COMMERCIAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 268, 14 November 1887, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

Messrs Artu-fr and Buddlk's Wbekw Report. — Business has been fairly brisk in all departments. Several auction sales have been held, anil nil well attended. Potatoes : Old ones have sold at low prices ; all cleared out. A good demand for new ones of good quality ; the supply not equal to tho demand. Some of those sent in were not ripe enough, therefore prices ruled low. Onions aro wanted ; most of those to hand wero of inferior quality. Butter: A large supply of fresh in pats. The prices realised wore satisfactory. Bub little good salt butter entered. Tho demand is limited, owing to the large quantity of fresh coming in; no demand for inferior. Cheeso : Not a large supply ;

the demand limited ; inferior difficult to move. Grain, Hour, etc., quiet. But little demand for tinned honoy. Comb honey in small boxes was asked for; none to hand. Fruit: No local apples to hand; only a few cases of inferior Hobart. Gooseberries have come to hand more freely, and of better quality. Fair prices were, obtained for larger ones. Loquats wero in fairly good supply ; some had oeen kept On tree too long, and were bVuised hnd discoloured. Lemons were in good demand, fair quantity entered, all sold at satisfactory prices. Groceries in demand, but little entered. Poultry : Tho supply was not equal to tho demand ; a fair number of fowls were entered. All in good condition sold well. Bub few ducks entered : these wero not in first-class condition. No turkeys; they wero wanted. No gecso. Wβ would advise no holding back for Christmas week (some buyers are already buying for Christmas), as past experience has taught us that better prices are as a rulo obtained some time before. . I'igs : Only threo largo size ones entered; these the owner wanted too much for; thore were many buyers for small ones. No porkers sent in. Furniture, <be., of good quality, has brought fair prices, inferior, very low i>ricos, and improvement in the demand at the mart for private sale. Monday : A largo sale of unx'edeemed pledges from Mr J. Bloom, pawnbroker ; there was a largo attendance throughout; the sale continued to a late hour, the competition was -brisk, and good prices wero obtained. The sale of household furniture, etc., ab tho Good Hope Boarding-houso, was well attended, and prices were satisfactory. Tho sale at Alten House, Alton Road, was not largely attended ; bidding was languid, and prices ruled low. Tuesday's sale of household furniture and effects at Cotele House, Syraonds-street: A very full attendance, and good competition for most lots, and upon tho wholo prices were good. The sale of furniture, etc., at tho mart was not well attended, nodoubtowingtoamistakein theadvertisoment; not alargo businessdone. The property known as Coombes'sArcade, Queenstreet, and about threo acres of land at Ponsonby were sold by order of tho Registrar of the Supreme Court;' there was competition for them, but bidding did not reach the amount of tho mortgage and interest due, therefore the mortgagee became tho purchaser. Wednesday, being the Prince of Wales' Birthday, was kept as a holiday. Thursday: Salo of piano, household furniture, plufcedware, &c, at the residence of Mr A. S. Auster (who is returning to England), Wren's Avenue, Remncra. There was a good attendance, bidding was brisk, and prices good—a small piano brought £14 ; suite, £7; case of plated fish and fruit knives, "£3 to £5; cruet, to £2 10s; tea services, £1 10s to £3 12e Gd ; forks arid spoons and timepiece, £5; hand sewing machine, £4 10s ; gun and case, £5 ; lawn tennis set, £4;. perambulator, £2 5s j iron bedsteads, £2 to £3 ss; wardrobe, £10 ; mangle and washing machine, £3 ss; American stove, £3 ss. The sale oi piano, furniture, &c.y at the residence of Mr H. Walpole, Campbell's Point, Parnell, was fairly well attended, and prices were satisfactory. Friday: Market-day sale poultry, produce, fruit, groceries, &c., at mart. _ The attendance was large, good competition, and a large business done at satisfactory prices. Full-grown fowls brought Is 8d to Is lid ; young ones, Is 3d to Is 9d ; hen and chicks, 4s to 5s 3d ; Brahmas, Is 10d to 2s 3d ; houdans, 2s 3d ; cochins, Is 10d to 2s 3d ; Spanish, Is 8d to 2s 4d ; ducks, Is 4d to Is 8d ; pigeons, Is ; canaries, 3s to ss. No small pigs entered. The following are the prices realised : —Fowls, Is 4d to Is 9d ; chicks, Is 3d. Produce, etc. : New potatoes, 5s 8d to 3s 4d ; kidneys, Id to ljd ; small kidneys, 4s 4d cwt; onions, ; cheese, 2d to 34d ; oatmeal, £10; bacon, to 7|d; Irani, 6sd to B^d; fresh butter, 2Jd to 6|d ; lemons, 7d to Is 3id ; loquats, Id to'3d; gooseberries,2d to 3.fd ', honey, 3d; chocolale, lid ; pines, 3s to 4s; coffee, Is 2d ; mixed biscuits, 4£d ; cocp'a, 2s 6d ; tea, half chest, Is 4d; box tea, 19s to 22s ; Scotch mixtures, 6Jd ; teas, Is 4d to Is 6d per lb ; cabbages, 10d to Iβ 8d per sack ; rhubarb, 3s 6u. to 4s dozen ; oats, 2s 3d; barley, 3s 3d ; sharps, 5s ; bran, 4s 3d ; chaff, 2s 6d. Saturday, clearing out sale of stock of groceries, oilmen's store?, cart, etc., at the shop of Mr Chamberlane, corner of Karangahape Road and East-street. Large attendance of buyers, brisk competition, and good prices for all lots. Sale of piano, household furniture, etc., at a private house, corner of Wellesleystreet and Symonds-street. Well attended, spirited bidding throughout, and satisfactory prices realised.

