Commercial.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 26, 19 October 1888, Page 15

Com me rc ia l.

Mb. Donald Stbonach (on behalf of the New Zealaad Loan and M. rcaitile Agency Company, Limited) reports for the week ending October 17. as follows :—

Sto c ( atle. — (Some business is being done in these now, »nd as these fon advances, with favourable wiatber, an increased demand will ft su'-, when no diubt prices will be obtaintd wbicb will be mo>e cotformahle to the views of 8' liers. During 'he week we placed 250 head a» a 8a isf. ctory price, and bave some very choice stores now in our hands fur private sale Store Shtep. — The market continues inactive, and with the exception of tbe small odd lots usually offered at tbe weekly sales there is nothing ot any consequence passing. We have enquiries for good half-breds, 4 to 6-tootb.

Wool. — We are in Teceipt of the following telegram, dated 10th inst., from our London office :— " The wool sales closed at the level of laßt sales, except greasy merino, which has advanced £d per lb.; scoured, do £d to Id der lb.; fine greasy crossbred, £d per lb. ; fine washed crossbred, Ad to Id per lb.; fine scoured crossbred, 4d to Id per lb. ; greasy crossbred lambs has declined £d to Id per lb since close of last sales. The sales comprise about 221,000 bales, 1,100 of which have been held over for future disposal ; 102,000 bales have been taken to the Continent, and only 10U0 ba.es for Amercia." There is nothing of any consequence doing in the local market, it beiijg rather early for shearing. Prosptcts for the coming season, however, are considered to be very favourable for a large business being done at tbe Dunedin sales, it being understood that a number ot fresh buyers purpose visitiug this market during tbe coming ■easoo. Growers may ther< fore safely reckon upon good competition for all wa'ls tbey may off r. We would, a> 'he same timi , advise growers to carefully consider tbe advantage so much more likely to be derived by bubmitting their clips to public competition than selling privately.

Sheepskins. — We had a good attendance of buyers at our Bale on Monday and spirited competition for all lots off red, prices retlisid being about equal to last week's, quality considered. Country dry crosubreds, low to medium, brought Is 21 to 3s 7d ; do do merino, Is id to 3- 5d ; medium to full-woolled crossbreds, 3a lOd to 6s Id ; do do merino, 3-t 9d to 4s 6d ; butcher's green crossbreds, best, 6a sd, 6d Id, 5s Bd, 5a 4d, 5s Id ; medium, 4s lOd, 4s 7d, 4s 3d, 4s 2d ; do do merino, 4s, 4-. 3 1, 4b 6d, 4s 8d ; lambskins, 7d to Is.

Babbitskins. — There is no improvement in the position of the market. Our London cablegram dated loth inst., advises that best descriptions bave advanced one penny, and inferior sorts l^d per lb since last sales. We offered a modera c catalogue on Monday when the usual buyers were in attendance, biddings were moderately active but prices realised were unsatisfactory as compared with late ra es.

Hides. — There is no quotable alteration to note in values, the position of the market being about the s-ime as when we last reported. The demand continues fairly acive, but very little show for at y improvement. We quote inferior and bull?, 1^ ito l^d ; light, 2d to 2£d ; medium, 2?d to 2}d ; heavy, 3d to 3 J ,d ; over 6u lbs in faultless condition, 3Jd to 3-Vd per lb. Tallow. — In sympathy with the hardening tendency of the London market this product continues firm. Shippers are operating fairly, and with the m?rke: quite bare except the small stocks held by manufacturers, prices are likely to further lmprose. We quote prime rendered mutton, IDs 6d to 21s 6d ; medium to good 17s to 18s 6d ; inferior and mixed, 14s 6d to 16s Gd ; rough fat inferior, 9s to 9a 6d ; medium to good 10s to 13s ; best 13s 6d to 14s per cwt.

Graio. — Wheat: The local market is quiet, the bus ; ness transacted during the past week being on a small scale. Buyers are not disposed to operate at ls»te quotations, and to effect sales a concession on late rates would bave to be made. Seller-, however, are not over anxious to do busireet at IeFB money, consideiiug the continued firm toDe of the London market Fowi s food is in fair request, but buyers are not inclined to operate to any rxtent, pries &l present demanded being rather high for export. We quote prime mil ing, ye tret and Tuscan. 3 7d to 3-101; medium to good. 3s 3d to 3s 6J ; inferior to medium, 2s 3d to 3s (ex store, tacks weighed la). — Oats. The demand during the week has nut bfcn very brisk, chieily owing to the AußHalinn markets bt ing more than fully supplied wuh the heavy shipments lately arriving from New Zealand, andconsequently offer lc»s ltiducunent for speculation, at the same nine a moderate business is being done for shipment coastwise, also for local requirements. At the moment there are no indiea ions of any immediate improvtment, but it is qnite possible considering the small stocks on hand that fuither on higher prices may be obtained. We quote stout, bright milling, 2s 2£d to 2s 3d ; best feed, 2s Hd to 2a 24d ; medium to good, 2s to 2s Id ; inferior to medium, Is 9d to 2s (.ex store, sacks weighed in; ., l d extra f.ob, Dunedin), — Barley There is no alteration in the tone ot the market, which continues inanimate. During the week we placed two or three lines prime Northern for malting, the only quality at all saleable. Medium has no attention. We quote prime malting, 3s lOd to 4s Id (sacks extra); medium, nominal, 3s 3d to 3s 6d ; feed and milling, 2s to 3s (ex stoic). Byegraps Seed is only in very moderate demand, which is not by any meant, equal to the clpaiing off of old stocks. We quote locjlgrown undressed, Is 6d to 2s 3d ; dressed, 2s 9d to 3s 3d ; Poverty Bay undressed, 3s 3d to 3s Del , dressed, 4s 9d to 5s 6d (sacks extra) Cccksfoot, market quiet, with less inquiry. We quote best, 3 to 4W ; medium, 3d to 3£<l per lb. Potatoes. — The market is less active ; at the same time good Northern are saleable at from 70s to 72a Od ; Southern, 45s to 60s per ton. Dairy Produce.— Butter is coming io hand more freely ; prime salted is now obtainable at trom 9d to lOd per lb. — Cheese . We have Bold dunng the " past few days 240 tons of cheese — the new

season's make, from five of our best factories. The price realised is considerably in encess of last season's ruling rates.