COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10835, 19 August 1898, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

Nfw Zealand Herald Office, Thursday evening. Business on the Stock Exchange during the past week lias been somewhat restricted. The firmer tone for investment stock noted last week has been well maintained. Nationals Banks are still offered at £2 6s 6d, and the market closed without any declared buyers. There has been a fair inquiry for insurances. New Zealands are firmer, buyers now offering £3 3s 6d, sellers asking £3 6s, South British have also advanced, buyers offering £2 8s 9d, with no sellers under £2 10s. Quotations for Nationals are unchanged. Standards are wanted at 12s 4d, with no declared sellers. Sellers of New Zealand Accidents ask £1 Is, buyers offering £1 2s. No business is reported in gas stock. Aucklands are in better demands, buyers offering for fully paid £13 12s 6d, with sellers at £14. Buyers of contributing offer £9 10s, with no sellers. Thames Gas are still offered at £118s. In shipping shares, Devonport Steam Ferrys are wanted at £1 16s, with sellers at £1 17s. Northern Steams sold at 6s 7d; and the market closed with sellers at 6s 9d, and buyers at 6s sd. A better inquiry for coal shares has existed during the week. For Hikurangis buyers have advanced their price to 9s 6d, with sellers at 9s 9d. Taupiris are wanted at 19s sellers asking £1 Is. Ralph's Taupiris sold at ss, and there are now sellers at 5s Id, buyers at 4s 9d. New Zealand Drugs (£1 10s paid) are inquired for at £1 16s 6d. Sharlands are offered at 13s 6d. Union Oils have advanced, buyers now offering 17s 6d. For Northern Boots 9s 3d is offered, sellers asking 10s 3d. Land Mortgages are a shade easier, with sellers at 17s. The mining market- continues inactive, the general tendency being downwards. WailiiSilvertons sold at 5s 4d, with sellers at 6s. Alphas are wanted at 2s Id. Talismans have been inquired for, sales taking place at 8s 6d and 8s 9d, the market closing with sellers at 9s, and buyers at 8s 6d. Woodstocks are offered at 8s 9d, with buyers at 7s 3d. New Zealand Crowns are somewhat better, buyers now offering 16s 6d. In Lower Thames stock, May Queens sold at 5s 4d, and there are now sellers at 5s fid, and buyers at 5s 2d. There are sellers of Moanataiaris at 4s. New Alburnias sold at Is 4d, but the market closed with a slight inquiry, buyers' offering Is 7d. Tararu Creeks sold at 2s. Sellers of Monowais ask 5s 4d. Puru Consolidateds dropped to sillers at 6s. Coromandcl and Barrier stocks hav been neglected. No groat volume of business ban been put through for the week, but a slight improvement is noticeable, and a more hopeful tono is felt all round. Mining centres aro very dull, but the country districts generally are in a fairly prosperous condition. Tho Tyser line of steamers intends running a servico from New York to New Zealand and Australia. This should lie a good movement for our general trade with the United States, as a considerable quantity of merchandise from that source, for which prompt shipment is required, now comes via Europe. Wheat markets generally are a shade easier. Southern quotations aro still fairly high, but farmers and holders aro open to accept reasonable counter offers. Maize has eased off this week owing to heavy arrivals, and is soiling freely at 2s 8d ox wharf. Farmers would do well not to rush their grain forward too rapidly, or wo may seo a collapse in prices similar to what we had five or six weeks ago. Oats are still improving, and fair sales aro reported. Quotations from the South rango from 2s 6d to 2s 6|(l c.i.f. for prime. Some holders aro asking considerably ' more, and tho general feeling is that we may sco prices higher before long. Tho market is not very heavily supplied,. as arrivals have been very small for some time past, and the consumption has been Steady. Flour is rather quiet, and only small sales are being m.,« 0. Bran is in good demand, and stocks are comparatively small. Pollard is selling somewhat slowly for tho season of tho year. Potatoes are quoted at £7 10s to £8 locally, but holders would find it vory difficult to replace their stocks at the same figures, as Southern prices are slightly firmer during the last few days. Sydney shows a little improvement as well, and slocks in town are pretty well worked down. Ryegrass and cocksfoot are in fair inquiry. A few small lines have changed hands this week. Hams and bacon are selling steadily at about lost quotations. Taranaki and Waikato are now sending forward large supplies. A shipment of Mildura dried fruits was landed last week, which shows very satisfactory quality. Amongst the lines aro some good loxias, which compare favourably with th* ordinary demos. The Rimutaka arrived during tho week with a largo shipment of general cargo for this port. Barbed wire is moving off at about i!l2 5s for American. From latest advices, manufacturers have advanced the price 5s per ton. Flax is quiet, and very few orders are on tho market. The. markets, both in England and America, are still very quiet, and prices .to almost nominal. Wo are glad to lotico thai a movemont is on foot to bring about somo