COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7795, 15 November 1886, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald Office. Saturday afternoon. The Customs receipts to-day amounted to £161 lis 4d. The receipts for week 'ending; November 13th were ... Duties 2 S 2 i £1169 18 6 Beer duty _ .. _ 304 18 7 Light dues.. .. „ .. 41 18 0 Forms and fees _ . _ 713 6 Other receipts .. M M 14 0 0 £1,537 8 7 Messrs. Arthur and Buddle report a fair amount of business done In ail departments. The holiday somewhat affected it. Auction sales have been well attended. '1 ha produce remains about the same as last week. Cheese has come to hand more freely ; makers must be careful not to »end too new. Poultry have not brought quite so high prices. Fruit (local and Hobart) has brought good prices. Furniture In fair demand. Monday : Clearing-out sale of stock of groceries, and horse, cart, etc., at the premises, Eden Terrace. The attendance was good ; fair competition, and prices were very satisfactory. The sale of drapery, clothing, etc., at mart was well attended ; a large business done at prices satisfactory to the seller. Wednesday : Sale of piano, household furniture, etc., at » private house in Russell-street, Ponsonby : a good number present, and upon the whole good prices were obtained ; the piano brought £35. The sale of furniture, etc., at the Mart was well attended. A fair amount of business wis done at satisfactory prices. Friday : Market day sale of poultry, produce, fruit, Ac., at mart. There was a fair supply, a large attendance of buyers, fairly brisk bidding, a good business done. Poultry sold as follows Fowls Is 6d to 2s 6d, chicks 9d to Is Id, ducks Is 8d to 2s 6d, Cochins 3s Id, Leghorns 3s sd, turkeys 4s to 4s 3d, geese 4s, small pigs 10s 6d to 15s 6d, hens and chickens 3s to 7', pigeons 9d to Is Id. Potatoes, old Is 2d to 2s per cwt, new Jd to IJd per lb, kumeras 6s psr cwt, rhubarb 3s to 3s 8d per dozen, green peas Is 9d to Is lOd per peck, cabbage Is to Is 81, onions }d to Ijd per lb, cheese Id to 4d. bacon Ijd to 6Jd, hams 2sd to 7}d, apples 2a to 9s 3d per case, bananas Hd, gooseberries 2jd to 4}d per lb, loquats 4Jd to 6Jtl, lemons 7d to lid per dozen, citrons 3d, canaies 4}d to sd, oats 2s Sd, fowl wheat 4s 3d, rico 20s, oatmeal ljd, maize Ss 6d, sugar 3Jd. Mr. Edward Lsydon reports business for the week was an improvement on the previous week, Monday : Sale of bootmakers' lasts, boots, shoes, etc., was well attended, the boots fetching fair pricen ; the bidding for the lasts was rather slow. Thursday's sale of furniture and effects was well attended ; the demand for first-class furniture was not very great, but the commoner class went very well. Friday: Sale of potatoes and good butter were in great demand. There was not a good demand for bacon. Considerable business was done at the following prices Old potatoes fetched £3 per ton ; new potatoes, Jd per lb ; bacon, from Sjd to ed per lb ; hams, fro» 5d to 8d per lb ; biscuits, from 3d to 4Jdper lb; lollies, from 4it to 7d per lb ; oatmeal, 2s 9d per 251b bag ; fowls, from Is lid to 2s 4d ; pigs, from ISs to 15s each ; turkeys, from 6s to 8s Cd each. A considerable quantity of furniture was sold at the following prices : Suites, from £4 to £16; Duchess suites, from £3 6s to £3 10s ; chest of drawers, from £2 10s to £4 ; bedroom mirrors, from 5s 6d to £2 ; couches, from 85s to £3 ; chairs, from 2s 6d to 7s 6d each ; safes, from 15s to 25s each, ete. LONDON. Our advices are to the 7th October. From the N.Z.L. and M.A. Co.'s circular of that date we take the following Wool.—During the interval which elapsed between the close of the third and the opening of the fourth series unmistakaable evidence was afforded, both in this country and on the Continent, that buyers were prepared to pay an advance on frates previously current for all fine and medium wool. Accordingly when on 7th ultimo they met sellers, there was not only an exceptionally good attendance both of home and foreign representatives, but very animated competition from all sections of the trade. The reiult of this was at once manifested in an enhancement of values, to the extent, in the case of Australasian merino growths, of 15 per cent., in that of fine crossbred of 12i per cent., and of coarse crossbred of 7J per cent. As the sales progressed the appreciation became so increasingly marked tnat towards the conclusion of the second week an average further advance on July rates was recorded of Id per lb. During the third week, while the position of shafty wools and crossbred