Commercial.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VII, Issue 352, 16 January 1880, Page 15

Commercial.

Messes. Donald Beid & Co. report for Week ending 14th January Fat Cattle.— A moderate supply of 157 head had come forward, which being a short supply was quickly disposed of prices slightly in advance of last weeks. Best bullocks brought from "£lO 6s. to £"12 2s. 6d. ; good do., £8 7s. 6d. to £9 55. ; others from £6 to £7 ss. Cows, from £5 12s. 6d. to £9 10s., or equal to 265. per 1001 b. for prime, and 21s. medium quality. Fat Calves were in full supply. We sold 10 at from 10s. to 155., according to quality. Fat Sheep. — 2555 penned, consisting of a prime draft of merino wethers ; the balance all good to prime cross-breds. The supply proved excessive, and prices suffered a further decline, consequently a large number were turned out unsold. Best cross-breds made Bs. 6d. ; good, 7s. 6d. to Bs. ; others, 6s. to 7s. 3d. Merino wethers, 6s. 3d. We quote prime mutton at l£d. per lb. Fat Lambs. — About 550 penned, ranging in quality from inferior to prime. All were sold at a shade under last week's price. We sold on account of Henley, 50 at 4s. 3d.; on account of Bell and Carrie, 35 at 4s. 6d. ; and placed privately 120 at satisfactory prices. Store Cattle. — No transactions. Store Sheep. — We have buyers for young merinos, of which there are at present few offering. During the week we sold SCO cross-bred wethers (in wool), at 9s 6d ; 1000 cross-bred ewes and hoggets, 8s to 8s 9d ; and have farther sales pending. Wool. — We are pleased to note that the favourable advices received from Home have caused continued activity and fair competition for all wools offered in this market up to date. We purpose to hold our second sale of the season at our rooms, High street, on Tuesday first, the 20th instant, at 3 p.m., when we will submit a large catalogue, including some of the finest clip in the province, for positive sale. Sheepskins. — We held no sale this week, but will hold our usual sale on Monday next. Hides are firm at late quotations, viz., 3d per lb. for wet salted, 17s 6d to 18s 6d for butchers' hides. Tallow meets with ready sale at full rates. We sold several lots privately at, mixed, 255, rough fat, 15s. Country Sales. — On Saturday last we held a clearing-out sale at Scobie's Farm, Eastern Bush, the whole of the sheep, horses, cattle, &c, finding buyers at fair rates. Grain. — The wheat market has been more active during the past week, and several parcels of fair to good quality have been placed for shipment at 4s to 4s fid per bushel ; extra prime is in local demand for milling at. say, 4s 9d to 4s lOd per bushel. The demand for oats is brisker, but there is no improvement in value to report. Good malting barley is in request, but none offering. We beg to direct attention to the sale of grain to be held at our rooms to-morrow, when we will offer a large quantity of wheat, oats, and maize for positive sale.

THE LAEOUB MAEKET, JAN. 14th, 1880. Me. Skeke reports a very brisk demand for country people, such as couples, ploughmen, handy men, and milkers ; also for women of all kinds, but trained girls are very scarce. For all the crowds arriving there seems no difficulty with them. Town is getting thinned out, and soon harvest will occupy all hands. Tradesmen are wakening up a bit, a good many buildings being contemplated. Hotel people are in better demand. Good co Jcs, laundresses, waitresses, governesses, and barmaids are in favour. Wages do not vary, but a slight iucrease may be looked for in harvest.

PBODUCE MAEKET— JAN. 14, 1880. Mr. J. Fleming reports for the week ending Jan. 14, 1880: — Wholesale prices, oats, Is 8d to Is lOd per bushel ; milling wheat, 4s 9d to 5s per bushel ; chicks, 3s 6d to 3s 9d ; barley, malting, 5s 6d per bushel ; feed, 3s to 3s 6d ; pollard, £5 0s per ton ; bran, £4 10s per ton ; flour, £11 10s to £12 per ton ; oatmeal, £11 10s per ton ; potatoes, £5 to £6 per ton ; hay, £4 per ton ; chaff, £4 per ton ; 6traw, £2s 5s per ton ; onions, 10s per c«vt. ; round potatoes, ss.

Messes. MEECEEand McDonald, Eattray street, report : — Fresh butter (in lib. and Jib. prints), best and favourite brands, Is. per lb.; good ordinary butter, lOd. per lb. Eggs plentiful, Is. per dozen. Cheese, 7d. per lb. Bacon, 9|d. per lb. Hams, lid. per lb.

According to the Italia the Pope has undertaken a work of the highest importance on the liberty of the Church, treating of the famous maxims " A free Church in a free State." It is reported that this work, that will appear in the form of an Encyclical, is destined to produce a great sensation by the way in which this difficulty and delicate subject will be developed. The matter will, it is said, be divided into several parts. The first will treat of the school and the Church, a question which causes so much anger and conflict in France and Belgium ; it will show that the school cannot exist without religion, which can be properly taught only by the clergy, and consequently that the clergy ought to have a part in the direction of instruction. The second part will treat of science and theology referring to modern phases of these subjects. It will touch particularly on atheism and its sad consequences. In the third part, His Holiness will occupy himself with politics and religion. He will show that every good political policy must have good principles for its foundation, and religion for its base, and he will also point out the evils which have resulted from the political courses adopted in modern times. The fourth part will show the origin of the idea of " a free Church in a free State ;" will explain in what manner and measure this idea can be realised, aud how, in the case where such a system is obtained, the State would have everything to lose and nothing to gain. The work is spoken of as being worthy of his Holiness's I pen. <