COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 18, 27 May 1871, Page 10

COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Mail Office, Friday evening. Very little business has been done during the past week in imported goods, and we can report no sales to any extent affecting previous quotations. Several large parcels of drapery and slop clothing have been cleared at the Customs out of bond for the retail trade, which would lead to the inference that there was an improved demand for this description of goods, otherwise trade is as dull as it can possibly be. Even at auction sales have ,been almost impossible, and two large auction sales of groceries turned out comparative failures, nearly the whole of the lots being withdrawn. The rise in the price of flour down South and in the Australian colonies, has bad a corresponding effect here in making holders stand out for higher rates, but the movement is but indifferently responded to by buyers, who seem to think that the rise cannot be permanent. We quote Canterbury flour, nominal, at £l6 to £l6 10s, but can report no sales at these rates. The grain trade continues dull, and Canterbury oats meet with slow sale at 2s lOd to 2s lid for wholesale lots. Chick wheat meets with inquiry for small parcels at 3s 3d to 3s 6d per bushel. At James Smith’s sale yesterday at Hunt’s Auction Mart the following prices were i*ealised, but the bulk of the goods offered were withdrawn :—American brooms, 1R 22s per doz; I£, 25s per doz ; muscatels, 7d per lb ; case jams, 6s to 6s 6d per doz ; marmalade, 6s per doz ; Batty’s bottled fruits, 10s ; oysters, 7s 6d per doz ; oatmeal, 18s per cwt ; Bell and Black’s vestas, 25t)’s, 22s per gross ; chick wheat, 3s 3d per bushe'l ; Port Cooper cheese, 6d per lb ; Honolulu sugar, £36 per ton j flour, damaged, £l2 per ton.

Christchurch. —Mr H. Alport reports fat cattle at 20s per lOOOlbs, and fat merino ewes If d per lb. The Eales made by him were as follows :—2 fat heifers, £6 per head ; 1 fat cow, £7 15s do; 1 do, aged, £6 7s 6d; 52year old heifers, near calving, £4 2s 6d to £5 7s 6d ; 3 18-month steers, £4; 5 yearling heifers and steers, £2 ss. Horses—First-class draught, £32 to £42 ; medium do, £22 to £26; good light harness horses and hacks, £l6 to £25 ; useful do, £lO to £ls ; inferior, £3 and upwards.

Otago. —The “ Star” of the 13th has the following report: —There has been an active inquiry for wheat throughout the past week, and we note several considerable parcels have changed hands. The value has somewhat improved and fair milling samples cannot be secured under ss. In many cases holders refuse to quit below 5s ; but we have not heard of any transactions at this rate, and as millers are generally well stocked, it is nob likely they will advance until they are in need of the grain. Oats are neglected, and, excepting for milling and seed lots, fair prices cannot be obtained. Produce dealers are not giving over 2s 3d to 2s 4d for feeding samples. Malting barley is wanted at 3s 9d to 4s ; for feeding there is no sale. Flour is in firstrate demand, at £l3. Millers are only supplying trade orders at this figure, and are not induced to dispose of parcels unless at an advance. Wheat, ss. Oats 2s 3d for feed ; 2s 5d to 2s 6d for milling. Barley, 3s 9d to 4s for malting ; 2s 3d to 2s 6d for feed. Flour, £l3 for sacks; £l3 10s for bags. Oatmeal, £l4 10s. Bran and pollard, £4 10s, including bags. Pearl barley, £2O. Potatoes, £3. Straw, £2 10s. Hay, £4. Chaff, £4. Onions, £ll. Turnips and carrots, £2 10s. Dunedin. —The “Times” publishes Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Co.’s report of stock, as follows Fab cattle : about 35 head, mostly of good quality, sold at prices equal to 20s per lOOlbs for prime, and 15s to 17s for middling quality. Fat sheep: ewes, good quality, brought from 4s 6d to 5s 6d each ; wethers, middling ditto, 6s each; we quote prime quality mutton lfd to 2d per lb; middling ditto, at little over store rates* Store sheep;