moro satisfactory arangements for grading in Auckland, Out flax was for many years in greater favour with Homo buyers than that shipped from Wellington, but, "W----inj to the laxity in execution of orders, wo have fallen somewhat into disrepute. Wo hope that some good workable system will be arrived at and put into force at an early date, as it is of the greatest importance to the industry. . Tho kauri gum market is still quiet, and little or no business is passing. Bonedust is still very firm, and fair business has been done with Sydnoy. Cement is firmer, owing to the increased cost of linos coming forward. There is a fail - demand. Building line been somewhat rearded by the continuous heavy rains, but with the improvement of the last day or two contractors should be able to make a little more headway. Bar iron, according to cable advices to hand, has advanced 10s per ton, Dried and canned fruits are still in grod domand. Wo notico that the Indraghiri took iiwty somo fair-sized parcels of timber last week. Competition is very keen in this line just now, owing to the plentiful supply of logs. Tho mills all appear to be kopt busy. In the local produco market there lire to changes' in prices, which aro as —Dairy fresh butter, 9d; second-class, 7d; and thirdclass, 5d per lb wholesale. Eggs are 8d per dozen wholesale, and lOd per dozen retail. KAURI GUM MARKET. The following are our quotations of kauri gum for the weok ending August 17, 1898: —Poor ordinary, which comprises weak and rough-coated pieces, piokings, and washed nuts, £41 to £43; ordinary, moaning hard, rough-scraped gum, varying in price according to tlio quantity of washed nuts £51 to £53; good ordinary, meaning hard, unpicked range gum, price varying according to size, scraping, and freedom from weak pieces, £66 and upward; East Coast, £72 to £74; rescrapod, £110 and upward. v \ ; w. : Supplies for 17 days of August, 435 tons. . Gum is arriving vory freely just now,'and at ; tho same time the demand is very quiet, t The market is therefore decidedly dull, and'prices are lower for all but the very best kinds. \

I '> ' ' LONDON. : * By Tele&raph.-Press' Association.-Copyright. ." London, August 17. Tallow prices are unchanged. Per Now Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co. (Limited). ' ' London, August 17. Tallow Market inactive, and has a drooping tendency. . SYDNEY MARKETS. By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright. Stdnev, August 18. An order for 2000 tons of potatoes for Manila, placed at Melbourne, had the effect of hardening prices locally, holflers asking £3 per ton this morning, i furthei lise is probable. AUCKLAND STOCK EXCHANGE, Buyers.—New Zealand Insurance, 63s 6d; National Insurance, las 9d; South British Insurance, 48s 3d; Standard Insurance, 12s 4d; New Zealand Accident Insuranco, 225; Auckland Gas, old, £13 12s 6d; Auckland Gas, new (£3 10s), £9 10s; Northern Steamship, 6s 4d; Devonport Steam Ferry, 365; Hikurangt Coal, 9s 6d; Taupiri Coal, 19s; Ralph's Taupiri Coal Co., 4s 9d; New Zealand Drug (£1 10s), 36s 6d; Northern Boot, 9s 3d; Union Oil, 17s 6(1; City of Auckland. 3d; May Queen Hauraki, as 2d; New Alburiiia, Is 7d; Nonpareil, 2d; Victoria, 3Jd; Alpha, 2s Id; Crown, 16s Gd; Grace Darling, Is 3d; Now Zealand Talisman, 8s 6d; Waihi Consols. 2d ; Waihi Extended, 4d; Waihi South, 6Jd ; Woodstock, 7s 3d Pour-in-llaud, sd; Matawai, 2d; Royal Oak of Hauraki, Is 3d. SELLERS.— Bank, 46s 6d; New Zealand Insurance. 665; National Insuranco, 16s 4d; South British Insurance, 50s; New Zealand Accident Insurance, 245; New Zealand and Eiver Plate, 17s; Auckland Gas, old, £14; Thames Gas. 38s; Gishorno Gas, 40s; Northern Steamship. 6s 9d; Devonport Steam Ferrv 375; Hikurangi Coal, 9s 9(1; Taupiri Coal, 21s; Ralph's Tanpiri Coal Co,, 5s Id j Sharland anil Co., 13s 6(1; Northern Boot, 10s 3d; Broken Hill, 3id; City of Auckland, 6(1; Kaiser, paid up. 3d; Kuranui, 51(1; Kuranui-Caledonian, Is Id; Maliara Royal, 29 10(1; May Queen Hauraki, 5s 6d; May Queen Extended. 3d; Moanataiari, 4s; Monowai, 53 Id; New Whan, 2d; Nonpareil, 6d; Sheridan, paid up, 3d; 'l'araru Creek, 2s 2d; Victoria, 4d; Waiotahi, 27s 6d; Alpha, 2s 4d; Crown, 17s 6(1; Grace Darling, Is lOd; Komata Beefs, 4s; Newi Zealand Talisman, 9s; Ohinemuri Syndicate, 2s 6d; Portsea, 8d; Wailli, £5; Waihi Consols, 21d;. Wain Extended, 6d; Waihi Grand Junction, 17a; Waihi-Silver-ton, 5s 9d; Waihi South, 7d; Waitekaun, 27s 6(1; Waitekauri United, 6d: Waitekaun Union, 6d; Woodstock, Bs. 9(1; Bunkers Hill, 10(1; Coroinandel Freehold Proprietary. 3d; Cuirassier, 3d; Pour-in-Hand, 7(1; Ilauralu South, 3s; Hauraki New Zealand Associated Goldi Mines, 8(1; Harbour View, 3d; Matawai, 4d; Now Golconda, 2d; Royal Oak of Hauraki, 2s; Tokatea Consols, 6d; Welcome Find, 6d; Barrier Beefs, paid up. Is 6d; Great Barrier Gold and Silver, 2s 6d. J. M. Lennox, Chairman. 3.15 p.m., August 18,1898. CAM, AND DIVIDEND IST. (;.((,i,s • Made. £s. d. Duo. Welcome Find .. Aug. fi .. 0 0 3.. Aug. -3 Broken Hill .. Aug. 12 .. 0 0 0).. Aug. -0 Woodstock North , a 0 (in liquidation).. Aug. 17 .. 0 0 o}.. Sep. 8 Waihi Consols .. Aug 10 .. 0 0 1,. Sop. 11 Matawai .. .. Aug. 11 .. 001 .. Sep. 14