Commercial.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume V, Issue 244, 4 January 1878, Page 13

Commercial.

Mb. Skene's labour report for the week ending December 31 :—: — At the close of the year it is well to glance back on the position of the labour market during the twelve months gone. There have been a good many ups and downs, and a good deal of discontent. During the winter months, the iron trade was very depressed. The building trade flagged a good deal, but this is looked for in winter. Other skilled trades, such as bootmakers, tailors, cabinetmakers, painters, &c, weathered the dull time very well. In very few cases did really good tradesmen need to go idle long. Day labourers, sawmill, and bush hands were very slack for a while — from unsuitable weather — but now their prospects are much improved, During the whole year couples with families have been very hard to place. It is veiy humbling to report that couples with large families are so much neglected by farmers and squatters. This is a very short-sighted policy. Female servants have all along been far short of the demand ; the best are at once secured, and soon get married, leaving in many cases only those without training and experience to supply the market. As to agricultural labourers, ploughmen, shepherds, and all degrees of these classes, the demand has been constant, and no one trained to such work need be idle for a day. Unfortunately far too many arrive here under false colours, sa3 r ing they do farm work, and on trial are found useless. During the year we have never ceased crying out against the evil of sending useless young men to Otago. In fact many for whom the old country has got too warm. We can now look forward to the opening year with good prospects for all classes. "Wages — Couples, £65 to £85 ; ordinary females, 10s to 15s ; upper do., 15s, 2C>s, 30s, and 40s ; shepherds, £70 ; ploughmen, £52, £55, £60, and £65 ; day labour, bush, road, and rail, 7s, Bs, and 9s ; masons and bricklayers, 12s and 13s ; carpenters, 10s to 12s ; dairymen, 20s and 25s ; boys and girls, 5s to 10s ; c ooks, waiters, grooms, gardeners, station cooks, &c, 255, 30s, and 40s ; clerks, &c., 30s to 60s. Mr. A. Mercer's market report for the week ending January 3. Retail prices only : — Fresh butter in £ and Ilb prints, 8d to lOd ; extra brands, lid to Is ; fresh butter inlumps, Sdto 9d ; powdered and salt butter, 9d. Fresh butter is still very plentiful and there is a fair demand. Cheese, best quality, old, lOd to Is ; cheese, new, lOd. Side and rolled bacon, 9d. Colonial hams lid to Is. English hams (new), Is 4d ; old hams, Is to Is 2d, no demand. Eggs are scarce, and retailing at Is 3d per doz. Mr J. Vezey reports for the week ending Jan. 3, 1877, retail : — Roasting beef, 5d to 8d per ft ; boiling do., 3d to 5d per lb ; stewing do, 4d to 6d per ft ; steak, 6d to Sd per lb ; mutton, 2£d to 5d per lb ; veal, 4d to 8d per ft ; pork 6d to 8d per ft ; lamb 2s (id to 4s per quarter. Mr J. Fleming reports (wholesale prices) for the week ending Jan. 3, 1877, as follows :— Oats (feed) per bushel, 3s to 3s 3d. Wheat — milling, os to 5s 6d ; chicks, 3s to 3s 7d. Barley, malting, 4s to 4s 6d ; feed, 2s lOd to 3s. Pollard, £6 per ton. Bran, £4 os, bags included. Flour, large bags, £14 ; small. £14 10s. Oatmeal, £17. Old Potatoes, £1 15s per ton. New Potatoes. 12s per cwt. Old Hay, £7 10s per ton. Chaff, £5 10s per ton. Straw, £2 per ton.