COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8531, 3 April 1891, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald Office, Thursday evening. The Customs duties to-day amounted to £2958 8» 2d. A broken, half-sportive week is not conducive to business, and although there is a certain briskness in demand arising from the Usual run of orders in the early part of a month, with good help in export trade, there is nothing striking or of mnch interest. Market prices are practically the same as before. Gornsacks, although unaltered, have recovered from a long weakness, and holders are sanguine, under latest Calcutta cables, quotations are rather violently chancing, and futures" in jute stuffs are dabbled in in the same way as cotton is in Liverpool. New Zealand traders to no strangers to the experience of unprofitable business. Sooner or later the " cutters" find either their credit impaired, or the results disappointing, with the swing of the pendulum more pronounced towards safe and common-sense trade. The same thing is now happening in Calcutta. Millers find that trying to ruin one another is a stupid mistake, and the facing of heavy monthly losses is regarded ruefully. Then the reaction begins, to be followed invariably soon after by a further > break off by some extra astute party who likes playing a lone hand; History repeats itself, although there may be a change of venue. Sometimes it is Auckland, another time Calcutta, and at another in a big American centre. It is astonishing, however, how calm and quiet the public are when profiting by excessive competition, and what a howl there is when prices are advanced under a combination. Just now the labour movement is spreading like an epidomic, and a perfectly new set of circumstances arising in trie commercial world, old ideas of trade arc now practically killed. A most regrettable war isever in the air,if not absolutely waging, and he would be a wise man who can tell the end of the clash of antagonistic forces of coercion and resistancein rate of wages, hours of labour, and strong demands in various forms. Pigiron is now scarce here, and the news by the mail is that the famous Clyde and Gartsherrie works are closed, and the fires in the "furnaces out, owing to the strike movement. ' . The demand for tinned fish is lessening, and the season has been a bud one. Old Judge cigarettes are unobtainable from first hands, and a shipment to arrive next week is already sold. Dunlop has cabled a further riso in Derby tobacco, but it is tinlikey that the local handlers will follow suit, as they are mostly supplied under a fixed price contract, while the nearness of the new American tobacco crop makes it unlikely that the scarcity of choice leaf can be for more than a month or two. Rice has slightlv hardened, but quotations are not appreciably altered. Advices have been received that the presumptive fall expected from heavy crops has been neutralised ny an unexpected resistance on the part of the Japanese growers, who are figuratively starving themselves rather than accept the low prices offered by the merchants, who base their figures upon the comparison between • the quantity grown and all the world's demand. The frugal Japanese appear to be above the necessity of satisfying creditors, by the exercise of a very rigorous self-denial, that has compelled a little spring in the c.i.f. price of their great staple. Active sales are' reported in kerosene, but whether this is from increased demand or from desire to take advantage of the abnormally low market at present existing, it is hard to say. The American advices re sugar report immense activity in beet-growing in California and Nebraska, as under the bonus of the new tariff fixed for fourteen years, growers are assured of a splendid paying price. Beet sugar mills are being erected in several States, and the export trade from San Francisco will be largely stimulated. Drawback on sugars ceased on the Ist instant, and it is improbable there will be any shipments for the colonies of cane sugars for several months, and it is too early to feel the effect of the McKinley tariff on American-grown products in this speciality. One of the modern movements in merchant trade is the growing practice of c.i.f. quotations. This means that the sellers fix any special rates of freight that the buyers are Unable to arrange, while the latter exactly knows the cost. So much business is now done by cable that the exact basis of calculation is absolutely necessary. Our forefathers would be like Rip Van Winkle if they could see the 1891 style of trade as compared to, say, 1850. Quotations, freight, and insurance paid, is becoming almost the only system upon which large trade can now be done. •Maize is quotable off wharf in parcels at 23 9d. Oats are worth from 2s to 2s Id. Potatoes : Napiers arc worth £3; Oamarus, £3 15s, „ , Milling wheat, local and Southern: Very severe frost in England and France has caused some excitement in the London market, and enabled the _ New Zealand farmers who had not sold their wheat to get rather more for it. We understand our local millers are buying freely. Fowl wheat is in fair demand. Bran and sharps are both asked for. . Of flour our bakers have bought large stocks. Recent heavy arrivals from the South have meantime rather checked sales. In the local produce market the prices remain as last week : —Best dairy butter, 6d ; second quality, sd; and third quality, 4d per lb wholesale. Eggs, Is 3d per dozen wholesale, and Is 4d to Is 6d per dozen retail.

