COMMERCIAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 154, 2 July 1896, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Evening Sjar Office, Auckland, Thursday. Maht witoleaal* houses have been busy tUia week taking StPck. Buaiotse generally io reported good for the B«a«on of the year, ihe igcret.wd demand from the goldfieids being mainly responsible for the improvement. Dnring tho past waek there baa been bhe usual activity consequent upon receipt of orders for the first of the month. The recent agitation regarding the^way in which Auckland was negtect*d by the ihlpping companies in regard to direc« it e »mew, tow, Apparently, had a bmeßciA »fie#, because we learn that the man itea'mer Ruapehu has been put on for this porldireefc from London. She will merely touch at Wellington to tend the mail», ana then come on a* once to Auckland. An evidaace of bow mucb fchia was needed is ihownby the fact that she brings a cargo of 4,000 tona for this porb alone. A seconri direct jfeeanw has also been despatched. The kauri gam market shows a weakening tendency. Tha Charles G. Rice has departed with a cargo of cloae on 5,000 c»MB and 390 sacks of kauri gum for New York, «o ihat ab present there U no vessel op the berth loading this article of export, nor is there likely to be one for at least a month, as the Mvy HasbroHck baa only ju«b arrived at Wellington. After arrival she will be about three waeks an the coast before aho reaches this port, bo thab shippers are not ab present eager to operate. Supplies for tho month arjt not ueayy, being about 551 tons. Lower grade ordinaries have declined in prjce during the week, and a still further recee«ion is not improbable under tee circumstances. The London auction salsa take place to-morrow. Advice baa been received that srnm has been ahipped from New York to that market. The timber industry continue! brisk, there being now an excellent local demand onaecbuntof fcherevivalin tbebuilding trade. Tea export trade is still good aod a circular from Melbourne under date of June 22»d report*,^" The demand for kauri timber continues brink, and lasb month's quotations are fully maintained." The mining industry is in a very flonmhing condition, having now reached a utage pf progression thab must have convinced the most sceptical that tha revival has come to stay. That such in the general opinion ia shown by the activity on tho Stock Exchange, which is now crowded each day with speculators, while new companies are floated ats the rate of aaven or eigkt a week. The demand for properties for the Home market continues good, and the number of exports here is a guarantee tha* the English investors are exorcising every caro in the selection or mipes. This is, of coarse, a satisfactory state of affairs, a«4t is no gain to our gpldfiolda industry 'to shunt rubbish on tae London market, becauee capital v proverbially.shy, and one or two bad ventures would prevent the floating of many good properties. Tho moat important mining matters fchia we«k were the payment of £10,000 towards the purchase of the Try Fluke mine ab Kuaotunu, the r#ceipt of the balance of the £10,000 for the purchase of the Alburnia mine ac the Thames, the striking of gold in the low levels of the Welcome Find mine at Coromanriol, ana last, but not leash, tbo monthly return froja the famous Haurnki o»ino. The yield for the month from this wonderful gold producer was £6,282 9s, tho product of 350 tons of ore. This is an increase of £163 upon the previous return, although the quantity of ore treated was tk& same. The volume of business on the Exchange has bean well maintained, although as previously pointed out tho pweiitent floating of new companies is steadily Socking up the capital and must ultimately prejudicially attect the price of ths cjiwvper stocks all round. In facl '. there ia already a lessening of the demand' in this direction. Shares ii» proved mines that are being'Bystotaa.tica.ily developed are, on tho ofher hand, in steady demand afi improved mtfts. This is clearly shown by the fact that during the past week Golden Points advanced from 2s 3d to'3«44i Broken Hill, 8d to la 3d ; City of Daotdip, 2s Id to 2s 6d ; Kurunui. Is lQd to %% Id ; Monow^i, 5s 2d to 5s 9d; Nqrfalfc, *• 4d to *» Hd; Sheridan, la 3d to la 7d; Jupiter, 6a 9d to 7u 3d ; Maori Dream, 1» 6d to Is 9d; Alpha.. 8s to 10a 3d; Central, 1« 7d to Is 9(j; Grown, 46s to 51b; Hercules, Is 6d to lit lOd j Ivpnnpe, U 3d to Is sd; (Jraco Darlipg, 2s Jt&d to 2a lid : Portaea, la 6d ta U 9ds Talisman Extended, 3a Id to oi 44: Viptpr, 4s 9d %o 5s 5d ; Bay View, U Bi to 2s; Bunker's Hill, 8s 6d to 9a 3d ; jyauraki No. 2, 2a 3d to.2s scl; Morning Star, 8d to l« j aod Welcome Find, 4s to 5V 3d. Talismans, Woauatainris and May Qqoana were* a ljttle easier, while Puru Consolidateda, Albomiaa, Woodstock* and other bettor class shares maintained last wee.k/8 ra^ea. Rice.—The market is very firm. Ke&QSK»e,—Free sales of wholoeale lines aXQ reported, The Mary Haabrouk, now dv«? %b Wellington, brings. 11,000 cases for $lew Zealand po.rts. Njsstle's Milk.—Supplies have now arrived by transhipment from the South, and large. How W«ro »old frpm tho ship's side.

