COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11842, 20 December 1901, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

(Net? Seat. Herald Office, Thursday evening. Business on the Stock Exchange has been quiet during the past week. No alterations are reported in quotations for bank stock. Nationals arc wanted at £3 15s 6d. In in surances New Zealands sold at £3 10s 9 , and closed with sellers at £3 lis, and buyers at £3 9s 6d. South British are quiet, with sellers at £3 19s. , New Zealand Accidents are not quite so strong, sellers asking £218 a, with ■ buyers at £2 16s 6d. In gas stociv, there is 'a good inquiry for Auckland?. Fully paid sold at £13 16s / and £13 IBs, and closed with sellers at £11, and buyers at £13 17s. : New issue of Auckland sold at £12 10s and £12 13s, and closed with buyers at £12 10s. There are buyers of Thames at £1 9s, and sellers at £1 12s 6d. New Zealand and River Plate Land Mortgage are unchanged In coals Hikurangis are wanted at Bs'4d, sellers asking 8s 9d. Taupiri Mines remain at last week's quotations. est port a are a shade easier, with buyers at £1 Is. The rise in the price of shares last wt>ek was caused by a rumour that the nominal value of the stock was to be written up 10s per share. In shipping Devonport Steam Ferrys sold at £2, and more could be placed at the same money, i Northern Steams, contributing, are offered at 8s 3d, with buyers at 83. In timber Leyland and O'Briens sold at £1 lis 3d and £1 12s, and . there are sellers at £1 13s, and buyers at £1 lis 6d. Milne and Choyce, preference, sold at £1 2s 6d, and D.S.O.'s at 9s. New Zealand Drags sold at £2 10s. The market for mining stock lias been quiet. Waihi Grand Junctions sold at £1 19s and £2; Waihi Extendeds at 2s sd; Komata Reefs at 9£d, lOd, and ll|d; Crowns at lis Imperials at sd; Monowais at 2s 5d and 2s 6d; and Kuranuis at 3d and 4d. General business lias been very brisk since last report, the Christmas trade making a marked difference in the turnover, but the wholesale orders are now pretty well executed, and the chief interest during the next few days will centre in tho retail trade. The advance in the price of maize last week has not been maintained, having gone back to 2s 3d on the wharf for wholesale parcels. About 1800 sacks have arrived for the week, of which a good deal has been in a dry,; shrivelled state, and has been difficult to place at anything better than.2s or 2s id. There is. a good demand for superior quality, and all that was up to the mark sold readily. The unusually heavy rain of last week and this, coming as it did after a long period of dry weather, has made the potato crops liable to second growth, and has induced growers to take up all that were in a condition to spoil. The result has been that tho market has been very full, and the price has receded, kidneys being now offered at 5s 6d, and round sorts lower in proportion. : The local market for oats remains the same, but ' stocks have been allowed to run very low, so that they will he quite ready for shipment by the Helen, and the later lot on the Woosung, from the Bluff. 1 The Southern price seems to have been easie. to* a time, ; and some lines were picked up at 2s Id f.0.b., but later telegrams to hand state that on account of small supplies available the unrket is now firm at 2s sd. Oatmeal is not selling very fast, as there ' is not only tho advent of warmer weather but also so many substitutes for oatmeal, which have been introduced curing the last few years. distributors are still working on old stocks purchased before the big rise, so that the present price is vory unsatisfactory for those who are holding fresh meal. The continued scarcity of fowl-wheat has brought another advance in the local price, and it hardly pays to handle even at this on the basis of Southern quotations, as high as 3s being mentioned as the f.o.b. Dunedin price. Milling wheat is also much firmer, the nominal price 2s lid f.o.b. Southern ports, with, however, little business passing at present, and this is stopping a good deal of the cutting in Sou. between _ the local mills and the Southern combine, although 110 straight out advance is recorded so far. The. South is at present supplying this market at a lower rate than to any other port, aud it may be mentioned that they are not prepared to accept large orders at the present, ruling rates. Cutting has also ceased in bran and sharps, the local price and the Southern being now on a parity. 5 > Onions remain about the same, the arrivals being rather freely absorbed. Chaff is fairly bare, and a further advance is reported, good quality being worth £3 2s 6d to £3 5s at the station this week. , Canned meats are selling freely,'also hams and bacon at the late advance. Bacon is extremely scarce, but hams are sufficient for the Christmas trade. . Corusacks are slow of sale, and most of the woolpacks have been sold under arrangement, as regards taking over the wool clip. This is not so common here as in Australia, ! where squatters can sometimes almost name their own price for woolpacks if they are giving their wool to the same house. \ Rico is easier. . Considerable interest is being taken in England in the coming fight for the tobacco trade of that country. , The American Tobacco Trust has attempted to buy up the businesses of several leading British maunfacturers, and so far has succeeded in acquiring only Ogden's, Limited, . a business with a cheap trade, but with a first-class manufactory at Liverpool. : Besides this its only move has been to reduce the prices to retailers, and ,to offer advantages in the shape of bonuses. The Imperial Tobacco Company, as the English trust is called, has recognised that sentiment will prove an important factor, and

