COMMERCIAL

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 17, 21 January 1897, Page 2

COMMERCIAL

_.Y_3_3r& Stas OSce, Auckiaad, Tbu.rsday. As migbi —.*« bean expected after such a finie Cbristoas trade, busfaesa during the l&xi week haa been rather quiet. Retailers aaticipa.ted a go_d h.liday _rari___. and ordered accordingly, wish the re_ial* tuaS Ibey had enough stock l&ffc in hand to keep tnem going for a few weeks after tbe holiday seanon waa over. Rice is, however, still reported scarce, while the strong demand for American ceased fruits continuea as brisk as ever, and stocks are now very lew. Beyond _ _6te two linet there is little to report with reapec* to tbe trade of distribating hOßte., Tbe wbat.ee are now fairly busy, as aererai veasflils are loading timber, woo?, flax and __m for London. The Sii terstream takes away a large cargo, including 1,670 bales of wool, also big consignments of kauri gum, Sax, timber and tallow. The barque Chili is now ou tha ber.h to load for London, as is also the Glenlora. Tbe Motley il al__ loading kauri gum and Bax. On_ of the evils arising from the long eon Sinned dry weather has been the very di___t__a£ bush fires, which besides destroying valuable timbers have in some few caa__ damaged bridges and swept away hosaaateada. In the mining districts there bare been numerous fires, and several companies ran a chance of having their battery buildings deitroyed, butt fortunately all were saved, feu_ noi without a hard tight in soma few case*. Oni or two mining camps were destroyed, and in several instance* timber cut and slacked for mining purposes was baroed, bet generally speaking no very serious damage was done. Sevtral fine kauri bushee unfortunately bad tha fire tfcrengh thetn, bat the recent heavy rain will m&st probably put an cad to all danger of a far.har spread of the bu.h fireaT Tbe timber mills are as busy as ever and the building trade continues brisk there being still a steady demand for better ciasa dwelling bouses. The kauri gum market shows little change for tbe month as far a« prices are concerned, bat tbe quality oi lot of the gam sent in is not so good as is was. Thh is due to tbe fact that the very dry weather drove the diggers from the hard ground oa the hill rides, and at the same tin.3 enabled thetn to work the swsmps which cannot be touched exceps in very loog summers. Swamp gum has therefore been sent in more freely latterly, with tbe result that better grades are nosin such good supply. Tbe Exchange bas been fairly busy since tbe Christmas'vacation ended, and tbe .dame of business is larger than it was at this time last year, while tbe average of prieea is also higher, Tbe anticipation of aa elf ro_nd revival in February and March baa caused many to take advantage of the lew prices ruling a fortnight ago to purchase; with a view to averaging lines Already held at higher rates. Besides this, there ba« been a good deal of quiet buying of higher priced stock in cases where *be tcinaa are being worked by l_Dgfhb companies. During the moDth Iwyera of Waiotabie advanced their offers frem 43s to 43., but no .ales resulted, aa thase shares are very firmly held. WaibiSllvertons also firmed a little, buyers offering 26s as against 24« last month. May Qrjfteos also advanced from 5s 6d to lis, end New Albarniaa Irom 5a 6i to 6* 6'l Kuii^a Caledonians bare bad free sales dorii.i. (is la« week or two, end close at ttigbtly better rates. Talismani, on the ether bind, were a little less fircaly bald, bat few shares changed hands at a conces* rioa. Hauraki South share* bare been in steady demand at 6s 6d and &a &i, with islet M high as 7s 3d during the month. Ce«_iaadel stock. have had more attention latterly* the excellent crushing return from .be Ha_raki mine and tbe splendid prospect- in tbe &66p levels at the Eapanga baring bad tbe effect of reviving tbo confidanca of investors in tba& district. Bunker'ti Hill shares hava advanced from 4s to 6s, with very free transactions during tbe past week, and Welcome Finds rose from 3e 3d to 4s in consequence of a gatigfttctory crashing, 30 loads of ore and 261b of specimens having yielded over £500 worth of gold. The roturo from the New Zealand Crown mines was also a vory satisfactory one this month, and, generally speaking, tbe present outlook for the mining Industry is a hopeful one. Standard stocks have had fair business during the month, there being steady buyers of gas and coal •bares generally. Bank and insurance stocks, on the other hand, have beeo some* wh*t neglected. At the annual meeting of the New Zealand Insurance Company held recently a very satisfactory balance-sheet Wt* presented, sod the shareholders once more received a dividend ab tbe rate of about 13£ per cent. Wbkat.—Tbe markets both bore and in the South are reported very sluggish, and any sales that do take place are of small lines to rnoeft immediate requirements. Under these circumstances prices on the Whole ere a shade easier than they were last, week. Local farmers are now busy gather* log in their harvest, and the wheat crop is turning oub better tban was expected. Concerning the Australian markets for wheat) Mossra John Darling and Son report: The market remains the same in Adelaide M last advised, auppliea being about equal to demand and very little wheat offering either ab Port Adelaide or in tho country. Values may be taken as 5s 6d oub ports, end 5$ 7d Port Adelaide for large parcels. In Victoria prices are gradually improving. Kelatively higher prices are still being paid op-country tban in Melbourne, hut in the latter market tho value of wheat is now Ss &$d to 5s 6d. The quantity offering is very limited, and from present appearances |t woald look as though present rates are likely to be fully maintained. In Riverina free deliveries are being made, and the trade generally appear to appreciate the position, and are operating freely in the districts where wheat is plentiful. Values there range from 4s 3d to 4s sd. FowL Wheat is nob in much demand ab present, maize being still the cheaper food. Bran and Sbaeps are dull of sale. SeK&S.—Orders are beginning to be sent in for grass seeds, in order to surface sow some of the tracts of land where tbe bush fires have passed over. Oatmeal has been reduced in price £1 per ton. Flopr.—Fair business ia reported, and local millers are busy fulfilling orders recently sent iv. MAlZß.—Stocks have run down this wee_, owing to only 157 sacks having been brought tbis week by tho Chelmsford, while the Waiotahi did nob bring any the last trip. Line! on the wharf sold readily at 2. &d. Oats.-—Tbia market ia firmer'than it waa as local stocks have got into few bauds. Holders ia the South are not eager to sell until they see how the harvest is going to S _ro out. Potatoes bid fair to fetch good prices this year. Local samples of good qua.ity are worth from £6 to £7 per ton. Sydney potatoes are now on tbis market, but some of them arrived in poor condition. Good samploa sold at £6 per ton. O.s'ioss.—Supplies of Victorian are now about cleared. Local ones are being senb in pretty freely and gold ab from £7 bo £8 per ton. Butter ase Ect.3, — Prices for both batter and eggs remain unchanged. Batter _• scarcer, but tha bulk of it arrives in such poor condition, owing to the bob weather, that retailers are unabb to give better rates. Feoit.—This bide fair to be a very poor season for fruitgrowers. An evidence that eucb is the case is shown by the fact tbab the Northcote and Birkenhead Fruitgrowers' AasociAtioa has decided not to

