COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11079, 2 June 1899, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald Office, Thursday evening. A MODERATE business is reported on tlio Stock Exchange for the past week. In investment stocks insurances and coals hav-3 been most in favour. National Banks are still wanted, and buyers are offering £2 9s, with no declared sellers. New Zealand In--11 | surances have been in better request, and n j sold at £3 4s, £3 ss, and £3 5s 3d. Sellers S , now ask £3 5s 6d, buyers offering £3 4s. ( South British*' sold at £2 14s, and there are j still buyers at that figure, with sellers at £2 ; i 15s 6d. Nationals aro offered at 17s 9d. i. Buyers of Standards offer 13s 4d. Sellers of ■ Accidents ask £1 12s. > Auckland Gas (fullyi paid) sold at £14 2s fid, and there are sellers .' ;at the same figure. Sellers of contributing i j ask £10 12s 6d. There are sellers of Thames i Gas at £1 18s (id, and buyers of Gisborne S I Gas at £1 19s, Northern Steams sold at , 8s 2d, and there are sellers at 8s 3d. DevonI port Steam I'errys are offered at £2, and j there are buyers at £1 13s 9d. Sellers of 7 I Hikurangi Coals ask 9s. Taupiri Mines sold j at £1, and there are buyers at 19s 6:1, and i sellers at £1. New Zealand Drugs sold at | £2 12s bd, and Union Oils at £1 0s 4d. There :t I arc buyers of the Latter at £1 Os 6d. New | Zealand and River Plates sold at £1 Is, and , j there are buyers at £1 0s 9d, and sellers at I£l Is 6d. The mining market lias been I quiet. No sales reported in Wailiis, and j sellers ask £7 10s. Waihi Extendeds sold ■ from 9d to 7d, and closed with sellers at I 8(1 and buyers at 6£(l. Waihi Silvertons sold | at 13s 3d, and Waihi Souths from 8d to 6d, j 1 and Oliinemuris at 4£d, 4d, and 4£d. Waiter | kauris aro firm, with sales at £2 6s; buyers - I offer £2 6.=, but there are no declared sellers. I Alphas sold at from 5s 2d to 4s 9(1. There f j aro sellers at 53 and buyers at 4s Bd. Grace J 1 Darlings sold at Is 7d, Portseas at 7£d, and i Komata Reefs at 3s 6(1 and 3s 7d. Ohino- . | muri Syndicates are easier, and are offered !at 5s 3d, with buyers at 4s 9d. Talismans • | sold at 14s 3d and 14s Bd. Crowns sold at • j 14s 4d and 14s 3d. Woodstock? sold at 7s j 6d. Maratotos are easier, with sellers at 4s p I an " buyers at 3s 7d. In Lower Thames l j stock May Queens sold from 8s to 8s 2d to j 7s lOd to Bs, closing with sellers at 7s lid l i and buyers at 7s 7d. There has been a little : inquiry for Moanataiaris, with sales at 4s I3d and 4s 4d and 4s 3d. In Coromandel j stock Bunker's Hills sold at is lOd and Is j lid, and there are buyers at is lid and sel- , lers at 2s Id. Four-in-Hands aro slightly , j easier, with sellers at 3s 2d. Hauraki AsI soeiateds sold at 6£d and 7d. Progress-Castla j Rocks sold at sd. Business on the whole has been somewhat j quiet this week, except for the usual first of I the month orders, which are, of course, in pro- | cess of delivery. j Black Horse salt is very low in storks, am] I prices have hardened in consequence. Pre- | sent quotation is £4 2s fid ex store i-Mesalu, I with hardly any holders. I _ New Mildura apricots ace to hand, and sell- | ing well, as the samv'cs r.r 3 very gooi. Sago and tapioca .n in lair demand at 35s 6d to 16s 6d respectively i Kerosene is still somewhat weak, as a result of the near approach of the Mary Hasbrouck, but buyers are now beginning to realise that.there will not be so much available i out of this cargo as was anticipated, and arc , operating more freely. 1 National candles have experienced a good 1 demand this week, and supplies are running low.

