COMMERCIAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 150, 26 June 1902, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Auckland Star Office, Thursday, June 26.

' Pair average business has been reported, during the week. The arrival of the Waimate, with 2000 tons of cargo for Auckland has made Importing houses busy. SSsi&enl- ex Papanui, of Van Hpu-tea-S TOCoa, etc., have also been received STS-e Elingamite, and transhipments of pepper, tapioca, etc, are also to hand. The Signe is now due with a cargo of St from South Australia. No Melrose totaccHr Old Judge cigarettes are obEnable (except in very, until the St. Fillans arrives, which vesseUdue next Thursday. There has been an advance in the price of Painkiller and a selling tariff has been fixed. Arrowroot h« advanced in owing probably to the damage caused by the recent earthquakes in the West Indies. A r-ductton in the price of Quaker rolled oats is announced. A welcome notice is to hand from the Colonial Sugar Costating that in future the packing of sugar in 401b and 701b bags is to be discontinued, and the 561b pac.ka._-~- alone adhered to, which will be a great Doon to the trade. The market for fungus is slightly better, and some buyers are offering' 4d per lb. Late shipments of Nestles milk are costing the increased rate lately alluded to previously, and the nrice is consequently firmer. The same remarks apply to the cheaper grades o. cornflour. Quotations received for the various grades of new Sultanas indicate that the crop prospects are satisfactory, and that the fruit will be of good average quality and reasonable in price, me reports as' to new currants are still conflicting, some laying stress on the reported appearance of disease, and others igrnorine: the rumours. Allen and Hanbury's food. No. 3, is reported as costing 3d per dozen higher. Rice remains Arm. A report dat._ Kobe, 19th May, says: "The country has been affected by the extraordinary weather conditions which have prevailed all over the world, and we had a long spell of wet in April and somp- extremely cold days. Again this month, as late as the 10th, snow fell in the vicinity of Kobe, and hot days have alternated with cold ones, •fhere have been one or two fair-sized orders on the market, and prices have been rushed up, and we believe some small losses have been made." Enquiries made by the Agricultural Department a. to ti_e stocks of produce in New Zealand give estimates as follow:— Oats, 5,000,000 bushels; barley, 290,000 bushels; maize, 360,000 bushels; peas and beans, 240,000 bushels. In the case of wheat, rye, bran, pollard and sharps there is no surplus. The amount of ■chaff, hay and straw availaL.e could not be ascertained. The Department thinks that if good prices are obtainable in Australia for chaff and. hay, thousands of tons will be shipped from New Zealand, this year.

From the strong demand at present existing for nearly all grades of kauri gum It would almost seem as if high-water mark had not yet been reached as far as prices concerned. A contributing •cause is undoubtedly the decreased supplies, and the fact that high prices have ruled so long would seem to show that ■our gum is essential for the manufacture of the better class of varnishes, Otherwise substitutes would, ere this, have been utilised. Reporting regarding the Ixmdon market on May 12, Messrs De Lissa, Sons and Co. state: "The May sales were held on the Bth instant. There was only a limited quantity offered, l',_o packages, our stocks being ' practically exhausted. About 1000 cases were sold at firm prices, showing an advance in near'y all grades. Of rescraperl there is hardly any here, and good chips are very scarce (same must be bold and free from dust). The better classes of browns met witli extreme competition, and are fetching very high prices. Bush is scarce." The statistics to the 30th of April show stocks 1351 tons nett as against 1747 in .901, and 1572 in 1900. The imports during April were 83 tons and the deliveries 270 tons.

On the Exchange - business during the >ast week has been practically confined to standard lines, and several advances were recorded. Bank of New Zealand shares- changed hands at 67/. National Bank shares advanced to buyers at 82/6 in anticipation of the dividend ■ next month. N.Z. Insurance sold up to 80/, and Nationals at 21/. Buyers of N*-w Zeal .no* Accident Insurance increased their offers from 25/6 to 27/, and South British were asked for at 82/ Coal shares had more attention latterly, and Taupiris sold at 19/6, while 96/6 was offered for Westports, and 8/4 for Hikurangis. Amongst other stocks, D.S.C. shares sojd at 10/, and frequent transactions took place in Riverhead Paper shares at 26/. In mining shares the only ones showing a slight upward tendency this week were Crown and Komata Reefs.

Wheat: The market in this colony shows no noteworthy change this week. Flour: Fair sales are reported, prices being unaltered.

Fowl wheat is easier owing to large supplies coming forward from the South where there is a large quantity of second grade wheat this season. Good fowl wheat is, however, in demand at full' rates.

Bran and sharps are scarce and dear, but still meet with good demand. Potatoes: The market for potatoes is overstocked, and to close consignments very low prices have had to be accepted. Ex store, Southern are worth £4 15/ to £5. A good inquiry exists for best seed lines, kidneys being worth £7 to £7 10/ ton, Sutton's Surprise £8, Magnum Bonum £6 to £7, Up-to-Date £6 10/ to £8, and Early Rose £6.

Maize: Arrivals totalled 1800 sacks during the week. In the absence of export demand the price has come back to 3/3 for prime ex wharf.

Oats: The market is very touchy. The fact is beginning to be recognised that the South African demand is cut off. Southern holders are more eager to quit at a shade lower values. Locally, fair stocks are still held, and there is no change in the local price. The value of the -South African demand may be estimated from the fact that the price which prevailed during late years prior to the war averaged 1/3 per oushei. while this season the average at the lowest has been 2/. The "Invercargil! Times" a few weeks ago estimated that, the rise in value of oats would return £100,000 to the farmers of Southland. The stoppage of the war will no doubt considerably decrease the amount estimated. The colony's output of oats this season is estimated at 5,000,000 bushels.

Onions: Although the local market is bare, still prices continue low. Best samples may be taken at current values.

Chaff continue to come forward in good quantities. It *is estimated that the 1901-2 crops will produce 300,000 tons of chaff, 100,000 tons of hay, and 300,000 tons of straw. Chaff and hay therefore show a decrease of about 8000 tons, and straw a decrease of 40,000 tons.

Butter and eggs: Supplies of eggs have been larger during the past week, with the result that the price has been reduced 3d per dozen wholesale. Butter shows no change in price.

a W. BINNEY AND SONS* REPORT. On Tuesday we offered an extra large catalogue of hides, sheepskins, etc. Hide Market: Firm, no prime; extras, $}d to 6_d; stout, 51d to 5Jd: medium, 4Jd to 3d; light, 4Jd to 4_d; cow, picked, 4_.1; bulk, 4Jd to 4id; wet, 33d to 4d; calf, 4d to 4_d; stags'. 2_d to 2?d; damaged of a. clPsses, 12d to 2_d per lb. Sheepskins: Local green an! *•*.%! ted 1-ts average from 2/6 to 2/7: extras. 3/; dry, 2/ to 2/6; country, from 1/3 to 2/6: damaged pelts, Id to 9d each. Tallow: Mutton, 24/; good mixed, 22/6 to 23/6: seconds. 18/ to 20' P er c#t. Fat, l_d pc- 10. i_? air: £° rsP ' ta "' vto V*: mane, 8d to row Pe ha£ : STpTlt mto W HO T' „ 0/ „ to 15/ for medtnm. to 20/ per hundred for large. '