KAURI GUM MARKET. Instructions to most of the larger American buyers arrived by last mail to lower prices for ordinary and re-scraped gum, and in fulfilment of these orders they have decided to lower prices this week. It is impossible at present to state at what the market will settle, and we cau only quote /.his week tentatively and nominally. This fall has been expected for a considerable time past, as buyers hero are informed _ that late prices for present poor qualities i show a loss. Although buyers are directing their immediate attention to lowering prices of ordinary and rescraped gum, there is very little doubt that when lower prices for these two grades are established, "East Coast will decline in sympathy, but in the meantime East Coast is unchanged. The fall in rescraped gum is intended to be very much greater than in any other quality. Stocks held in Auckland for Bale ana 'shipment are heavy, over 1500 tons, and supplies also continue very heavy and beyond requirements, being for 31 days of March about 720 tons. We quote, nominally Poor ordinary, 30a to 335; fair ordinary, buyers 34s to 355, sellers 38s to 40s; best ordinary, buyers 365, sellers 41b ; and East Coast, 55s to 565.

LIVE STOCK & PRODUCE MARKETS, AUCKLAND. MESSRS. ALPRED BUCIiLAND AMD SONS' WEEKLY REPORT.—At the hide and skin sale, held at the Haymarkeb on Tuesday last, hides were pitched in full numbers, and were in demand at late quotations. Ox hides ranged from 2jd to 41<1; cow hides, lid to 2jd ; calfskins, 3jd to 4jd per lb ; tallow. 17s to 17s 0d per cwt. Wool and skins were also at fully late values. Lamb skins range.! from Is to 2s fld; pelts, lOd to 2s 7d each ; wool, in small parcels, fid to 7d per lb. At the Pukekoho cattle sale, held on Monday, there was a larger muster of stock than usual. Dairy cows near their profit were plentiful, and sold freely. Fat cattle equalled the prices given at Rcmuera. Calves were rather lower in price, but grown store cattle sold well. At Itcmuera on .Thursday dairy cows near calving were in usual number, and at last week's values; prices ranged from £3 6» to £6 oach, with a goo.i demand. Only a few store cows yarded' those brought from 22s 6d to 47s Od each. Fat calves, in full supply, were required, and sold satisfactorily. Fat cattle plentiful, but mostly light weights; above 300 head sold, and a shipment of 70 steers arrived late, and were not offered. Prices for steers were steady at 16s, cows 12s to 14s the 1001b, and equable values maintained throughout the sale. No store sheep offered. Fat sheep and lambs in average supply; 1200 sold ; prices arm. Wethers ranged from lis to 17s ; ewes, mto 16s Od. Lambs in their wool, 8s to 13s; shorn, 7s to 8s each, Pigs abundant; well-bred weanors, 8s ; porkers, from 16s to 25s ; coarse pigs, from as to 7s; heavy pigs, from 40s to 60s each. ' ' ' . „ Messrs. hunter and Nolan's Weekly eh. port.—Horse feed, grain, seeds, Ac. *. The demand has been steady, with no noteworthy alteration in value. Horses : A few have been placed privately at the previous week's values, but there was no auction sale held on account of the holidays. Wool, hides, skins, &o.: The auction sale was held on Wednesday. Quite the usual quantities were pitched; competition was steady. We quote: Stout ox hides, from 3jd to 4Jd per lb ; light ox, 2Jd to 3d ; steer and cow, IJd to 2jd per lb; calfskins, 4(1 to 4jd per lb; pelts, is 2d to 2s lOd each; lamb skins, 2s 3d to 2* 9d each: longwool, 6Jd per lb; tallow, 17s to 18s 3d per cwt. Cattle: Notwithstanding the holidays quite an average number of all descriptions have been brought forward, and found purchasers, dairy and store cattle at previous values, and there was an upward tendency for wallfatted oxen. There was lather a small muster of dairy and store stock at Newmarket, and a large one at Papakura. Competition was good for all descriptions. Some averages of steers were—£7 4s, £6 15s fid, £6 16s, £5 12s 3d, £5, £4 15s ; cows— 17b 6il, £4 28 6d, £3 S3 Od, £3 6s. We quote: Calves, at 12s 6d to 20S etch ; yearlings, 17s (id to 265; two-year-old steers, £l 10s to £2 6s; grown steers, £3 10s to £4 6s; dry cows, £110s to £2 6a; cows at calving, £3 6s to £6. Sheep: There waS a good muster at Newmarket on Wednesday, and strong demand. Wethers sold at from 13s to 16s 3d ; ewes, 18s 6d to 13S 9d J lambs, 7s to lis. Pigs: Very few yarded; porkers sold at from 2J(I to 3d per lb. live weight.

