COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11877, 31 January 1902, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

Weeklt News Office. Thursday' evening. The Stock Exchange shows very little change from last week. Bank of New Zealands continue weak, sellers asking £2 6ss 6d. There are sellers of Nationals at £3 17s and buyers at £3 15s. In insurances New Zealands are firmer, and sold at £3 9s, closing with sellers at £3 9s and buyers at £3 Bs. South British are wanted at £3 18s 6d. Buyers of Nationals offer £1, and for Standards 17s 3d. New Zealand Accidents are firm, with buyers at £3. New Zealand and River Plate Land Mortgage, old issue, are wanted at £1 Is, and new issue art; £1 Is 3d, with no declared sellers of either. In coals Hikurangis sold at 9s, 'cum div. now payable, and there are ■ buyers at 8s 6d ex div. Taupiri Mines sold at 18s, and there are sellers at 18s 3d and buyers at 17s lOd. Buyers of West-ports' offer £4 Is. In gas stock Auckland fully paid are offered at £14, and part ; paid at £12 16s. There are buyers of Gisborne at £1 lis 6d. In shipping Northern Steam, contributing, sold at 8s 3d. Other quotations for shipping shares are unchanged. There are sellers of Kauri Timber Company, contributing, at Is 6d, : and of Leyland-O'Bricn at £1 13s. D.S.O. sold at 9s, 9s 2d, and 9s id, and there are sellers at 9s 3d and buyers at 9s Id. In mining stock Waihis sold at £6; Tairua Broken Hills at 3s; Waitokauris at 9s 6d; and Kuranuis at 4d, 4ad, and 5d..

• Business in general has again been very good, the usual deliveries for the first of tho month having considerably improved the wholesale . trade. It has been noticed that the demand shows a falling off in some districts, where apparently the Christmas trade was not up to expectations, and storekeepers have been left with fairly heavy stocks. Since last report maize has been landed from the Bay to the extent of 1392 sacks by the Waiotahi and Terranora. Some of the J samples this time are really prime, and are quite a pleasure to look at after the inferior quality to which the market has been accustomed this season. These good samples have realised from 2s 4d to 2s 4|d on the wharf in wholessile lots, some lines being taken into store reserved at 2s sd. The local demand is j very strong, even after the comparatively heavy arrivals of the last few weeks, so that j we are for the present independent of Aus- ! tralian demand, the local market being cap- j able of absorbing more than comes to hand. ! Wellington is now drawing from Gisborne, ' and on Monday the Mararoa took a shipment j from the same quarter to Sydney. The glut in potatoes has to some extent! been I removed by the export orders for the j Islands, and the Government are also draw- ' ing on our market for considerable quantities ! required for ; the .? troopships Cornwall and Surrey. Primo kidneys are now worth 3s to 3s 6tl, less money being accepted for inferior or unripe samples. . Canterbury is already asking when we shall be prepared to draw on them, but the local supplies will probably be found too heavy for another month or two. A large quantity of oats came by the Hawea, which is probably the last shipment of old grain for tho season, practically all being sold to arrive, and as the, market was extremely bare these ' have gone into immediate consumption. The new crop is now offering from Canterbury, - for which delivery is not guaranteed till about the middle of February. The Southland crop is reported to be promising well, but the harvest is expected to be late, say, end of March, so the delivery may be expected in April. Reports differ as to the Canterbury crop, but all are agreed that stockc of old grain, both there and in Otago, have never been so cleaned out as they are at this moment, and when the fact is recollected that last season was the heaviest crop that the South has ever known, some idea can be formed of tho effect the South African demand has had on the market conditions. We do not look for much reduction in price : for some time, for further orders fron> the same quarter have already had an effect on the price of now grain, and quotations that were offering last week are higher to-day. • ;..:•.lowlwheat is a little more plentiful since arrival of the Hawea, from which sales have been made ma very strong market. . Hour has again attracted attention this week, and the quotation for Southern has made j another slight advance. Bran and pollard have both registered an advance, and are selling freely. There is a strong inquiry for onions, and the market is almost bare, Supplies have been cut off from Sydney by the sharp advance, in price there. This has firmed the local price, and Southern stocks, are now being drawn upon. Wo look forward to early arrivals from there, for which an opening cost of about 6s 5d has been named, and the price is likely to deoline as it has done in other seasons, so that local growers would do well; to realise at present values. Of course, there is the American demand to keep the market better than it would otherwise be, and the Sonoma take* a shipment on Saturday, Unfortunately the local price ; did not secure the contract for the troopships, and we understand that tbeir supplies * were taken aboard in the South.