j Von Houten's cocoa is also in rather short ! supply. i Oilman's starch is stijl rather short. Curnsacks aro almost unprocurable. , London reports, dated April 21, advise cur- ! rants as showing an active market. Holders i in Patras are, however, not anxious sellers nt . present Quotations, which range from lis to lis 6d c.i.f. London, for good ordinary pro--1 vincials. Good shipping qualities of sultanas I are advised as scarce, and cannot be bought I under £118s to £119s c.i.f. Valcncias are in I rather short supply, and the market pliows ; ail upward movement, with present quotations £1 33 to £1 4s spot, and £1 2s to arrive. Canary seed is quoted at £1 5s 6d to £1 6s per quarter of 4641b Liverpool, for f.a.q., and £1 6s to £1 7s London. Hides have advanced from id to id per lb, and a good demand is being experienced, especially for American markets. _ Kauri gum has had a lair amount of attention this week, as the Lake Erie is now almost ready to take cargo, and the Mary Hasbrouck is daily expected. Superior ordinary appears to be most in demand. Dust is still neglected. London advices of last month on wool aro interesting, as indicative of the keen demand for finer classes. They read as follows;—Tho market for merinos and fine crossbreds is icry buoyant, the price of tops having advanced more than 2d per lb since the close of last sales, liivcr Plate merinos sold in Liverpool lust week at lOjd to lid, as compared with 7d to 7j|d in Juno last. Buyers have taken up privately all withdrawn lots that owners would sell at 2d per lb advance on last sales rates, so there is every indication of a considerable advance for fine-haired wools at the sales to open on May 2. Even crossMs appear inclined to lie a shade dearer. it iw°w n W r.' market rclMins fi ™ at about last quotations, in spite of Caliorman and R.ver Plate' shipments, which, in e(?pV "n ' WOl ! ld have had a weakenin effect, Pile result, is that Southern holdSS.rs confidence, and prices area Manila hemp is weaker in London, on ac count of heavy arrivals and second-hand sellers bemg anxious to quit as a consequence This has had a weakening effect on Now Zealand flax, which, though firm for spot deliveries, is weak for forward delivery Our local market is quiet in sympathy. Flour shows no alteration on last week but bran has again shown a rapid advance in the South, in sympathy with the Sydney demand, which has coma on again very strongly. Oat supplies have been replenished locally by the arrival of two sailing vessels from tho South with considerable quantities. Tho market has, however, taken up all that have been offered, and all lines have been quitted without storing, , Maize lias declined to 2s to 2s id for old, and is lOd to 2s for new ox wharf, and there are few buyers, owing to the heavy prospects and absence of outside demand.

Potatoes: Tho Lalto Brio brought a shipment of 500 sacks, which has eased prices somewhat locally, but Southern sellers are holding off just now, owing to the uncertainty of getting supplies, consequent upon the heavy rains, which have interrupted digging operations. Fowl wheat is now .being offered more freely by local farmers, but tho demand is not quite so good as a few weeks ago, as feeders have again turned their attention to maize.

In the local produce market the price of eggs remains unchanged, though they are now becoming very scarce. Butter has advanced in price. At present the prices are: —Farmers' butter 7d, and second quality 5d per lb wholesale. Eggs are Is 6d per dozen wholesale, and Is 9d per dozen retail.

KAURI GUM MARKET. The following are our quotations of kauri gum for the week ending May 31, 1899 — White gum: Washed nuts, £28 aifd upwards ; ordinary, £40 to £43; good ordinary (unpicked), £46 and upwards; superior ordinary, £62 mid upwards; East Coast (good qualitv), £73 to £74; rescrapod, good, free from 'swamp, £110 and upwards. Black gum: Nuts, £12 to £14 medium, £20 to £24; superior, £38 to £43. Supplies for 31 days of May, 935 tons. There is steady demand for all kinds, except poor dark gum and scrapings.

LONDON. By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright. London, May 31. A cargo of Australian wheat sold at 28s 9d. Nine, thousand quarters of Now Zealand, June shipment, sold at 27s 3d. At the tallow sales 1625 casks were offered, and 1325 sold. Mutton tallow, line, 275; medium, 255; beef ditto, fine, 25s 3d; moclium, 245. A consignment of ducks by the steamer Thcrmopyke arrived in good condition and sold at 2s 6d to 3s each.

