COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4338, 13 February 1875, Page 7

COMMERCIAL.

The Customs duties received at this port for the month from January 15 to February 11 inclusive were

In the import trade during the month the alterations have been few, and devoid of importance ; prices, owing to the quantities of goods in importers' hands, showing no variation from our last month’s report, with, in some instances, a tendency downward. In brandies and bottled beer especially, our market looks very gloomy. Heavy stocks, with constantly recurring shipments and the impossibility to effect sales to any extent, in the face of a falling market, cau only lead to one result —heavy loss to the shippers. Shippers of bottled ale and porterscem to be ignorant of the fact that large quantities of local bottled beers now occupy a prominent place in the trade—in addition to which, as the cold weather advances, the consumption becomes less; and as stocks are even now excessive and prices unremnnerative, holders may have great difficulty in effecting sales at any sacrifice. In other respects trade, though dull, hasbeen a considerable improvement in amount upon the corresponding month of last year, and the province generally wears a more contented aspect. No better instance could he advanced than the result.of the sale of the Queen’s wharf tolls, and rent of Queen’s bonded warehouse, which were sold by auction on February 1, and realised, after an active competition, the price of £5300 for the year’s tolls, and £3350 for the rent of sheds and bonded stores, being an excess of £-1000 over the previous year’s rental. Our arrivals have been the Carnatic, January IGth : Berar, 22nd ; Avalanche, 25th ; and Humboldt, 23th. Departures:— The Langstone, for Lyttelton, on February Ist: Humboldt, for Callao, on the 6th ; the Jessie Readman, for London on the sth; and the Howrah (cleared and ready for sea), for London. The cargoes of the two last named ships amounting to £200,000. Vessels loading in London and expected;—The Eslc, Ardentinny, Edward Fox, and Dallam Towers ; from New York, the Osseo, Chaudiere, Light of the Age, and Queen of the South (the latter being from Wellington direct); and from Hong ICong, the Medora. The Bank rates of exchange are as follows : Buying : 00 days, 1 per cent.; 00 days, J per cent.; 30 days, i per cent discount. Selling: 90 days, I per cent.; 00 days, $ per cent.; 30 days, per cent, premium. Discounts on local bills are, for 05 days, 8 per cent.: over 05 days, 9 per cent. Interest on fixed deposits, 6, s£, and 6 per cent, for 30 days, 3, and 6 , months respectively. Ale and Porter (duty paid, bulk, Is. per gallon ; bottled, Is. 3d. per gallon).—Bottled ales and stout are still in considerable excess, and there is great difficulty in effecting sales even at a low figure. We quote Tennent's and Bass’s ale at 11s. 3d. to 11s. Od. ; Blood's stout, 11s. to 11s, 6d, per dozen ; Red Cross brand, 11s. to 12s. per dozen. Stocks in bond are increased by each new arrival, and unless importations fall off for the next few months shippers may anticipate a considerable loss. There is no English bulk beer in this market, the consumption being restricted to the colonial brews.