• THE AUCKLAND MARKETS. . Corrected to noon of Thursday.] GAItDEN AND ORCHARD PRODUCE Apples, lb, local , .. o 1 —o 2J 9 ? — ? 0 Lemons, doz .. .. 1 3 1 ft 1 6 — 0 0 Oranges, none -•» 0 0 *— 0 0 00 — 00 Bananas, lb .. .. 02 — 03 00 — 00 Cocoanuts, eaoli .; .. - : •• 0 2 — 04 Do., sack .. ...» ~ 10 0 — 0 0 . Onions, lb .. ), ...0 3 — 00 00 — 00 Garlic, lb .. .. 00 — 0 0 06-00

farm AND DAIRY produce. WHOfcfiSAUS. RRIAIt. 8. d. 9. d- *. (1. s. a Batter, fresh, dairy, lb 06— 0 0 08- 0 0 fefflSsS*,. S *-•■! 8 »-o 2 oio- i 0 0-0 a Do., Nev Zealand Dairy. Association .. 010 — 0 0 0 0— 00 Prime salt .. » « » n 2 n n Do,, inferior salt .. 03— 0 4 0 *— O 0 Milk, quart .. -**.»**-- J t S « Cheese, local, lb „ 04 -0 5 06 —00 Do., best factory .. 0 6— 0 0 .. Eggs, dozen .. ' -• 1 3 0 0 15*** in Lard, bladder, lb .. 0 6— 0 0 0 6—o 0 Hams and Bacon, Pro. 0 6j~* 0 (5J nominal Oant. Bacon, new _ . (in cloth) .. - :I - ft Hams (in cloth) „ 09— 010 .« Jams, case sdo» .. S3 J?"*" 2 5 . ... A Fowls, each .. ..06-10 1 ' Ducks, do. » ». -•• Shoo Geese, do — « n " a « Turkeys, do. m .. H 80— » « Feathers, lb — —16 —19 •* FLOUR. & 0, Auckland Roller Flour, sacks rrton .. .. 10 10 — do. do. do, i.lo 0 " Roller Flour, Southern do. .. 10 10 Stone Make do. do. do. ~ 010 • « Wheatnieal *> *• » 10 10 «. Bran .. ... <• -20 Sharps .. — .. •« 310 .» Cabin Bread >« ** IS 0 — 0 0 ••• Oatmeal, 26'S ~ -.11 0-0 0 - Oatmeal, 7's .. .. 18 0 — 0 0 «■« Pearl Barley ~ .. 20 0 —21 0 .' — HAY AND CORN. _ Per cw». Hay, ton - •• 3 ® 7a"" h n Lucerne, do. .* *, 60— 010 76— 8 0 Oaten, do. .. « 20— 3 0 4 0 5 8 Chaff, threshed 20— 210 00— 0 0 Oaten Chaff ™ .. 85— 310 — Straw, load .. .. 01$■— 110 « Clover, ton .. .. 5 0— 0 0 » Potatoes, Napier .. 60 - 0 0 « Do., OamarU.. „ 75 0-0 0 — 9. d s. d. Maize, bushel.. - 29-00 00- 0 • Barley, feed .. — 80 —33 S3 —40 Do., malting .. — § 9 '5 *9 An**nA Oats, feed .. ..20 —21 '9$ Oats, seed .. .. 00 —00 00— 0 0 Oats, milling ~ .. 23 —00 J ® ® Wheat, new local ~ 33 —37 00 —00 (Sacks extra.) . _ „ „ . _ Wheat, old Southern 34 —39 00—00 (Sacks extra.) _ „ Wheat, new Southern 31 —35 00 —0 0 (Sacks extra.) Do., do., seed.. 00 —00 00 —00 Do., local, seed ~ 00 —00 0 0— 00 Do., fowl ....3 — 3 4 00 —00 (Sacks included.) SEEDS, Clover, white — ~0 yi— 1 2 00—» 0 0 Do,, red.. •• «« 0 ,7»— 010 00— 0 0 Cowprass — ~0 —10 00— 00 Alyske ~ ... ** 011 — 1 1 00 —00 Timothy — .. 