COMMERCIAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 266, 9 November 1899, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Auckland "Star" Office, Thursday. Business is reported fairly good-this ■week by distributing-: houses.A further advance of £ 1 has taken place in the price of rice on the local market, the quotation now being.£23 per ton. Advices from Kobe report the market for rice there as rising- rapidly owing to the ascertained- shortage in the crop. National candles have again advanced in price in common with other of Price's brands, ana are now quoted at 7d wholesale. Kerosene- is slightly firmer, as now that the Alice is unloaded concessions are not offered for delivery from ship's side. The shortage in the herring catch has caused an advance in the price of tinned and other lines of fish, Owing to the weakening of the market in Hong Kong sales of fungus are hard to effect. Apparently the market in' America for dried and canned, fruits has again advanced, as advices were re^ ceived during the week that all quotations 'had been withdrawn. New ssea: son's • currants- and sultanas arrived during the week and show no great alteration in values as compared with last year. Elemes, iig's and Jordan almonds,-for the Christmas trade are on board the lUamari and should arrive shortly. A new-line is now being introduced on-the.local market, which shoulcU.be welcomed by 'housewives. It is called the Danish Household Kennet Tablets and is put up in small "■lass cylinders, each of which contain ;M tablets,', which are sold for one shilling. For making- junket, one tablet does-for n!q.uar.t of milk. : The produce; market still continues fairly active. Anotner ' 2000 tous^ of oats''have been ordered by Great Britain for South Africa, ami now that Dm-baii has taker, the iaviit oil" frozen meat it is quite possible a good market .Will be opened there for New Zealand" shipments,, as sneh. a. large number of refugees and also the soldiers will require heavy, supplies. At the present' time, howeyer, it is rather doubtful w'hethcr there is sufficient cold storage accommodation at Durban for'heavy shipments to be kept in. Probably, as the cuitcoine of the depletion of the Sydney market oi oats/heavy shipments continue to be made'of maize from this port by Australian purchasers. This week the largest quantity ever sent from Auckland in one vessel was taken by the Wai'hora. , The timber trade is very brisk, there being a strong local demand, as well as fair expqrt, both to London and Australia. The ship Republic, at present .docked in Auckland, is to load logs for Australia, orders having been received for the Eailway Department. The local demand for timber is due to the large amount of building that is ooino- oTn. in the city and suburbs, and fair orders are also being received from country districts, which may be fairly considered a good sign of prosperity and also a steadily-increasing population in the Auckland district. vn improvement has taken place during the week in the demand for better-class mining stocks on the .Exchange, but. so far cheaper lines have not shown signs of advancing. Wjuhl shares 'have been in steady demand, buyers advancing from £9 to £9 5/, and as high as £9 7/6 has been offered privately and ■ been, -refused.,. WnilJ Grand Junctions, also firmed a shilling, buyers offering 25/ without, sales resulting. N.Z,,Crowns also rose n price, sales being made at 14/3, at which price there is still a demand. N.Z. Talismans, after falling toi 10/G, recovered again, 11/ .being offeree. Grace Darlings were wanted at «/i, Four-in-Hands at 4/4 and May Queens advanced from buyers 4/6 to sales at 5/1. The latter rise is due to steady improvement in the prospects of the mine. A very satisfactory crushing was made by the Moanataiari Company, 00 tons from the Cambria lode yielding £334. The-returns from the Kauri Freeholds and Whangamata Gold Corporation were also about equal to former ones, both being payable. Owing to improved prospects in Hhe Sons of Freedom reef, Nfew -Whan shares,- which a week ago realised M tojd at auction advanced to 4d and 4?, d. Alphas and Bunkers Hills also had enquiry at a slight advance this week. In Standard lines National Banks sold up to 55/ and could still be placed at 54/6. Insurance stocks, though unchanged in price, had steady enquiry all round. Auckland Gas (old issue) were wanted at £13 5/, and buyers of National Mortgage shares.advanced to 19/ without transactions resulting. Potatoes—This market has quite collapsed, due" to the'large'shipment sent up from .the South, and also to. the increased quantity of new potatoes now coming in. from local\farmers. Old potatoes are now quoted at 35/ to 40/ per ton e>: store. Prime new kidneys are "''quoted at 7/ cwt, poor are hard to sell. Shepherd s are w'ovth from 3/(Me 4/ per cwt. 'Oats' haVe again advanced in the South,-as another Government order has been received for 2.000 tons for South Africa? '■'■ In consequence oats arc-now I" oteel at 3/3 c.i.f. Local holders of oats are, however, not taking advantage of ttie rise, in the market, consequently purchases can be made her e at comparatively less rates than those now ruling in the South. , Fowl wheat is still very scarce, and in strong demand.. ■' , Milling, wheat • remains unchanged in'price, the war so-far*not having altered: the; potion ;of affairs, and is notUikely ■ t'o'Vlo so unless some maritime nation "interferes, a contingency that at [present does not seem probable.

Brah and sharps are meeting with ready sale. "Flour.—This . market shows no change during the past week.

Maize.—This has beeYi a record week in'the taaize trade, no less than 4,700 sacks having been brought up by the Waitangi, Terranora, Chelmsford, Waiotalii, arid Waimana. The-export to Sydney this week was also a record one, 3,800 sacks having been despatched by the Waihora. Sydney Jbuyers dropped, off in the early part of the week, but enquiries again set in for maize for that market. At the' present niaize is < quoted at. 2/. S. The Maoris in the Bay of Plenty district have got the idea that the.war will increase the demand for maize, and are therefore planting much lavg-

er areas this season. Chaff is still being- offered freely at very low prices.

Hay is also" ruling very low, and is difficult to sell. Onions are in good demand at about 12/ cwt.

■ Cheese of all kinds is reported very scarce, and Southern factories have already sold the season's output.

Butter and Eggs.—Supplies of eggs have been so heavy that notwithstanding the low price it has become almost impossible to clear , stocks, as bakers have now secured sufficient stocks for the Christmas season. Under these circumstances it has been necessary to reduce the price to sr; per dozen wholesale. This may give an opening to export eggs to Wellington, and thus release tie glut existing on the local market. Supplies of butter are fairly heavy, but price's show no change.