COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7841, 10 January 1887, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

I ■> Nkw Zealand Herald Office, i Saturday afternoon. Messrs. Abthur. and Boodle's tekly RePobx Owing to the holidays, and press of bualness, a report could not be prepared for the last two weeks; during that time there has been a good demand for fruit of all sorts, and some kinds of produce at satinfactory prices. Poultry, with the exception of turkeys, have l>e«n selling at very low prices; an improvement has taken place in the price of fowls this seek ; ttfero were, no turkeys entered. , Small pigs continued at a low price; but little doing in batter or Won, no first class .to hand. Cheese must be of good quality to command a . price. - Furniture has been in a little better demand. Wednesday's sale of fruit, produce, ac. , at Mart, a. large attendance, and good competition ; the following prices wore obtainedßananas, 2d lb.; pine apples, pa; lemons, Is 2d; apricots, lid; plums, 4}d to &id ; greengage!, 6d to lid ; Cape gooseberries, lOd; gooseberries, i\d ; pears, Id to 2Jd; applet!, Jd to 81 i; onionS, Id ; potatoes, 3* to is. Thursday: Save of piano, household furniture, etc, at Mrs. Ourr's, Onehunga. 'lhere were a good number present, and the competition was fairly good ; piano sold at £40; I suite, £17 10s, etc. The ealo of furniture at Mart was i but thinly attended, bat little business done. Friday : Market-day rale of poultry, produce, fruit, etc., at Mart; a Isrm attendance,, good competition. The ' sale continued to a la'.e bour, a large quantity of stuff • changed hands. Poultry were entered in good ■ number, and all sold well. Small pig went'loir, a large ■ number were entered. Fowls:, Is 4d to 2s 4d each ; Spanish, 3s; langshans, 4.i 3d; chicks, 6d to Is 3d ; ducks, Is 3d to Is 9it; geese, '2s ed to 3s; -small pigs, 6s to 10s; potatoes, 3a 7d to 5S 4d p»r ewt.; onions, id to Id per lb; pea*, 7d to 3d per peck ; French boms, 6Jd per peck; rhubarb, 2s ' to 2s 3d per dozen ; apple*, 3d to if per lb ; pears, ■ lid to Eld; plums, 4Jd to 6Jd ; peaches, 4jd to 8d : per dozen ; gooseberries, 21d to 4i(l per lb; cherries, . 7d per lb; lemons, 7id to Is 2d par dozen ; apricots, 5d per lb; maize, 3a 6d por bushel; bran, 6j per sack; sharps, 6i per 1001b; chaff, 2s to 2s fid per sack ; flour, £12 to £12 10»; biscuits, to 6jd per ' lb; cheese, Id to 4jd per lb; bacon and hams, Id to , 7id per lb ; tea, boxes, 22s to 245; half-chests, Is 2d • per lb; sugar, 3d to 3Jd ; confectionery, 6id ; boiled lollies, 4Jd. , , . Mb. lidward Levdon reports Tho sales during the week have been well attended. Furniture was rather dull, but there was a good demand for produco ' and fruit. ' Wednesday's sale of furniture and effects : ■ The following are a few of the prices obtained:— ■ Suites, from £4 10s to £13 ; chests of drawers, 25s to £310s ; round tables, from 16s to 40s ; kitchen and ' dining tables, from 9s to 20s ; couches, from 25s to £3; chairs, from 2s to "* ; iron bedstead?, from 15s to £2 10s ; washstand dress tables, from 16s to 35s per pair, ' etc. Thursday's sale of drapery and clothing anu • fancy goods : The bidding was rather slow, and a quanr tity wan sold at low prices. Friday's sale of produce, I etc.: Hams, 0d to 7jd per lb ; bacon, 3id to Bid per lb ; butter in kegs, 3sd to 4Jd per lb ; cabbage, Is 7d to Is 9d per sack ; potatoes, 4s 6d to 5s per cwt; onions, from Jd to lid par lb ; apples, fr.m ljd to p aid per lb ; plums, from 4d to 6d per lb ; greengages, r from 4d to fijd per lb ; fowls, from Is 3d to 2s each; c ducks, from Is 10d to 2s 4d each, etc. A quantity of i furniture was also sold in fair average prices. • I Mb. F. J. Jones' Wkekl* Bepokt.—F. J. Jones ' reports business for the weeli has been very good. As ! usual, the holidays slightly interfered with business, 5 I • but the new year has commenced with increased sales i of furniture, with advanced prices. Wednesday; Sale

