COMMERCIAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 3205, 22 April 1871, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Lyttelton Times Office, i Friday Evening. 1 We cannot report any improvement in 1 business daring the week as merchants were waiting for their English correspondence. • The intelligence to hand, however, has had little or no effect on values. Generally, stocks are held with a considerable amount of firmness, and we note that a large 1 proportion of the Crusader’s shipments have been quitted at fairly maintained rates, so that the arrival of the Norma is now looked forward to with some interest. There has been an active demand noticeable for kerosine, and ■ales of trade parcels are now being made at 3s 7d to 3s Bd, while larger lines have been offering at a slight concession on these quotations. Candles continue in request, but no change has transpired iu values which are still quoted atllfdto Is. Small shipments of teas continue to arrive from Melbourne, which tend to keep down quotations, and first houses generally have been doing a very unsatisfactory business. Sugars are somewhat scarce, as all the recent shipments have gone into the hands of the retailers, bnt the supplies which are daily expected from the Mauritius have kept back orders that would Ihftvo gone forward to Melbourne and Dune--din. Several parcels of galvanised iron have arrived from Dnnedm, which has had the effect of easing local quotations, as we believe it has been landed in Christchurch at a lower price than we can impo*t it direct. Few inquiries can be noted for cement. The market, however, is only moderately supplied. Slates find some favour, and several sales bave transpired at prices that should have the effect of strengthening values; stocks are. ample for the present. Owing to small sup plies of stout held, quotations for favourite brands have advanced to 12s, and even as high as 12s fid up to 12s 9d has been- given < for quarts; stout in pints is less saleable at ■7s 3dto 7s fid: There is very little doing in bottled ale, as' the consumption during the, winter months is very limited. Dried fruits : are anything but active; quotations show little change. Sales of prime new currants •; art being made at SJd to; 5 id. Figs and .jouscatels have been disposed of at moderate prices. Corusacks have been dealt in more ■freely at 14s 4d to I4s fid ; holders seem less ' anxious to quit. Early in the week wheat was in active re- , quest, and very high prices were given, , but since the arrival of the Sau Francisco and Melbourne mails, purchasers bave been chary in. operating, as a great proportion of the wheat was bought in anticipation of an advance in the English market. Holders of stored sample* will not accept less than 4s 6d, which has been paid iu several instances, while for forward delivery we now quote 4s 2d.to.4s.Sd. Flour remains in good request • for local purposes at £l3. The demand for 1 bats is 1 fully sustained, and heavy parcels change hands daily; bright potato oats are “. fetching in store 2s 3jd to- 2s 4£d, and for * future 1 delivery 2s 2d to 2s ’3d is noted; Recently Tartarian have not been commanding so much notice, although no actual altera; ion j-hbs; taken place in price. Stored lines are 'offering from 2s to 2s Id, and for farmers’ ' parcels Is 10d up to 2s is the market value. Barley remains in the same position as noted in la6t week’s report. ' Good bright malting samples are scarce at 3s 6d; medium ditto, 2s fid to 2s lOd, while inferior ranges from is '3? 93 to 2s 3d. . ■

Provisions.—There hu been an active demand experienced for butter during the last few days, principally tor the West Coast market; prime butter fit for export has been quitted with little difficulty at 6jd, _ and several holders are not inclined to quit at this figure. Cheese has been attracting but little attention at 4|d to 4jd. No new cures of hams and oacon are yet in the market. STOCK AND STATION REPOST. The boisterous weather in the early part of the week interfered materially with the stock market, but, notwithstanding this, a considerable amount of business has been transacted in store sheep, chiefiy ewes, for crossing with long-woolled rams. The seaseason, however, is nearly over for this description of business, and iaS ’ buyers are mostly supplied, prices have become easier, and they may now be quoted at from Is 6d to 2s 6d for aged Merino ewes. ; Good, fat wethers, if cross-bred, command high prices, 12s having been given for some at Smithfield Yards on Wednesday. For Merino wethers there is no demand whatever, as neither the the butchers nor the dealers will Hook at them whilst cross-breds are obtainable. Under these circumstances the only opening for them is the meat-preserving establishment, and rnnholders will do well to look .to this, as the number of cross-bred sheep is increasing enormously, and, consequently, Merinos will inevitably be driven out of the market entirely in another year or so. In cattle we bare no change to report. Prime beef stands at 20s per lOOlbs. Nothing but prime in demand. The Customs revenue collected at Christchurch and Lyttelton to-day amounted to £B6 Is Od. The following were the items:— Wine, 28i gals, 1 sample, £6 15s lid; sugar, 1028 lbs, £4 5s 8d; tobacco, 118 lbs, £l4 Ifis; chinaware, 4 hbds, £4 13s 4d; cofnsacks, 20 bales, £26 2s 6d; woollen drapery, 2 cases, £l9 2s lid.