growths was not only fairly maintained, but in the case of the latter somewhat strengthened, greater discrimination was displayed, more especially by French buyers, in the purchase of faulty merino descriptions and short growths, for which prices often beyond their intrinsic merits as compared with better class wools had In the earlier days of the sales been secured. Throughout the concluding week, save in the diminished operations of foreign buyers there was no material change in the situation! and on the 2nd instant, for certain . leading descriptions, the advance established with respect to the closing values of the third series was as follows-— Washed combing merino, 2d to 2Jd per lb; clothing ljd to 2d ; scoured combing, 2Jd to 3Jd ; clothing 2a to 2Jd; greasy combing, fully IJd ; clothing, id to lid ; washed fine cros«bred, 2d to 2jd ; scoured, 2id to 8d ; greasy, lid te 2d ; washed coarse, ljd to 2d ; sooured, lid to 2d; greasy, 2d : lambs' merino, Id to ljd; crossbred, ljd to 2d. From the foregoing figures it will be observed that lambs wool generally did not command the same appreciation as fleece wools, whether washed or greasy, during the past sales. While as already observed, during the latter hall of the series the competition amongst various sections was not so animated for all descriptions as throughout the previous period, and in consequence top quotations were not maintained to the close for those medium and faulty sorts in respect of which abnormally high prices had been paid by foreign operators, there was nothing to indicate any marked decline in values. The presence of a good many second-hand parcels in the dally catalogues had a tendency to bring into stronger relief the weakness at times exhibited for certain grades in the sale room. Such wools never, as a rule, command the same attention, and when offered to a considerable extent they have a prejudicial effect on the market for the time being. It is difficult to state with precision the probable arrivals for the fifth series, to open on 23rd proximo, which are variously estimated at from 80,000 to 100,000 bales. While on the one hand strenuous efforts will he made to forward shipments by steamers in time to be Included therein, it must not be forgotten that in many districts throughout Australia shearing operations will necessarily have been retarded by the long-wished for rains which have recently been so general. The presence of upwards of 2000 bales of new clip Australian wool in the catalogues of the last series is the result of special shearing arrangements in those districts in Queensland where such wool was grown, and must not be regarded as an indication that the new clip Australian will reach port for sale here in November to a larger extent than usual. So far as the present outlook Is concerned, there is no doubt but that the market in the filth series will be sufficiently buoyant to absorb the maximum supplies which may then be available at rates quite on a par with those now established and in this connection it is noteworthy that whereas twelve months ago it was computed that 72,000 bales were held in first hands for future disposal, only 7000 bales of like wools now remain unsold, and it Is not Improbable that before the commencement of the fifth series this small quantity may be still further reduced through sales eventuating by private treaty. We subjoin as usual prices current of certain representative growths which, after allowance is made for variation in condition and rejativd supplies, indicate that these on average now occupy a level on a par with that shown in a similar tabulated statement which appeared in our circular No. 229, of the 4th October, 1883:-Scoured merino' superior per lb Is 9d to 2s, average Is Bid to la Bd* inferior Is lid to Is 4jd ; washed morino, average, Is 4id to Is 7d ; inferior, Is Id to Is 4d ; greasy merino superior, Hid to Is 2d ; average, 9id to lOJd; inferior 7id to 9d ; scoured crossbred, tine, Is 4d to Is 8d • coarse, Is Id to Is 4d; washed crossbred, fine, Is 2Jd' to Is 6Jd ; coarse, Is Id to Is Sid ; greasy crossbred, fine, lid to Is lid; coarse, 9d to lid. [Note.—The above statement deals with the quotations of certain representative types of wool recently sold.] Leather.— No public sales have been held since our previous issue. We repeat our last quotations : Fair to good sides, heavy 13J to 16} lbs average Dd to lOjd. per lb ; light, 9J to 11 lbs average 0d to lOjd per lb; extra heavy, 18i to 20i lbs average BJd to 10Jd per lb; seconds, 122 to 154 lbs average bid to l)d pet lb.