Bags and Woolpacks (duty, 10 per cent). —Our market is fully supplied with cornsacks, which meet with a very limited demand in this province, most of the sales, when these jio occur, being for the Southern provinces, which appear to be also well stocked. One or two lots have been recently placed at 11s. to 11s. Cd. per dozen for the Canterbury market, which may be taken as their present value, Woolpacks—nothing doing. Candles (duty, Id. perj lb).—There are no signs of improvement in the value of this article, of which there are heavy stocks in importers’ hands. A moderate amount of business has been done during the month at lOd. to 10jd. per lb. mostly for the outports. Cement (duty. Is. per barrel). —There have been no shipments received during the month, and we hear of no sales. Quotations, from IDs. Cd. to 20s. per barrel. Coffee (duty, 3d. per lb.). —Fair trade doing in Plantation at Is. 4d. per lb. in bond. Confectionery (duty, 2d. per lb.). —Ample stocks of Keiller’s make, the only one which appears to And favor. Quoted at per lb. Fruits (duty, Id. per lb.).—The Inquiry for dried fruits at tliis season is comparatively small, owing to the large quantities of green fruits brought in. Currants are scarce, and worth 43 d. per lb. for good samples: Eleme raisins in fair supply at Cd. per lb.; muscatels, scarce, and fine fruit worth Is. Id. and Is. 2d. per lb.; figs, if really good, arc scarce, and worth' 9d, to lOd. per lb.,* 1 indifferent lots, 7d. to Bd. per lb. There are no dried apples in stock. Flour (duty, 20s. per ton).—Stocks of Adelaide flour are low, with quotations of £lO to £lO 10s. per ton. Hops (duty, 3d. per lb.)— Large stocks of old hops on hand, and impossible to quit at any figure. »Ve hear of no transactions in ncyt during the month, most of the brewers being supplied. Malt (duty, Is. Cd. per bushel.)—Stocks of English malt are very moderate, but the demand has been only trifling. A few sales have been effected at 11s. od. per bushel, and tanks at 70s. each. Metals (duty, 10percent.)—Corrugated iron has been in good demand, and the supply is becomingshorfc. Best brands are worth—for 24 gauge—£33 to £34 per ton, and for 20 gauge, £3O to £3B per ton. Black fencing wire continues to come forward in excess, and a consequent diminution in value is the result. We quote No. 0 £23, No. 7 £24, and No. 8 £25 per ton.

Oils (duty, fid. per gallon. )—Stocks of kerosene arc large, and with the arrival of the Chaudicro at Dunedin wo shall have an addition of 5350 cases within the next ten days. Wo have also advices of the Light of the Ago having cleared from New York for Wellington with 1500 cases. Prices consequently rule low, and sales have been made to arrive at Is, lls, to 2s. per gallon, duty paid. Paint oils have been in active demand at 4s. Bd. for boiled, and 4s. Od. for raw, m tins. Bulk, 4s. 2d. and 4s. 4d. per gallon. Colza oil at 4s. 6d. to 55. ; castor, ss. per gallon. ; Oilmen’s Stores (duty, 10 per cent.)—A few lines in oilmen’s stores have been rather, scarse, notably pickles. Lea and Perrins’ sauce, and bottled vinegar, and a few lines in preserved fish; otherwise our customary remarks of excessive stocks still hold good. There has been a moderate business doing in this department, at prices that nevertheless still call for improvement. Rice (duty Jd. per lb.)-Our market is fairly supplied, both from Melbourne and London, with this grain, and good clean dressed Patna is worth £2B to £3O per ton. , Salt (free.)—Market fully stocked, and sales difficult at £4 to £4 ss. per ton, Spirits (duty 12s. per gallon.)—Our stock of brandy in bond is enormous for the size of the place and the requirements of the trade, amounting to 8000 cases and 800 quarter-casks ; and although age is supposed to give an additional value to this spirit, importers find it difficult to realise the• fact in the face of an overstocked market and large shipments still coming forward. Prices aro consequently nominal: Hcnnessy’s and Kartell's, in quarters, ranging from Bs. 3d. to 10a. 3d. per gallon; cases, do., 275. and 28s. Od. Biaquit Dubouche’s brand is quoted at 7s. 3d. to 7s. Od. per gallon for bulk, and 245. for case, with large shipments on the way. Other brands nominal, with little enquiry. There has been little doing in rum, Lemon Hart’s, 10 0.p., being quoted at 4a.; 30 0.p., 4s. 4d. to 4s. Od. per gallon: White’s do., 3s. lOd. to 3s. lls. per gallon. Red Hart rum, in case, is in demand at 40s. to 505., d.p. Genova, over 2000 cases in bond, with little inquiry, is quoted at 12s. Od. to 16s. Od., per case according to contents. A shipment of Dunville s whiskey, just landed, has gone off fairly at Cs. Od. per gallon for bulk, and 10s.-9d, to 17s. for case, which is in short supply. There is little enquiry for Scotch whiskey, of which there arc moderate stocks. Old torn meets with only limited enquiry. Sugar (duty, Id. per lb.) —A fair amount of sugars in bond has been cleared for homo consumption, or shipped to the outports underbond during the past month, to the evident relief of our excessive stocks, which are now brought to a more manageable condition. Prices do not, however, appear to have improved, as quotations remain about the same as our last month’s, being for I.C. £43 10s, to £44; C. £4O 10a., and Y, £37 to £3B per to*. Mauritius sorts have the same relative value. Crushed loaf, £4B to £SO per ton, d.p. ...» i Tea (duty, Od. per Ib.)-Xn tea a fair business has been doing in the recent shipments of the new season’s teas at similar rates to last month s. A largo parcel of last season's teas was disposed of under the hammer by Mr. It. J. Duncan on the 23rd of January, amounting to over £2OOO, ttt very fair Tobacco (duty, 2s. Od. per lb.) —Prices of twist have not advanced to the same extent here as has been done In Dunedin and Melbourne, and sales continue difficult to make at the enhanced values, our quotations being for best brands of twist Is. Id. to la. Bd. per lb., and a similar price for tens. Aromatic is worth from 2s. to 3s, Gd. per lb. Cigars (duty, ss. per lb.)—The quotations for cigars are unaltered, with little business doing at present high rates. Havannah cigars arc from £l4 to £JO, and Manilla’s 70s. to 80s. per 1000. .. Wine (duly, 4s. per gallon).—Heavy stocks of mostly inferior and low class ports and sherries, which move off slowly. Really good wines are in moderate demand at fair remunerative prices. Colonial wines are gradually making way.

