COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1364, 31 March 1868, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

AUCKTAND. New Zealand Herald office Monday afternoon. The Customs revenue collected to-day was as follows :—Duties, £346 4s lid ; light dues, £5 3s Od : arms fees, ss; port charges, £1 ss9d; total—£3s2 18s Bd.

LONDON. January 25. Leather.—At Isst auction of 200 hales (containing 6993 sides) Australian the greater part sold at higher prices, best average 12| to 16J lb. at IOJd. to lid., seconds 12£ to 14£ lb. at 9Jd. to lOid. ; of 27 bales (8974) Basils one-half sold, 10 to llf lb. at7Jd. to Bd. per lb. Sugar.— Buyers do not act freely, although pricei generally 6d. to Is. per owt. lower than a month ago, and the market has a very quiet tone. Coffeee. —The auctions this year have so far been light in comparison to the quantity brought forward, and although further cargoes of Ceylon have arrived, and fresh shipments advised are rather heavy, most descriptions have sold more readily on previous torms, but especially the superior qualities. Corn.—There have been small suplies of English wheat at market, the finer samples of which were taken off at an advance of about 3s per quarter ; secondary parcels met with less attention, but were la to 2s per quarter dearer. Foreign wheat was held at an improvement of 2s to 3s per quarter which rather checked sales, but a fair amount cf business was transacted at an advance of Is to 2s per quarter. Foreign flour, with a fair sale, advanced Is per sack and 6d per barrel. There waß an improved demand for both malting and grinding barley at an improvement in price of 6d to Is per quarter on both, descriptions. The oat trade is firmer, and the finer qualities in good request, and 6d per quarter higher. Linseed.—The effect of the large arrivals of Indian seed has been, as expected, to cause a decline in the v-lue. For Calcutta 66s has been accepted, and at this price there are still sellers, a further reduotion being generally anticipated. Black Sea now shipping is quoted at 655, and summer shipments at 61s per quarter. Rape seed, from the extent of recent supplies, has also experienced a reduction in value. Other Oil Seeds.—Cotton seed is in small supply, and for a cargo off the coast £9 10s ha 3 been refused. January cargoes are held at £9 to £9 2s 6d per ton. Linseed Cake has been less in demand, prices have favoured the buyer. Linseed Oil is more inquired for, and prices are firmer, 34s 9d being the value on the spot, while for January to March delivery 35s 6d has been paid. At Hull 34s to 34s 3d is quoted for spot oil, and 34s 9d for delivery up to June. Rape Oil.—A pressure of sales has reduced the value of English brown oil to 345, but at the close there are no sellers at 34s 3d, which price is freely offered. Refined sells well at 36s 6d for English, and 38s for foreign. Jute.—The market privately has been dull and only small sales transacted ; the first public sales for the year were held on Jan. 12, and comprised 6822 bales. The demand wbb dull, and the auctions consequently went off with little competition and at rather lower prices; about 32C0 bales having been disposed of at an average reduction of 5s to 10s per ton from the previous auctions in Doeetnber. Flax. —24 bales New Zealand have been sold at £30 to £30 15s. Tallow.—The spot demand has not been so good, and prices are 6d per cwt. lower. 1 own-melt is scarcer than it has been. The prompt of Jan. 15 was well met, nearly all the tallow being taken up, and but little was pressed on the market. For forward delivery the business has been small, at prices a little more in favour of buyers, both Maroh and OctoberDecember. Australian. —Jf 585 casks 327 casks found buyers; sheep, in hogsheads, good 43s 6d, middling coloured 42s 6d to 42s 9d, rather dark 42s to 4is 3d; beef, in hogsheads, fine 42s 3d to 42s 6d, one lot finer 42s 9d, rather dark 41s 6d to 425, good to fine, in casks, 41s 6d to 41s 9d, middling coloured 41s.