Auckland. —The Southern Cross of April 16 reports:—ln breadstuffs there is no change. Flour is quoted at the mills at from £l9 to £ls. Imported Adelaide flour has been sold at £ls. Canterbury wheat has advanced to 5s 6d, at which price it is at present moderately firm. Adelaide and Auckland wheat is worth 6s 6d; we have heard of a small parcel of the latter which came in during the week, and was disposed of at a price equal to the full quotation given for Adelaide grain. Our imports of breadstuffs have been confined to shipments received, by the Novelty and Emma Jane. The former vessel brought 6(1 tons of flour and 63 tons of wheat from Sydney. We hare been unable to ascertain the precise amount landed from the Emma Jane, as a portion of her cargo was thrown overboard during a storm encountered on her passage from Oamaru. Her manifest shows shipments to the extent of 441 bags wheat, 70! bags oats, and 290 bags flour. Mr 6. W. Binney held a sale of wheat and flour on Wednesday, but beyond the disposal of some damaged Canterbury flour, no sales were effected. He succeeded, however, at the same sale in quitting Kaiapoi cheese at 7d, and White’s Canterbury bacon at lOd per lb. Produce generally is dull. At auction, potato. s were sold at 2s 9d to Ss 3d per cwt; onions, Id to IJd per lb; Wairoa cheese, 3d to 5d per lb; bacon, 5d per lb. A sale of hidrs, wool, and flax, held yesterday at the Haymarket, was thinly attended, but good prices ruled throughout. Salted hides brought 3fd the lb; sheepskins, 2|d to 3jd the lb; wool in grease, 5d to 7|d ; washed, BJd to lojd; scoured, ll£d the lb. The flax offered at auction was of medium quality only: it brought from £ll 10s to £ls 10a the ton, with the exception of one lot inferior, which sold for £6 los. Tow, £3 10s to £4. Flax of a better quality is selling freely at prices varying from £l6 10s to £2O.

ENGLISH COMMERCIAL. Wool, Messrs Miles, Bros, and Co. report as follows under date London, Feb. 21 ; The first series of sales for the present year comme ced on the 3rd inst,, and with a good attendance of Home buyers. Foreign com petitors were rather more numerous than at the last sales, and their numbers have lately increased owing to the probability of peace, and they have purchased rather more freely. Present prices are about on an average with those ruling at the October sales, but if any alteration be noticeable they are slightly firmer. Snow white Capes and Austrians are dearer. We trust that peace will shortly be arranged between France and Germany, when we shall look forward to an improvement. in our market. The fresh arrivals at the opening were—New South Wales and Queensland, 13,716 ; Victoria, 21,656 ; South Australia, 13,941; West Australia, 998; Tasmania, 573 ; New Zealand, 3557 ; Cape of Good Hope, 19,052. Total, 76,483 bales, and about 40,000 held over. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company (Limited) report as follows on February 24 : —The first series of wool sales of the year, which have been in progress since the 3rd, will close on the 27th instant. To this date 102,648 bales have passed the hammer out of a total originally stated at 120,000 bates odd ; but of these some small proportion (principally Sydney wool) has been withdrawn. The wool still remaining to be catalogued will bring the quantity considerably in excess of the above total, the difference being represented by old stock held over in second hands. The advance of Id per lb established at the opening sales has in particular descriptions—notably Capes and all kinds of scoured wools—been so far firmly maintained, while in others, particularly Sydney fleeces and middle-class i.io'hing Port Philips, a weaker tendency has been latterly distinctly noticeable, and the improvement in a great measure lost. The Bradford demand for good sound combing fleeces has remained very steady at full prices, but hardly exceeding the best rates current for similar descriptions in November. During the last few days the prospect of a peaceful settlement of the Prussian campaign has attracted an increased number of French buyers to our market, but the only consequent influence has been a slight-improver meat in, greasy wools of Australian production. The quantity of New Zealand wool offered in this series has been very small, and with the exception of one or two good flocks held over from November, the selection very p >or. Bxbapstotfb. Messrs Miles Bros, and Co. report on; Feb. 21:—The'present value of Australian; and New Zealand wheat here would be