COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5431, 23 August 1878, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

The following are the duties collected at tbs Cosboms veaterdav:—

BY TELEGRAPH. AUCKLAND SriAKB MARKET. (from our own cobrbspondemt.) AUCKLAND, Thursday. Mr. Alexander Saunders reports:—Buyers: South British, 71s; National Insurance, 20s Cd; New '6aland Insurance, BSs: Union Insurance, 14a: Bank of New Zealand, £24; National Bank, 78s; Guthrie and Larnach, 535; Auckland Gas, £lO 2s Cd; Corby, 15s ; Albumin, 47a 6d: Moanataiari, 555; Bismarck, 12s 6d. (per press agency.) AUCKLAND. Thursday. Mr. Binney reports that business stills shows a want of animation, particularly in tho flour market, and transactions aro very limited Only small bakers' lots aro moving of at £lllos. Wheat com- a forward more freely than is required, as (he mills ate holding good stocks, and 4s. is the highest price obtainable for good ados. Oats show a decline from former quotations, and move off slowly at from 4s. 3d. to 4s. 61., according to sample. Bran and pollard are out of the market, and there is no business to report. Potatoes, both for seed and consumption, are in good demand, and the market has! hardened considerably. Butter is in demand, and good qualities realise Is. Cheese from 7d to 7£d. Hanujanti bacon are in request at Syd. SluromarketSales: Bank of New Zealand, 245. ; Union Insurance, 14s. to 14s. 6d. Buyers: South British, 725. Sellers: National Bank,’32s.; Colonial Bank, 02s. ; New Zealand Shipping. 925. 6d. ; New Zealand Loan and Mercantile (new issue). £0 9s. Mining: Alburnia, sales, 47e. Od ; Cure, 3s. 9d. Sellers: Caledonian, 655.; Union Beach, 10s. THE LONDON WOOL MARKET. Wo arc indebted to Messrs. Murray, Common, and Co. for tho following report, dated London, July 5 : Referring to our previous market reports of the 18th May and 7th June, we now desire to give a resumiS of the present series which commenced on the 14th May, and closes this evening. Tho course of tho market throughout has been somewhat curious, gome descriptions showing, between the lowest and highest points, a very material advance, others remaining practically on tho same level throughout. Those showing tho greatest fluctuations have been medium greasy, and middle-scoured wools, especially faulty descriptions, which, during the Hrst ten days of the sales, were comparatively cheap. These, since the interval from the 6th to 10th Juno, show a very marked advance, reaching their highest point about tho 24th or 25th June, since which time they are again cheaper.- Cape wools of nearly all descriptions, but more particularly of middle-clas* scoured?, have followed the same course. On the other band, the best descriptions of scoured Australian show little or no alteration from the opening rates; and washed and greasy crossbreds, except the finer qualities of tho latter descriptions, which have been dearer, have not varied much throughout. For the superior descriptions of the Victorian fleece, both wash-d and in the grease, competition has not been particularly keen, and they remain dcidedly cheaper than they were in March. Owing to the more hopeful state of political matters, the tendency* has been to take a more sanguine view of tho future, and this seems to have had more to do in hardening prices than any actual improvement in trade, which, for the most part, remains in a comparatively quiet state. There have been catalogued during these sales 312,278 bales, of which not more than 17,500 have been bought in. For the third series the arrivals aro as follows New South Wales, 41,284 bales; Victoria, 51,821 bales ; South Aua ralia. 14.081 bales; Western Australia, 214 bales; Tasmania. SSOI bales; New Zealand, 71,031 bales; Cape of Good Hope, 32,152 bales. Total, 220 684 bales.—Sanderson, Murray, and Co, Messrs Jacomb, Son. and Co. report, under date London, 4th July, a? follows I The second series of public sales of colonial wools for the current year began on the 24th of May, and will close to-morrow. Of the total quantity sold nearly 59 per cent, has been taken for foreign account. At the close of these sales there remain 43,000 bales of old stock, held ov*r in first hands. The weakness and decline In price which ruled during the first half of these auctions have in most instances boon entirely removed since the short compulsory recess in the middle of the sales; the more peaceful , prospect-* held out by tho Congress of Berlin, a slight improvement in trade genera ly, and a growing consciousness hat supplies of any well-grown merino colonial wool must prove light for the remainder oi this year if there is any resuscitation of trade, have been the elements which have...all tended to this better.result! Foreign competition.has Utterly been very animated for any good parcels of fine wool; prices have been a little irregular, but the sales close with a firm tone at about the highest values of the series. From the lowest point of these sales the better qualities of coarse and half bred wools have rec vered to Id per lb. th* rough ami lower qualities but little: scoured merinos are fatly Id to 2d per lb dearer ; all fine merino combing wools have found a brisk market at Id to 2d improvement, especially the finest New South Wales French combing wools In grease; lambs*, especially the better qualities, have been in steady demand at high rates all through the sales. Cape and Natal snow-white and scoured have had a sudden recovery of fully id to 2d per lb from the very low values ruling in the earlier sales ; N rial greaaies are Id to better, but washed fleeces from either country have not shared the fullest Improvement. Importers have nob yet fixed any date for August sales many of oar Contioental customers seem quite prepared for an early date. A greatly improved market is reported at Antwerp for South American wool duri g the past month, a large business having been done at enhanced prices. Public safes of such will begin there on the 17th inst. A sale of 6500 bries of Persian and low foreign wools will be i held here on the 10th inst. 1

£ 8. <1. & 8. d. Spirits,. S3 15 id Weight .. 307 10 8 Win© .. 28 19 2 Ad valorem .,1293 3 3 Tea 5 0 0 Other duties .. ill 5 4 Coffee .. 9 7 0 Sugar .. 1 U 8 Ale (bottled) .. 07 10 0 Total .. £1008 0 3