Commercial News.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 226, 8 January 1876, Page 11

Commercial News.

The amount of Customs duties received at this port for the week ending January 6, 1576, was as under: —

The import trade for the past week has been only moderately brisk, and unmarked by any changes in value, transactions being mostly limited to the supply of current wants. In colonial produce, bacon and hams meet with steady demand at lOd. and Is. 4d. per lb. Keg butter is quite neglected in consequence of the low price of fresh butter, and cannot be quoted higher than 9d. to lOd. per lb. for first-class cure. Flour dull, at £ll to £ll 10s. per ton for best brands of Canterbury and Oamaru mills. Cheese in moderate supply, at 104 to lid. per lb. Potatoes scarce, and worth £5 to £5 10s. per ton. Oats, a good trade doing and stocks becoming low, prices ranging from 2s. 9d. to 3s. 2d. per bushel according to sample. Fowl feed scarce, and worth 4s. 6d. Maize quiet, sales at 4s. 3d. On Wednesday Mr. James Smith commenced his his new series of auction sales of stock, produce, &c., at the Hutt, and, although the day >vas damp and gloomy, a large audience of the trade and others showed their appreciation of his merits as an auctioneer, by their attendance and spirited bidding. The following prices were realised: —1 saddle horse,

£l6; 3 cows, in milk, £5 to £6 10s. each; 1 horse, trap, and harness, £3l 10s.; 1 boy’s pony, £5 155.; 6 fat bullocks, £l2 15s. each; 6 do. at £10; 17 stores, at £7, £6 10s., and £4 10s. each; 125 wethers, at 11s. 6d.; 1 cart-horse, £4O; 1 do. £2O; 1 tip-cart, £lO. 10s. At the conclusion of the sale, Mr. James Smith notified his intention of holding these sales on every alternate AVednesday.

THE WELLINGTON MARKETS.

Building Materials. Timber, —Boards and Scantling, 100 ft., 9s. to 155.; 11s. Od. at mill; planed, tonguedand grooved, 11s. Gd. to 12s. sd. Red pine palings, 12s. per 100 ; red pine timber, 16s. per 100 feet ; kauri timber, 18s. per 100 feet; red pine, tongue groved, 225. per 100 feet; totara posts, Is. 4d. each ; birch rails, Sd. each ; white pine shingles, 16s. to 18s. per 1000. Hobarton timber and fencing material. Shingles, £1 per 1000 ; palings, from 20s. to 255. per 100; rough spokes, 255. per 100 ; felloes, from 100 s. to 200 s. per 100 ; timber, 235. to 255. per 100 feet, superior; posts, £slos. per 100; rails, £4 3s. 4d. per 100. BONE dust. Bone dust, No. 1, £8 to £lO ; bone dust, No. 2, £7 10s. to £S 10s.; bone dust, No. 3, £6 to £6 10s. Coal and Firewood Market. Coal.—Newcastle, £2 ss. per ton. Firewood. —2 foot rata, 365. to 40s per cord : 1 foot wood, 455. per cord ; 4 foot wood, 365. per cord ; 6 foot wood, 365. per cord.

The following produce telegram has been received from the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, dated London, 16th December, 1875 :—Wool. —The sales closed firmly, and comprised about 105,000 bales. 8000 have been withdrawn during sales, and 30,000 have been taken for export. A good many second-hand parcels liave_ been offered. Trade in the manufacturing districts is unchanged. The next sales will commence on 15th February. LONDON PRODUCE MARKETS. From the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency’s Circular.) Wool.—The interval which has elapsed since the issue of our last San Francisco circular lias been marked by no feature of moment in the London wool market. Such sales as have been made amount only to a very limited quantity of raw material, while the reports of the condition of trade in the manufacturing districts are rather adverse than favorable. Any further depreciation on those descriptions which at the late auctions were most depressed seems improbable ; but in the case of Cape wool—forming a very large proportion of our arrivals —it would seem hardly likely that so considerable a quantity can iu the present state of demand be absorbed without some fluctuations in value. No arrivals of wool of the new clip arc expected from Australia for the ensuing sales. The fourth series of wool sales at Antwerp opened on the 3rd and closed on the 12th inst. Prices showed a decline varying from 10 to 25 centimes per kilogram —less in the better grades, but more in the inferior descriptions—as compared with their July-August series. For the Home growth the market since the beginning of October has sensibly weakened. We append note of arrivals for the sales to commence on 23rd current, which, according to present arrangements will terminate on 14th December. Bales. New South AValcs and Queensland .. 19,949 Victoria .. .. • • .. - • 10,011 South Australia .. .. .. .. 1,649 Western Australia .. .. . - 317 Tasmania .. .. . - - • - ■ 445 New Zealand .. .. .. .. 10,783 Cape of Good Hope .. .. .. 41,750 Total 54,904 Tallow.. —Since our last report on this market via San Francisco, there have been four public sales held, at which 5071 casks were offered and 2840 were sold, mutton realising from 425. 3d. to 495. Gd., and beef 375. 3d. to 475. 9d. per cwt. A slackening in the trade demand, coupled with anxiety on the part of some holders to realise, and an increased yield of home-melted.tallow, caused a decline during the three weeks succeeding the despatch of last mail of about 2s. to 2s. Gd. per cwt. The movement was, however, counteracted by importers holding for higher prices, and in this they have been assisted by the advice per telegram of decreased shipments at the Australian ports. Accordingly last week’s quotations showed a recovery more or less decided, amounting generally to Is. to Is. Gd. per cwt. on mutton, and the present aspect of the market is firmer. Shipments from St. Petersburg have now ceased for the present year ; the total receipts into this market for the year have reached 4800 casks, as compared with 966 S casks during 1574. . . We quote present market prices as follow: — P.Y.O. new.. .. -- 525. Australian mutton, fine .. 4Ss. Gd. to 495. Cd. per cwt. Do. medium .. . - 475. Gd. to 48s. Gd. ~ Australian beef, fine . - 465. Gd. to 465. 9d. ~ Do. medium .. -- 455. to 40s. . » For to-morrow’s auction G 45 casks arc advertised. During the four weeks ending 13th November, the arrivals were only 318 casks, and the stock of .all descriptions was reduced to 9801 casks on 15th instant. By the mails acknowledged in our opening paragraph we have received advices of the shipment of 1460 casks. Leather.- —No improvement can be reported in the market for Australian leather. At the public sales held on 22nd October, 45SS sides were offered and 1517 sold under the hammer, the demand being very limited, and a decline of }d. to Id. per lb. submitted to in the case of the parcels disposed of. A further reduction to about the same extent was established at the sales on sth instant, when of 6090 sides brought to auction, 2439 were cleared.

