COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5027, 4 May 1877, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

The Custom* duties received at this port yesterday were as nnder : £■ e. d. £ s. d. Spirits .. 179 % 7|Goodsbywgt 7 17 6 "Wine ... 8 1111 Ad valorem.. 21 11 4 Tea ..... 33 7 6 Sugar.. .. 5111 1 .Tobacco ... 169 6 0| Total £471 7 11 The Cuatomi duties received at this port for the four week*endisg 26th April were as under : £ '. d. £ s. d. Spirits ..3130 13 10 Goods by wght. 810 3 9 Cigars .. 408 8 0 Art valorem .. 4514 18 8 Tobacco ..1097 18 11 Other duties.. 322 ID 10 ■Wine .. 4B« 11 8 Light dries. Beer .. ..KB 8 « shipping, lie. 1098 3 8 Tea .. .. 923 19 9 Coffee.. .. 100 5 3 Sugar.. ..1376 2 10 f £14,783 3 11 We report a rtther dull trade during the month, few lines of any importance changing hands, and the lales by auction evincing a languid feeling on the part of buyers. There 1< nevertheless an increasing amount -dbminess doing, orders from the country and ont#orts<comlng in freely, although there appears a total absence of speculative purchases. Prices of imported gaeda are little varied from our last month's quotations, and manifest if anything a slightly downward tendency, owlag to the large accumulation of stocks; but there Is a large consumption going on; which, although profits may be low, Is sufficient proof of the iacreuing importance of this port as a distributing #ort for the colony. Flour has advanced 40s per ton 4bxring the month, and the Southern millers threaten •farther rise, as the prospects of favorable shipments Am England, owing to the Impending war,' will raise tie prjee of wheat there. Cement is lower in stock

