COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4506, 30 August 1875, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

I The Customs revenue collected at the port of Wellington on Saturday was as follows:

The amount of Customs duties received at this port for the four weeks ending August 20,1875, was as under : '

The import trade of the past month has been dull as might be expected at this the very dullest season of the year, though, upon the whole, business has been satisfactory, and has shown a considerable increase on the corresponding period of last year, thus promising well for the latter half of the present one. Owing to the non-arrival of English shipping, importers have been able to reduce their stocks, which were in some instances excessive, to more manageable limits, though without any improvement in prices, which still continue low, nor can we see much prospect of higher rates being likely to rule in the market, in the face of present large stocks and the heavy importations now due or on the way. The Teviotdale has just arrived with a full cargo, and the Rodney, Dllawur, and Halcione are looked for daily from London, while the Border Chief, Howrah, Himalaya, Kinfaun's Castle, VVagoola, and St. Leonards are loading or have sailed for this port. From New York we have advices of the sailing of the Jessica' and Frances Lewey, witli American products and kerosene. Consequently, although the demand improves every month with our increasing population, we do not think it keeps pace with the constant accumulation of stocks. A reference to our detailed list will show that last month's rates have declined to a small extent, and where goods have been offered at auction a marked reduction has been the result. At Mr. R. J. Duncan's auction sale of wines, spirits, and groceries on Friday, 27th August, although the attendance of the'trade was good, the prices realised were not satisfactory, and only a moderate business was done. 20 quarter-casks Bruno and *ilva's four diamond port at 9s. and 9s. 6d. per gallon ; octaves, 9s. 9d.; geneva, bell brand, 14s. per case ; JDKZ do., Ms. Od.; 5 quarters Associated Vineyard's brandy, 6s. 3d. per gallou, all in bond ; 50 cases do., duty paid, 41)8. per dozen ; 30 cases Martell's at 565. 6d.; 20 cases Bisquit I mbouche at 475. 6d.; 10 do. Imperial brandy, 355. and3Cs., d.p.r 100 casks Jeffrey's ale, in glass, at Bs. 9d. and 9s. per dozen ; 30 casks Arrol's do., 65.; 20 cases Bass's do,, lis. 3d.; 2 hhds. American hams at is. 3d. and Is. 4d. per lb.; 0 tons Adelaide flour at Ouflield Hooper, and Crawford's mil is, at £l3; 40 tons, do • Hawke's mills, at £l2 10s.; 10 cases A merican salmon'new, at 9s. 3d.; 10 half-chests tea at Is. 3dJ. to Is 5d ■ 20 sacks New Zealand maize at 6s. Od. and ss. 9d. per bushel; Canterbury cheese at lid. per lb. & The coasting trade continues active,.and during the" month five barques have arrived from Newcastle, with cargoes amounting in the aggregate to close upon SOW tons coal. The Young Dick arrived from • Melbourne on August 7 witha full cargo, Principally sugars; tho Aahburton, from Hobarton, on August 20, with a cargo of timber; and the Jane Spiers, from Western Australia, on the 21st, with railway sleepers. Tho bank rates are as under:—Discount on local bills under 95 days, 7 per cent.; under 125 dayi, 8 per