Spirits .. .. 978 8 1 Do. ad valorem 92 4 5 Tobacco.. 316 12 6 Do. other duties 137 10 6 Wine 125 1 2 Light dues, Ale 78 12 6 shipping, &e. 7S 0 1 Tea 231 IS 3 Sugar 171 0 8 Goods by weight 20 15 10 £.2230 4 0

"Wholesale Prices. Farm and Dairy Pjioduce. s. cl. s. d. S. d. s. d. Butter, fs, lb 0 10 to 1 0 Lard, lb .. 0 OtoO 5 Butter, sit, lb 0 8 — 0 9 Bacon, Pro.. 0 11 — 1 Cheese .. 0 0 — 0 11 Hams, Pro.. 1 0 — 1 Do.. Ct’bury. 0 10 — 0 11 McConnell’s 1 0 — 1 2 Eei;s, dozen 1 4 — l G Ct’bury hams 1 0 — 1 2 Detail Price. Milk, quart.. 0 4 to 0 G Fowls, pair.. G 0 to 7 0 Butter, fs., lb 0 0 — i 0 Ducks, pair.. 7 0 — 8 0 Butter, salt.. 1 0 — l 0 Geese, each.. G 0—7 0 Cheese, Col.. 1 — l 2 Turkeys, do. G 0—10 0 Eggs, dozen 1 9 — 2 0 Bacon, lb .. 0 0 — 1 4 Lard, lb .. 0 0 — 0 10 Ham, lb .. 0 0 — 1 G Rabbits, pair 2 0 — 3 0 Potatoes, newO 2 — 0 0 Cabbages, dz 2 G — 3 0 Carrots .. 2 0 — o 0 Turnips, doz 2 G — 3 0 Potatoes .. 11 0—14 0 A’d veg’bl, dz 2 0 — o 0 Bread, 3d. to 4d. 21b. loaf. Elouj i Market. Wholesale. £ s. d. Superfine Flour, side dressed, per ton £12 to 12 10 0 Fine Flour, ditto, household .. 11 0 0 Seconds, per ton.. 0 0 0 Sharps, per ton .. 8 0 0 A dclaidc, per ton 15 0 0 Oamaru, ditto 12 10 0 Dunedin, ditto .. 12 0 0 Canterbury, ditto 12 0 0 Bran, per bushel — 0 1 4 Hay and Corn Market. Wholesale. s. d. s. d. £ s. £ S Maize, Sydney 1 G to 5 0 Hay, ton .. G 10 to 7 10 Do. Crushed 4 9 — 5 0 Oaten, ditto 0 0 — 5 10 Oats (South). .4 0 — 4 O Lucerne, ditto 0 0 — 6 10 Wheat (fowl) 4 0 — 4 3 Straw, ditto 2 L0 —3 0 Potatoes .. 0 0 — 5 0 Chaff, ditto 7 0 — 0 0 Retail. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. Maize .. 5 G to G 0 Peas .. G G to 7 0 Oats, ditto ..4 0 — 4 G Do. crushed 7 3 — 7 G Do. crushed 4 9 — 5 2 Lucerne, cwt. 0 0 —G G Bran, ditto 1 9 — 2 0 Oaten, ditto 5 10 —G 0 Wheat (fowl) 4 G — 5 G Straw, ditto 5 10 — G 10 Hay, cwt. .. 5 10 — 6 10 Chaff, ditto 7 0—8 0 Beans .. 6 0 — 7 0 O’Sheatli’s do. G 0— 7 0 Do. crushed 7 3 — 7 C Brocolo from 0 3 — 1 G Seeds. Ryegrass, bsli. 7 OtoS 0 Alsyke, lb. .. 1 2toQ 0 Do. Pov. B.,do.S 0--0 0 Cow grass, do...l 3—0 0 Cocksfoot, do. 10 0— -0 0 Rape, do. .. 0 C—0 0 Wt. clover, lb. 1 2— -0 0 Lucerne, do. .. 1 6—0 0 Red do., do... 1 0— -0 0 Timothy, do. ..1 0—0 0