COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4836, 21 September 1876, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

The Customs duties received at this port yesterday were as under:— £ s d. tiniriti 92 4 5 Sugar .. .. IS 13 * Spirits.. »- * o b ~l tlosl6 4 iobacco' I! 526 Ad valorem ..340 11 6 Cigars .. .. 37 0 0 Other duties ■■4 sls 7 Coffee " '"■S3 4 0 Total .. £752 11 9 The Customs duties received at this port for the four weeks ending September 14, were as under : £, s. a £ s. d. Snirits 3172 14 10 Goods by wght. 692 6 9 r? B «rV" 50113 1 Ad valorem 5430 10 4 Tobacco' .'.'1130 12 6 Other duties .. 443 11 10 Wine .. . • 356 13 5 Light dues. Ale • • 301 16 3 shipping, &c. 233 6 9 Tea '.'. .. 764 5 3 Coffee .. 98 1 1 Sugar . ..1675 8 7 Total, £14,806 0 8 The arrival of three English ships with cargoes has considerably increased our stocks; and although there is no reason to complain of deficient trade

demand, prices show no tendency to improve. With one or two exceptions, there is very little variation in our quotations from last months report. The Midlothian, 1084 tons, arrived on August 2o; the ~\\ aikato, 1021 tons, on September 24 : and the Zealandia, 1116 tons, on September 18, all with cargoes from London ; and the Ada Wiswell, 557 tons, on September 13. from New York. The following vessels are advised as loading in London:—The Avalanche, 1151 tons ; Howrah, 800 tons : St. Leonards, 105 S tons, sailed July 23 ; Waimea, 84S tons, sailed July 6; and the Ocean Mail. The Hinemoa, s.s., from Glasgow, sailed July 8 ; and the May, from Foocliow, sailed July 14. . , . The bank rates are as follows:-Discount on local bills, under 95 days, 7 per cent.: do, 125 days, S per cent.: do, over 125 days, 9 per cent. Exchange on London—Buyingrate: at9odays, 1 percent, discmint; do 60 days, i per cent. do. Selling rate: at 90 days. I per cent, premium ; do 60 days, 1 per cent, do; do 30 days, 1& per cent, do ; en demand, 2 per cent. do. Interest on deposits for 3 months, 4i per cent.; do 6 moHths. 5 per cent.; do 12 months, 5J per cent. Ale and porter (duty paid, bulk. Is. per gal.; bottled, Is. 3d.)—Bulk English ale has been very scarce and wanted, and sales of small lots have been made at £lO 10s. per hhd. The demand i« nevertheless only limited, as the principal draught is colonial brew. In bottled beers stocks have been in excess, and prices in consequence have given way considerably. Sales of Tennents have been made at 9s. 9d per doz. for quarts; pints do, 7s. 3d; Bass's ale, 9s. 9d.; Jeffrey's, Bs. to Ss 3d.: Younger, 9s. 3d.; Guinness's stout, 9s. 9d. to 10s.; Red Cross brand. 6s. 9d.: Former's, 10s. 3d.; Jeffrey's stone ale, 9s. 9d. per doz. Bags and woolpacks (duty, 10 per cent.)—There is little demand in this market for corn sacks. Holders quote 10s. to 10s. 6d. per doz. Woolpacks meet with better enquiry as the season advances, and sales have been made at 3s. 3d. to 3s. 4d. for full-sized packs. Candles (duty, Id. per lb.) Stocks of sperm candles are ample, and'a fair business has been done at current rates, with no probable improvement in quotations. Sales by auction of De Roubaix' ruake have been made at 9Jd. for slightly damaged parcels, but holders are asking 9Jd. to 10 per lb. for foreign, and IOJd. per lb. for Belmont sperm. Cement (duty. Is. per barrel).—Portland cementhas been dull and little inquired for. Stocks in importers' hands large. We cannot give higher quotations than 16s. Cd. per barrel, at which rate several lines have been quitted. Coffee (duty, 3d. per lb.) —Moderate business doing at Is. 3d. per lb. in bond. Confectionery (duty, 2d. per lb.)—Keiller's make moves off slowly at Is. 3d. per lb., the local manufacture interfering greatly with the demand for this import. Flour (duty, 20s. per ton)—Aldelaide flour has become low in stock, and as the price of Canterbury and Oamaru mills has advanced during the month, prices are firm at £ls to £ls 10s. for best brand.