than desirable, as large wonts are in progress, and all the cargoes afloat have been sold to arrive at 18s per barrel. Sugars have also advanced, the Sydney Sugar Refining Company having notitled an increase of 20s per ton. For other quotations we refer to our detailed list. At Mr. N. J. Isaacs* trade sale on the 17th and 18th April, there was a good attendance, and the following prices were realised under the hammer:—2o cases American salmon, 12s Gd ; 25 do preserved milk. Ds to 9a fd per dozen ; 25 cases Morton's vinegar, Ss 3d to Ss 6d: 10 do Lea and Verrin's sauce, 12s ; 10 do assorted sauces (Morton's), ;1s Gd per dozen ; 10 do fresh herrings, Os Gd ; 15 do mackerel, Ss; 20 do star lobster, 8a; 20 do oysters, ss; 40 mixed pickles, Ss Cd; 10 capers, 6s : 10 do bottled fruits, lis 6d to 12s ; 10 do D.T.F. mustard. Is Od per lb : 40 do Keller's confectionery, UJd per lb; 80 half-barrels dried apples, 5Jd per lb; 30 casks currants, 4.Jd and 4jd per lb; 50 boxes eleme raisins, sjd ; 40 do Cape do, 4£d.; 6 cases candid peel, 12$d; 5 do Keillers' jujubes, etc, 12|d per lb: 20 bags sago, 3d per lb; 5 case 3 Fry's chocolate, Is 3d; 10 do tartaric acid, in jars, 2s Id and 2s 2d per lb; 2 do cream of tartar, Is 6d per lb; 10 cases Brown and Poison's corn flour, 7d; 20 Colman's do, 6£d; 10 do Taylor's cocoa, Is sd; 50 cases vinegar, 8s to Ss *!d per doz; 30 boxes Colmau's blue starch, 4jd; 1 whito do, 4£d per lb; 20 sacks tapioca, 4d per lb; linseed meal, 25s per cwt; ling fish, 4Jd per lb; 10 kegs ! salt petre, 21s per cwt; 10 cases Fernshaw's jams, 7s per doz; 10 do preserved peaches, 12s (id per doz; 30 cases Devoe's kerosene, 2s 8d to 2s 9d per gal; 20 cases hf-sardines, S 3 6d; 20 do qr-do, 4s lOd per doz; 20 casks sulphur, 19s .per cwt; 20 boxes Kingford's prepared corn, 6d per lb ; Day and Martin's blacking, 4s, to 7s Cd, and lis per doz ; tin tacks, 3td ; wire l£-inch nails, 20s per cwt; 1-inch do, 24s per" cwt; 10 tons fine salt, 115 s to 120 s per ton ; 20 do coarse, at 85s and 87s per ton ; bran, 10jd per bushel ; 30 cases cheese, 7sd and 7£d per lb ; pollard, £7 10s per ton ; oatmeal, £l3 5s per ton ; cocksfoot grass, 6d per lb; 5 tons Sydney IC sugar, £47; 4 tons Y do, £4O; 3 tons No. 2 W, £4B; 2 tons crushed loaf, at £sl; 10 tons Melbourne IC, at £45 per ton, &c, &c.; 10 cases Cliquot champagne,77s Cd; 20 cases Hennessy's ** * brandy, 41s 6d; 35 do dark, 30s; 30 pale do, 33s 6d; 50 Associated Vineyard, 225; 200 cases other brands, 16s, 18s, and 20s per case ; 50 cases Red Heart rum, 225; Burnett's old torn, 14s and 13s Cd; 100 do Lome whiskey, 19s; 50 do Saucel do, 13»; 26 do Kinnahan's LL, 21s; 20 cases Barnard's ginger wine, 18a; 7 tons Saunders and Henderson's flour, £l4 5s per ton, &c, &c. On the 18th. Mr. Isaacs offered the Dry River Station, Walrarapa, with stock, &c, consisting of 1639 acres freehold (fenced and grassed), 1040 acres leasehold, 4200 sheep, 80 head cattle, and 4 horses, &c, which was knocked down to Mr. -Jacob Joseph for £BOOO, the biddings being very limited. At R- J. Duncan's sale by auction on Thursday, April 19, the following were the prices realised:— Canterbury flour in sacks, £l3 15s per ton ; bags, £l4; bacon and hams, 7d to B£d; Scotch cart harness, £5; gig do, £6 10s ; buggy do, £7 per set; saddles, 65s to 97s ; 1 piano, by Aucher Freres, £4l, etc. A large quantity of furniture was knocked down at moderate rates, and a sMpmene of holloware, and for enamelled stewpans, 2s 3d to 4s 9d ; oval pots, 4s to i 10s 6d ; preserving pans, 8s to 16s ; saucepans, Is 6d I to 9s 6d, and tinned oval pots 4s to 183 each, ete., also I a large invoice of iron bedsteads at 25s to 47s each. I The Adamant sailed for London on April the 2Sth, ] with the following cargo:—2ss6 bales and 623 packages i wool, 71 bales skins, 682 casks tallow, ,8 bales leather, 428 cases preserved meat, 60 packages sundries, and 1694 ounces of gold, valued at £61,334 18s. The Rakaia is cleared, and ready to sail with the first fair wind, having on board the following cargo:—2629 bates wool, 805 casks and 434 packages tallow, 723 packages sundries, and 10,343 ounces of gold, valued at £96,224. The Carnatic is laid on for London on her arrival from the South. The Northampton, on April 12, is the only vessel from London during the month ; and the May arrived from the Mauritius with a cargo of sugar for this port. The following vessels have sailed, or are loading at London, for this port:—Andrew Reid sailed January 22, Benledi sailed January 31, "Wennington sailed February 23, and Queen of the South sailed February 27. Loading:-—The Broomhall, Robert Dunlop, City of Madras, George Broughton, and Langston. The Ocean Chief and Elsinore were loading at New York, for "Wellington direct; and the Eagle Wing, at Melbourne. Rates of freight to London.—Grease wool, Jd per lb.; washed do, fd per lb.; tallow, in cases, 60s; in ca3ks, 70s; and hides, 55s per ton. Bank rates of discount and exchange are as follow: —Discount on local bills, under 95 days, 7 per cent.; do, 125 days, 8 per cent.; do, over 125 days, 9 percent. Exchange on London—Buying rate; at 90 days, lj per cent, discount; do 60 days, J per cent, d 0..; do 30 days, J per cent.; do, at sight, par. Selling rate: at 90 days, £ per cent, premium ; do 60 days, 3 per cent, do ; do '3O days, 1J per cent, do ; en demand, lj per cent. do. Interest on deposits for 3 months, 41 per cent.; do 6mOßths, 5 per cent.; do 12 months, 5£ per cent. Ale and Porter (duty paid, bulk Is per gallon, bottled Is 6d).—Stocks of bottled ale are becoming more manageable, and best brands have been moving off at 10s 6d to lis 6d per dozen. Bottled stout is in moderate supply at the same figure, ifjin sound condition ; but there is still a large stock of inferior ales and stouts, which are continually being forced off under the hammer at prices varying from 5s to 6s 6d per dozen.