Messrs Paget and Ralston report business for the past week as being almost a counterpart of the previous one, the only notable exception being an unusual and unsatisfied demand for prime Oamaru potatoes. At the weekly sale on Friday last there was a very good audience, and the following prices were realised for lines offered :—New potatoes, kidneys, 1-Jd .per lb; ditto, inferior, $d ; pinkeyes, Jd tojfd ; ditto, inferior, {d ; Oamaru potatoes, £3 per ton; cabbages, 2a Id per eaok j maize, 3s 9d per ouehel; oats, 2b 3d. j wheat, 3s 9d ; barley, 3a 2d • bran, £4 10b per ton; sharps, £5; bacon, prime local, gd flnd. 6d i hams, 6j<l j cheese, new, Ad }

ditto, old and inferior, Id to 3d; salt butter, Id to 3d; corned beef, ; lard, 2d ; honey, 2£d. There was a good quantity of poultry to hand, and the following prices were realised :—Fowls, Issd to Iβ lid each ; ducks, Iβ 7d to Is lid; turkeys, 4s 6d ; geese, 3s 9d; pigeons, Is. There were inquiries for small pigs of good breed, but breeders are holding , back.

Mr. D. TP. Evan's Weekly REPORT.— Business in all departments very quiet. The furniture sale at Graf ton Road was well attended, but prices ruled low, such as handsome piano, £35; cheffonier, £1 12s 6d; double iron bedstead, £1 Is; horsehair mattrass, £1 10s ; horsehair suite, £4 6s ; mirror, £1; linoleum (almost new), Is 5d per yard. The usual sales at the mart on Tuesday and Saturday were bufc poorly attended, consequently only average prices were.obtained, and as the goods had to be sold by public auction, several lots went very cheap to make room for lines coming to hand for this week's sales. There is a demand for good second-class furniture., all in store last week was sold. From the attendance it is quite apparent) that buyers generally prefer attending sales in private houses (and perhaps pay more) than in the public auction mart. Consequently, some great bargains are picked ub in the mart when there is only a small attendance. Several sums of money have changed hand at low interest; one sum of £2,000 was lent on freehold security at 6& per cent, whereas a sum of £3,000 is now being negotiated at 6 per cent.