COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XV, Issue 5335, 21 December 1878, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald Office, Friday evening. There was a veiy large attendance at Mr. R. Arthur's sales to-day. A good number of poultry were entered, and all seld at high rates. Fruit sold well. There has been a fair demand through the week. Produce of good quality commands fair prices. Potatoes have kept up to last weeks prices during the week. A slight reduction at auction to-day. Good cheese is ia fair demand. But little enquiry for salt butter. Fowls sold at Is 6d to 3s 4d ; Spanish, 2s Id to 4s Sd ; turkeys, 4s 0d to S* 3d ; uucks, Is 9d to 2s 2d ; geese, 2s lOd to 4s 2d ; pigeons, lOd ; small pigs, 2s 41 to lis; potatoes, white, 03 to 8s ; blue, 6s 3d to 4d per cwt.; kidney, Id to l£d per lb.; onions, to l£d per lb.; peas, Is Id to Is 3d per peck ; pumpkins, 4s 3d per cwt.; cherries, 2Jd to 5d ; red plums, 6£d, IOJd to > gooseberries, 9Jd to ; lemons, lid X>er do::en ; raiuins, Id to s£d ; figs, 9s per dozen boxes; eggs, Is to Is 2d ; cheese, 6d to 7d; butter. 8d to BJd ; bacon (bare), 4d to 7Jd; in cloth, 5d to 8^<l; hams (bare), 6d to B£d ; hams (in cloth). Sd to 10£ d ; hams and bacon, by the case, in cloth, B£d to S4d ; beef, 2£d ; sugar, to 4jd ; crushed lump, ; jam, 7s 3d ; peel, Is Id to Is 3d ; pickles, Ds 6d ; vinegar, 9s 6d ; soap, 163 ; honey, 4d ; bran, 6s 6d ; sharps, 6s 6d ; flour, lis to 13s ; rice, 30s ; blue, Sd ; tea, 22s to 24s per box; candles, 9^d; tea, half-chests, Is 9d to 2s 4d per lb. The furniture department sale continued to a late hour. Fair prices were realised. A good business done in all departments. Sewing machines sold at £3 to £4.

Messrs. S. Cochrane and Son held their weekly sale this morning, at the mart, Fortstreet, when an unusual quantity of furniture was quitted. Five cases of fancy good, suitable for Christmas presents, realised satisfactory prices, and the parlour billiard-table brought £20.

Messrs. Tonks and Co. sold this morning, by order of the Chairman of the Mount Eden Highway District, the lease for 1830 of the Mount Eden and Gaol Boads toll-bar. Mr. H. Smith was the purchaser, at £53 per month, — an increase of £S per month upon the rent fer the current year. Londox. —Mr. F. W. CosensV monthly circular for October 16 reports:—The depression which continues to characterise almosc every branch of the commerce of the country in not without its influence upon the demand for wiae. The Board of Trade returns for September are unsatisfactory, dealers evidently limiting their purchases as much as practicable; on the other hand, in the face of a short crop in some localities, and, it is feared, inferior qualities in others, prices have a decidedly firm tendency for nil good samples. The sherry vintage proves to be both short in quantity and of poor quality. Large purchases are reported in France, where the yield seems to have been unfavourably affected by diiea3e. From Portugal the advices are of a more favourable character, and although the quantity is extremely short, the quality promises to be much better than was at one time anticipated. From the Bordeaux district of France a short crop is reported, and some transactions of magnitude have take place in clarets of the 1877 vintage. Brandy is in rather improved demand, and holders both in France and on this side are firm as to prices.

BY TELEGRAPH.