Bags and "Woolpacks (duty, 10 per cent.)—Stocks of cornsacks are in moderate supply, most of the stock on hand having been taken up for the South at 10s to 10s 3d per dozen. There has been a good demand for second-hand sacks, and several large parcels have been cleared at 5s to 6s per dozen. Woolpacks meet with no inquiry, the season being over. Full size packs are quoted at 3s 3d to 3s 6d. Stocks moderate. Candles (duty. Id per lb).—Full weight foreign candles are quoted at 10d per lb, and Price's Belmont lOid to 10|d per lb. "We report the sale of a line of 500 boxes 14oz. foreign at9id. As the quantity advised as coming forward is less than usual, prices are likely to improve with the season. Cement (duty, Is per barrel).—Stocks very light; quotations rule from 18s to 20s per barrel for best brands of Portland. Several large shipments are on the way, which have been sold to arrive at 18s per barrel duty paid ; and as several large public works are contracted for in which a considerable quantity of this article will be required, full rates will be the rule for some months.

Coffee (duty. 3d per lb.)—Moderate stocks •of plantation, with very limited demand. We quote Is 2d to Is 3d per lb. in bond. Confectionery (duty, 2d par lb.)—English confec tionery isbein? superseded by the colonial manufacture, and Keiller's make is dull of sale at IOJd to IOJd. Mr. S. S. Griffiths of this city has est>blished works that turn out every description of confectionery of equal quality to the imported article, and at a price that must render importations unnecessary. I Flour (duty, 20s per ton.)—There is no Adelaide flour in first hands, with the exception of a few tons, for which the holder quotes £23 per ton for Dunn's. Fruits (duty, Id per lb,)—Currants are in moderate stock, at 4£d to 4|d per lb. A parcel was quitted during the month at auction at per lb., but holders are disinclined to accept that price, and are doing a moderate trade at full rates. Eleme raisins meet with little notice at sld to 6d per lb., stocks being plentiful, and the demandunimportar.t. Sultanasaredullat7dto 7£d per lb.; muscatels, full stocks, at Is to Is 2d per lb., with little inquiry. Figs dull at B£d. Dried apples, fair stocks, at 61 to 6-id per lb. Hops (duty, 3d per lb.)—This season's Kents are quoted at 2s 2d to 2s 4d per lb, but meet with only a limited demand from the brewers, owing to the lower price of the colonial growth, "We quote Tasmanian hops, if prime, at Is 9d to Is lOd per lb; Nelson do, Is 8d per lb. Malt (duty, Is 6d per bushel). —There is no English malt in the market. Colonial is quoted at 7s 6d to 8s per bushel. Metals (duty, 10 per cent, corrugated iron and fencing wire, duty, 20s per ton).—-CJalvanised iron is in active demand, but stocks are accumulating. Best brands of 26 guage are steady at £29 to £3O per ton for parcels. Fencing wire is in full supply at £ls to £l7iper ton for Nos 6,7, and 8, of best makers. Sheet lead is quoted at £2B per ton; sheet zinc £37 10s to £33 per ton. In ironmongery generally a fair amount of business is doing, owing to the large amount of building going forward. Oils (duty, 6d per gallon).—Stocks of kerosene are moderate, and present quotations rule for diamond, 2s 8d to 2s 9d per gallon, and for Devoe's 2s 9d to 2s lOd per gallon. The Ocean Chief was loading at New York for "Wellington, to sail in April, and the Elsinore was also laid on. As no shipments can reach us direct for two months, our stocks will doubtless become low, unless supplemented from the Australian colonies, A vessel has reached Melbourne, having cleared out for a foreign p. rt, with 14,500 cases on board, and it is not improbable that other unexpected shipments may reach there and derange the market. Paint oils are unaltered from last month, with fair business doing. Oilmen's stores (duty, 10 per cent.)—Stocks of oil men's stores are ample, with only a moderate demand, several parcels having been forced at auction at low prices. Rice (duty, Jd per lb.) -This grain is in fair supply, with the ordinary trade/demand, at £26 10s to £27 per ton for clean-dressed samples; Inferior, £2l to £23 per ton. Salt (free). —This necessary article is still scarce, and fine salt is just now worth 120 s pei ton ; coarse, 95s to 100 s. There are about 100 tons on board the Benledi, which is just due. ,