has appealed direct to the consumer to be loyal to British commerce. A London journal, ' m commenting on the workings of these ' f powerful •'i syndicates, • representing on the American side a capital of 40 million Sterling, and on the English side five million, says', "That a great; war of -pricey will be at once' embarked upon' it not expected. The present season is the busiest in the whole year in the tobacco trade, and from now until after Christmas the full energies of the manufacturers will be required to cope with the ordinary? demands of their■ trade. In the opening months of 1902, as trade • quietens, active hostilities may be expected." We maysay that the local trade is also going to postpone active operations in the way of capturing business, and do not propose to make any alterations until after the New ear. • - Kerosene is selling in small lots at the advance, recorded. The purchase of the Shell Transport Company by the Standard Oil Company, to which we have already referred, in connection with the advance in ; kerosene, has • also caused benzine to advance l-jd per gallon. A cable from America shews. turpentine firmer again. A few weeks ago we mentioned the difficulty of English bottlers, supplying full orders for ale and stout, and the scarcity has resulted in an advance of .3d per dozen. Canned and dried fruits are selling freely, most of the retail houses having now laid in their stocks for the season. Lines selling this week, and in fact for the last four weeks, are too numerous to mention in detail, the general report being that everything is sellin/ briskly. Supplies of flax are not by any means excessive, and all that. comes to hand finds ready sale at good, prices, although the latest London news shows the market weaker for futures.

Buyers aro still offering' up to 3id for fungus. In the local dairy produce market the price of butter remains unchanged, as follows: — Factory butter, lid; separator, 7d; farmers', 6d; second quality farmers'.-Sd lb wholesale. Eggs are in plentiful supply, and as the demand has lessened, now that we are so close to Christmas, and most people have obtained sufficient for their requirements, the price has declined to Bd. •

Messrs. S. Cochrane and Son sold by auction this week the leases of a number of sites at Parnell, belonging to the Cathedral Trust. The following lots were sold, the leases being for 60 years: Allotment. 120 ft by 178 ft to St. Stephen's Road, and 65ft to Manukau Road. £8 per annum; two allotments, 66ft by 178 ft to St. Stephen's Road, £8 per annum each; allotment, 109.1 ft by 153 ft to St. Stephen's Road,' and 104 ft to Brighton Road, £14 per annum: allotment, 60ft by 154 ft, Brighton Road, £7 per annum; allotment, 60ft by 162 ft. Brighton, Road, £8 per annum.. Several allotments were passed in, not reaching the reserve price. Mr. E. Turner has sold to Mr. Iv. Hemsley, on behalf of Mr. Whitehead, a farm at Brooklyn, for £205. A house at Ponsonby, owned by Mr. Connell, was knocked down to Mr. W. Kenny for £275. Our Coromandel correspondent writes: — During the past few days Mr. Ben. B. Johnson reports the sale of land and houses situated in Ring's Road, on account of the Public Trustee, in the estate of James McGuiro, to a local buyer, for the sum of £250.

GROCERS' MARKET QUOTATIONS. The following are the quotations for butter and eggs for the week ending December 20, 1901, as quoted by the Grocers' Association: —Factory butter, lOd to lid per lb; separator butter, 7d per lb; farmers' butter (best), 6d; farmers' butter (second quality). 5d per lb; eggs, 8d per dozen. Eggs: The trade are complaining that many people are sending in preserved eggs mixed with their fresh supplies. During the present season there has been a largo quantity of eggs preserved by the various methods, as evidenced by the, increasing demand for these egg preservatives. There will be, no doubt, a demand for preserved eggs, but these must be sold as such, and any attempt at selling limed or preserved as fresh will not be to the advantage of the producer, but the reverse. The demand for eggs has fallen, and as there is no demand South at present prices quotation is now 8d wholesale.

KAURI GUM MARKET. Tho following are our quotations of kauri gum for the week ending December 16,1901: —White gum: Poor ordinary, £30 and upwards: fair ordinary, £50 and upwards; bold three-quarter scraped,. free from nuts, £78 and upwards; East Coast, good quality, £72 and upwards; re-scraped, £118 and upwards. Black gum: Nuts, £12 and upwards; medium, free from sugar, £18' and upwards ; good, £52 and upwards. Remarks on market Arrivals for 16 days of December, 320 tons. The small quantity arriving keeps the market strong, but buyers generally look upon prices as being too high when compared with thoso to be obtained in England and America.