Butter. Owfng to the rise in the price of fresh butter a better demand lias sprung up for cured, which’is now worth 10(1. to lid. per lb. ; hut as the demand is exclusively confined to local wants, there being ino orders from the ontports, and stocks in dealers’ hands being large, we do not think these prices will bo sustained. . Cheese —A good demand has been felt during the month and Port Cooper cheese of fair quality has readily realised 9d. per lb. Cheese of local manufacture being worth Sd, per lb. . Flour.—There has not been much activity m the flour trade, buyers, in anticipation of still lower rates, only operating from hand to mouth. Oamaru and Canterbury flour is quoted at £l3 to £l3 10s. per ton for sacks—bakers’parcels. Hams and Bacon.—ln good demand ; Canterbury cure, in cloth. Eagle brand, sell readily at 14d. and lljd. per ih, . . ~ Oats.—Owing to the good yield of this gram in the Southern provinces, and the large quantities grown hero this season, there lias been a general disinclination to lay in stocks, and prices have gone down considerably from our last month's quotations. In fact, it has been impossible to place any except retail parcels at the lowest quotations. The failure of the maize crop in N.S. Wales and its consequent high price must influence the future value of the oat crop, and we look forward to better demand and higher rates. Quotations for old oats are 4s. 3d. to 4s, fid.; new. 4s. 3d. Stocks ample for present demand. Maize is in fair supply, and sales arc reported at 7s. Od. per bushel. Timber.—Sawn timber is unaltered from our last month's quotations, although the demand continues good and supplies are wanted. Red pine boards and scantling arc worth £7 per 1000 feet, matai £7 10s., and totara £lO. . , ’ Tallow.—Mutton is quoted at £3O per ton; beef £2B. . t .. Hides.—Salted hides of average weights, are worth 4ld. to 4|d. per lb. ‘Wool.—No alteration from our last report; washed fleece is worth 14d. to IBd. per lb. according to quality and condition. Greasy wool Sd. to lid.

Spirits £2531 19 5 Sugar ..£1243 18 2 Cigars 325 7 9 Goods by ad 7S0 7‘ 9 valorem .. 4145 5 Wine 600 14 0 Goodsbyother 394 11 3 duties .. 113 10 Tea .. (193 7 C Lights, shipping dues. cory 209 S 9 &c. .. 203 4 3 weight CIO 13 3 £11,604 8 0