Canned Fish is in considerable demand for the eoldfieltlß trade. Thero ia somo S»lk of oannerie* advancing the price of mullet.

Catomu.-Price's Nationals are in great demand.

WttKAX. — Tbo market has remained steady ati last week's rat«a. There were no Arrivals of milling wheab from the South dari&g- the woelt, bub shipments are exacted by tha Corinua in a day or two. In Victoria the farmers maintain a firm attitude and hold tboir wheat for full prices, while millera, on tha other hand, purchase only to meet immediate requirements. Seed wheat for spring sowing haa bean inquired for freely of late, and prime \Y bita T«Bp«n ia quoted at 4a 6d. Sou bhern advices report an upward tendency in the inarkot for seed wheat.

BrA,s and Sharps are both scarce, and la«b week's advance has been well maintained.

Floub.—The usual big delivoTiea are reported for the first of the month. The inarkeb is very firm. Maizk.— Tbia week 450 sacks of new maize carao to hand by the Waiotahi and Cholmeford. Unfortunately the ■juatity of a lot of the maize was not up to the mark, as the grain had heated. Prime lines) lealised 2s 9d, bub inferior wai ivld at low tabes. Qats.—Th«i Seuthern marked is decidedly weaker. Local stocks are rather short, an bo oata arrived during the week, and there is none on tha steamor to arrive next week.

Potatoes. —A better inquiry is reported tihis week for potatoes, efcock3 haviiij? been considerably reduced as only a small quantity arrived, from the South by tho s,s, Tasmania. Further supplies ere, hows»9r, on board the Flora. Owing to tha mildness of the season there haH besa considerable inquiry for early seed varieties, thedetnand having commenced much sooner than usual this winter.

Owjons.-~ Really prime aamplei at ill comta&nd £S ex store. Supplio* of inferior are largo, and prices correspondingly low. Bottbr and Eggh.—Supplies of both batter a»d cgya nave baen larger this week, <>nd price* bave therefore declined. Butter is now quoted Id per lb lower, while eggs bave fallen 3d per dozen. Cheese.— Really prime oh.«ftt» ie very ecarw, considerable qu&atJtiea haviug been shipped to Sydney owiog to the duty having boen removed. Supplies of poor crade cheese are heavy, and' there is lUtto or oo demand for the inferior Mftfete,

Bacos ahd Hams are in good demand, and prices are firmer, owing to tha opemng of the Sydney markab by removal of the duty on these lines. Considerable export ia anticipated, and curera decline to quote for forward delivery. PfjARL BxautK U> meeting: with bettor aala, and ie quoted at £12 10a par ton. Blue Peas are somewhat ecarce, and rather dearer.