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

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVII, Issue 4199, 28 January 1871, Page 2

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

The most notable events of the past week in commercial matters are the heavy losaes sustained by fire. The destruction of 25,0002. worth of merchandise, chiefly colonial produce, in the burning of the ship ' City of Auckland,' must affect in a degree export business, and the fact that a portion of the cargo was uninsured will have a depressing influence on the money market, which is already excessively tight. 1,400£. was lost to the New Zealand Insurance Company by the destruction of the Music Hall yesterday morning, and that sum will not cover completely the damage caused. The burning of Archard and Brown's kerosine Btore, with almost the whole of our kerosine stocks, has caused an advance in lamp oils and candles, which have still an upward tendency. Kerosine has risen from 3s 9d to 8s per gallon, and sperm candles are firm at Is per lb. In other departments we have but little change to note. Tea of all qualities is fully supplied ; for ratien there is no demand ; good congous, in half-chests, sell at Is 3d to Is 5d ; and in boxes, Is 3d to Is 6d, in bond. Sugar iB plentiful ; white Mauritius, duty-paid, fetches 491. per ton, and yellow 43Z. 10s; Honolulu brown, 412. Rice and pearl barley are scarce, the former bringing 30£, and the latter 372. per ton. Stocks of pickles are also small ; for Morton's and Whybrow's,l2s 6d is readily obtainable, while inferior brands bring 10s. Sauces are slow of sale ; Lea and Pernn's is selling at 13s 6d, and Morton's at 9s 6d. Lobster is almost unattainable, and brings 12s. Thequestionof initiating new local industries being at this time strongly advocated, we would suggest to our fishermen the possibility of placing potted crayfish into the market, as a competitor to the imported lobster. Salmon 29 in fair supply, afc 12s 8d ; fmt tbe market is extremely bare of sardines ; halves bring 12«, and quarters Bs. For good brands of Hobart Town jam, 7s 6d is obtainable ; a shipment ex ' Bella Mary* is now overdue. We hope, however, this autumn to Boe these jams meet a keen competition by preserved fruits of our own growing ; if settlers would pay more attention to such matters as these, there being almost invariably a good market, they would reap considerable advantage personally, besides contributing to the general wtalth of the oountr^" by increasing its marketable productions, J'onrJ '0nr wpply of currants ia completely exhausted, and they are now quoted at 74d. Elem* raisins are in good iopply at 64d ; muscatels are scarce, and bnng from Is to Is Id ; figs, no demand. Wines and spirits are without material alteration. The supply of rum is scarcely equal to requirements ; for 30 0.p., in bond, holders ask 4s to 4s 3d per gallon. Hennessy's and Martell's brandy brings 8s ; Scotch whiskey is salable at 5s 6d to 5s 9d ; for Irish there is no demand ; old torn, 4s 6d. For Hennessy'a and Martell's brandy, in case, 3ls is wked; Associated, 245. Geneva, JDKZ, 13s 6d ; anchor brand, 12s ; old torn, 13s 6d. Good port wine is salable at from 7s to 10s. The market is glutted with sherry, and for Australian there is no inquiry, but prices remain at 10s. Breadstuff's remain unaltered. At auction, on Monday, barley was sold at from 2s 6d to 3s Id per bushel ; oata, 2s 6d'to 2s lOd per bushel ; and pollard, 61 per ton. Dairy produce shows bot little improvement in value. Maize has advanced 6d, and the fnling price is now from 5s 6d to 5» 9d. Flour mnalUred. Imports daring the week hare been almost -wholly confined to pr<mnci«l coast trade. »

Monday, brought. 30 sacks pollard, 183 sacks wheat, 257 sacks barley, and 299 sacks flour. Our exports include the cargoes of the 'James Paterson,' 'Hero,' and 'Kate,' for Sydney ; the « Lord Ashley for the South ; and the 'Timaru for London. By the ' Jameß Paterson and 'Kate,* 58 balas flax and 39 bales tow were shipped to Sydney ; and the ' Hero' was the bearer of 18 boxes of gold on account of the banks. The •TimaruV cargo was valued at 30,2202., of which 26, 106 Z. was local produce. We are glad to notice in the c argo list 48 kegs and 20 casks butter, valued at 134 Z. There is no doubt that this province is now in a position to ejcport large quantities of butter, and we hope the venture of sending it to the home market \>pi\\ pTtyro TemvmsvKttoo. We hare much pbeoßHiTß 5» nDtics»g the report presented at the annual meeting of the Ruranui Goldmining Company on Wednesday. It will serve, we should think, to settle some of the croakings regarding the patchiness of the Thames reefs. The Kuranui is a mine which has l^een worked from the first opening of the field, and has never ceased to yield handsome dividends during the time that has intervened since that date. The stability of a company can scarcely be doubted considering that it has, in the course of one year, paid a debt of 4,0022. 4s. 4d , besides paying dividends to the amount of 18.247 J. 10s , and leaving a balance in hand of 746?. 10s., clear of all expenses. The half-yearly meeting of the Shotover Goldmining Company was held to-day, when a satisfactory report was presented. After paying all expenses, a balance of 2,230£. remains to the credit of the company. Messrs. Samuel Cochrane and Son sold at I their auction mart, to-day, a quan-ity of household, furaifcure, &c. The following were the prices realised ; — Drawing-room, suite, 301 ; wmdovr cornices and hangings, 34a.; walnut pianoforte, 201. ; sewing-machines, from 11. 12s 6d to 4.1. ; English hams,Bd.per lb.