COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5172, 19 October 1877, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

ities collected at the Cus-

Trade during the past month has continued of a good average character, but unmarked by any change or fluctuations requiring more than a passing comment. Stocks, in some classes of goods, continue to be heavier than desirable, and the rat© of profit consequently low; but the consumption continues to increase to an extent that must upset the calculations of many who have not yet realised to themselves the great strides In population this province is making, both in the city and country districts. Although the trading community may be considered generally to be in a comparatively healthy state, there has been more recourse to the Bankrupt}- Court lately than is either pleasant to contemplate or profitable. One or two large contractors have been compelled to meet their creditors, and we notice more little dealers availing themselves of the provisions of the Act to rid themselves of their liabilities than has been the case for some time past. . Our arrivals from London have been the Schiehailion, 002 tons, on October 9, with cargo; the Wairoa, on October 17, with cargo and immigrants; and from New York, the Silas Fish, 702 tons, on October 10, and Herbert Black, 573 ions, on October 12. Vessels expected from London The Zealamlia, 1115 tons, sailed June 4, and put into Rio ; St. Leonard s sailed July 23. Loiding in London: The Crownthorpe, Loch Fleet, Mataura, Hurunui, and Waitara. From New York: The C A. Littlefield, 548 tons, sail d August 15; Launda Bostal loading. From Foochow: The May. sailed July 11: and the Jane from MelbOTho°Orari is laid on (or London, and has part of her wool on board, and the Schiehallion will, be placed on the berth so soon as her inward cargo is ont. The San Francisco mail was delivered here on October 11, ami the Suez mail on October 19. Rates of freight to London.—Grease wool, 3d per lb.; washed do, |d per lb.; tallow, in cases, 60s; in casks, 70s; and hides, 55s per ton. Bank Rates--Exchange ior bills on London, on demand, percent.premium; at3odays,ls percent, do; at 60 days, 1J per cent, do; at 90 days, | per cent. do. The banks’ buying rates are—For bills at 90 days, J discount; 60 days, i discount: 30 days. par. Discount on local bills, under 95 days, 7 per cent.; under 123 days, 8 per cent.: over 125 days, 9 per cent. Interest is allowed on deposits lodged for 3 months, 44 per cent. ; for 6 months, 5 per cent.; for 12 months, 51 per cent. Ale end Porter (duty paid, bulk Is. per gallon, bottled. Is 3d per gallon).—There has been but little doing during the month in bottled beers; sales being limited to the supply of the current wants of the retail trade, which have been less than usual. None but best brands are saleable; quotations ranging from 10s 6d to 11s for bottled ales, 11s to lls 3d per doz for stouts: outside brands are neglected at 6s 6d to 8s 6d per dozen. Bulk ales meet with better favor, and are coming more into demand than formerly; we quote Allsop’s and Younger's brews at £9lss to £lO per hhd d.p. ' Bags and Woolpacks (duty, 10 per cent).—There is nothing doing in- cornsacks ; holders quote 10s 6d to 10s 9d per dozen. Woolpacks meet with improved demand with the season, and move off freely at 3s 6d to 3s 9d for Blb packs, and 4s to 4s 6d each for 101 b packs, stocks being only moderate. Candles (dnty. Id per lb).—Full supplies have been received of sperm candies, and prices are easier than last month’s rates. Price's make has been sold at 10Jd per lb in trade lots, but holders are asking IOJd, and for foreign make IOJd per lb. Kitchen’s Melbourne made petrolenesare selling at lOd. We notice that latge sales have been made in Melbourne of English make, for export to New Zealand, at 3d per lb, which must keep down quotations. Cement (duty. Is per barrel).—Cement has been scarce and so much wanted that the value lias risen to 23a to 25s per barrel on the spot; but sales to are reported at 16s 6d and 17s; 500 barrels have been received from the outports to supply pressing wants, and 350 barrels are on the way from Melbourne. -jßoffee (duty. Id per lb).—Moderate business doing. Alls 2d to Is 3d, in bond. ' Confectionery (duty. 2d per lb).—Little inquiry for English make. Sales of Keillor’s and Wotherspoon’s atlOidperlb. mostly for export to the Coast. The /local manufacturers take the lead here, and bid fair to supersede the foreign article. . Flour (duty, 20s per ton),—Adelaide flonr is lower, and quoted at £2O 10s to £2l for best brands, with every prospect of a further decline, as Melbourne quotations are not showing improvement, the price there being £l4 to £l4 10s. 50 tons of Victorian made flour have been imported per s.s. Albion, and the brig Jane has about 75 tons on board lor this market.