(furniture wu largely attended, and competition I ras rem throughout the tale; and large quantity of { amituro changed bands Friday: Sale was-, alio | r«!l attended. and nearly every line In furniture sold at < dvanced prices. The following are a few of the rices obtained Pianos, I sold three at prises from 168 to £20; American organ, sold (or £12 15i; haraoniTira, £4 10s ; mite in crettons, 7 pieces, £15 10s; econd-hand suites, £5 6s; large sales In cheffoniers coin £2 193 to 25s ; Iron bedsteads, common. SOs to a 12a 6d, no goad ones offering ; spring mattrosses, aw quality, 27s to 15s. All goods sold at advanced ates, with increased inquiries. DON COMMIiROIAL NEWS. ■ [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDED. ] , . : 1 London, December 2. ] The fifth series of wool sales opened on the SOth alt., lie available fresh arrivals aggregating 183,625 bales, ] f which 7899 were Mew Zealand, 41,518 Victorian, i 6,711 N.S. Wales, and 24,329 South Australian. As sine deductions have; to be allowed the net avail* ] bis total is reduced to about 131, bales. Up to j lie present, 22,689 bales hare been catalogued, of j rhich 1566 are New Zealand, Though the attendance f buyers was exceptionally large, the competition j tcked animation, and biddings were Irregular. As ompared with the closing rates of the last sales, • the ] rices of the best descriptions of Australian combing terino ruled from par to 6 percent, decline. Wools I the new Australian clip, of which some 60,0510 bales j re available, meeting relatively with special favour rom buyers. 'I he shoiter growths, middle classes, nd faulty descriptions of merino, are on average 10 er cent, lower; crassbreds show little, change, the i nest grades being slightly in buret*' favour. It is bought that the moderate check sustained may help ] a re-establish the trade on a sound and healthy basis, j 'he fresh arrivals to date for the fir*t series of 1887 re 18,210 bales, of which 8123 are New Zealand root The market for frozen meat has not changed during he past fort flight, and prices remain the same as hose last quoted. Supplies have been rather heavy, iut there has been a fair demand for mutton. Beef i slow of sale and prices show a slight decrease. The iresent quotations are. ' .s. d. s. d. few Zealand mutton _ — 2 Bto 2 10 per 81b iolbourne dito ... — 2 4to 2 8 per 81b lydney ditto ... — 2 6to 2 8 per 81b < liver Plate ditto — ... 2 oto 22 per 81b leveral cargoes have bean cleared out during the past ] ortnight. The Doric and Northumberland's mutton as all been sold, and only a few lambs remain of the ] nvercargill's - car<o. The Tongarlro's shipment has ,lso been disposed of, and the Arawa'a cargo is nearly ill sold. Of toe heavy arrivals during October, a , arge proportion still remains. About 3000 carcases emaln of the lonic's shipment, and about the same lumber ex Aorangi are still unsold. Only 6000 of the mormons cargo ex Elderslle have been got rid of, ind of the Oamaru's cargo of 10,000 only 3000 have won sold. About half the Kimutaka's shipment has I men sold at 3Jd to 4Jd,- and 1200 carcases ex Tainui lave fetched tne same price. Five hundred sheep, ex ?otosi from Melbourne, have realised 3jd to 4d. The I laapehu has artived with 13,417 sheep from Lyttelob, but none have as yet been sold. Since October st about 70,000 carcaies have arrived from the Elver Plate, of which about 2-2,000 have been sold. 600 luartors of beef, ex Merkara, from Bo wen, have been icld, realising from 2Jd to 6Jd. The wheat trade has maintained a tendency to improve, and a fair amount of business has been done at rices wblch have advanced about 6d to Is per quarer all round. Stocks havo leached a comparatively ow level, and prices would probably advance were it lot for the heavy visible supply on the Atlantic sealoard now available for shipment. Some inquiry has HSon made tor new Australian wheat at 37s per 4SCIb, s.i.f. to United Kingdom, but no business has transited. New Zealand oats are in request for seedling mrposes, but tbe market is practically bare. Latest (notations, ex granary Australian wheat, 86s to SOs id ; New Zealand longberiled, tine, 35s to 36s 6d ', nediam, 33s to 34s Gd ; short berried, fine, 31 to 553 ; nedium, 33s to 34s ; Australia flour, superfine, 24s id to 25s 64; New Zealand flour, fine, 21i to 22s ; jarley, No. 1. 36s to 40s ; No. 2, SOs to 35s ; oats, leavy, SOs to 32s ; ordinary, 26s to 283. Our dates from London are to the 3rd December. Prom the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company's circular of that date wo take the following:— Wool.