Basils.ln the absence of public sales there Is nothing fresh to report: .Best strained skins, averaging 6J to 194 lbs, per dosen 9d to 13* d per lb; seconds, 6} to 20 lbs, per dosen 4id to 9JJ per lb i Unstrained, 6} to SOllhs, per dosen 3d to CJd. Njtw Zealand Bkmi*.—A relapse of £2 per ton has occurred in Sisal owing to heavy arrivals, and though Manila has remained fairly steady, New Zealand descriptions, In sympathy with the former article, have been less ready of sale. The transactions, however, have been very limited, and prices are nominally unchanged. Superior soft, bright hemp, £24 to £25 per ton ; good quality and well cleaned. £23 to £23 10s; medium, f»ir to good, £2110s to £22; common, coarse and strawy, £19 to £20. We annex a comparative statement of stocks, landings, and deliveries to SOth ultimo, and to a corresponding date in 18851— 18S(J ' 1885 Stocks on 30th September „ 77 .tons — 238 tons Landed January—September 401 ~ -• 200 „ Delivered do, 404 „ .. 518 ~ Kauri Go jr.--a steady business has been transacted during the past fortnight, the qualities most enquired for being those of value between 20s and 65s per owt.. of which the supply Is only moderate. The recent arrivals per Walniea. comprising some 1599 cases, of which 1155 cases are intended for disposal in this market, are not yet ready for sale. From the subjoined figures it will be seen that the statistical position of this article Is moving in sellers' favour. We quote: Fine pale, selected, £6 to £12 per cwt; clean, hard, good to fine, chiefly amber, 86s tolOOs ; good to fine, clean, hard, scraped, 72s 6d to 82s 6d ; hard, three parts scraped, fair to fine, 68s to 67i 6d ; hard, half scraped, fair to flue, 44s to 49s ; rough sorts, ordlnarv to good, 34s to S7s 6d; black and brown hard, scraped, No. 1, fine to superfine, 55s to 62s 6d ; chiefly scraped, No. 1, 41s to 625; pickings, ordinary to Hue, 26s te 30s ; chips, low and ordinary, to fine and superior, 16s to 60s, dust, low to fine, pale, chippy, 7s to 255. We annex a comparative statement of stocks, landings, and deliveries to SOth ultimo, and to a corresponding date in 1885 : — 1886. 1885. Stocks on September 30 _ 092 tons ~ 2,002 tons Landed January— Septemberl, 170 „ _ 3,251 „ Delivered do. .. 2,214 ~ .. 1,912 „ The stock on August Si last was 1191 tons. From Messrs. N. F. Roberts and Co.'s Trade Bevlew of October 7 we take the following : — Kauri Gun has been in fair demand during the first fortnight of the month, and a good business was reported at higher prices ; but a parcel of 1146 cases lately placed in public auction met with only a moderate demand, and scarcely one half found buyers, though at Arm rates. Fine hard, well«scraped amber at 86s to 116s; good middling, scraped, 63s to 71s; middling, part-scraped kinds. 52s to 66*; ordinary rough, 45s to 48s 6d; solt, bright kind, 66s to 695; ordinary rough, 39s to 47s 6d ; low olndery, 26s to 275. Chips, good, 43s 6d ; dull boltt, 41s ; dark, 80s to 89s. Dust, good bright, 23s 6d; dark, part without reserve, 8s 6d to 10s per cwt.