we quote 4,6, and 8-tooth merino wethers at 4s 6d each; mixed ditto lambs, 3s 9d each ; half bred ditto, 5s each. Station property: the Waipahi station and stock, consisting of 34,000 acres grazing country, 115 acres freehold land, 10,500 mixed sheep, 5300 ditto lambs, 150 head of cattle, with the usual improvements, have been sold privately to W. A. Tolmie, Esq., at a satisfactory price. Horses : we quote first-class draughts £45 to £SO; middling ditto, £27 to £3O; good hacks and light harness horses, £ls to £2O; middling ditto, £lO to £l3 ; light and inferior, £3 to £6. Grain : wheat of good quality is wanted, and saleable at 5s per bushel; oats are in full supply ; feed may be quoted at 2s 3d to 2s4d, milling, 2s 6d per bushel. Barley: good samples of malting are in request, and commands 3s 9d to 4s per bushel; feed is worth 2s to 2s 6d per bushel. Auckland Shake Market. —Mr J. T. Garlick reports : —My sales to-day comprise Thames, £2l to £2l 10s ; Tookev, £l3 10s ; Cure, 21s 6d to 22s ; Belfast, £3 10s ; Central Italy, 20s ; Tokatea, 18s ; Eureka, 8s 9d and 10s. In demand, Tokatea, at 10s; Central Italy, buyers at 20s ; Eureka, sellers at 10s; Caledonian, buyers at £110; Belfast and Kelly’s still sought after ; Middle Star, sellers at £5 ; Junction, £2 2s; Berkeley Castle, buyers at 5s ; Otago, sellers at 35s ; Poverty and Charleston, buyers at £2 15s ; and Prince Imperial, £3 15s. Butter and Cheese. —The following prices of these two articles we extract from a home paper of the 24th February. They will no doubt be of interest to our country readers: Carlow butter, per 1121bs, £5 12s to £7 10s ; fine Friesland, £7 6s to £7 14s; Eampen and Zwole, £6 16s to £7 14s; Rosch, £5 8s to £6 ; Danish, £6 10s to £8 ; Holstein, £6 10s to £B. Cheese —Derby, per 1121bs, £3 to £3 6s ; American, £3 6d to £3 16s ; New Edam, £3 6s to £3 12s ; Gouda, £2 18s to £3 4s.

ENGLISH COMMERCIAL. [Argus Correspondent.] Money Market. —The Stock Exchange opened on March 20 in a state of semi-panic, and a severe and general fall occurred in quotations under the influence of the news of insurrection and anarchy in Paris. Tiio French Defence Loan experienced the heaviest shock, bub the discouragement extended to most foreign and to not a few home securities. For a day or two business was almost suspended, dealers waiting to see the probable issue of the Red movement. It was feared that the insurrection may have ramifications elsewhere, and the attitude of Lyons and Marseilles, and other revolutionary centres, is eagerly watched. The madmen in Paris meanwhile seem to be frightended at their own success ; dissensions are springing up among them, and terms of compromise have been proffered to the Government at Versailles. These signs of exhaustion, together with the fierce reaction against the disturbers of order which has sprung up among the middle-class citizens, have restored more quietude to the London stock market; bub no permanent prosperity can return until the Paris difficulty is definitely settled. Wool. —The imports of Australian wool into the United Kingdom were on a very liberal scale in January, having amounted to 10,331,8081 b., as compared with 3,601,541 lb. in January, 1870, and 1,996,0281 b. in January, 1869. The receipts of Australian wool in January were considerably more than half the whole supplies, which amounted to 17,792,5761 b.; in the corresponding months, however, of 1870 and 1869 they were less than one-half. The value of the Australian wool imported in January was £570,436, as compared with £260,748 in January, 1870, and £89,442 in January, 1869. In reference to the forthcoming sales, Mr Helmuth Schwartze, in his circular of the 17th, announced that the second series of Liverpool sales would commence on the 21st instant, with about 9000 bales, and would conclude to-day to be followed on the 28th and 29th by auctions of miscellaneous wool. For the second series of London sales of colonial wool, the commencement of which has been definitely fixed for Thursday, the 13th April, the following quantities had arrived up to date :—2749 bales Sydney, 42,053 Port Philip, 18,948 Adelaide, 1222 New Zealand, 23,959 Cape; total, 88,931 bales. What the total will be on the 13th of April can scarcely be conjectured as yet, but judging from the quantity advised as afloat and by last year’s experience, the arrivals in time should amount to about 170,000 bales. The market presents no new feature. There is a disposition to buy at last sales’ rates, and sales on those terms are not unfrequent. Altogether the tone remains firm and the demand active. About 22,000 bales River Plate have been recently offered at Antwerp. The sales were well attended, the competition was spirited throughout, and prices ruled about Id higher than in November, or relatively about on a par with the London quotations of Cape wool. The stock at Antwerp, so large at the beginning of the year, is now very reduced —about 4000 bales —and will probably remain so for some time, the shipment from Buenos Ayres being late this year.