—The interval since the close of the fourth series has been marked by continuous efforts on the part of dealers and manufacturers to secure and maintain for tops, yarns, and goods, prices commeninrate with tbe advance then established in the raw material. As these were not uniformly successful, the farther weakening in values of merino produce which marked the opening of the current series must bo regarded as the natural result of the inability on the part of consumers to uphold prices. While the attendance both of home and colonial buyers was exceptionally large for this season of tho year, competition lacked animation and biddings wete irregular. As compared with tbe closing rates of tbe preceding ■ales, prices of the best deicriptlons of Australian combing merino ruled from par to 6 per cent, decline —wools of the new Australian clip, of which sumo 60,000 balos are available, meeting relatively with special favour from buyers. The shorter growths middle classes and faulty descriptions of merino, are on average 10 per cent, lower. So far as can be judged from the selection of crossbreds thus far offered, quotations for this class of produce show tittle, if any, change, excet t perhaps for the finest grades, which tend occasion illy in buyers' favour. As indicated above, it would appear that the rise in the value of merino wool established during the latter half of the proseijt year has gone somewhat in advance ,of the general development of trade and consumption, and a moderate check, however much to be regretted from the sellers' point of view, is probably a condition necessary to tbe re-establishment of the trail# on a sound and healthy basis. As bearing upon the future supply of coarse wool, it is of interest to note that the recently published agricultural returns, compiled to 4th June last, show there has been a decrease of over a million in the number of sheep and lambs in* the , United Kingdom, as compared with the corresponding I period of 1885. We subjoin the following figures taken from the report above-named Sheep and lambs, 1884, 29,370,837 ; 1885, 30,066,200; 18S6, £8.956,240. Tallow.—For the two public auctions held during the past fortnight 3430 casks were catalogued and 1431 sold under the hammer. Fine mutton, which la in limited supply, h»s commanded rates equivalent to an advance of 9a per cwt on the iwo sales, but the general tone of the market for all other descriptions has been rather weak. At the mcst recent auctions, 'held en 26th ultimo, there was I. restricted demand, and for the portion sold, save in the case of fine mutton, prices at the close marked a decline of about Is per cwt. on previous sales. In the cat* of fair to good, middle class sorts the bids tendered were as much as la to 2s per cwt lower on the week. Beef tallow has, as a rule, been slow of sale, buyers demanding a concessit nln price of 61 to Is per cwt. The statistical position of the article does not justify the loss in tone just alluded to, but the near approach of Christmas is now militating against the maintenance of values. Tho market close] quiet bat fairly steady. Wo quote: P.Y.O.new, 31s 9d per cwt; Australasian mutton, flue, 29s 6d to 81s ; ditto, medium, 2Vs to 28s; Australasian beef, fine, 26s to 265; ditto, medium, 24s to 251. Lsathcr.— public auctions have been held since the date of our previous issue. We repeat our last quotations Fair to good sides, heavy 13? to 17ilb average, 9d to lojd per lb; fair to good sides, llgnt, 92 to lOjlb average. 9d to lOjd ; fair to stood sides, extra heavy, 18} to 221b average, fcjd to 10jd ; fair to good sides, sccoudr, 13} to lljlu average, bid to 9d. Basils.—ln the absence of public sales there is nothing fresh to report. We repeat our previous quotations Best strained skins, averaging 71 to 27Jib per doz., 9d to 13d per lb ; seconds, averaging 71 to 26ilb per doz., 4}d to BJd ; unstrained, Si to 26ilb per dcz., 4rt to 6jd. Pmuerved Mbais—These continue to sieve off slowly, as is usual at this period of the year. Boiled rabbit, however, has recently sold fairly well, and pr.ces are somewhat steadier. The market for mutton in 61b tins has lost some of Its recent firmness, in consequence of reported recommencement Of tinning operations In Australia. Other descriptions are unchanged. Wo quote Boiled mutton, 21h tins, 4Jd to 6jd per lb ; 41b, 4J<l to 4Jd ; 6!b, 4in to4|d ; boiled beef, 2ib tins, 4-} dto 4}d; 41b, 4id to sd; 6ib, 4sd to 4}d per lb. Cotton.—Th?re is no new feature to report in this market. Fiji of good quality is still in demand, but there is none offering. Tahiti is neglected. Copra.