CHPvISTCHURCH. December 20. —The drought has been severe on the crops on light soil, but the rains last night will improve our harvest prospect considerably. Breadstuffs have not altered much. Wheat has a firm feeling, at 4s 3d to 4s 6d; flour, £10 to £11; feed oats, 4a 3d. Stocks aro very IoW. Hams and bacon, BJd; butter, 9d to lOd ; cheese, 7J'l. A local firm has sold to a Peruvian house 1000 tons of wheat at a price withheld. Large sales have since been made at lower prices. Stocks are therefore greatly reduced. DUNEDIN. December 20,—Business during the week has been unusually quiet. The Customs receipts for December to date are £20,250, against £27,466 for all December last year. Ales are brisk— McEfleo's, Forster's, and bull dog. Sales made to arrive at full rates. Tennent's: Stocks light; quotations as last week. Stout is in demand; 400 cases were cleared during the last few days. In woolpacks and cornsacks there is little doing; prices are unaltered. Hops are in active demand. Stocks are light, and the former quotations are fully maintained. Breadstuffs are dull, only meeting trade requirements. Flour, f.0.b., from £9 10s and £10 to to £10 10s; wheat, 4s to 4s 4d; oats, 4s 9d to 5s Id. Hams and bacon are in fair supply at S&d. In building material the demand is brisk, and timber is scarce. Corrugated iron is in demand at £26 to £27 10s, according to brands. Wire nails are lightly held, pending the unloading of recent arrivals; quotations, 20s to 21s for parcels. In spirits there is little doing. Greenlees' whisky is in demand; stocks are light. Lome quite out. brandy (bottled) is Bcarce. In bulk there is little doing. Quotations are : Hennessy's, 33s to 34s 6d, 9s 9d to 10s 6d; Bisquit Dubouche, 22s 6dJto 23s ; Lagrand Marque, 225; Bacot, 245; Kouyers, Guillet and Co., 295. Rum is a trifle more active ; Lemon Hart's scarce. In sugar there is nothing doing beyond supplying trade wants. Lines of damaged are offered at auction, but there are no buyers. Stocks are ample if not heavy. Quotations are unaltered, but the competition next month will, probably, make a difference. Teas : Stocks are ample, and there no sales. Kerosene is in fair supply and moderate demand. Quotations —Diamond, Is 3d to Is 3|d; Brilliant, Is 4d to Is 4£d; Noonday, Is 9d; Light of Age, Is 9d ; Nonpareil, Is 9d. Dried fruits are more active. 500 cases of figs were bought at auction for 7s 6d; currants, 3s to 3s 4d. New season currants and raisins, in very small quantities, commanded from 5d to 6d. The trade in wine is almost confined to clarets and champagne. Roederer is scarce; piHts and sherries move slowly.

CALLS.

Calls baro been made in the following companies as urder:— Calls— _ _ Coromandel . • ..0 0 3 — Deo. 20 Corby** Mate .. ..0 0 3 — Jan. 3 Watchman .. ~0 0 3 — Jan. 8 Kaipara Steamship Co. X 0 0 — J an. 20

AUCKLAND STOCK ANI> SHARK MARKET.

Minino'association's Quotations for Deo. 20. . ~ Easiness C "" ln S priCC3 ' Srooss. done. „ „ Buyers. Sellers. Bank of New Zealand ' — — £23 National Bank.. .. — — 72/6 Colonial Bank .. .. — — 52/6 tf.Z. Insurance .. 80/ — 80/ S. British Insurance .. — — 67/ National Insurance — — 20/ Onion Insurance .. — — 14/ Thame* Ga* .. .. — 26/ 23/ Auckland Gas.. .. — — £10 TTnion Sash and Dodr — £5 £5 5} £10 2/6 Guthrio 4c Larnach Co. — — 90/ N. Z. Loan, new issuo — — £5 15/ MININ®. ( Alburnia .. .— 17/G — ileaaataiari .. — — 32'G Queen of Beauty — 3/ Kuranui Kill .. — 5 G — Corby _ ie/ — Royal Oak .. .. — ' $/ Charles Alexander Alex. Saunders Robert Frater J. Friar Clarko John Mowbray J. B. Morpeth Wm. Flood J. M. Leaner Samuel Tickers Robert noma Joseph Newman, Chairman.