from 58s to 62s 4961b5, according to quality; and of flour, from 38s to 41s 280 lbs. The capi- . tulation of Paris, and the armistice between the French and German troops, have not> affected the price of wheat materially, hut; flour rose about 48 per sack, as the first French wants were for flour for immediate’ delivery, but as these were soon supplied from stock on band - here and atthe outports,; i : this rise was lost to the extent of 2s perl ■ sack. As soon as peace is settled, we ex ect ; i: to. flnd a considerable demand from Prance; [ and Belgium:- ; The New Zealand Loan snd Mercantile; ! Agency Company (Limited), report on Feb.; i 24:—Craving reference to our market report; ; of date 4th January’last, we have to remark; that the capitulation of Paris, with an armia-l , tice of several weeks, caused enormous pur-: [ chases of English and American flour', and; ■ some wheat and-oats, to be made at this mar-J : ket, as well ap at all the. principal shipping ■ ports, the consequence of which huts been to] E nearly, clear away ‘ all' available Stocks of ) foreign flour, and to relieve milhrs of their , accumulations, awaiting the above-mentioned j event. Large purchased were likewise inada t in America,.to be sent forward As quickly as r possible. The French Belief Fund, in the j hands of the Lord Mayor,prders .fr< m the i French - Government, and.speculative'Jpuxt r chases of private ;flrmfl (I came into operation - simultaneously, causing prices to rise here I from 37s :,6d P£T; sack of 280 lbs, on good i English country flour, to .41a f.o.b, and on e American barrels from 27s 6d to 3)s 6d per i* 196 lbs. Wheat rose about 2s per quarter >. only, as our .millers, have qot shown any d anxiety to replace’what they have sold in the y shapeof flaur, / kno i wTngjthatthey could do so s at any'time while’'the ptesent largtf'Tleet of, s wheat cargoes from the Black Sea, &c,, was cl undisposed of, . Had it not been for the

French demand, prices of wheat would probably have fallen to the some extent as the dee. This feet, which has so long been held as a “god ” over the trade, has been divided, * and arrives la sufficient batches to rather .over supply the demand, and keep our WAN lets in an inanimate state, The immMttto requirements of Paris have been amplyjprovldod for, but after a few weeks this large city, and all the eastern, north and south-eaitern districts of France will again need great lood assistance, and we therefore look presently to a more lively business here, with better prices than those now current, which are about 2s per sack and per barrel lower than the extreme rates lately paid for flour, and Is for wheat. The present value of Californian wheat hare would be 69s to 60s. per 496 Ibl, while arrived cargoes sell at 68s to 69s per 500 lbs elf. Australian and Now Zealand wheat would make here from 68s to 63s per 496 lbs, according to quality, and flopr from 40s to 43s Australian, ana 38s to 4ls New Zealand. With the exception of the abovenamed fleet, foreign supplies to the U.K. have been small. Flax. Messrs Miles Bros, and Co. report on Feb. 21:—Since our last advices there has been a fair demand for roost descriptions. At public sales on the 15th inst, 976 bales were offered, end 607 bales were sold, but the parcels consisted principally of old stocks of bad quality. Dealers are bolding for higher prices. Stock on hand, about 1150 tons. Parcels have been disposed of at from £l4 to £22 10s per ton. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company (Limited) report on Feb. 94:—Operations in this fibre during the past month have been exceedingly limited, and we regret to have to report unfavourably of. the market. Since our issue of 24th ult, less than 500 bales have been sold by private contract; whileout .of a total of 2490 bajes offered at public auction only one-half was sold, notwith tending that holders were in some cases disposed to accept lower rites, even to the extent of about 40s per ton. The general quality, however, of the flax offered has been very poor, and it is fair to infer therefore that really first-class well cleaned flax has not suffered, and that it would doubtless realise within a trifle of the rates current s month ago. Tow is not in good demand, only 20 bales having been sold at £l2 15s to £l4 per ton out-of 63 bales offered publicly. The following are the rates realised at the last sales of flax, namely:—£l4 to £l6 Ids for half-dressed; £l7 16s for half to threefourths; £l9 16s to £22 10s for three-quarter dressed; and £23 to £24 5s for.fairly.cleaned. There is a further falling off in the deliveries last month, which amount, according to the dock and wharf returns, to 213 tons against 422 tens in December, and. 916 tons in November. Messrs G. and J. Noble report the following sales of Canterbury flax:— Ex Jessie Re adman.