— market remains steady, and values' are unaltered. We quote : Sydney sun-dried, £14 15s to £15 per ton; kiln-dried, £13 &s to £13 1.01; Singapore, £14 15s to £16 10s. Cocja Nut Oil.—The- market is without material Change, Cochin is held for £37 10s to £38 per ton oil the spot, and £31 per ton is asked, to Arrive January to March sailing, whilst Ceylon rules at £26 15s to £27 per ton on the spot, with sellers at these figures, to ariive. Mother o'Pearl Shells.—At the public auctions which were held on 28rd ultimo, 'hi catalogues embraced 1788 c<ses Sydney and West Australian, and 123 cases of From an tie, of which about 1490 were disposed of. Sydney descriptions, owing to - the limited supply, were well competed for, and thanged hands readily at late rates to an occasional advance, but West "Australian or ■ King's Sound, which formed the greater part of the offerings, were in less demand, and sold slowly at 5s ta 10s below valuations. The sheila from the sew fishing ground, although of good colour and substance, were for the most part very wormy and blistered, a defect generally prevalent in the first layer of sholls taken from a new bed. Fremantle were slow of sale at irregnlsr prices. We quote Sydney medium and bold, fine, selected, £7 17s 6d to £8 2s, 3d per cwt; do. medium and bold, fair to good, clean, £7 6s to £7 15s; do. small and thin medium, selected, £8 7s 6d to £9 ; do. thicken, £8 6s to £8 178 6d; do. defective and wormy,. £4 to £6; do. broken, £4 12 6d to £6 ss; do, stale and dead, £1 to £4 7s 61 New Zealand Hhmp.—Manilla' continues steady, and values on the spot are unchanged, but for arrival an advance of IBs per ton is asked. The market is barn of Sisal, and £28 per ton lias been refused by ho'dors for a small quantity in course of landing. There is considerable inquiry for medium quality New Zealand, but with the exception of a second-hand parcel of Auckland clean, held for £25 per ton, there is none offering. In the absence of sales, our quotations are neces arily somewhat nominal. We quote : Superior soft, bright hemp, £24 to £26 per ton; good quality and well cleaned, £23 to £23 10s per tan; medium, fair to good, £22 to £22105; common— and strawy, £19 10s to £20. We annex a comparative statement of stocks, landings, and deliveries to 30th 1 ultimo, and to a corresponding date in 1886 1386. - ISBS. | Stocks on November 80 .. 44 tons .. 157 tons Landed Jjnanry—November .. 449 ... 214 Delivered ditto .. .. 646 .. 608 Kauri Gum.—The market has been steady during the patt fortnight, and by private treaty some 500 cases have changed hands at full prices, an advance upon late rates being occasionally secured for gums above 60s per cwt values. We quote:—Fine pale, selected, £6 to £12 per cwt; clean, hard, good to fine, chiefly her, 85s to 100s ; good to fine, clean, hard, scraped, 72s 6d to 82s 6d; hard, three parts scraped, fair to fine, 59s ta 67s (Id ; hard, half scraped, fair to fine, 49s to 67s ; rough sorts, ordinary to good, 40s to 465; black and brown hard, scraped, No, 1, fine to superfine, 55s to 68s; ditto, chiefly scraped, No. 1, 42s to 625; pickings, ordinary to fine, SOs to 40s; chips, low and ordinary to fine and superior, 158 to 60j; dust, low to fine, pale, chippy, Bfl fid to 25b. From N. F. Robarts and Co.'s circular of the 3rd December we take the following Kauri is in limited supply, and the Improvement indicated last month has continued, and, with a good demand; parcels in auction have cleared off at full rates, and in some instances a slight advance. • Prices paid at last sales were as follows: - Selected at £7 108 ; fins pale, and amber clean scraped, 89s to 96s ; with one lot, £6 6s ; good hard scraped, 70s to 75s ; good middling, mostly threo-parts scraped, 67s to 60s ; middling, half-scraped, medium and small kinds, 54s Od to 68s ; low and ordinary rough, cindery, small, 40s to 493 ; pickings, 21s to 88s ; brown gum, scraped, 62s Cd to 58s ; inferior, cindery, 36s to 44s ; chips, good, Ms ; fair, 455; dark, 27s to 36s 6d ; dust, fair, 2i» ; dark, 10s per cwt.

OAL£i AND DIVIDEND LIST. oallr. & a. d. Data. N.TS. Smelting Co. .. . ..016 — Jan. IB Auckland Agricultural and ' « _ . Mercantile Co. - »®s 8 " Feb. ~ Taupirl Reserve Colliery Co. .010* Jan •11 DIVIDENDS. .. Union Insurance Co. .. , .. 10 p. cent. — How.