Fruits (duty. Id per lb) —Currants are in moderate supply, at 4jd per lb Eleme raisins (full stocks), at 6LI to 6d, per lb: sultanas. 5Jd tq7d; muscatels, Is I'd to la 2d per lb; and 6d to 04(1 per lb, A fair trade ‘'has been doing in all descriptions of dried fruits during the month; but with the exception of currants, stocks are very heavy, and as the green fruit season advances, we can look for no improvement, *-Hops (duty, 3d per lb).—No Kent in the market. Tasmanian hops meet wi h no demand, holders quoting is 6d t. Is7d per lb. Nelson hops are dull at Is 3d to Is sd. „ Malt (dnty, Is Od per bushel).- No English malt 'imported for some time past, the bulk of the malt used by the local brewers being colonial. Metals (duty, 10 per cent.; corrugated iron and fencing wire, Is per cwt). —Only a moderate business has been done in galvanised, iron, as most of the builders are stocked.' Best brands are quoted at £2B 10a/to £3O per ton for 2G.Kuage. Fencing wire is more inquired for, but stocks being large, there is no improvement on last month’s quotations. Vos. 6,7, 'and 8 being worth £l7 to £lB per ton for assorted numbers. Sheet lead in fair inquiry at £2B per ton ; sheet zinc. £3B per ton Oils (duty, 6d per gallon).—Owing to the arrival of the Silas Fish and Herbert Bl ick with close upon 4000 cases, this market is fully supplied with kerosene, which cannot be quoted higher than 2s per gallon. The G. A. Littlefield is the only vessel advised as having sailed from New York for this port, )vlth 1700 cases ; but as the consumption is much less 'during the summer months, prices arc not likely to improve. Paint oils are in fair inquiry ; but stocks being heavy, prices are unaltered. Raw linseed in drums, 4s 3d to 4s 4d ; boiled do, 4s 5d to 4s Cd per gallon ; balk do, 4s to 4s 2d ; castor, dull at Bs 2d to 5s 3d ; colza, 5s per gallon. Oilmen’s Stores (duty, 10 per cent), -Owing to the adn-arrival of the Zeatandia, stocks on hand have kbecn going into consumption and becoming more manageable, but are still htavy. Prices remain low, and greatly in favor of buyers. /Rice-(duty, <d per lb).—ln fair supply at £2B to "£23 per ton for”clean dressed samples. ySalt (free).—Sait continues scarce, fine salt especially so, and worth 115 s per ton, coarse being quoted at 90s.

Spirits (duty. 12s per gallon).—Owing to the large bonded stocks, spirits of every description remains at a low figure. This is especially the case with brandies, which as compared with present Home rates would leave a loss upon importation. The last London quotations for MartclVs and Hennessy’s bulk and case brandies were 8s 3(1 per gallon and 38s 6d per cake, yet here Holders can with difficulty obtain 9s 3d and 31s 6d for wholesale lots. Rum moves off slowly /at 3s 6d to 4s per gallon for 10 per cent, to 30 percent, ; o.p. Whisky meets with fair inquiry at Bs 3d to 5s 9d for Irish, and 5s to (Is per gallon for Scotch, in quarters ; case do, 10s to 18s per dozen, Geneva, 12s to 17s per case, according to proof and contents. Burnett’s old tom dull at 13s to 13s 6d ; Booth's scarce ami Inquired for. Sugar (duty, Id per lb) —Owing to the detention of the Easby our stocks of sugars have become low, and a reduction to tho extent of 160 tons has been the consequence. Prices have not varied from last month’s rates, as tho stock in bond at the commencement of /lie month was sufficiently ample to meet current wants. Quotations are as follows:—No. 2W, £47 10s; TO, £46; C, £42; and Y, £4O to £4l per ton. Brewers’ crystals, low stock, £46 to £47 per ton. English crushed loaf, £O3 to £54; foreign, £52 to £53 per ton, d,p. >. Tea (duty, Od per lb),—Several parcels of new season's teas have been imported, and move off at satisfactory prices, a fair demand having been experienced. The May is daily expected with 11,800 packages of new season's teas for this market. Stocks of old teas In bond moderate. , Tobacco (duty, 2s 6d per lb); cigars (duty, 5s per lb).—Fair business has b en done during the month In tile beat brands of tobacco at former quotations. "Black Swan twist la mostly in demand ot Is 7d per lb; Venus ten’s, at Is 9d per lb. Owing to tho advance in tho Australian markots.of 6s per 1009 on Swiss cigars, they are now quoted at 40s to 425.; other cigars in fair demand. , . , , Wine (dnty. 4s per gallon).—Good business doing in ports and sherries of good quality. Low priced ' wines arc a drug, and move off slowly. Clarets are coming more into . demand with tiie warm weather, and fair quality wines range from 28a to 38s per dozen. Champagnes overstocked with inferior brands. ’

