MONETARY AND COMMERCIAL. Daily Southern Cross Office, Friday Evening.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3428, 11 July 1868, Page 2

MONETARY AND COMMERCIAL. Daily Southern Cross Office, Friday Evening.

The arrival of the 'Racehorse' from England on Wednesday last, with a full general cargo, has placed us in posseasion of much-needed supplies of many articles, and will especially tend to ease the market in the matter of spirits. There has been generally no marked alteration in busineis during the past week, and there is nothing very especial to remark upon, except the great scarcity of coals of all kinds, and the new feature of trade introduced into our market by the sale, by Messrs. Jones and Co., of a parcel of New Zealandcured mutton from the works of the Hawke's Bay Boiling-down Company. As regards coals, both Bay of Islands and Whangarei have been totally unprocurable during the week, whilst; the only foreign cargo — that that brought by the ' Lorenzo Sabme ' from Newoastle — has been discharged into steamers, with the exception of some 30 or 40 tons, which will probably be landed to-morrow for town consumption. The effect of the public trade sales held during the course of the week is noted under the various heads ; but of course shipments by the ' Racehorse ' will have an almost immediate effect on many items ; and the arrival of tha ' Ci>n-<taace,' now daily looked for, will further tend to influence ithe market. • Ale and Porter (duty paid) : Blood's, Bass's, and Tennent's are m demand. Baia's and 'ferment's are both worth from 11s 6i to 12a 64. Jeffrey's may be quoted at 10s 6d ; Allsopp's, from 10s to Us. Breadstuff^ : There hare been no arrivals during the paat week. The ' Alice Cameron is shortly expected from California, with a cargo of breadstuffs, and the ' Lady Alicia ' from Canterbury, with a cargo of grain. Advices have also been received that the ' Astraaa' was loading at Tome* for Messrs. Thornton, Smith, and Firth, and would probably leave about the 7th ultimo. Wheat is now worth from 7« 61 to 8s 61. Flour, wholesale, crowa brand, £24; imported Canterbury, £20; TS&F, JL, and JJS brands, £22 ; sharps, £6 to £8 ; bran, 10d to Is ; best cabin biscuits, 225 ; navy, 20s. Bags and Sacks : Bushel bags have been worth 17s, but may now be quoted at 15s 6d (duty paid). Hams and Bacon : The former may be quoted as worth lid, and the latter lOd to Is. The New Zealand mutton hams from the Hawke's Bay Boilingdown Company will probably fetch better prices than they did on Wednesday last, after they have been tried and become known. Wines (in bond) : Very little alteration from last week. Spirits (in bond) are still very scarce, especially brandies and rums in bulk. The arrival of the ' Racehorse ' will probably materially tend to ease the market in these particulars. Brandy, at present, may be quoted at lls 3d ; Henntssy's, in. case, 30s to 31s ; M&rteH'»,in case, 30s. Lowndes's rum readily realises 7s, and 8s has been aiked. Prices of other items may be quoted without alteration from last week. Oilmen's St -res : Present quotations, until affected by the English newly-arrived goods, may be considered as follow : — Starch, 5d to s|d. Salad oil, 8s 9d. Bottled fruits, 14a to 14s 6d. Hobarfc Town jams, 10s to lls a dozen ; a small parcel of Hokianga realised lla at auction » Corn flour, Brown and Poison's, 10s perlb. Champion's vinegar, in bujk, is

worth 3* 6d to 3s 9d ; and Gillon'i, in bottle, lit. Mustard, ia 7lb. tius, 91d. Cupeis, Bs. Coffee, Ac. (ia bond) : Plantation, Is ; Java, 9d ; Manila, 9d. White pepper, Is ; black pepper, 44<L Cocoa, Is 2i<). Chocolate, Is l£d. Chicory, until some is lande J, very scarce. Sugar: Company's No. 1, s£d, for oash ; Mauri* tius light crystal", 5d 3-16ths; Mauritius brown crysfcalp, 44 Ito 4 Jd ; white crystals, 5d 516ths. leas : Boxes of good brand ara scarce, and are worth 22s to 23s 61 ia bond. Cheit*, £J; halfchests, £3 5s to £3 153. Soap : Primrose is worth 31fl ; household, 335 ; mottled and best, 38s to 39a ; Warnocks medium, 303 ; beßt, 33s ; A Render's, 33a. Candies : Candles have somewhat declined in value. Price's are worth la 3d, and other manufactures fetch Is 2d. They have been sold at auotion at Is OJd to Is Id. Neva are worth Is lsd to Is 2d, Soda Crystals : No alteration from last week. Salt : It may be quoted at from £8 to £8 10s. Fish: No alteration from last week— may b* quoted at 5Jd. Colza : French refined, 6s 8d per gallon, in oue j common colza, in drums, 5s 9d to 6s. Kerosine : Large stock on hand ; 200 emm wero sold last week at 2s Bsd ta 2s 9d, and, except for small lots, this may be considered a criterion price. Linseed .Oil : 5s 8d to 6s. Oats: Plentiful supply of feed oati in tbe market, worth 3s 3d to 3s 6d ; seed may be quoted at from, 8s 6d to 4*. A small lot of fted oat» was lold a,t auotion at the prices we quote. Maize : Good Sydney maize realiiei from 4s to 4s 6d. There is scarcely any New Zealand in the market. Dried Fruits: Prices may be quoted without alteration from last week. Hops : Duty-paid are worth 2i to 2s 6d ; malt, 10a to 10s 6d ; malting barley, 5s 6d, oash. Tobacco : Plenty of common tobacco in the market. Good cavendish maintains its price, and may still be quoted at Is 3d ; tens, cavendish, common to medium, B<l to Is j negrohead twist, Is 4d j aromatic and gold leaf, 2s 6d ; Manila cigars are worth 755, in bond, Hay : Oaten pressed hay it worth from $5 to £6 j meadow, £5, Wool ; Wool is now out of season. Hides : Eides are worth from 5s to 12s, and iheep* skins at from 6,d to Is 9d. Prices are generally firm. Good heavy especially are in demand, and those from 451b. to 601b, are worth lOi. Yearling fetch ss. Leather : The market is fully supplied with this commodity from local tanneries ; prices same as last quoted : Colonial sole, lOd to Is ; Sydney sole, 14d j calfskins (colonial), 4s to 4s 6d ; French, 5s to 6s 6d. Kip : Colonial, Is 4d to 2s ; cordovan, 3s 6d to 4s j basils, from 12s 6d to 14s ; coloured roans, 5s each j harness leather, 14d. Tallow : Fair demand for local use. Worth 30s to 34s per cwt. Good mutton, 37s per owt. Bones : May be quoted *t £4, and bonedust (fine) at £9. Coal : Prices («s advertised) are merely nominal as during the past week. All kinds have been un* procurable. The Customs duties collected at this port amount toiday to £304 2s 56, as follows: Duties,£27o 14s Id; light dues, £28 3s; arms fees, 8s ; port charges, £4 17s 4d. Mr. Davis held a sal* of fruita, &0., ex < Eagle, 1 from Rorotonga, including oranges, bananas, pins* apples, arrowroot, &o. There was a large attendance of buyers, and considerable competition. The following prices were realised : — Oranges, Is 4d to Is 6d per dozen (excellent sample) ; pineapples, 12s } dried bananas, 6d per lb.