05 —06 00 —00 Trefoil .. .. ** 06— 0(J 00 —00 Rape 0 3J— 0 5 00 —00 Ryegrass, Poverty Bay 00 —00 0 0— 00 Do., Southern.. ~ 56 —06 00— 00 Do., Italian .. .. 00— 6 0 00 —00 Cocksfoot .. <• 86 —00 00 —00 ' KAURI GUM, FLAX. ETC Supplies for the thirty-one days of March, 720 tons. £. s. d. & a. d. Poor Ordinary, ton nominal .. 30 0 0 —33 0 0 East Coast .. .. _ 55 0 0 —56 0 0 Fair Ordinary 34 0 0 —40 0 0 Best Ordinary range gum .. 36 0 0 —41 0 0 Flax, best clean Auckland .. 18 0 0 —19 0 0 Good medium 15 10 0 -16 10 0 Poor, ordinary .. .. .. 13 0 0 -14 0 0 TOW .. « .. - 200- 210 0 Fungus,lb.. _ .. .-0 0 2i— 00 0 Cocoanut Fibre, cut, cwt .. 015 o—o 17 0 Beeswax, lb - .. .• 009 — 009 N.Z. FLAX ROPE. Prices subject to trade terms. Rope in all sizes, ton — .. 36 0 0 —40 0 Tarred Yarn, do 36 0 0 40 0 0 Wool Tailing, do. .. .. 35 0 0 —38 0 0 MANURES Bonedust, Sydney, ton.. - 7100« 810 0 Do., inferior .. « — 610 0 — 700 Boneflour .. « — — 860 — 900 Do., Auckland >. — — 7100— 810 0 Peruvian Guano — — « 14 0 0 —17 0 0 . Coral Queen do. .. . . 6 0 0— 0 0 0 Long Island do., bags included 410 0— 0 0 0 Superphosphate of Limo, 26 to 28 per cent — 000 —6 10 0 Do., 30 to 38 per cent. .. «. 8 0 o—B 10 0 Potato Fertiliser Fison's .. 00 — 000 Wheat ~ ~ .. 10 10 0— 0 0 0 Grass „ „ .. 10 10 0— 0 0 0 Turnip Fertilisers ~ .. 810 0 — 000 Superphosphate „ .. 7100— 00 0 NEW ZEALAND DRUG CO. S MANURES. l Ton. 5 Tons. Superphosphate, C 25 „ 617 o—s 14 0 Do. A 32 „ 760 — 700 Bonedust, pure .. .. 7100 — 7 5 0 Do. and Blood ... — — 615 o—6 10 0 Animal Manure .. .. — 520 — 500 Root Manure — — — 710 0 — 750 Corn Manure — •. -. 750 — 700 Grass Manure «« • — •. 615 o—o 10 0 Potato Manure — *. •> 710 0— 7 5 0 Maize Manure — .« *. 750 — 700 Turnip Manure .. .. ~ 710 0 — 760 Orchard and Tobacco Manure 815 o—B 10 6 Coral Queen Guano. 661% .. 600— 517 0 Sulphate of Ammonia ~ ~ 17 0 o—■ 0 0 0 Terms 2} per cent, discount for cash within one month. PRESERVED AND DRIED FRUITS. Dried Prunes, lb —0 6£ — 0 7 08— 010 Preserved Ginger .. 0 7— 00 — Shelled Nuts „ -09 —0 10 10 —16 Barcelonado... — 07-00 -- Brazil do. .. -06 —09 00 —10 Peanuts „ 03 —03 00 —00

AUCKLAND STOCK EXCHANGE. AUCKLAND, APRIL 2, 1891.