f i hold any show thle year on account of the | poor show of fruit. In tome district. the Japaa em plocaj fruited well, but in the < majority of cases this variety had a short I crop. Gibe? plant* hare safered severely | from the dry weather, aud even such [prolific bearers as Pond's Seedling make | bat a poor show this season, Peaches ; have on the whole done better this year, !'and it i 3 only the scarcity of ether fruits I that k&s kept np the price at its present j high rate. A genera.ion ago the man who had prognosticated tha* peacbee would fas sold in Aae_-_v_d at twopence each would haTe -_£__ looked upon a* of unsound mind, _._£ that price is readily paid now for | really good fruit. Pears are always uncertain bearers, and this season, while some I district* hare fair crops, other. hay« 1 scarcely any of this fruit at all. The apple crop baa also ..offered severely for _»n» of raia, while tbe prolonged bos weather has .caused the codlin moth to be more than usually active. From present appearances j fruit all round should command good prices i this season, AUCKLAND PRODUCE MARKETS. j Farm asd Baib? Produce. —Butter: [New Zealand Dairy Association, Is whole- ? sale ; Anchor Brand, Is wholesale; first quality dairy, wholesale 6d, retail 8d ; tsecond qusli.y, wholesale 4d, retail 6d. Übaeae, 4§d. Fresh eggs, lOd per dozen wholesale, la retail. Lard, 4£d. Bacon and bams, bare sidea, 6|d; equal numbers, 7d; hams, 9£i; clothed, |d extra. I Flour Mablket.—Flour, wholesale, £12; whea.meal, £12; braD, 1001b sacks, £4, |l6o!b«.ackg,£3l7s6d ; sharps, 2COlb sacks, j£4 a?; oatmeal, £12 per ton 25 _. Gp.Ai:r.—Southern feed oats, 2s 3d, c.i.f.; 'lacks included, 2a 6d ez .tore; fowl j wheat, 4a sd, saclita iocladed; local milling wheat, 4s 6d, sacks extra; Southern milling wheat, 43 9d, Backs extra ; maize, 2s Sd to ! 2s 3d ; pearl barley, £12 10s per ton wholejtale. f Coal a_ n FrEEivood J_ abxet,—Many of i the following quotations are nominal :— I Newcastle coal at yard, 23s to 30s ton ; Waikabo, at mines, 3a to 12s ; town, 1&» to _2a; Taupiri, at mine, Ss to 12a ; as AuckI land, stsam, 20?; household, delivered, 124s to 255. Firewood: Uncus, at wharf, (cargo, 9s to 10s ton ; delivered, 123 to 15s; 'cut, 13* to 16s. I Buf__ _se Materials.— Prices are nomin- [ ally aa follows .-—Timber: Boards and icant- | ling, undressed, 100 ft best, 14s ; medium, 110s 6d ; second-class, 8s 6d ; best planed, Jtongned and grooved, first-class, 16s; medium, 12s 6d ; second-class, 103 6d ; rustijcated weather-boards, first-class, 16s; medium, 12s 6d ; second class, 10s 6d. Undressed boards, _dn thick ; best lis 6d ; medium, 9. ; second-class, 6s 6d ; roogh lining boards, fin, second-class, 6s; lining boards, planed, tongued and grooved, best, 15s 6d ; medium, 12s ; Eecond-class, 10s ; 1 boat boards, specially selected, 15s 16d for J inch ; 14s 6d for f inch. i Kauri paliogs, 5 feet (sap), 9s; (heart), [lis; ti-tree rail, £3 10s per 100; puriri posts, la to Is fed each; shingles, 13s per 1,000; Hobarfc palings, sft, ISa; 6ft, 17s; I rails, 80s ; selling quotations. Dry pressed I brick*, 52s 6d per 1,000 ; ordinary bricks, 150s per 1,000 ; fire bricks, 2_,in £5. and Sin £9, per 1,000 ; 6ra clay, 60s tier ton ; hydraulic lime, 4s par 3 bushel bag. Drain pipes, at works, 2in dr&in tiles, 12i» lengths, 50s per 1,*30 *, 2j.in, 70s ; 3in, [90s; 4in, 130s; 6in, £15 per 1,000; Sin I racket pipes, 2ft length*, 7d each ; 4in, 9d ; i 6in, Is; 9;n, 2s; 12in, 3s ; loin, 4s 6d ; i. 18in, 6s ; 21b, Us ; 24in, 15s. \ Mascres. —Bonfrdust and boae_onr; | Sydney, £5 10s to £6, according to quality ; j Auckland, £6; Long Island guano, £4 10s, j bags included.