COLONIAL PKODUCE. , , , Butter.—Keg butter has been quite neglected, and difficult to place, except for local wants, and then only If of prime quality and euro. Old and. indifferent quality has been soiling at all prices, from 4d upwards; best brands are worth 9d per lb.

rh „; a —This market has been overstocked with Canterbury cheese’for some time past, and prices ramiin at a low figure. We quote best quality at 3d Pe E’?™r—Flour remains at last month’s quotations ; hut the market shows evident signs of weakness. Holders “k £l7. 10s to £lB 10s per ton for best 'brands of Canterbury and Oamaru mills, quality guaranteed; but we hear of lower rates being acCe Graln.—Oats have declined in value since the commencement of the month, and stocks in dealers hands continue heavy. Quotations for prime milling sorts range from 3s 6d to 3s lOd, according to sample, the demand being moderate. Maize “ dull at 4s to 4s 6d ; fowls’ feed, 3s 9d to 4s ; barley, for fowls, 2s Bd to 3s 6d per bushel. , , . Potatoes.— Large quantities of potatoes have been received during the month from Canterbury and elsewhere, and they have been sold at auction at 45s 'per ton. Sales are difficult now, even at that figure, and shippers will have to submit to a considerable *°Tallow. Few sales of tallow take place In this market, as nearly the entire shipments a e made on owners' account. The buying quotation ranges from £24 to £29 per ton. _ . Timber. —*awn timber continues in active demand, but owing to the quantities coming in from the Coast nricea are kept down, and remain tolerably steady at fast month’s rates. Holders quote 110 sto 120 s per 1000 ft for red pine, and 100 s to 170 s for totara and kauri, in builders' lots. , . , . •\Vool It is generally thought that this season s clip will be a very good one, the weather having been favorable. Little has as yet come in for shipment, but we may. in a week or two, be in the full swing of shipments if the weather continues fair." It is hardly possible to give reliable quotations of prices, as no sales ©! any importance have come under notice; but generally buyers are disinclined to give equal rates to those of last season. ,

BY TELEGRAPH. AUCKLAND SHARE MARKET. fpROAI OUil OWN CORRESPONDENT.) AUCKLAND. Thursday. Mr. Alexander Saunders reports:— Sale# : Union Fire Insurance, 13s; Moanataian, 100 s; Alburnia, 95s : Kurunui, 19s. Buyers : Bank of New Zealand, £22 2s 6d; Colonial Bank, 48s; National Insurance, 32s 0d; Loan and Merca.tile Company, 107 s Cd • Caledonian, 555; Beach, 20s ; Kurunui, 17s. Sellers: National Bank, 70s ; Beach, 255;

(PER PRE33 AGENCY ) CHRISTCHURCH, Thursday. Market for good milling wheat firm at 7s; stocks low, and little in farmers' hands. Flour, £l6 10s to £l7 10s : bran, £4los, scarce ; sharps, £5 10# to £6 ; oats in brisk demand at 3s 6d to 3s 6d ; potatoes, 37a 6d to 40s ; cheese, 6jd; haras and bacon, Bd, in cloth. The dry weather is telling on the spring-sown crops.

The following are the duties collected at the Customs yesterday:— e 161 17 5 Sugar .. •• I? 13 0 . 19 11 6 Goods by wgt. 15 1 ° Tobacco . 25 10 0 Ad valorem .. 46 5 1 Ale, bottled 0 6 3 . 12 10 0 . 20 17 6 Total .. £332 12 B T..P. following are the amounts of Customs’ duties collected at the port of Wellington during the four weeks ending 11th' of October J — _ _ , 3055 19 8 Goods by wght 484 b 9 . 197 7 2 Ad valorem .. 2193 7 7 . 1278 6 0 Other duties.. 375 11 0 e 417 8 4 Light duos, . 492 14 6 shipping, etc. 604 15 11 Tea .. . 682 12 9 . 51 10 0 Sugar.. . 1254 10 9 • Total £10,883 12 11