COMMERCIAL.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1250, 9 March 1878, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

The Customs duties collected here on Thursday, 7th March, amounted to £1021135. The items were:—Spirits, £445 5s lOd; wine, £43 lis 2d; tobacco, £IOB 10s 6d; cigars, £36; ale (in bottle), £lB- tea, £4O 2s: sugar, £52 9s 6d; goods by weight, £63 Oa lOd; ad valorem, £154 13s 2d. Trade in the import markets has been brisk during the week. A good demand has existed for brandies at the following rates:—Hennessy's bulk, 9s 3d; case, 325. Dennis Mounie's, Bisqnit de Bouche's, andCloureau's have been in good request at 7s 9d to Bs. Whisky has met with a fair amount of attention. Bum has been entirely neglected. Sugars Trade sales have been effected at rates varying from £43 10s to £45 10s for whites, and £43 10s to £44 10s for yellow crystals, yellow counters realize £4O to £4l d.p. Teas—A few trade parcels have been quitted at rates from Is 5d to 2s i.b. Sardines—We hear of a large parcel taken up at prices withheld. Trade sales have been numerous at 5s 4d to 5s 6d for quarters, and 8s 6d for halves. Candles—Price's candles are firmly held for IOJd, at which fignre little has been done. Kerosene in small lots realises 2s to 2s 2d d.p. Fine salt has been in fair demand at £4 to £4 2s 6d; coarse, £3 12s 6d. Cornsacks—A line of 100 bales has been taken up at 10s lsd, several sales of lots of 20 to 30 bales have been recorded at 10s 3d to 10s 6d. A few sales have been effected in galvanized iron at satisfactory rates. Fencing Wire—Large parcels have changed hands at the following rates: No. 9, £1715s to £18; No. 8, £l6 17s 6d to £17,No. 7, £l6 ss. Hops—A few small sales have been niade in Kent's at Is 9sd d.p. American are offering freely at Is Id. GEAIN AND PBODUCE.

Considering the high prices which have lately ruled for wheat, transactions have been much less numerous than might be expected. This probably ia owing to the sudden rise in value from 4s 3d to 4b 9d, inducing growers to look for a still higher price, and for several lots this week 5s has been aßked, but without resulting in business. The more pacific European news is having a quieting effect on the market, and probably wheat has reached its utmost limit at 4s 9d. For choice Tuscan this price is still paid, and 4s 6d to 4s 7d for good milling samples. Oats are very firm at 3s 6d, but sales have been few, the impression being that the crop has been lighter than was generally Bupposed, and higher prices are therefore looked for later on by growers. Barley is moving off steadily at 4s 9d for good malting lots, and at from 4s upwards for ordinary quality. Flour has been quoted at an advance by some millers, but purchases are still being made at £ll to £l2. Bran and sharps remain at late quotations. Several transactions in potatoes are reported at 55s to 60s *or early delivery, and 50s to 52s 6d for delivery in Ax-ril aud May. In view of some shipments now being made to Sydney, the market there has collapsed and late telegrams quote £4lss as top price. Butter and cheese are very quiet, and stocks accumulating Hams and bacon are very dull of sale, and some curers have reduced their quotations to 7Jd f.o.b. WOOL, SKINS, HIDES, &0. Messrs &. Wilkin and Co. report for the week ending March 7th: — Wool—At our sale to-day 140 bales and 38 bags were catalogued, of which 40 bales were withdrawn. There was a fair attendance of buyers, and the bidding spirited. Good .sound, well cleaned crossbred, Sfd to 10Jd per lb; inferior and badly sorted ditto, Bdto9id"per lb. Merino, good sonud, well 1 classed, 9Jd to lud per lb ; ditto, inferior and badly classed, Bid to 9Jd per lb. Lanibswool from BJd to 9jd per lb. Pieces, 5d to 6d per lb Locks, 3}d to to 4|d per lb. Scoured wool, 6-Jd, to Is 4d rj«jr lb. Sheepskins—Our catalogue to-day comprised 4083 skins, and, with the exception of 89 pelts, all were sold. There was a full attendance of buyers, and the bidding was fairly spirited. Cross-bred, large full-woolled, 4s lid to 5s 6d each; ditto, medium, half-woolled, 4s 7d to 4s lid each; ditto, email and inferior, 3s 8d to 4s 7d each. Merino, large, full-woolled, 5s to 5s 9d each ; ditto, meaium, half-woolled, 4s 8d to 5s each; ditto, small and inferior, 3s 2d to 4s 8d each. Pelts, early shorn, 2s 8d to 3s 2d each; late shorn, 5d to 2b 8d each. Lambskins, 2s 2d, 3s, and 3s Id each. Tallow—9B bags butchers' rough fat offered and all sold. The attendance of buyers was not good, but the bidding was spirited. Best clean, well saved, 2sd to 3d per lb; inferior and heated, Id to 2id per lb. Hides —A large line of salted was quitted at 4Jd »e* lb. Calfskins, sound, well flayed, 5d per lb; out asd damaged, half-price. OOMMEECIAL TELEGBAMS. Auckland, March 8. Current utiotationa are :—Flour, £l3; oats, 4s j oatmeal £Bv) bran, 6s; pollards, 5s lOd; potatoes, 3s 10d • 'buttttF. 10d; cheese, 6d; maize, (is; bacon and hams, 8d ; beef, 26s to 28s per lOOlbs; mutton, 81d to iid Shar3 Market—Bank of New Zealand, £23 15s; National B>Dk, 72s 6d; South British, 70s; Union, 15s 3d; New Zealand, 955; Guthrie and Larnach's, 47s 6d. BnyCTS, *ss; Moanatuiri, 60s; Sellers, 64s ; Alburnia, buyers, 555; Kuranui Hill, sellers, 86s. m TimarV, March 8. Grain quotations are :—Wheat, 3s lOd to 4s 2d, awarding to quality and description ; oats, 2s lOd to 3s.