Metals.—A state of inactivity similar to that which has long characterised the market still prevails, but without further actual depression in prices. Tin.— The market has been quiet, but prices remain steady. No alteration has been officially declared in English, although purchases are made £3 per ton under smelters' quotations. A moderate business has been done in Straits on the spot at £87 cash. For arrival 10 tons December shipment at £88 10s. Tin-plates are more saleable at previous quotations. Spelter has Bhown some weakness, and not above £20 5s can bo quoted for common Sileaian and £20 for V and S. Lead.—The market is firm with a steady demand. Good common English pig £19 to £19 ss, Spanish £18 10s. Copper.—The market is firmer; Bales of English tough cake have been effected at £73 to £73 10s, sheets £78 to £79, Chili ingot £73, and 150 tons Chili bar have brought £69 for arrival Iron.— The condition of both the Welsh and Staffordshire trade continues unsatisfactory, in consequence of the dearth of orders. Scotch pig has declined to 51s 6 cash. ANNUAL REPORT ON WOOL. (From Mr. Helmuth Schwartze.) London, January, 1868. Two years ago the condition of the country appeared most prosperous; confidence was strong, trade flourished in its most important branches, and every day saw the launching of fresh commercial projects. The estimate the country made of its wealth was in acordance wi'h this state of things, and by it the general expenditure was shapeil—the enterprises regulated. If it were wrong, as events have proved it, a corresponding amount of business, bad as well as legitimate, was being transacted upon no foundation whatever, and had to fall to the ground the moment the existing semblance of a basis disappeared. That process commenced in May, 1866, when, with the suspension of Overend, Gurney, and Co , an important pilinr, supporting the general confidence, was withdrawn, and has for the last 20 months continued in tho failure of banking, railway, and other companiea, on a scale worthy of its great beginning. [ The whole wave of prosperity which—in the shape of trade, competition, increased prices, plentiful supply of work, and higher wages—the flood of imaginary wealth had poured over the country, has rolled back again, thereby impoverishing the masses, necessitating the abandonment of enterprises, throwing numbers out of work, and directing capital from grounds where it fructified into barren channels. Tho high prices of the necessaries of life have added to the weight of these disasters, while the one thing most Borely needed, confidence — always of slow growth—has not been able to take root again in times so uninterruptedly and perniciously agitated by political fears as the last twelve months have been. Money has stood low throughout the year : —From Jan. 1 to Feb. 7, at 3J per cent.; from Feb. 7 to May 30, at 3 per cent, ; from May 30 to July 25, at per cent. ; from July 25 to Dec. 31, at 2 per cent.— showing an average 2h per cent, against 2J per cent, in France, and against 7 per cent, in 1866, and 4f per cent, in 1865 ; but though cheap, has lain idle. The English wool trade has felt the effects of the general prostration in a consumption stationary in lieu of progressive, and in a consequent large decline in the value of the raw material and of goods. Supply and Consumption,—Th-3 supply of wool from the chief sources has been large :— From Australasia into England, 412,641 bales against 318,628 bales in 1868. From the Cape into England, 128,418 bales against 107,181 bales in 1866. From the River Plate into Europe, 192,989 bales against 152,354 bales in 1866. I

Making a total of 734,048 bales against 608,166 balc3 in 1866, or about 20j per c ,t. increase. The quantity left tor consumption in England will, nevertheless, be found to have remained about the same as in 1866, owing partly to a falling off of imports from other countries, bntmoßtly to the laigely increased exportß to the Continent. The total imports of wool into England for the first 11 months of the year were according to the Board of Trade returns, viz.:—212,041,735 lbs. in 1866, againßt 216,154,191 lbs. in 1867Estimated production of domestic wool for the year 1866, were 152,272.650 lbs. in 1866, against 170,545,3651b5. in 1867. The total production of wool for the year 1866 were 364,314,385 lbs., against 386,699,559 lbs. for 1867 The total exports of wool were for 1866, 67,938,029 lbs., against 90,254,225 lbs , for 1867. Total of wool left for home consumption in 1866, 296 376,356 lbs., against 296,445,334 lbs. in. 1867 ; or about the same each year. The exports of woollen manufactures and. yarns, £24,260'656 in the year 1567 against £24,511,402 in 1866, have remained the same ;n value, and probably also in quantity. ENG-LISH SHAHE MARKET.

GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. Paid. ClOSiUg Prices. N. S. 'Wales Government, 5 p. cent.j 1866, January and July 100 — Do., 5 percent., 1S71 to 18T6 lno 93 —100 Do., 5 p. cent., 1858 to 1895 ! 100 95£ — 96| New Zealand 6 per cent ! 100 105 — 1GJ, Do., 5 per cent 100 97 — 98 Queensland Government, 6 per cent., January and July 100 103 —104 S. Australian Government, 6 p. cent., 1878 and upwards i 10O 10T —109 Victoria Government, G per cent.,' April and October '109 111 —112 Shp-es. Bajn-ks. Paid. Closing Prices. 10 Bank of New Zealand ... 10 8 pm. 40 Australasia All 65 20 Bank of Otago 10 4J db. 100 Bank of Queensland ... 25 — 50 iBank of Victoria 25 — 20 iNew South Wales All 48 25 |Union of Australia ... All 51 Shares. Miscellaneous. Paid. Closing Prices. 25 Australian Agricultural Co. 20£ 1SJ 25 Australian Mortgage, Land ard Finance fi par. 50 Home & Colonial Assurance 5 4 dis. Stock North British Australasian (limited) 100 42 25 New Zealand Loan & Mer. Agency (lim.) ... ... ~i y pm. 25 N.Zealand Trust and Loan.. 5 li pm. 10 Otago and Southland Investment - par. 10 Panama, New Zealand, and Australian Mail All 5 5 Ditto All 2} Stock Scottish Australian Investment Co. .. 100 129 25 South Australian Land Co... All 37 10 Trust and Agency Company of Australasia 1 1 pm. 30 Van Dieiran's Land Co. ... 2S{ SJ