COMMERCIAL.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1880, 28 October 1874, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Thames Advertiser Office, Tuesday Evening, Mr Edwin Pinney reports:— No improvement has taken place in business since our la»t Summary, but the trade generally speak more hopefully, and trace the present dullness to the uncertainty existing respecting the opening of the upper country. Only let this vexed ques tion be decided, and the district opened, and this district has a bright prospect before it. The gold returns speak for themselves; it cannot he questioned but that our works arc reproductive. Produce of every description continues very scarce, and prices may be said to be nominal; in fact, higher prices a--e quoted in Auckland than on the Thames, and lower prices are quoted for some articles than in Christchurch. Flour has advanced 20s per ton, but there is no response from the trade Bakers' lots continue to he sold at £14 in sacks, and £15 for 100's and 50's; maize, 6s; oats, 63; potatoes, £10 10s per ton;—whilst in Auckland the latest quotations are: Maize, 7s; oats, Gj3d; potatoes, £12. The timber trade has Jshown no alteration, the demand, continuing equally brisk, The 'Prince Alfred' has left iJibbons's Mills for Lyttelton with a cargo of 105,000 feet, and the brig ' Drover' is at present loading at the mills The building yard of Mr Robert Sto-m to-day turned out a very creditable barge for the Bay of Islands Coal Company, and a fe v weeks will see the completion at the sami yards of asmall steamer and a ketch, both to the order of local traders. We append our usual prices current :— • BUILDING MATERIALS. Timber.—Boards and fcantling, kauri, 15s per 100 feet, tongued, and grooved, 17s Cd; kahikatea, 10s per 100 ft; planed, torigucd, and grooved, 12s; New Zealand palings, 5 feet, lis to 12b; tea-tree rails, £3 5s per 100; shingles, 12s Gd to 17s per 1,000 j Hobart Town palings, 5 feet, 193; 6 feet, 21s; Hobart Town, rails,

COAL AND FIREWOOD MARKBT. Coal,—Newcastle, wholesale, none offering; Bay o£ Islands, 32s 6d per ton on board the vessel; do., delivered, 35a per ton; no slack. Firewood —Best tea-tree wood, 13s per ton at the yard. BREADSTUFF.', PRODETPE, Ac. Adelaide Flour, £17 10s to £18 per ton; Southern do, £14; Auckland do., £15; sharps, £10; bran, 103 per bag; maize, 6s per bushel; oats, 6s; barley, none; pearl barley. £1 10s; chaff, t'9 10s per ton; hay, £8; fresh butter, Is Id per lb; salt do,, none; bacon, 9d to Is; cheese, B|d to 9d ; potatoes, £11 per ton, Provisions.-Hams and bacon, English, noue; Colonial, Is; cheese, English, none; provincial, 8d; Canterbury, 9il; rice, Java and Patna, 283; salt, fine, £5 10s; tea, ominou, Is 9d to 2s 3d; medium to fine, 2s Gd to 2s 9J; orange pekoe, 2s 9d to 3s; hvson skin, 2s lOd to 3s 2d; sugar, No. 1, 5Jd; dark, 4-Jd. GROCERIES, OILMEN'S STORES,] &Q. Candles.-De Koubaix's, Price's Belmont's, Hid; Couda.Ud. Fish.—Sardines, halves, 10s 6i; salmon, Morton's, 14s; sardines, qrs, 6sGd; lobsters, 13s to 14s. Fruits,—Currants, fid; raisins, Eleme, 6d; Sultanas, 7jd. Oilmen's Stores, &o.—Fruits, Batty's and Morton's, 15a Gd to 16s 6d; pickles, Morton's, lis ; ditto, WbybiWs, lis; salad oil, pints, lis to lis 6d; half-pints, 7s 6d, castor pints, 12?, half-pints, 7s; mustard, Ift, 15s to 17s; £Ib 3, 8s 6d to 9s 6d; starch, white, 4id; vinegar, bulk, 2s 6d to 3s, bottles, quarts, 10s; fruit, Colonial, 10s to 10s fid, HobartTown Jam, 7s 9d; sauce, Lea and Perrins', 14s to 143 6d. WINES AND SPIRITS. Spirits in Bond,—brandy, Maxell's, pale, 10s 6d; Hennessy's, dark, 9s 6d; pale, 10s 6d, In ca<e: Hennessy's, 325; Geneva,, lis 6d to 18s; Schmpps, 22s Gd; old torn, 15s ; whisky, Danville's bulk, 7s to 7s 6d; case, 15s; rum, 30 0.p,, 5s to 6s. Wines, Duty Paid.—Port, from 12supwards; sherry, from 12s upwards; champagne, from 50s upwards; claret, from 25s upwards. MONTHLY SHARB REPORT. Shares in several of our leading mines have still further receded in value, more especially Caledonian, Albion, City of London, Bird-in - Hand, and Crown Prince. Shares that are self-supporting, with even a distant prospect of a dividend, are firmly held. Very few purchases in this class of stock speedily establishes an advance upon ruling quotations. The rich specimens of late obtained from the Cure mine have led to a considerable amount of business in that stock, and prices have advanced 25 per cent ;'but the market to-day shows signs of a decline. Bright Smile shares are again in favour, and prices have rallied from sales at 465, to buyers at 60i, sellers 70j, the show of gold in the deepest level of the mine giving increased confidence to investors. Old Whau shires have been unsteauy, opening with sellers at 30a, then advancing to sales at 40s, closing weak with sellers at 303. The numerous calls falling due about the middle of the month have had a depressing effect upon the market generally; and transactions upon the whole have been of a very limited character. The tone of the market, however, is healthy. Quotations as follows :— Caledonian, £8, £5, closing buyers £510s, sellers £5 153; Albion (first issue), 60s, 50s, buyers 50s; Alburnia (double issue) 50s, (contributing) 19s 6d, 25*; Bright Smile, 57a 6d. 463, 50s; City of London, 255, 245, the latter quotation call of 5a paid; Crown Prince, 14s, 9s 3d; Golden Calf (double issue), 14s, 13s; Moanataiari, 335, 365, buyers 34s 6d ; City of York, 6a; Vanguard, 2s 3d; Italian, 2s, Is Gd; Nonpareil (contributing), ls9d.—Joun Fbatsr, Chairman; R, R, McUrkgor, Hon. Sec.; Thames - took and Mining Association, 27th October, 1874. THAMES STOCK AND *HARE MARKET. Toesday, October 27, 6.45 p,m. Sales—Cure, 13s; City of London, 24?; Vanguard, 2s 3d; National Insuranc-, 28s 6tl Sellers—Caledonian, £5155; Alburnia (new issue), 25s—(paid up), 28s; Coliban, Is 3d; Watchman, Is 7d; Cure, 12s 6d; Bird-in-Hand, 16s; Vanguard, 2s 6d; Crown. Prince, 9s 6d. BniERS-Caledonian, £5 10s; Bright Smile, 60s; City of London, 23s 6d; Queen of. the May, 7s; National Insurance, 28s. Jontf Frater, Chairman. CUSTOMS DUTIES. The following are the Customs Duties collected at the Port of Thames for the 27th October :— Duties . ■ ■ £22 311 Port Dues ■ ■ - 3 6 0 Total - - £25.9 11