Commercial.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VI, Issue 268, 21 June 1878, Page 16

Commercial.

Mb. Henry Driver (on behalf of the N. Z. L. and M. A. Co.) reports for the week ending June 19th :—: —

The following fat stock came forward at the yards to-day :— lB2 head cattle, 4 calves, 155S sheep.

Fat Cattle. — The greater number yarded were of only medium quality, and there was great difficulty in making sales, 40 head having to be turned, out unsold- Forty head, were sold also as stores at from £4 10s to £5 10s. Best pens of bullocks sold at from £S 10s to £13 ; do cows, £6 10s to £10 10s — or equal to about 25s per 1001 b for prime qualitj'.

Fat Calves. — The few penned sold well at from 20s to 35s each. Fat Sheep. — Those penned were chiefly of good to prime quality, and a considerable improvement in prices took place of from Is 6d to 2s per head. Best cross-brecls brought from 11s to lGs fld — or equal to fully 3d to 3£ per lb. No merinos were forward. We sold 3000 sheep at the yards. Store Stock. — This class of stock is without change in value. No business is at present being done.

Wool. — Cablegrams from London advise wool sales in progress, competition animated.

Sheepskins. — We catalogued at our weekly sale on Monday 2150 skins, mostly country dry skins. The late wet weather had some influence on prices, which were not quite up to last week's rates. Best butchers' cross-breds sold at 3s Scl ; nierinoes, 2s lid ; station skins sold at 4|<l to 6d per lb. Tallow. — We had a small supply at auction, which sold at full rates. Inferior,- 23s Gd to 24s ; medium, 27s to 28s 6d. Privately, we have placed six tons at £29 per ton for shipment. , Hides. — We have placed 110 at full rates. Inferior, 13s to 15s ; medium, 17s to 18s ; heavy, 22s to 265, equal to 3j£d to 4M per lb. Grain. — Wheat has been very quiet ; arrivals, owing to bad state of roads, almost nil. Prices are unaltered — 4s 4d to 4s 6d for prime milling, 4s 2d to 4s 3d for medium, 3s lOd to 4s for inferior. Oats are not to be had in quantity. We have sold some parcels of common feed at 3s Sd, at which price the market is firm for local consumption. This market at the above price is lower than Christchurch, where large export orders are being executed. Barley : Prime malting is very scarce, and wanted at 5s Cdto 6s. We have sold inferior malting at os. Feed : None.

Mr. Skexe'S labour market report for the week ending June 19 : We are very much in need of a spell of dry weather. Work is greatly interrupted and getting behind. Men can only now stand and look on. and it is no use grumbling. The demand is very large and steady for all sorts of farm men and ordinary labourers, and wages are goqjl for all efficient men. Couples are much sought after. Hotel servanip^ arc in very large demand, and trained people for such soon get placed. Girls for town and country and hotels are very short of demand. Gardeners are now in good request, so are men cooks for stations. AVages— Girls, 10s to 80s ; couples, £75 to £85 ; shepherds, £6<> and £70 ; ploughmen, £G0 and £05 : cooks, waiters, grooms, gardeners, &c, 20s to 40s ; milkers, 15s to 25s ; carpenters, 11s to 13s per day : housekeepers, £52 to £65 per year. Mr. A. Mercer reports for the week ending June 19 — Retail prices only— Fresh butter in half and one pound prints, Is 5d to Is (>d per lb ; fresh butter in lumps. Is 4d ; powdered and salt butter, 1 s 2d to Is 3d per lb ; the supply of fresh butter has fallen of very much, and really good butter is scarce. Salt butter in keg, lOd to lid per lb. Cheese, best quality, 8d to lOd per lb : side and rolled bacon,' 9d to lOd ; colonial hams, Is; English hams, Is 2d to Is 4dpcrlb; English cheese, Is 4d per lb ;no demand. Eggs still scarce, and retailing at 3s 6d per doz. • Mr J. Fleming imports (wholesale prices) for the week endiug June 10, 1878, as follows : — Oats , (feed), 3s 4d per bushel Wheat — milling, 4s; chicks, 3s to 3s 4d. Barley, malting, 5s to 5s 6d ; feed, 3s to 3s 6d. Pollard, £5 10s per ton. Bran, £5, bags included. "Flour, large bag?. £11 ; small, £11 10s. Oatmeal, £18. Potatoes, £3 10s per ton. Hay, £4 10s per ton. Chaff, £4 10s per ton. Straw, £2 per ton.