COMMERCIAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXIII, Issue 7563, 30 May 1885, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

Lyttelton Times Office, Friday Evening. The week just closed has not been characterised hy any special activity in the import market. ■Business in most lines of Roods has been very quiet, and transactions have been of the sorting up order. During the week deliveries of kerosene hare been considerable, but this is in contrast to tti«« demand for most items of merchandise. The week has seen the arrival of the s.s. Tongariro, several heavy lines of whose cargo have been eold to arrive. Extended Mauritius advices have come to hand by the French mail steamer. Best whites and yellows were very scarce. The only vessel then loading for this port was the Jasper. The sales of sugar ex the vessel close at hand have been extensive. Holders of spot lots of whites are firm 4n asking full rites for the best descriptions. Teas are not in overstock, particularly in the medium grades. Syrup has only seen moderate sales lately. The dearth of salt lately has been relieved by the arrival of sundry parcels coastwise. Soda crystals have been out of stock almost, for seme time, and distributors have had to draw supplies from the neighbouring Colonies. Candles sell fairly well at the reduced values. Van Houten's cocoa has only had moderate enquiry. Prices for this line are cut to the lowest at present. Tobacco during the week has been taken chiefly in trade lots. Sales of light work to arrive have been made in quantity. The demand for bluestone has, up to the present, been weak. The price is not now so strong. Vestas, both 1000’s and 250’s, sell at late rates. Lea and Perrins’ half-pints sauce are in short supply. The agents of Mellor’s report a fair enquiry both for spot parcels and shipments ex ship. Oilmen’s stores show only an indifferent enquiry. Carbonate soda and tartaric acid sell slowly. Caustic soda is ■wanted, stocks running low. Dried fruits of all classes rule low. Tinned fish does not show any improvement in price or demand.

Galvanised iron is slow of sale, at £2llos to £22. Boiled and raw linseed oil maintain the increased cost. Parcels to arrive, per Soukar, have changed hands at Id to 2d less than is asked for spot lots. Cement has been sold, ex steamer, at 15s 6d to 16s, d.p. Invoices of assorted wire nails are saleable at 17s to 18s.' The timber yards report a moderate enquiry. Totora is difficult to procure, most of the mills being engaged with Government contracts for sleepers. The business in wines has been of a meagre character. What has transpired has been in the medium grades of ports and sherries. Champagnes and clarets are neglected, A better enquiry has been noticeable for rum. There has only been a limited trade in whiskey, both bulk and case. Bottled ales and stout have been delivered to the trade in fair quantities, at agents’ quotations. The arrival of the Soukar and Anne Berner is now looked for by consignees. The latter vessel is expected to get away from Dunedin in a day or two. The Nanphante, from Liverpool, via Auckland, should be hero very shortly, GRAIN AND PRODUCE. The week has elicited no improvement in either prices or volume in the grain trade. The cablegrams to hand lately, have had a depressing effect, and transactions have been even on a more restricted basis than the previous week, A large portion of tne grain coming down is still going into store for the present. Wheat.— Only a limited business has transpired. The few sales that have taken place in sound ssmides have been at 2s Cd to 2s fid; second quality, 2s 2d to 2s Id. Chick wheat is selling at Is 6d to 2s 2d, according to quality. Oats.—The market is unaltered In any respect. Prime nulling aro soleahleat Is fid to Is lOd, Feed parcels are quoted at Is fid to J« fid. Baelet.— Transactions have been fow. Borne small lines ofmedinm have Is/m taken l>y maltsters at 2s fid to 8» 3d. In the beat grmhrs the business has been limited. Beans a id Peas. —The former are quoted at 2s 4d to 2s Cd. The samples offering this season vary a good deal in quality. Prussian Blues, true to uiunc, clean, and not mixed, are wanted for shipmeat. Buyers offer 3s 5d to 3s Gd freely for them. Other TOrtS of peas ranged from 2s Od to Ss, according to condition. FLOBB.—Millerß report a fair enquiry. Prices remain at £8 to £8 10s, according to brand. i» UtUo doing in ryegrass.

transactions haying been confined to sales of clean sood ex store. Farmers’samples range from 2s 6d to 8s 3d. For extra quality, more money would be given. In cocksloot there is ahsolute;y nothing doing, Uairt Produce. —Butter sells at 9d to lOd; cheese, slow of sale, at 4d- to 4JU. CUSTOMS REVENUE. The following was the Customs revenue collected yesterday Spirits, £174 Os 2d; cigars, £37 16s 9d ; tobacco, £2 2s ; wine, £27 19s 6d ; tea, £23 ■sBU ; sugar, Is 8d; goods hy weight, £.31 17s 7d ; ml •jnfo'-c'ii, £3l 12s; other duties, £3ii; total, £369 16s 4d. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, report on the produce market for the week ending May 30 os follows: Wool. —Beyond “oddments,” there is no business locally. Cable advices state “ market unchanged.” Sheepskins. —The market was in full supply on Thursday. Prices were well maintained. We sold at auction, and privately, 1971 skins, and quote as follows: —Butchers’ cross-breds, 3s to 4s 5d ; butchers* merinos, 2a 9d to 3s 9d ; country skins. Is to 4s 8d; pelts, 6d to 9d : factory skins. 3s 9d to 4s fa. Tallow and Fat.—No alteration in values to reIDES. — Those were hold over till next week. Wheat. —Business during the week has beeu very sluggish, only prime parcels—of which there is little offering—being iu request. Hunters', pearl and velvet are quoted 2s 10d f.0.b.; prime Tuscan 2a 8d to 2s 9d f.o.b. Second qualities are dull of sale at Cd under above quotations. Chickwheat has ready sale at Is lOd to 2a 2d f.o.b. Oats.— The enquiry continues good for prime short feed and bright milling. Discoloured lines have had a slight demand during the week. There is no change iu values, Bahley.— There is no business transpiring.

