COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 16, 13 May 1871, Page 11

COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Mail Office, Friday evening. Last week’s trade leaves very little room for comment. Prices are unaltered, and no sales of English imported goods to any extent have come under notice. In flour some little activity has been manifested, Canterbury flour realising £l4 to £l4 10s per ton for trade parcels. Oats are quiet j sales at 2s lOd to 3s. Batter is also in improved demand for export, and good samples are quoted at 6d per lb — buyers. At auction Mr .Tames Smith realized the following prices Jeffery’s stout, 9s 3d per doz, d.p. ; Mauritius sugar, d.p., £35 per ton ; grapes, in good condition, 12s to 12s fid per box; colonial marmalade, 7s per doz; jams, 6s 3d per doz; rice, £2l per ton ; English saddlery—for gents’ saddles, 44s 6d to 72s 6d each ; bridles, girths, &c, at fair prices. Messrs Yennell, Mills, & Co held a sale of ironmongery, which realized fair prices. ENGLISH COMMERCIAL. Wool.—“ Tickles Trade Review” says that the first series of sales for the current year commenced on the 3rd February, and terminated on the 27th, the quantity was— From Sydney and Queensland 32,867 bales. « Port Phillip 38,348 “ “ Tasmania 1,657 “ “ South Australia ... 15,629 “ “ Swan River 840 “ “ New Zealand 15,262 " “ Cape of Good Hope ... 26,022 “ Total 130,625 bales. The attendance was good, and there were more foreign buyers than has been seen since the commencement of the war, amongst whom it was a great satisfaction to notice the reappearance of French buyers, whose biddings soon told upon the values of a particular class of wools. Prices opened with an upward tendency, and on good scoured and greasy there was an advance of Id per lb. Port Phillip and New Zealand combing fleeces showed an improvement of Jd to Id, but fine Queensland and Sydney clothing wools have sold low. The quantity taken for foreign account is about 60,000 bales. The next sales will probably begin on 13th April, by which time the arrivals are likely to approximate 200,000 bales. Trade is healthy, and we may hope to see prices well maintained. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company’s circular reports:—The arrivals of wool for the second series amount to date to — N.S, Wales and Queensland ... 2,806 bales. Victoria 30,868 “ South Australia 28,568 “ Tasmania 62 “ New Zealand 1,418 “ Cape of Good Hope 22,876 “ Total ... ... ... 80,698 bales.

and it would appear probable that this quantity may be further increased to about 150,000 to 180,000 bales, which, however, will include very little wool of New Zealand production. With this comparatively moderate supply, a healthy consumption in the home districts and the prospect of a good Continental demand, we look forward to the maintenance of very firm rates during the April-May sales. Flax. —We find that our telegraphic summary of English news contained all the prices and particulars as to the present state of the flax market, which are to be found in any of the trade circulars. But of the sales of flax and tow, ex Star of the South and Alexandria, both from Wellington, Noble’s report shows the condition in which the various lots and brands of flax were put into the market, and the prices they realised. Any hasty glance at the circular serves to show that either the transport of flax is effected in the most careless manner, or that the vessels are not as tight as they should be. The greater portion of the cargoes is marked “ sea damaged.” The immense loss arising out of this is shown in the remoteness of the prices of sound and good flax, and “ sea damaged.” Money. —The Mercantile Loan Agency circular, writing before the arrival of the Hon. Mr Vogel in England, says :—Definite advice of the departure of the Hon. Julius Vogel, Colonial Treasurer, for this country has reached us, and bis arrival may now be expected in the course of a few days. His mission, from a financial point of view, will most probably be attended with success, as, although the money market is tightening, no important Colonial Loan has for some time made its appearance, and the Consolidated Stock of the Colony continues to maintain the high price which the financial position of the colony fully warrants.

Tallow. —On 17th February, 1.019 casks were offered, and 587 casks sold, the demand being moderate, and prices showing a decline of 3d on sheep and 6d on beef. On 24th February there was more competion and the decline was nearly recovered ; of 1,381 casks offered, 1,231 casks sold. On 3rd March, 1,392 casks were offered, and 1,374 casks sold at rates which fully established the improvement recorded in the previous week. On 10th March, 605 casks were offered, and 590 casks sold at previous rates. —“ Tickell’s Trade Review.” The “ Gazette de France” states that the Treaty of Commerce with this country has boon denounced, but adds that the Government has refused to give notice of itß withdrawal, because to do so would be to repay with ingratitude what England lias done and is doing for the revictualling of Paris.