LONDON. By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright. J " 1 Londox, December 18. The total quantify of wheat and flour afloat for the United Kingdom is 2,635,000 quarters, and for tho Continent 1,300,000 quarters. * Bank shares: New South Wales, 42J; others, unchanged. - _ _ ; Copper: Spot, 50£; three j months, 501. Lead, 10£. Silver, 2s lfd per ounce. At the tallow sales 1075 casks were offered' and 750 sold. Fine mutton, 34s 6d; medium, 30s 6d. Fine beef, 34s 9d; medium, 31s. i ■ ' • :

WHANGAREI WOOL SALE. Whangabei, Thursday. Hunter and Wilson held a wool sale to-day, all the wool being sold excepting three lots. The prices ranged from 2Jd to 3d per lb.

FROZEN MEAT. [by TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Chkistchurch, Thursday. The Colonial Consignment an/' Distributing Company lias received the following cable from London:—Canterbury mutton, 3|d; North Island, 2|d; first quality lamb, 4|d; second, 4id.

AUCKLAND STOCK EXCHANGE. Business Done. —Milne and Choyce, preferential, £1 2s 6d; Chelmsford, 10d.Buyers.— Bank, 75s 6d; New Zealand Accident Insurance, E6s 6d; . New Zealand 1 and River Plate, old, 21s; New Zealand and River Plate, new, 21s 9d; Hikurangi Coal, 8s 4d; Taupiri Coal Mines, Limited, 17s; Auckland Gas, old, £13 17s 6d; Auckland Gas, new (£4 10s), £12 10s; Northern Steamship, contributing, 8s; Devonport, Steam Ferry, 395; Kauri Timber, contributing, Is 6d; . LeylandO'Brien Timber Co., Limited, 31s 6d; Wellington Woollen, £5 6s 6cl; Avondale Brick and Pottery, 225; D.S.C., Limited, 8s lOd; Milne and Choyce, Limited, preferential. 225; Northern Boot, 8s: bar land and Co., Limited, 225; Tonson Garlick Co., Limited, 15s; Broken Hill, 2£d; Kuranui, 3£d; May Queen. Hauraki, sd; Mor.owai, 2s sd; Victoria, 2d; Welcome Jack, contributing, 4d; Imperial, sd; Komata Reefs, 9d; Maratoto, 2d; Pride of Waihi, 2Jrl; Tairna Broken Hills, 2s 10d; Waihi, £6; Waihi Consolidated, Is 3d; "Waihi Consols,- 2Jd; Waihi Extended, 2s 6d; Waihi Grand Junction, 395; Waihi South, 10Jd; Waitekauri, 8s 3d. SELLERS.— of New Zealand, 503; New Zealand Insurance, 71s; National Insurance, 19s; South British Insurance, 79s 6d; New. Zealand Accident Insurance, 58s 6d; New Zealand and River Plate, old, 21s 6d ; New Zealand and River Plate, new, 23s 6d • Hikurangi Coal, 8s 9d ; Taupiri Coal Mines, Limited, 17s 6d: Auckland, Gas. new (£4 10s), £12 16s 6d; Nev Zealand Shipping, £7; Northern Steamship, paid up, 19s; Northern Steamship, • contributing, Ss 3d; Kauri Timber, contributing, Is 9d; LeylandO'Brien Timber Co., Limited, 335; Avondale Brick and Potters, 245; D.S.C., Limited, 9s 2d; Milne and Choyce, Limited, preferential, 235; New Zealand Drug (£2), 50s; Northern Boot, 10s; Sharland and Co., Limited, 235; Union Oil, 20s; Broken Hill, 4d; Kuranui, 4£d; Kura-nui-Caledonian, 9d; May Queen . Hauraki, 8d; Monowai, 2s 9d; Victoria, 3d; Welcome Jack, contributing,, 6d; Alpha, 3d; Chelmsford, lid; Crown, lis; Imperial, s£d; Komata Reefs, lid: Pride of Waihi, 3d; Rising Sun. -6d: Tairua Broken Hills, 3s Id; Waihi, £6 10s; Waihi Consolidated. Is fid; Waihi Extended, 2s 3d; Waihi Grand Junction, 425: Waihi South, lljd; Waitekauri, 9s 6d; Woodstock, 4s 6d; New Pour-in-Hand, Is 4d; Royal Oak of Hauraki, 9d. . ..

G. A. BUTTLE, Chairman. W. H. 0. Johnston, .Secretary. 3.15 p.m., December 19, 1901, CALL AND DIVIDEND LIST. Calls made. £ s. d. Date. Waihi Extended, Nov. 22 ... 0 0 1 Jan. 1 Chelmsford. Dec. 10 ... ... 0 0 1' .Tan. 6 Taniwha, December 17 ... 00 1 Jan. 7 Dividends: . Dae. Mount Lyell Mining and Rail- , ■ • _ way Co ... ... 04 0 Jan. 3