Daiby Produce.— Butter has had a fairamonnt of enquiry at late rates. Oheeto—Small sizes, viz., from It lb to 301 b, are most in request; larger sizes are hard to quit. Wo quote for the former 4d to s’d. and the latter 3id to 4d. Potatoes.— There is a slightly easier feeling as regards this product, although quotations remain unaltered.

The New Zealand Farmers’ Co-operative Association op ' Canterbury, Limited, report for the week ending Friday, May 29:—The grain market has seen no improvement during the woob, and but little has been done. Prime wheat is taken at quotations by millers, but there is no outside enquiry. Potatoes have declined in value. Butter, slightly salted, commands full rates, if packed iu tho Sydney firkin. The following are our quotations, being prices paid to farmers, and not applicable to lines ex warehouse:—Wheat. — Prime milling, to 2s lOd; second quality, 2s to 2s 6d, f.o.b. Oats.—Heavy feed and milling. Is 9d to Is 10d j fair feed. Is 7d to Is Bd, f.o.b. Barley.— Malting, 3s 3d to 3s 9d ; inferior nominal. Grass Seed. —Kyo, farmers’ cleaned, 2s 3d to 3s 3d ; cocksfoot, 3}d to 3fcd; discoloured, 2d to 2}d. Peas. — Ss to Ss 6d, f.o.b. Beans. —2s 4d to 2s Gd. f.o.b. Butter.—Really prime, lOd. Cheese.—4d to 4)d, Potatoes. - 455, f.0.b., sacks iu.

Messrs Matson, Bess and Co. yesterday submitted several town and rural sections, situated in Kaiapoi and Ohoka. There was a fair attendance, but very few buyers. Some sections fronting on Haven were bought in at £do per quarteracre. A large house, with land, in High street was knocked down to Mr C. Hansen for £230, and a house and quarter-aero, lately in the occupation of Mr Montague Smith, reached £255, The Ohoka property was bought in at an average of £3O per acre. COBN EXCHANGE. The following is tho report for the week ending Friday, .May 28 : Pew transactions have taken place during the past week, owing to the holidays. Prices remain much the same, with the exception of potatoes, which, in consequence of a drop in the Sydney market, have slightly receded here. Large quantities of wheat are still coming forward on growers' account, most of which, unfortunately, is going into store. Eeally prime parcels find buyers for local consumption afld intercolonial orders, bnt, outside this there is scarcely anything doing. Oats are much the same as last week, there being only a medium demand for inferior or discoloured samples, while there is a fair enquiry for really good, bright and heavy milling. Barley is still quiet, and very few parcels have changed hands. There is a fair enquiry for clean farmers’ parcels of ryegrass for spring sowing. A keen demand exists for Prussian blue peas, while beans ore almost neglected. Quotations are ns follow : Wheat. —Prime milling, 2s 8d to 2s lOd; second quality, 2s 2d to 2s tid; fowls' wheat, Is bd to 2s, f.o.b. Oats. —Heavy bright feed and milling Is 8d to Is lOd ; inferior end discoloured, Is 4d to Is fid, f.o.b. Bablet. Good malting, 3s Cd to 3s 6d; second class, 2s 9d to 3s 3d ; feed, Is Od to 2s, Chiistchnrch. Gbabs Seed. —Clean farmers’ parcels, 2s 9d to 3s 3d; machine dressed, 4s to 4a 3d. f.o.b. Cocksfoot. —Bright seed, 3Jd to 3ld, f.o.b. Peas. — Prussian blue, true to name, 3s Od; feed, 2s 4d to 2s 6d, f.o.b. Beans.—2s 6d to 2s 7d, f.o.b. Potatoes, —32s 6d to Sss, at country stations within 12 miles of Christchurch. Dairy Produce. — Butter, 9id to lOd. Cheese, aid to 4|d f.o.b. The National Mortgage and Agenct Company op New Zealand, Limited, report on the live stock market for the week ending Friday, May 29, as follows:—At the Addington Yards on Wednesday, May 27, 3357 sheep were penned. The supply of fat sheep was a very small one, not qnre half an average entry being yarded. Notwithstanding the small entry there was no improvement on lost week’s prices, the average rate ruling being about IJd per lb, best mutton up to about 2d per lb. Prime cross-bred wethers made 14s, 14s 9d, 15s 6d, and a few very prime, heavy weights, 16s j good medium, 12s to 12s 8d ; mixed sexes, 9s 3d, 10s 3d, lie 3d, to 13s ; fat cross-bred ewes, Os 6d, 10s, Us, to 12s 3d; merino wethers, 6s to 7s 9d; inferior, 4s 6d to 6s. The store sheep market was poorly supplied, with a dull *ale. Cross-bred wethers sold at 10s 6d; do ewes, as 6d; cross-bred lambs, 7s 4d. Cattle—236 head yarded. In accordance with the new regulations tho solo of fat cattle commenced at 8 a.m. Undoubtedly this is to the advantage of vendors, as although »e cannot quote any increase in values, sales were effected much more readily, prices ruling from 16s to 18s per 1001 b. Pigs—326 penned. .Every line entered changed hands at prices nearly equal to last week’s rates, light bacon pigs and stores being a little eitsier. On Thursday, May 28, we held a clearing sale of dairy stock, &0., for Mr Adams, Harewool road. There was a large attendance, and out of nu entry of over 70 head dairy cattle, nearly every lot changed hands at good prices. Cows in profit made from £5 up to £9 15s; springers, £4 15s, £5, £6, £7 10s, np to £lO 10s, and one very choice Ayrshire, £l3 lus.