d per lb ; lamb, scarce, 2s to 3s 6d per quarter. Mr. Skene reports for the week ending May 30, 1877 :—Outdoor labour is again at a complete stand still. Men can do little good between the short days and the great rainfall. However, people, with forethought, prepare themselves for short pay at this se&son. The demand is constant, and never slackens for good ploughmen. Shepherds are seldom needed at this season. Female servants are scarcer than ever they have been, and the only remedy is a few choice shipments. Carpenters, masons, and all connected with the building trade, are now slack, and on short pay. Bushmen and mills are quiet. Male hotel servants are in small demand. Only storemen and clerks, with colonial experience, are wanted. Couples are in fair demand. Wages — Day labour, 7s, Bs, and 9s; cooks, waiters, boots, &c, 20s, 255, and up to 50s ; couples, .£65 to £80 ; carpenters, 10s to 12s ; ploughmen, £52 to £60 ; dairy people, 15s, 20s, and 25s ; hotel females, 12s, 15s, 20s, and 30s; dairy and private house do, 10s, 12s, 15s, and 20s ; storemen and clerks, 303 to 60s ; boys and girls, 5s to 10s ; coal miners go from 10s to 12s ; shepherds, JE6O to J670.