Fruits (duty. Id. per lb.)—Currants have been scarce and in good demand. Prime samples are readily taken by the trade at sd. to 5Jd. per lb. Baisins are in fair supply at 6d. to Cid. per lb. for sound fruit; sultanas scarce, and worth Sd. to B}d. per lb.; bunch muscatels, if in good condition, are worth Is. Id. to Is. 2d. per lb.: Persian dates, 6Jd. to 7M. per lb.; and dried apples, 7}d. to Sd. per lb. Owing to the absence of green fruits, dried fruits of every description are in active demand. Hops (duty, 3d. per lb.l—Californian hops are worth Is. to Is. 3d", per lb., according to condition. Tasmanian, Is. 4d. to Is. 6d., with only limited inquiry, as most of the brewers hold fair stocks. There are no Kent hops in importers' hands. Malt (duty Is. Cd. per bushel.)—We hear of no transactions in English malt. Metals (duty. 10 per cent.)—The large amount of building going on in this city causes an active demand for corrugated iron, and as stocks are only equal to present wants prices remain firm at last month's rates. We quote for best brands of 24 gauge assorted sizes, £32 to £32 10s. per ton; 26 gauge, £33 to £34 per ton. Fencing wire remains dull at £l7, £lB. and £l9 per ton for Nos. 6,7, and 8; but as the season advances we look for improved demand. Oils (duty, 6d. per gallon.)—The arrival of the Ada Wiswell with 3000 cases of kerosene for this market has supplied the wants of the trade tor the present, and the Panola, which may be looked for shortly, has 3200 cases on board. Prices are therefore somewhat easier; quotations for best brands being 2s. 2d. to 2s. 4d. per gallon d.p., according to parcel. Paint oils are in full supply at 4s. to 4s. 3d. per gallon for raw and boiled linseed in drums. Oilmen's Stores (duty, 10 per cent.)—Stocks of oilmen's stores are again becoming excessive, and prices are kept down to a low rate of profit. A good trade has been done during the month, but owing to increased competition it has not been a very profitable one, and importers are complaining of low rates. Eice (duty, id. per lb.)—The usual trade has been done at £25 per ton for Melbourne-dressed samples. Salt (free.)—Eecent arrivals have relieved the market of the scarcity that has existed for some time past, and prices are easier. We quote 90s. per ton for fine and coarse salt in trade lots.

Spirits (duty, 12s. per gallon.)—Tho demand for spirits of all descriptions has been moderately good during the month, with very little variation in prices. Martell's and Hennessy's brandy in quarters have been easier, sales by auction having been made as low as 7s. Bd. per gallon ; rase do, 30s. to 31s. 6d. At Mr. E. J. Duncan's extensive sale yesterday Bisquit Dabouche's brandy fetched 6s. 6d.; Associated Vineyard do, 6s. Od.; case do, 215.; Champagne Vineyard do. 20s. to 20s. 6d. per case; Twiss and Browning's B P rum, 10 0.p., 3s. 4d. per gallon : aromatic gin, 15s. to 16s. 6d. per two-gallon case ; schnapps, 16s. per case. Dunville's whisky in quarters is quoted at ss. 6d. to ss. Od. per gallon ; case do, 175.; Scotch whisky, 4s. 6d. to 6s. Od. per gallon, according to brand; Burnett's old torn, 15s. per dozen; Booth's do, 15s. 6d.; geneva meets with moderate sale at 13s. to 17s. per case, according to contents. Sugar (duty, Id. per lb )—Sugars have advanced in value during the month owing to the rise that has taken place in the Home and Australian markets, although not to so great an extent. We quote So. 2 W, £4O per ton; IC, £44 ; C, £4O per ton. duty paid. A parcel of five tons crushed loaf was cleared at auction at £4O to £SO per ton. Tea (duty 6d. per lb.)—Several lots of old season's teas have been cleared off during the month, pending the arrival of tho May, with the first shipment of new teas, at prices that should be satisfactory. 50 halfchests, ex Annie Mabel, realized 2s. per lb.; 55 do., ex Gustav, Is. Bd. and Is. Od. per lb. ; 75 boxes do., 21s ; and 22 boxes, ex Lunan, 19s. fld. a box. Tobacco (duty 2s. Oil. per lb.)-Cigars (duty ss. per lb.) -Moderate amount of business doing in tobaccos at former quotations, best brands being worth Is. 6d. to Is. OJd. per lb. : tens. Is. 6d. to la. Bd. per lb. Ha-vannah-shaped Manillas are worth 50s. to 755. per 1000; Swiss, 355. ; and Havannahs, £ll to £lB per 1000. in bond. .... Wine (duty 4s. per gallon.)—Usual trade doing, at fair paying rates, for good sound ports and sherries ; market overstocked with inferior wines. COLONIAL PRODUCE. Butter.—Keg butter meets with indifferent enquiry, owing to the quantity of old stocks forced off by auction at low rates. Prime samples are worth 9d. to lOd. per, lb. Cheese.—There has been no change in value during tho month, Canterbury cheese being still quoted at 9d. to 9Jd. per lb. Bacon and Hams.—Heavy stocks have been forced into auction, and prices cannot be quoted higher than 73d. per lb. for bacon ; hams. 9d. Flour.—Canterbury and Oamaru flour have maintained the advanced rates in our last report, stocks being unusually light. Wo report sales at £l3 ss. to £l3 10s. per ton for sacks in baker's lots. Grain.- —Oats have come forward freely, and sales of fair feeding sorts have been effected at 2s. 4d. to 2s; sd. per bushel; stocks moderaie. Wheat for fowls' feed has been scarce, but worth 4s. Cd. per bushel. there is no milling wheat in stock. Maize, dull at 4s. and 4s. 3d. per bushel. Potatoes.—Scarce, and worth 90s. per ton. Timber.—Full stocks. Tine boards and scantling in builders lots are quotod at 10s. 6d. to lis.; totara, 15s. to 165.; kauri, 13s. to 14s. per 100 ft.