COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5274, 19 February 1878, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

The following are the duties collected at the Customs yesterday

THE LONDON WOOL MARKET. Messrs. Jacomb and Son report under date 19th December as follows The last series of public sales of colonial wools for this year finished on the 14th Inst. These sales, commencing with a total available first-hand stock of 183,201 bales, closed after five weeks duration, leaving a total stock of 63,203 bales held over in importers' hands. That only 00,000 bales in all should have been b .tight for foreign account during the series, is practical ev dense of how weak was Continental competition throughout ; nor is it perhaps to be wondered at, considering the enfeebled condition of trade generally in Europe under the influence of great political uncertainty and disruption in so many quarters. It Is early to pronounce on the quality of the new clip from the 2000 bales, chiefly South Australian, which only were in time for last sales. Some of these showed an improvement on last season, whilst others were much inferior in growth and condition. During the late auctions the demand ran most markedly ou sound, deep-grown merino wools of combing character, prices fur which, with slight fluctuations, throughout compared favorably with September rates i the absence of demand for tiiin-halrcd clothing wools, even those better clips corning under tins category of New South Wales and Queensland growth, has been developed to a greater extent than it was in the summer, and all short ami clothing wools averaged throughout the last sales Id to ijd below previous rates ; this is to be accounted for by the very flat state of the fine cloth trade, and the fact that German wools have been latterly ruling at low rates. Most scoured wools, but especially all lower and more faulty clothing parcels, averaged Id to Ijd under September piiccs. Rough coarse half breds, in competition witli English wools at very low prices, did not improve at aU on the deprested values current in the summer, some of tho finer and more uniformly grown descriptions of these, however, were better of sale. With out very slender requirements from Belgium and Germany, the large stock of Gape and Natal produce weighed heavily on the market, which required bolstering by liberal withdrawals from day to day ; during the first half of this series these sold about Jd to Id under tho

prices of previous sales; after the middle, ' whites were in much better request, and sold, at a slight advance on those rates ;• washed fleeces* however. did not show much reaction from the lowest currency. Last year the opening senes of auctions began on the 20th of February, and consisted of 241.000 bales; nothing is yet fixed tis to the date for n °M Jacomb and Co. report, in their circular dated London, 31st December, that the importation of colonial wool into London has again shewn a material increase, now reaching the large aggregate of 094,300 bales; 935,852 bales have passed the hammer in public sale in London, in four senes About 450,000 bales have tills year been bought here at auction for France, Germany, Belgium. Austria, Italy, Russia, and the United Stales oi America, in competition with the Homo trade, who have thus taken about half the usual quantity. The lately long prevailing droughts in various parts o! the Australasian Continent cannot fail to nave a sensible effect on the quantity and quality of our supplies in the coming season. Wo began the year 1877 with this market almost entirely cleared of old stock. The history of tins year's sales lias been, ever since the spring series, a sort of tussle between buyers and sellers, with occasionally very wide differences in their idem of value. A large bulk of wool lias been bought m or withdrawn at or the moment before sale. _ Unreserved sale has been rather the exception, stringent and high limits the rule. This course of action has somewhat chilled the confidence and free action of buyers. c conclude this year with at least 53,000 bales of old stock in first hands, besides largo stocks in other hands not bought for immediate consumption, iso date for the opening series of sales next y-ar has yet been fixed by the Wool Importers' Committee. Judging from the latest colonial advices over 200,000 bales should have accumulated here before the 2Gth or February.

£ 3. d. Spirits .. 91 19 10 Wine .. 9 4 2 Ale and beer .. 65 1 3 Sugar .. 93 0 8 Tea 9 12 « Tobacco 15 12 6

& a. d. Ad valorem .. 130 4 1 Goods by wght. 43 17 1 Other duties .. 2 0 Total ..£470 3 1