] Kfempthorne, P/osser, and Co-'s. (New ; Zealand Dmg: Company, Limited) WentS field manures redaeed price list,season 1835----§6:_ 1 Ton. £ s, d. 'A 1 Superphosphate (total phosphates 40 per cent, soluble 32 34 per cent-., \\ per cent, ammonia) 5 2 6 'B' Superphosphate (total phosphates 31 per cent., soluble 26 per cent.), 2cwt sacks 4 3 6 •0' Superphosphate (total phosphates 46 per cent., soluble 15 per cent.), 2cwt. encka 4 9 0 Bonedust (pure) steamed 6 5 0 Bonednst (pnre) green 6 5 0 Bonednst and Blood ... ... 5 7 6 Special P.oob Manure 6 5 0 Special Grass Manure 'A' (For Top Dressing) 6 5 0 Special Grass Manure *B' (For Permanent Pasture) 6 5 0 Special Potato Manure 6 10 0 Special Turnip Manure 6 5 0 Special Rape Manure 6 5 0 Special Corn Manure 6 5 0 Special Maize Manure 6 5 0 Special Orchard Manure ' A,' for yonngbrees 1 5 0 Special Orchard Manure 'B,' for f i uib formation •• 7 5 0 Special Clover Manure ... ...650 Special Onion Mannre ... .~ 75 0 Special Sugar Beeb Mannre ... 8 10 0 Sulphate of Ammonia ... ...15 0 0 Coral Queen Gnano, 2cwt sacks (64 per cent, phosphate of lime) 4 8 6 Kainib, original sacks about 2cwb, 4 10 0 Nitrate of Soda (original sacks about 2cwb.) 15/-per cwt. Mnriate of Potash, original sacks about 2cwfc. 16/-per cwt. Sulphate of Potash, original casks abonb2cwb 0 18 0 Sulphate of Iron, original casks about 3cwb 10/-per cwt. Special Garden Manure, 141b. bags ... 1/6 each. Fowl Grit, 141b. bags, coarse medium or fine 1/6 each, Pnre linseed Oil Cake, fine crashed, or, if required, rough crushed, or, in whole cake, ljcwb. sacks (per ton) 8 5 0 Discount less 2£ per cent, for cash. Previous lists now cancelled. Prices subject to alteration without notice.