[Australasian Trade Reyiew.] The rates now offering for freight as under : —For London—Wool, washed and greasy, |d; tallow, 455; bark (ground), 4<os per ton; bark (chopped), cannot be engaged ; measurement goods, 328 6d to 35s per 40 cubic feet. —From Newcastle —Hong Kong, 27s 6d ; Shanghai, 36s ; Singapore, 18s ; Java, 14s ; Honolulu, 20s; San Francisco, 31s 6d ; Galle, 21s. —Large quantities of sheepskins continue to come forward, but the demand has been sufficient to sustain past prices ; the increase being accounted for through the increased growth of wool.—Full-woolled skinß, scarce; worth 2s 6d. Station skins, worth from 3fd to 7fd per lb. Late sales of tallow have been well attended by buyers for both local and shipping interests ; but such an unusual quantity coming forward, a slight reduction—say from 20s to 30s per ton —from last quotations has had to be submitted to. Mutton realised from £34 to £35 per ton ; beef, from £32 to £34; mixed, from £32 to £34; inferior, from £29 to £3l. The following are the weights of the wheat exhibited at the agricultural shows this season: The heighest weight was 661 b 12oz ; at Ballarat, tne second prize sample went 661 b loz; at Castlemaine, the first was 65Rb ; at Newbridge, 661 b; and finally, at Hamilton, a sample is reported to have weighed 691 b 4oz ! The highest weight ever attained in these colonies was only 4oz in excess of the above, and that was by an Adelaide sample, which beat the highest Victorian one by 2oz.

The Paris correspondent of the “ Telegraph” mentions a report to the effect that in view of the financial necessities of France resulting from the treaty of peace, it will be necessary to levy a tax upon the raw material employed in manufactures, especially on all textile fabrics. It is calculated that a tax upon cotton alone will produce from sixty to eighty millions a year. Foreign manufactures will be subjected to a heavy duty, proportionately heavier than that imposed upon the raw material. The “ Economist” expects on the whole—judging both from probability, and from such information as we can obtain—that the French will bring out a considerable loan in London —or rather partly in London — within a reasonable period, and as soon as they can ; and a large part of this, though not the whole, they will pay over to Germany. Some they must keep for their own purpose. As to this loan, one thing, and perhaps only one, may be said confidently, and that is that the French will get very little abroad unless they subscribe very largely at home. If they themselves show a discouragement as to the state of their finance, or a distrust of their present Republican Government, no one else can be expected to lend. If those most interested, and those who ought to know best, in the least shrink, no others can be expected to aid. The moment is indeed very perilous to French credit. The new charge, taking what they will have to borrow for themselves, and what they must borrow to pay the Germans, cannot be less than £17,000,000 or £18,000,000. And this they will have to meet either by a reduction of expenditure, which on a hugh scale is always difficult or by an increase of taxation out of the peculiar

and inelastic resources which a short time since we elaborately described. And they begin it with the worst omens. CHARGES ON WOOL IN LONDON. A correspondent signing himself “ A Wool grower getting a return,” writes to the editor of the “ Argus” : “ Sir, In the report of the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce I see they have concluded to agree to the merchant’s commission of two and a half per cent. It has always struck me this is the highest charge wool is subject to in London, considering the work done, and that the merchants themselves consider it high; and that a lower rate would pay, and that they are willing to do it for less, is fully proved by the fact that many woolgrowers and shippers get a return of one per cent in their accounts current, thus virtually reducing the commission to one and a half per cent. I believe any shipper not helpless in the hands of his agent can get the return; at least, several that I have known try have got the allowance ; but I suppose it would be too much to expect our chamber to disapprove of the charge, as I suppose this sale commission is, to some extent, divided between the merchants here and London. P.B.—A stand should be made against the lib draft of 1001 b; it is such an unequal charge.