Joseph Newman, 8, Vlckers, J. Friar Clarke, R. Prater, J. M. Lennox, D. B. McDonald, X). G. MacDonneil, Aitkin Carrick, It. Spratt, Francis Hull, James Raid. It. O. Macky, T. A. Meuziea, James Fiat or, G. F. Brimblecombe. 0. Alexander, Chairman. OALIj AND JMVIDKND I,IST. C'AI<T-S. £ «. «• Peraovoranco G.M.Co. *.001 .. Apr. 2 Kuaotunu G.M.Co. » .» 0 0 X _ Apr. 4 Freedom G.M.Co. ... .. 0 0 2 _ Apr. 6 Junction G.M.Co 0 0 2 ~ Apr. C Nemesis G.M.Co. .. .. 0 0 0j ... Apr. 0 Pride of Karaka G.M.Co. .. 0 0 3 .. Apr. 0 Arizona G.M.Co. .. .. 0 0 1 « Apr. 7 Keystone G.M.Co. .. ~001.. Apr. 7 Great Mercury G.M.Co. .. 0 0 0 .. Apr. 8 Secret G.M.Co. .. .. ..001 ... Apr. 11 Red Mercury G.M.Co. .. 0 0 2 .. Apr. 13 Just In Time G.M.Co 0 0 1.. Apr. 14 Puhipuhi Prospectors' Co. .. 0 0 2 .. Apr. 28

Company. Business. Closing Prices. — ■ - - Buyer#. Seller*. Banks : £ s d £ « d. New'Zealand *. 6/13/ 5 10 0 6 15 0 National .* .. — 1 10 0 - Insurance: New Zealand .. — 3 10 0 & 12 6 Union .. .. — 16 3 — Miscellaneous 5 Auckland Gas .. <■» 10 10 0 — Thames Qua .. *— — 1 13 0 Kauri Timber .. - 1 - — 0 8 0 Taupiri Coal Ext... — — 0 19 0 Union Oil .. .. 12 0 11 9 0 12 0 Coromandel Bteanl *— 0 13 0 0 14 S MINING : May Queen.. .. 0/, 6/2 0 0 0 0 0 3 . New Moanataiftri , < 9/3 0 9 0 0 0 0 New Albumin . < — *— 0 3 0 Lone Hand .. .. — — 0 2 3 Magnolia .... 4/ — — Trenton .. .. 2/2,2/3 0 2 0 0 2 4 Caledonian .. .. — — 0 14 Cambria . > .. — -• 0 a 0 Victoria (T.) . • — *"■ 0 10 Consols .. >. 1/3 012014 Waitii .. .. 25/(5 — — Try uke .. .. 8/ 079080 RedMefCUty .. — —030 Carbine .... 2/ 0 — tain a .. .. — — 0 0 10 Mariposa .. .. — ■— „ 0 0 9 Itapai .. .. — 0 110 13 Lady Carrington .. — — 0 0 6 l'uhipuhf .. .. 6/3 — 0 0 6 OWota .. .i — 0 14 — Kutotunu ., .( — 010014 Pride of the Hills.. •— — 0 o 0 Adeline .. .. — 004 —