cent.; over 125 day, 9 per cent. Exchange on London —Buying rate at 90 days, 1J per cent, dis.; 60 days, 1 per cent. dis.; 80 days, J per cent. dis. Selling rate at 90 days, J prem. ; 60 days, 1 prem.; 30 days, 1} prem.: sight, 2 prem. Interest on deposits for three months, 4} per cent. ; six months, 5 per cent. ; twelve months, 5} per cent - . Ales and Porter (duty paid, bulk, Is. per gallon; bottled. Is. 3d. per gallon).—Bottled beers have been in moderate demand during the past month, and stocks being heavy several less-favored brands have declined in value considerably where sales have been pressed. Tennent's and Bass's ales are held for lis. 6d. per dozen ; Guinness's and Blood's stout, lis. 6d. to 12s. per dozen; other brands nominal from Bs. to 9s. 6d per dozen. Bulk ales are now seldom imported, as the colonial. beer has to a great extent supplanted them in this market. Bags and Woolpacks (duty, 10 per cent.)—We have no transactions to report in cornsacks, which are quoted at lis. per dozen. Stocks moderate. Woolpacks have met with some inquiry, as the season for their use approaches, at 3s, Bd. to 4s. for full-size packs. Candles (duty. Id. per lb.) —Stocks of sperm caudles have been very low owing, we should suppose, to the lengthened passages of the London ships, and prices have reached IOJd. for small lots, holders being unwilling to leave themselves bare. Price's and Brandon's make are worth 10|d. to lid.; De Roubaux, lOd. per lb. ~ Coffee (duty, 3d. per lb.)—The usual amount of trade has been done in plantation coffee at last month's rates ; stocks ample. Chicory (duty, 3d. per lb.)—No demand for imported. Colonial manufacture of excellent quality is now produced sufficient for all the wants of the trade, at a much lower figure. Confectionery (duty, 2d. per lb.)—No alteration from last months quotation. Stocks of Keillor's make are moderate, with usual sale at IOJd. per lb. Flour (duty, 20s. per ton)—Adelaide flour has been pushed into the market, and-prices have receded in consequence to the extent of 20s. per ton for best brands. At auction several brands of country flour were offered ; about CO tons were sold at £l2 10s. to £l3 per ton, which may be taken as present market value. « Fruit (duty, Id. per lb.)—ln dried fruits currants continue scarce, and several small parcels from the Australian colonies have been quitted at 4Jd. to sd. per lb. Eleme and Valentia raisins are low in stock, and are now quoted at 7d. per lb.; sultanas, Bd. to BJd. per lb.; muscatels in good condition are worth Is. 3d. per lb.; figs, Bd. to 9Jd. Barcelona nuts, o}d. Market quite bare of dried apples. Hops (duty, 3d. per lb.)—No English hops in this market. Tasmanian grown hops meet with considerable favor at the hands of the brewers, and are worth Is. sd. to Is. Sd. per lb. * Malt (duty, Is. 6d. per bushel)— English malt is scarce, in fact there is none in importers' hands, nor at this season does it meet with much inquiry. Colonial malt of excellent quality is now greatly used. Metals (duty, 10 per cent.)—Galvanised iron continues in active demand. Stocks moderate. AVe. quote best brands of English at £34 to £36 per ton. Stocks of fencing wire are in excess and difficult to move at £2O to £23 per ton according to number. Sheet lead is worth £3O per ton ; sheet zinc, £4O per ton. Sales moderate.

Oils (duty, Cd. per gallon).—Stocks of kerosene are heavy, and prices continue depressed, quotations for a parcel being Is. 9Jd. to Is. lid. per gallon. The Crusader, which arrived during the month, brought 2100 cases to a market already overstocked. Paint oils are in full supply, at 4s. 3d. to 4s. Cd. for raw and boiled linseed in drums, bulk oil being 3d. per gallon lower; colza scarce, at ss. 3d.; castor, ss. 3d. to ss. 6d. per gallon. Oilmen's stores (duty, 10 per cent.) —Several lines in oilmen's stores are becoming scarce, but generally speaking this market is fairly supplied with the articles coming under this head, and prices yield a much fairer profit to importers than was the case a twelvemonth back. A good steady trade is being done, although we have not heard of any large lines changing hands. Rice (duty, Jd. per lb.)—Moderate business doing, at £24 to £3O per ton for dressed Patna, according to sample. Spirits (duty, 12s. per gallon).—The stock of Hennessy's case brandy being almost exhausted, there is, of course, an increased demand for it, holders reserving their supplies for their own customers. Hennessy's and Kartell's bulk brandy is unaltered at Bs. 6d., and Bs. 3d. for quarters ; Kartell's case, 31s. to 325. ; Bisquit Dubouche, 255.; United Vineyard Proprietors, 245. Flask brandy is scarce and meets with good demand. Rum remains without change in value, stocks being heavy and the demand only moderate, lemon Hart's 10 per cent. o.p. is worth 3s. Bd. to 3s. 10d.; 30 per cent., 4s. Id. to 4s. 3d. per gallon for quarters. AVhisky meets with inquiry, at ss. 6d. to os. per gallon for best brands of Scotch, and about the same figure for Irish, in quarters; case ditto being worth 14s. to 18s. per dozen, according to brand and contents. Geneva is dull of sale, at 13s. Cd. to 15s. per case; old torn, no inquiry. Sugar (duty, Id. per lb.)—Sugars are stationary at former rates. Stocks have received additional supplies during the month from Sydney and Melbourne, and our market is now fully supplied. We have no information of any shipments from the Mauritius, and shall consequently be dependent on the .Australian . markets. 1C isquoted at £43 10s. per ton ;C, £4O per ton; and Y £36 per ton, duty paid. Tea (duty, Cd. per lb.)—Stooks of last season's teas are still heavier than necessary, and sales are made at a slight reduction on former rates, in anticipation of the new season's crop, which may shortly be expected. We report a fair business done during the month.