AUCKLAND STOCK EXCHANGE. Business Done.— I Taupiri Coal Mines (Limited), 20s; Crown, 14s 3d; New Zealand Talisman, 14s 8d; Waihi Silvorton, 13s 3d; Waihi South, 6d; Moanataiari, 4s 3d, 4s 4d; Progress-Castle Rock, 6d.

BUYERS— Bank, 495; New Zealand Insurance. 645; South British Insurance, 545; Standard Insurance, 13s 4d; New Zealand and River Plate, 20a 9d; Gisborno Gas, 395; Devonport Steam Ferry, 38s 9d; Taupiri Coal Mines (Limited), 19s 6d; Union Oil, 20s 6d; Alpha, 4s 8d; Grace Darling, la 7d; Imperial, 2d; Komata Reefs, 3s 3d: New Zealand Talisman, 14s 4d; Ohinemun, 3d; Ohineinuri Syndicate, 4s 9d; Port-sea, 7d; Waihi Extended, 6ld; Waihi Grand Junction, 14s; Waihi Silverton. 13s: Waihi South. 6id; Waitekauri, 465; May Queen Hauraki, 7s 7(1; Tararu Creek, Is; Victoria, 8(1; Bunker's Hill, Is lid; Progress-Castle Rock, 4jd.

SELLERS.—Now Zealand Insurance, 65s 6(1; National Insurance, 17s 9(1; South British Insurance, 55s 6(1; New Zealand Accident Insurance, 325; New Zealand and River Plate, 21s 6(1; Auckland Gas, old, £14 2s 6d; Auckland Gas, new (£3 10s), £10 12s 6d; Thames Gas, 38a 6d; Northern Steamship, 8s 3d; Devonport Steam Ferry, 40s; Hikurangi Coal. 9s; Tanpiri Coal Mines (Limited), 20s; Alpha, ss; Crown, 15s; Ethel Reef. 6(1; Grace Darling;, Is 10d; Imperial, 3d; Komata Reefs, 3s Sd; Now Zealand Talisman, 14s 9d; Oliinemuri, 4*d; Ohinemnri Syndicate, 5s 3d; l'ortsea, 8d; Rising Sun, 4Jd; Waihi, £7 10s; AVaihi Extended, 8d; Waihi Grand Junction, 17s; Waihi Silverton, 14s 4d; Waihi South, 8d; Broken Hill, 2d; City of Auckland, 4d; Kuranui. sd; Kiiranui-Caledonian, Is 4d; Mahara Royal, 2s 6(1; May Queen Hanraki, 7s lid; May Queen Extended, 4d; Moanataiari, 4s 6(1; Tararu Creek, Is 3d; Victoria, 10(1; Bunker's Hill, 2s Id; Four-in-Hand, 3s 2d; Hauraki New Zealand Associated Gold Mines, 7Jd; Harbour View, 3d ; Progress - Castle Rock, 6d; Welcome Find, 6(1; Zealandia, 4d; Great Barrier Gold and Silver, 3s 6d. J. M. LENNOX, Chairman. 3.15 p.m., June 1, 1899. AUCKLAND SIIAIIEIiRuKfIRV ASSOCIATION Established 1895, Exchange, Auckland. MEMBERS ; Allen, V. M, Gray, W. I,yon, E. Asliton, 11. S. Jackxon, J. Porter, K, Oliy, ]'. 11. Johnston, W. H,O. Siitclmll, W. Eller, C. I. Lennox, J. S. shepherd, H. M Business for week ending Thursday, June Aloha, 5s 2d; Bunker's Hill, Is lid, 2s Id, 2s; Grace Darling, Is lOd, Is 9d; Harbour view, 2d; Hauraki Associated, 7(1, 6jd: Imperial, 2Jd; May Queen Hauraki, 8s 2d; Ohiin'jiiuri. 41d, 4d; Progress-Castle Rock, sd; Talisman, 143 7d, 14s 8d; Waihi Extended, Ed, 7Sd, 7d; Waihi South, 8d; Woodstock, 7s 2(i; Taupiri Coal, 1.9s Sd, 10s. All companies quoted free on the application of the legal manager.