COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9604, 31 August 1894, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald Office, Thursday evening. The market on the Stock Exchange has shown 110 improvement during the past week. There is an uneasy feeling regarding Bank shares, and consequently they are lower in value. New Zealand Insurance have been sold at £2 19s; sellers are now asking £3 Is. South British have changed haqtis at £1 18s, and are still in demand at tn|s quotation. Sales of Nationals aro reported at 17s 2d; and Standards at los lOd. Accident® have been sold at 10s 6d. Sales of Auckland Gas have been effected at £10 10s, at which price they are now obtainable. The mining market has been very dull. Aljburnias are easier; sales at Is 6d ; buyers at Is sd. Hazel banks are wanted at 6d ; sellers 9d. There is little doing in May Queens ; sellers at & 3d. v ICtorias have advanced in value sales up to 4d; sellers at this price; buyers, Sid. aihis are wanted at £1 13s 6d. There have been numerous sales of Grace Darlings up to od. Try Flukes are in demand at 2s 2d ; sellers, 2s 6d. At a time when there is a universal deplore about the contraction of trade, a commercial city like Auckland practically half shuts up to allow the employees to see a game of football. It is difficult to refer to business matters rationally if such is the outcome of the so-called deplore about the bad state of trade. ~ . Business for the week has been helped by the arrival of the Port Melbourne from Calcutta, with the season's supply of wooipackii and cornsacks. The bulk of the cargo has been sold to arrive, so that the deliveries scarcely come into the week's trade. Business is practically without change, although there is a little lift in Indian goods. The indication of a rise in silver through the Japanese and Chinese war is affecting exchange, and the tendency of teas, bagging, castor oil, etc., is towards an advance. The I rise in Darjeeling teas is fully twopence, througn the anxiety of the London buyers to secure thin description, and the colonial buyers have to play up or go without. Singapore cables also report a general adVance. Coming to general observations about trade, the conviction seems to be uppermost that there would be no greater mercy to the colony than a quick prorogation, for while Patliarnent is sitting, with mines springing in all sorts of ways to disturb security of trade and labour, there is every possible reason for avoidance of commitment, and a sense of insecurity that fully explains the falling revenue, and the almost pitiable condition of the trade of the colony, naturally rich in all the elements of wealth, and so grandly placcd to give prosperity to every inhabitant. Maize is more plentiful, and the value is still about Is lid off wharf. Oats are as last week, and so are potatoes. Onions are getting scarce. A parcel from California will arrive by the incoming steamer. Bacon and hams are rather quiet, and there is a slight weakness in quantity quotations. Milling wheat: Although English markets are firmer, our own and Southern continue very quiet, and owing to the talk about changes in the tariff Southern grain merchants have taken up a waiting attitude. Fowl wheat; Fair sales are taking place. Seed wheat is in good demand. Bran and sharps are dull of sale. Flour: Fair salea ami deliveries at the reduced price. In the local produce market the supply of egis is very abundant, but superior quality of butter is slightly scarce. Prices at present are as follow: —Best dairy fresh butter is lOd, second quality 7d, and third quality 6d per lb wholesale. Eggs remain at 6d per dozen wholesale, and 8d per dozen retail To-day Messrs. Baker Bros, offered by auction several suburban and country properties. Part of section 249, Puuiu, near Te Awamutu, containing 24a 3r, was soUl for £102 10s. For allotment 40 feet by 130 feet and a six-roomed house in Victoria Avenue, Mount Eden, the highest bid was £240. Tne other lots were passed in, the bidding not reaching the reserve price. KAURI GUM ARKET. The following is the report of the _ gum market and ruling quotations, as furnished to us by the committee of gum merchants ; — Poor ordinary £24 Fair ordinary £23 Good ordinary £-'50 upwards East Coast £53 to £55 Parcels of superior ordinary command higher prices, according to quality and degree of cleaning. Supplies from Ist. inst. to date, 535 tons. Although prices remain nominally the same, buyers are not operating freely.