AUCTIONEERS' REPORTS. Mb P.. Akthub reports good busineas. Owing to heavy supplies from Sydney, tbe price of potatoes dropped from £7 to £6 per ton for local and £6 to £4 for imported. Onions sold at to £d per lb ; fowl wheat, 4s to 4s lOd ; maize, 2s 9d to 3s Id ; oats, 23 5d to 2s6£d ; bran, £4 to £4 10s ; sharps, £4 15s per ton ; chaff, £2 103 to £3 ss. Fresh butter, 6d to 8d per lb ; keg, 5J ; poor and pastry, 3d to 5d ; eggs, lOd to Is per dozen ; cheese, 3d to 4d ; local bacon, 4^d to ssd per lb ; hams, o^d to 6|d. Southern bacon and hams have advanced. Sides are worth from 7d to 7£d; hams, Sd to B£d (doable cloth). Honey in j section, 3s od per dozen ; ditto, in bulk, 2Jd to 3d. Fruit: Apples, best . deaserc, from 2s to 4s; others, Is 6d to 3a ; peaches, 6d to la per dozen ; plums, 2d to 4d ; peers, Id to 3d lb; Cape gooseberries, 4£d to 6d ; grapes, hothouse, lOd to Is ; tomatoes, 2d to 6d ; lemons, od to 9d Poultry : Turkey, 5s to 6s ; hen, do., 3s to 4a ; ducks, Is to Is 8d ; geese, 2s 4d to 3s : csekerels, la lOd to 2s 6d ; ordinary fowl, Is to Is Bd. Messrs A. Toomaj* and Co. reported business ac brisk aa usual. Supplies of fruit and produce goods. Potatoes, prime samples, £7 to £8 10s per ton ; medium and Sydney, £6 to £7 per ton ; onions, seed varieties, £d to Id ; potato onions, id to |d per lb ; bran and sharps, £4 10s per ton; oats, 2s 9d bushel; maize, 2s lid; fowl wheat, 3a 9d. Butter : Market bare of prime quality in good condition. Dairy gold at from 7d to B£d ; factory, ia excellent demand, lO^d to lid ; eggs, la to is 2d per doz; dairy cheese, 3d to 3Jd ; factory, 3Jd to 4d ; bacon and bams, scarce at 7d to 8d per lb. Fruit came forward in large quantities and atone varieties were somewhat easier ia price, Ordinary plums «old

at from 2d to 2\d lb; extra cnoiee -Japan, 3d to 4|d ; peaches, Is to la 4jd dozen; small and broil _d, 3d to 7d ; gryes, Sd_to Is 3d lb ; tomatoe?, l_*d to 3d. superior dessert apples, 4* to 5. 3d ; large cookers, 3^ to 5_ 3d ; poor quality, li 6d to 2i ; jam apple., in sacks for shipment South, £4 to £5 per ton ; apricot?, 5d to 6d ; poor 3d ; nec-tarine.?, 4d to §d ; Cap. gooseberries, 3d to <id; Jargonelle pears, 2d to 3d ,• VTindaor, Id to l§d; lemons. 6a to 3. per case, G, \Y, Betctey a>~ y Soys report *. On Tuesday we cleared a large catalogue or hides, sheepskins, tallow, etc Hides: Picked ox sold up to 7|d ; a_ Era stout, 5d to 5.4 ; stout, 4d to 4jd ; median, 3|d to 3jd ; cow, 2*l to 3|l for beat line. ; medium, 2«d to 3d ; iaferior, 2d to 2jd ; calf, best, -well Bayed, 4d .oft.jd ; other, 2d to 3d per lb. Sheepskins : Foli-woollsd, 4s to 5s ; local pelts, large, 9d to Is ; medium, 6d to 3d ; lambs, la 3d to 2s 3d; country salted pelts, Sd to lOd ; sun dried, 2d to __ each. Wool: Small lots, fieeee, s|d to 61d ; pieces, id to 4jd ; leek* and pieces, 3d to .|d : lamb:-, Sd to 6§d par In. Taiiow, from 13s to 15s per cwt.