Spirits (duty, 12s per gallon).—Outside brands of brandy ar6 in excessive supply, and continue to be forced at auction at low rates. There are over 1500 cases flask brandy alone in bond, and the stock of case brandy is n»w about 8000 cases, with 400 qnxrtercaskß. Hennessy's bulk is worth 9s 3d to fls 6d ; Mart ell's do, 9s to 9s 3d per gallon ; case do, 32s to to 32s 9d; other brands nominal. There is no alteration in quotations for rum. and very little demand for this spirit. White's, 10 per cent, 0.p., 3s 6d; Lownde's 3s 4d; and Lemon Hart's, 3a 6d per gallon. Case rum, Red Heart, 22s per dozen. Whisky meets with fair inquiry at 4s Od to 6s Od per gallon, according to brand: case do, 14s to 21s per dozen. Geneva dull, 13s to 18s per case, xccordlng to contents. Old torn, 13s to 14s Od per dozen.

Sugar (duty, Id per lb.)—The market is rather bare of refined sugars, and present quotations for .Sydney Sugar Company's No. 2 W are £4Blos to £49; IC, £47 10s ; C, £44 ; and Y. £4l per ton, d.p., at which rate the usual amount of trade has been done during the month. The May brought in about 160 tons of Mauritius sugars for this market, which are quoted —for yellows, £3O to £36 ; whites, £37 to £39 per ton, in bond. Crushed meets with dull sale at £53 to £55 per ton, d.p. Tea (duty, Cd per lb.)—The ordinary demand has been experienced during the month, and holders of new season's teas report a fair trade at remunerative rates. There Is still a large stock of old teas on hand, which move off slowly at a low figure. Tobacco (duty, 2s <kl per lb.)—A good trade Is doing in tobacco, as shown by the Customs' return, bnt no sales to any extent beyond the ordinary wants of the retail trade are reported. We quote best brands of twist, Is 6}d to Is 8d; tens, Is 3d to Is 8d per lb. Cigars (duty, 5s per lb )—Moderate trade. Havannah cigars are worth £l2 10s to £2O per 1000 ; Manillas, 60s to 80s ; Swiss, 35s to 37s 6d per 1000. Wine (duty. 4s per gallon).-There is little to report respecting the wine trade, which generally Is dull, most transactions being of a retail character. A moderale business is doing in the better class of ports and sherries ; bnt our market Is flooded with low-priced wines of every description, difficult to move except at auction, by which method a quantity of low »nampagnes and clarets have been cleared off during the month at moderate rates.

