COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume IX, Issue 2520, 22 February 1872, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Nbw Zeaiand Herald Office, Wednesday afternoon.

Mr. Gr. W. Bitiuey held to-day, at his Corn Exchange, an ex'eusire sale of groceries, New Zealand produce, &c. Tho following are quotations : —Bell and Black's vestas, 6s 7d per gross ; ditto, round wood vestas, 6s lOd per gross ; pint pickles, 10s 8d per dozen ; quarts vinegar, 8s ljd per dozen ; claret, ex U ero, 12s 9d per dozen in bond, 2 tons bacon and hams, 3Jd per lb. ; peas, Id per lb ; cabin bread, 2d per lb ; fancy biscuits, 6id per lb. ; Peacock's jams, 6s 6d per dozen ; jars, sjd per lb. ; Hawkins' jams, 6s 10Jd per dozen.

THE SHARE MARKET. Mb. J. Newman's Report.—There was 30me excitement this morning in Caledonian, shares advancing to £17, but again receding to £i 6 ; other stocks about the same as beforo. My sales comprise : Caledonian, £16; Thames, £5 5s ; Inverness, 18s 6d ; Tookey, £10 and £10 10s. Sellers: Central Italy, 57s 6d; Pride of Tokatea, 8s ; Tookey, £10 10a.

Mb. J. M. Lennox's Repobt.—There was considerable activity in the share market today. Caledonian, Tookey, Thames, and Tokatea shares sold at a slight advance upon yesterday's quotations. My sales comprise:— Caledonian, £15 lGs to £16 10s; Thames, £5 ss; Tokatea, £2 7s 6d; Central Italy, £2 17s Gd ; Golden Calf, £2 12s 6d. Closing buyers : Caledonian, £16 ; Thames, £5 2s Gd ; Moanatairi, £2 10s ; Tokatea, £2 ss. Sellers : Caledonian, £16 10a; Thames, £5 7s Gd; Tokatea, £2 10s; Tookey, £10.

Mu. W. J. Hunt reports : —There was a better demand for leading stocks to day. Caledonian, £15 10s, £16; Thames, £5 sa; Moanatairi, 52s Gd ; Harbour Yiew, 12a Gd; Pacific, 4s Gd ; John Bull, 2s 9d to 3s. Closing sellers : Caledonian, £15 10a ; Thames, £5 5s ; Moanatairi, 555.

Ma. Cuaules Burton reports the 'market more active. Caledonian, £15, £16, to £16 10s, closing buyers £16 ; Thames. £5 5s to £5 7s 6d; All Nations, £5 15s; Inverness, 19s; Moanatairi, £2 12s 6d ; John Bull, 2s 9d ; Central Italy, 555; Golden Calf, 52s 6d. Enquiries for Bank and Gob shares.

Me. E. B. Robinson reports a slight reaction in Caledonian to-day ; everything else still very dull. I soldlnverness, 17a; City of Landon, 13s ; Moanatairi, 52s 6d. Market closed—Buyers : Caledonian, £16 ; Thames, £5; Tookey, £9; Inverness, 18s. Sellers: Caledonian, £16 10s ; Thames, £5 ss; Tookey, £10 2a 6d; Inverness, 20a; Moanatairi Union.

Mu. J. Mowbray reports sales thiß day :— Caledonian, £15, buyers £15; Thames, £5 ss, buyers £5 ; Tookey, £10, buyers £10 ; Pacific, 4s Gd. Buyers of Tookey, Moanatairi, and Long Drivo.

TlltAEtJ.—Tho Herald of Feb. 14, in its summary for England, reports :—We are glad to be ablo to chronicle a continuance of the improvement in the retail business noticed by us in our last commercial summary. Transactions in grain have commenced,, and we hear of purchases of wheat at 3s 6d, and some in oats at Is 8d to Is lOd. At the former price some 1500 bushels have changed handß, and the buyers inform us that they can get plenty at that figure. We think, however, that to tho sellers it must have been a matter of necessity, not choice, and that farmers will hold out for and obtain better rates than that, as soon as those who are obliged to sell at low pricca have sold out. Old flour (Wood's) is quoted at £14 per ton ; other brands, £12 to £13 ditto; sharps, £4 10s ditto ; bran, £3 ditto.