Tobacco (duty, 2s. 6d. per steady business has been done during the month, at prices that vary little from our last quotations. St; Andrew's twist is worth Is. 9d.; black Swan, Is. 6Jd; to Is. 7d.; Barrett's, Is. CM.; Venus, tens, Is o£d.; and Signet, Is. Bid. to Is. 9d. per lb. in bond. Manilla cigars, Havannah shaped, £5 10s. per thousand. Wine, (duty, 4s. per gallon).—Moderate busiuess doing in ports .and" sherries at 10s. to 12s. Cd. per gallon for first-class wines in bond. Case wines move off slowly at fair rates. Market overstocked with inferior wines, which are difficult to move at any figure.

Butter.—Salt butter continues depressed and meets with little inquiry for export. Holders are becoming anxious to realise, but sales are difficult even at a lower figure than our last month's rates, and we can-, not give a higher quotation than lid. to Is. per lb. for prime cure in kegs. . . * Cheese in good demand, our market being quite bare of Canterbury make, and worth lid. per lb. I'lour.—Canterbury and Oamaru flour are in full supply, but the sale during the month has been considerably lessened owing to the stock of Adelaide flour recently imported. Prices remain nominally at last month's quotations, but we hear of sales at a slight reduction. AVe quote best brands of Canterbury at £ll ss. to £ll 10s. per ton for sacks, in baker's parcels. Oamaru flour, £l2 10s. per ton. Grain.—Stocks of oats in dealers hands are still in excess of importations from Southern ports during the month, having amounted to 3235 sacks. We report sales at 3s. sd. per bushel for prime samples. In trade lots, but dealings are limited to current wants. Malting barley is in moderate demand, at ss. to ss. 6d. per bushel. Milling wheat, none. Maize—hasbeen imported freely, both from the coast and New South Wales; the New Zealand maize moving off readily at ss. |6d. to ss. Od. per bushel, owing to its immunity from weevil. Hams and Bacon.—This article continues scarce, and first-class cure realises a figure that ought to encourage ourfarmers to keep the marketbettersupplied. Prime bacon sells readily at lOd. to lid.' per lb.; hams, Is. 4d. per lb. Hides "and Skins.—Raw hides are worth 4d. to per lb.; sheep-kins, Is. to 3s. fid. each. Timber. —Sawn timber continues to be brought in from "the Coast in quantities, but owing to the large amount of building going on, prices do not seem to be much affected, although stocks on hand must be getting heavy, lied pine boards and scantling are quoted at 120 s. to 130 s. per 1000 t.; matai, 100 s. to 1705.: totara, 200 s. to 2105.; and kauri, 150 s. to lfiOs. per 1000 ft. for large building lots. £Y TELEOIIAPR. ■ AUCKLAND, Saturday. Mr. Alexander Saunders reports:—Sales: Caledonian, 88s.; Cure, 13s.- 6d.; Beach, 50s. Buyers: National Bank, 715.; Colonial, 275.; South British, 475.; Beach, 505.; Tokatea, 15s. Sellers: Caledonian, 055.-; Fiji, 525. 6d.; Tairua, 525. 6d.

£ s. d. £ s. d. Spirits 101 6 4 Ad valorem Wine .. 11 16 10 goods 11 13 0 Ale and beer 43 0 0 Goods by wght.13 1 Sugar.. 9 18 0 Trji16 17 3 Total .. £ 1200' 12 6

£ s. (I.- £ s. a. Spirits .. .. 2789 10 1 Goods by weight 472 1 1 Cigars ..- .. 99 6 1 Do. ad valorem 3218 10 8 Tobacco.. ..- 842 13 0 Do. other duties 681 12 6 Wine .. .. 299 5 7 Light dues. Alo .. 169 5 0 shipping, &c. 177 3 6 Tea '.. 335 18 6 Coffee .. .. 45.16 0 Sugar .. .. 1041 12 5 £10072 14 5