— FF, 1 bale sea dam. cl 1, £ls ss. ■ £x England. —BWF, 13 bales sound, £2O; Shales sea dam. cl 1, £18; 5 bales do, cl 3 and 4, £l2. Ex Casucbus. —JC, 4 bales sound, £2O. JCMx, 1 bale sea dam. cl 1, £lO. No mark, 1 bale with all faults, £lO. Ex Christian M'Adsland.— No mark, 1 bale sea dam. and repacked; £ll. B WSF, 4 bales sound, £22 108. Ex Kaxsat.—EK, 15 bales, £24 15a; 7 bales sea dam. cl 1, £24; 5 bales do,cl 2, £22; 8 bales do, cl 3-4 ,£l4 ss. MMM, 2 bales sea dam, cl 1, £l6. LSF, 9 bales sound, £25; 6: bales sea dam. cl 1, £24; 2 bales do, cl 2, £2O; 2 bales do, cl 3, £ls; 1 bale do, cl 4, £ll 10s; I bale half rotten, all at 355. North Road Mill, 16 bales sound, £2l; 16 bales sea dam. el l, £l9; 5 bales do, cl 2, £l6; 1 bale do, cl 4, £B. Flaxboutne Mills, 18 bales sound, £2l 15s; 10 bales sea dam. cl 1, £2O 10s; 5 bales do, cl 2, £l7 ; 4 bales do, cl 3, £l4. No Mark--10 bales sound, £l6 10a ; 42 bales do, £l7 6s; 20 bales sea dam cl 1, £l6 5s ; 12 bales do, cl 2, £l4 15s; 4 bales do, cl 3, £lO Ids ; 4 bales do, cl 4, £9 6s; 1 bale half rotten, all at 9s. XXX 7 bales sound, £26. OK—5 bales sea dam. cl 1, £23 10s; 2 bales do, cl 2, £2 J; 6 bales do, cl 3, £l6 10s. JO — 1 bale sea dam. cl 2, £2O. IJ—5 bales sea dam, cl 1, £ls ss; 6 bales do, cl 2, £l4 16s ; 2 bales do, cl 4, £lO 16s. B&W, 54 bales sound, £22 10s. Nos. 1,118. rope bound, 25 bales, sea dam. cl I, £2O 10s; 15 bales, sea dam. cl 2,. £lB 10s.; 18 bales, sea dam. cl 3, £l6 15s ; 1 bale, sek& oil dam. 01 3,3 bales; sea dam. cl 4, £l3 15 s ; 5 bales, sea dam. and half rotten, all at £7 12. B&W, 56 bales, sound, £22 10s. Nos. 119, 215; iron bound, 30 bales, repkd, £22. B&W, 10 Shales, sea dam. cl 1, £2O 10s; 8 bales, "sea dam. cl 2, £lB 10s; 2 bales, sea dam. cl 4, £l3 Ss ; 1 bale, sea dam, and half rotten, all at £1 10s; 1 bale, sea dam. cl 4, £I2 ss; iron bound, 1 bale, sea dam. cl 3, £l3 16s. JC, 14 bales, sound, £25 ; 2 bales,-sea dam. cl 2, £2l; 6 bales, cl 3, £l6 10s. No mark, 3 bales, sound, £23 ; 1 bale, sea dam. cl 3, £ls 10s, loose £2O; 2 bales, repkd, £2O Ss ; 6 bales, repkd, £lB 5s ; 4 bales, repkd, £l6 ; 2 bales, repkd, £2l ss; 1 bale, sea dam. cl 1, £2O; 2 bales, sea dam. cl 4, £l3 ss. Eft, 4 bales, sea dam. cl 1, £22 IS ; 2 bales sea dam, el 2, £2O; 1 bale sea dam. cl 3, £l6 10s; 3 bales sea dam. and repacked, £l4. SF under B&W, 9 bales sound, £2l; 3 bales sea dam. cl I,’ £2O; 2 bales sea dam. cl 2, £l7. No mark, 3 bales repacked, £2O. B&W SF under, 13 bales sound, £2l; 6 bales sea dam. cl I, £2O. B&W, 1 bale sea dam. half rotten, all at 14s. JM, 2 bales sound, £l9 I6s; 2 bales sea dam, cl 2, and 1 bale sea dam, cl 3, £ls 15s. No mark, 1 bale repacked and 1 bale sea dam. cl 1, £l6 15s.

Tallow and Hides. Messrs Miles, Brothers, and Go, report on Feb. 21 The tallow market has been quiet lately, and prices have receded, the present value of good to fine New Zealand mutton being 42s 6d to 43s 6d, and good to fine beef tallow, 40s 9d to 41s 3d. Hides are firm, and the present value of both heavy and light is 9d to s(d per lb. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company (Limited) report on Feb. 24:—The transactions in the tallow market during the past month have had a tendency to lower rates in consequence of. speculators for a rise in March, seeing the little effect the capitulation of Paris bad in’ raising prices, selling, and being met by little disposition on the part of buyers to go into the article, a moderate price was accepted, and a decline of £1 per ton has resulted. This baa to a like extent affected .colonial produce, and the weekly purchases have fallen off from 1537 to 600 casks last Friday. Peace is still regarded as a good omen for tallow ; and as soon as the continent takes supplies from our market we Shall . .no doubt improve. Since the 21th January, 6835 casks of Australian tallow have been offered, and 3287 casks sold at public sale, at prices ranging, from 44a 9d to 36s for mutton, and 42s to 34s 3d for beef. jHere to-day the value of Australian mutton, 'fine is4'4s, medium 435, low 38s to 42s ; beef, fine 428, low 40s to 365. The shipments to this market from Australia %r the month of December were 3200 casks, making BUOb casks afloat thence to this market.