Nekon. —Tho drought of which we spoko last month broke on the 7th instant, when rain fell for about thirty-six hours. It came very timely to save a portion of the potatoe crop, and to ensure winter feed for stock ; but, wo regret to say, the heavy flood it caused in the Buller and Q-rey, and other West Coast rivers, did serious mischief. The townships of Westport and Greymouth, in particular, suffered soverely. As the weather has since continued fine, harvest must now be pretty well over, and if the crops are light, they will all have been well saved. The mining news of the month from the Buller district continues favorable, but although new reefs continue to bo found at the Inangs.hua and neighbourhood, it will bo a work of time to got machinery on the ground to crush the stone. Q-overnmcnt is doing what it can by constructing roads, to make the district accessible, but tho process is inevitably slow. The general state of trade remains unaltered.

A cargo of three hundred tons of sugar arrived opportunely from the Mauritius, a fortnight ago, when stocks were beginning to run short. There has been a slight decline in brandies and gin, but the prices of other imports remain unaltered. —Exaviiucv, February 17. . Otago.—The cargo of teas, ex Iris, from Foo Chow, was this afternoon submitted to public competition, afc the rooms of Messrs. M'Landress, Hepburn and Co., the shipment proving a fairly selected lot for the require ments of this market. A fair amount of business was got through, the Bfcato of stocks, however, necessitating some concession in prices, which, as compared with previous rates, exhibit a slight decline. Of about 1000 packages quitted, lines of good ordinary congous realised Is 5d to Is 63d ; medium, to good mediums, Is 7d to Is Sid ; finer descriptions, Is lOd to 2s 2id- It was understood at the close of the sale, that negotiations were pending for a considerable part of the balance of the cargo. Since the commencement of the week, the import markets hare been quiet, tho non-receipt of the mails via San Francisco keeping buyers off. Some moderate sales are noted of cornsacks at 16s, and of galvanized iron aud fencing wire at rates reserved. The graiu market shows little business, and no change in values.— Times, February 14. Wellington.—Although we cannot report much activity in the import trade of tho past month, which from somo unexplained cause seems to bo generally one of the dullest months in the year, appearances lead us to the conclusion that n moderately cheerful tone has pervaded our market in spite of the absence of any transactions except those of a most limited character. Prices have consequently varied but little from last month's report, and the arrival of the Cclamo having supplied us with any articles that were becoming scarce, stocks aro ample for all present requirements. A good speculative business has been doing in tho purchase of wool for shipment, our wool - growers preferring, in most cases, to accept a good prico on tho spot to tho risk of a failing market if they shipped on their own account, as many have done previously ; and the great difference in tho value of their clips has had a good effect on the trade of this city. Prices of English goods, as a rule, are low, but leave a moderato profit to tho importer, while, with the exception of wool, all articles of colonial produce aro lower than they have been for some time past: flour, grain, and butcher's meat hardly paying the grower; and, in tho article of provisions, rendering this as cheap a place to live in as any of tho colonies, or, probably, most parts of tho world. — Independent, February 17. [Latest by Telegraph:.] Hokitika. —Adelaide flour, ,Cl 7 10s ; Canterbury, £14 10s to £15 ; oats, 2s 9d to 3s; hams and bacon, 8d; butter in demand at G|d ; cbeeso is a drug in tho market. —February 16. Dunedin. —No now wheat, is offering as yet, nor are there any impjrtant transactions in breadstufls. New oats aro 2s ; malting barley is scarce at 4s. The supply of old flour is almost oxhaustod ; the prico remains at £13. —February 16. CiißiSTCnuitCH.—The grain market shows a tendency to improve. Wheat, 4s; oats, Is 9d to 2s ; barley for malting scarce, and 4s obtained for medium samples. Butter and cheeso unaltered in price, but scarce.—February 16.