WHOLESALE PRICES CURRENT.

Southland Times, Issue 967, 12 June 1868, Page 2

WHOLESALE PRICES CURRENT.

Country Pbodttce. Potatoes, £6 to £7 Hams, lid Bacon, lOd Cheese, lOd to lid Butter, fresh Is 6d Butter, salt Is 3d Eggs, 2s 6d Oats, new, 2s 6d, old 2s 9d Wheat, 7s to 7s 6d Barley, 5s Oaten hay, £3 15s to £4> 5s Meadow hay, none Fowls, 4s to 5s per pair Ducks, 4s to 5s per pair j

The following commercial intelligence is extracted from the " Otago Daily Times," Ist June : — j " The last week of the month is usually a slack one with first houses, and the week just closed has in that respect been no exception to the general rule. There has, however, been a fair demand for miscellaneous parcels for upcountry and coastwise requirements, and there are, in each department of trade, indications of an improved inquiry setting in almost immediately. No transactions of particular interest can be referred to. Sugars continue to command full prices ; but little has been doing, or will take place, until the sale of the Craigellachie's cargo, advertised for the 9th. Teas of medium and good qualities have been in good demand) and sales are reported at full rates. Advices from Melbourne, where large sales have taken place at advanced rates, have operated favorably ou this market, and holders are very firm at qnotations. A slightly better business has been done in malt liquors, but without any alteration in values. Stouts and ale 3in glass, and bulk ales, have each been moved in moderate parcels. Spirits firm at current values. Genevas and rums, both exceedingly scarce. Brandies aud whiskies are not coming forward in full supply, and both articles more inclined to improvements than otherwise. Cornsauks in better supply ; sales, at 15s 3d to 15s 6d. Kerosene and candles dull, and without anj present prospect of alteration. In the timber trade, some transactions have been going forward. All the parcels of Baltic timber lately in first hands are reported te have passed into the hands of a second house ; the value, in consequence, has materially improved, and any good parcels of deals now coming to hand would command buyers at paying rates. The market for breadstuffs has been maintained, so far as values are concerned, but with very little indeed doing. At the mills, town made flour is quoted at £19 10s; bran at Is; Chilian, £21 to £22, recording to terms and parcels ; good wheats, 7s 9d to 8s ; barley, 4s 3d to 4s 6d. Oats cannot be quoted at over 2s 6d per bushel, at which price full supplies are available without meeting any enquiry. Some trifling shipments have been making from this port, but it is not apparent that the despatch of a considerable quantity would meet with any better result than the loss of twopence or threepence per bushel. Intelligence from the West Coast of America reached here per Panama mail. From Valparaiso advices the following are extracts up to date April 3rd. But little grain has been brought down for shipment; andas previously noted, nearly all the available quantity is in the hands of capitalists, who continue able to dictate prices. The Astrea had been taken up at £3 10s to load breadstuffs for Auckland, but no other vessel was loading for these Colonies. Eecent sales of wheat made to the extent of 150,000 fanegas exhibited prices ranging from 3dols 75c to 4dols per 1551 b, at which last price the market closed. Sales of flours ior shipment had been at from 7do, 37£ cto 7dol 75c f.o.b. per 2001bs ; the being the closing quotations. Californian advices ot a few days later (San Francisco, April 6th) report — best wheats, at 2dols 40c to 2dols 50c ; barley, at Idol 90c to 2dols ; oats, 2dols 30c to 2dols 55c. Best brands flour, 7dols 25c to 7do[s 75c ; second ditto, 6dols 75c to 7dols, with but little doing. Tonnage plenty, reights low, and no grain charters on the market ." The Daily Tunes, sth June reports : — Soon after the departure of the last Panama mails a revived demand for up-country trade was experienced, the dullness previously prevailing gave way to a steady trade, and until within the last Jfew days to a moderate degree of activity. The present inclement weather has, however, caused a general slackness, and business in consequence, closes without animation, late transactions presenting no features of interest. Markets have been well sustained, and values comparatively free from fluctuation. Advices received through the month have caused additional firmness and disposition to improvement in several staples, and generally the prospects of thejmarket arejmore encouraging. Impoi ts continue upon a moderate scale, with few arrivals. Since the sth ult., the ship to hand from ports outsiie the Colonies have been — the Lovet Peacock, from Boston ; Craigellachie, from Mauritius ; and Niphon from London. The money market remains easy and without any essential alteration. Closing exchanges are viz : Issue on London, at three days' sight, 2£ per cent : at 30 days' sight, l£ per cent ; at 60 days' sight, 1 per cent premium : on Melbourne, i per cent premium ; on Sydney and the other Australian Colonies, 1 per cent premium. Values of breadstuffs have experienced but slight variation. The demand for grain has been moderate, and supplies have come forward amply for requirements. Wheats remain worth 7s 6d to 7s 9d. Good samples of maltiug barley command 4s 3d ; inferior 4s. Oats are neglected ; some small shipments have been made to Melbourne during the mouth, but that market offers no inducement, and any present prospect of a better demand appears unlikely. At the current value — 2s 6d — only trifling sales are making. Pressed chaff, in small demand, at £6 ; new Patna rice (supplied), value £30, duty paid; dressed Java (scarce), £32 to £33 ; oatmeal, £18 ; and maize, 3s 9d. Chilian flour, £21 to £22— according ; the stock of Chilian is now nearly out of first hands. At the mills, town-made flour is quoted [at £19 10s. Bran, at Is. j

Tho " Argus " of the 28th ult. say 3•— With the exception of Eastern produce which, still meets with favor, little or any interest has transpired in the markets to-day. Business in breadstuff's is almost at a standstill, and it is not now likely that any change can take place before the arrival of the Panama mail, the probable natuve of advices from Chili and California being looked forward to with very great interest. Quotations for flour remain at £19 10s. Wheat is vnlued at 8s 9d, but vre are without any sales to refer to. Oats have been sold by auction at 3s 8d to 3s 9d, but the market is not strong. A good deal more business has been done in maize, transactioos embracing some 4,000 bushels at least having been recorded at from 3s B£d to 3s 9s and 3s 7 Od, according to quantity. For bran, up to Is 6d is asked, and we hear of some 6,000 bushels having been placed in one line at a satisfactory price. In sugars, we note an improvement leading to considerable sales. A parcel of 3,000 bags, ex Hoogly, chiefly yellow crystals, was taken up this afternoon on terms withheld, and we understand that the balance of the cargo goes on to Sydney. We likewise hear of trade sales having been made at £30 10s for browns, and £34 for brewing crystals. There is a good • inquiry for candles ; a shipment of 500 boxes De Roubaix was placed at lHd. Sales of sardines are mentioned at 8s 6d for hahes. Java rice is wanted ; several trade parcels have been placed at an improvement on the price offered yesterday at auction. A very brisk demand is maintained for teas. Sales are reported of congou, ex Louisa Ehon, Ino, and Albert Tictor, at prices ranging from Is lOd to 2s 3d. One of the finest chops, ex Matador, has also been quitted at an extreme figure. Medium half-chests, ex Tien-tsin, were disposed of at Is 9d, while some 600 boxes and half-chests congou found a purchaser at 13 6£d to Is 9d. We understand that one or two lines j of teas have been taken up for Sydney. Tor hops we quote up to 2s for 1867's ; a line of forty pockets was closed for at about this price. In liquids, we hear of a shipment of 70 hhds Worthington's bulk ale having been got rid of on private terms ; the price realised is said to be close up to late quotations.