COLONIAL PRODUCE. ■ Butter.—The demand for cured butter continues limited to the local wants of the retail trade, very few orders reaching us from the coast. The price is Arm at lid to Is per lb for prime cure; inferior quality commands very little attention, and is comparatively unsaleable. Cheese.—Large consignments of Port Cooper cheese and other Southern makes have been pushed off by auction at low figures, and quotations are rather lower. Holders are unwilling to accept less than 8d to B£d per lb, at which figure good sound samples may be quoted. Hams and Bacon.—Hams and bacon of Southern cure have come forward in sutticiontly large parcels to keep down prices, and sales have been effected at lOd to Is per lb, at which prices they are now quoted, if sound. Flour. —Southern flour during.the month has shown decided symptoms of increased quotations, but it has only been recently that a distinct rise has taken place, the mills having yesterday raised their quotations another 203 per ton. at the same time showing great dis- ! inclination to accept largeordersat present rates. Stocks in dealers' hands are only moderate, and we hear of sales of old flour at £l7 per ton for sacks, but in the meantime holders quote £ls to £l6 per ton for sacks In bakers' parcels ; bags, £l6 to £l7. Grain.—A moderate demand has existed during the past four weeks for oats for feeding, and prices continue to be well sustained at 3s 3d to 3s 4d for prime milling sorts ; ordinary feed, 2s lid to 33 per bushel. Potatoes.—Potatoes are in good supply at 804 per ton, and continue to come i" in sufficient quantities to supply the market and keep prices at a moderate average. Timber. —Sawn timber Is fully supplied, and in spite of the active demand the regular timber vessels keep stocks on hand in this market sufficiently large to prevent any great fluctuations. "We note no change since our last report. Pine boards and. scantling are worth lis 6d to 12s ; totara, 16s to 17s ; kauri, 14s to 15s per 100 ft, in builders' lots. ; Return snowiNa the Quantity anb Value of "Wool shipped at thk Port of "Wellington during Season 1876 77.

Last season eight ships were despatched, carrying 31,464 bales and packages, weighing 10,057,6921b5, valued at £580,863. BY TELEGRAPH. AUCKLAND SHAKE MAKKET. (from our own correspondent.) AUCKLAND, Thursday. Buyers: Bank of New Zealand. £2O; National, 19s; Colonial Bank, £2; South British Insurance, £S 19s; National Insurance, £1 10s; Standard Insurance, 14s 9d; New Zealand Insurance, £5 ; Union Sash and Door (old issue, £8 ss; Union Sash and Door (new issue), £4 ; Moanataiari, £ll 15s ; Waitekauri, 17s : Alburnia, £3; Queen of May, £1 ss; Tokatea, 6s 6d; Kurunui, £1 7s ; Piako, 12s. .Sellers: Caledonian. £3 17s 6d; City of London, 13s; Moanataiari, £l2 2s 6d; Cure. 7s 6d; Waitekauri, 18s ; Alburnia, £3 6s; Young New Zealand,2s 6d : Queen of May: £1 7s 6d; Beach, £llos ; Queen of Beauty, £110s: Piako, 13s; Thames Gold Mining Company, £B. Sales: National Insurance, £3 10s; Red -Queen, 3s 6d; Moanataiari, £l2, £lll2s 6d, £l2 ; Alburnia, £2 18s, £3 45., £3 2s 6d: Queen of May, £1 4s: Waiotahe, £1 10s ; Queen of Beauty, £1 10s, £1 15s; Kurnnui, £1 6s 6d, £1 7s ; Piako, lis to 13s; Thames Gold Mining Company, £2 lfls.

Ship. Date of Sailing. Bales and Pkges. Lbs. Value. Zealandla Waikato St. Leonards . Howrah Jessie Headman Dec. 14 Dec. 20 Jany. 16 Jany. 20 Feby. 13 March 13 March 10 April 28 May 2 4,773 4,158 4,657 5,207 4,345 4,703 5,478 3,179 2,861 1,610,263 01,034 1,408,816 65,392 1,544,343 97,078 1,654,141 85,170 1,589,404 66,777 1,582,702 87.139 1,610,271 74,783 822,019 40,991 706,756 39,190 Avalanche Ocean Mail Adamant Kakaia 30.361 ItHRSRfilSHHa!