New chaff is now coming in, and the quality, appears i good -and is likely to rule " satisfactory for the season. Samples to hand are suitable for immediate use. --' Heavy sales of canned meats are reported. Hames " and bacon are now offering more freely. As an instance of the way the local hardware prices are ; cut up it may be mentioned that corrugated iron is being sold in Wellington at 20s per ton above Auckland prices, and bar iron at 30s per ton. The local market has for some lime been considerably upset by the keenest' competition. ; ; - Castor oil by the Whangape, shows a slightly higher cost. Sago and tapioca are lower. ; The Australian timber trade is to a great extent hung up for the present, pending a ! decision as to s the Federal duties. The ex- ! port to the South has also been; a little less ! for the last month. On the other hand the ! local trade is very brisk, and mills are working night shifts. Heavy building contracts have lately been let, i and . ; others are an- [ uounred to come out scon. i Advices from Ceylon show a sharp advance i in dessieated cocoanut. i Flax is readily taken at the prices quoted in our weekly price list. Fungus is a little lower, in accordance with advices from Hongkong. : In the local dairy produce market the price of butter remains unchanged as follows : Factory butter, lid; separator, 7d; dairy, 6d;. second quality, sd. \ Eggs are in very strong demand, and during the last few days a difficulty has been experienced in filling orders. J For several weeks the heavy proportion of stale quality has been a trouble to dealers, but the quality now coming into the market is more satisfactory. ;.j The wholesale price has advanced to lOd. KAURI GUM. . The following are our quotations of kauri gum for tho week ending January 27, 1902: —White gum: Poor ordinary, '.; £30 and upwards; fair ordinary, £50 and upwards; bold three-quarter scraped, free from nuts, £78 and upwards; East Coast, ;best 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 27 days of January, 550 tons. There is no special change in the market. Production remains moderate, and prices are firm. . GROCERS' MARKET QUOTATIONS. The following are the quotations for butter and eggs for the week ending February 6, 1902, as quoted by the Auckland Grocers' Association: butter, lOd and lid per lb; separator buttei, 7d per lb; farmers' butter (best), 6d per lb; farmers' butter (second quality), Sapor lb; eggs, Jod per dosen..,;..' . : c LONDON. By Telegraph.— Association.—Copyright. , London, January 29. Wool: Firm with good competition. Prices are unchanged. Okawa, sd; Gear, s£d. Tallow: 724 casks were offered, and 90 sold. Prices are unchanged. ~ Shares: Bank, of Australasia, 60; Union, 40; New Zealand, 101; New Zealand Loan and Mercantile, 95; others unchanged. Copper: Spot, 50; three months, 50L. Lead: 101, :- The total quantity of wheat and flour afloat for the United Kingdom is 3,400,000 quarters, and for the Continent 1,000,000 quarters. (Eeceived January 31,. 12.43 a.m.) London, January 30. There is keen competition for good wools and prices are firm. Shabby wools are in buyers' favour. The American visible wheat supply is estimated at 91,331,000 bushels. FROZEN MEAT. [BY TELEGBAFH. — ASSOCIATION.] Napier, Thursday. Messrs. Nelson Brothers, Limited, Tomoana received the following cablegram from the' Colonial Consignment and Distributing Company". London, this afternoon: —" Today's aiotv ati ons are: Best Canterbury mutton 3cl- bfc'.st Napier, Wellington, and North Island 3|d- Jamb, first quality, sd; second, Hi." ' ' AUCKLAND STOCK EXCHANGE. BUSINESS DONE -Kauri Timber, contributing- Ad- DSO Limited. 9a Id; Kuranui, 3d;'Vaihi Grand Junction, £1 13 BDTEES.-National 73s Mi New Zealand Insurance 689 6d; 20s: South British Insurant. <?. '™ ° a . btanaara Insurance. 17s; New Accident i tosurance, 60s; New Zealand a"nd River Plate, old, 21s New Zealand and Rr>er Plata, new, 21s 3d * Hikurangi Coal, 8s 6d: Taupin Coal Mines, Limited, 17? 9d; Westport Coal , 81S. Auckland Gas. new (£4 10s), £12 12s; Thames Gas, 31s; Northern Steamship, paid HP. i»3 3d;. Northern Steamship, contributing, &■ 2d, Devonport Steam Ferry, 41s;. D.S.C., Lmwsq. 9s Id; Milne and Choyce, Limited, preferential, 225: Milne and Choyce, Limited, ordinary, .AW 6d; Northern Boot, 8s 6d; Simrland and Co Limited, 225; Tonson Garlick Co., Limited, 15s 9d- Kuranui. 4Jd; May Queen Hauraki, sd; Te Puke Gold Beefs. Is 3d; Crown, 10s 3d; Komata Reefs, 6d; Maratoto, 3d; Pride of Waihi, 2d; Rising Sun, Sd; Tairua Broken Hills. 2s 8d; Talisman Consolidated,,l63 6d; Waihi, £5 18s 6d; Waihi Beach United, 3d; Waihi Consolidated, lid; Waihi Consols, 2d; Waihi Extended, 2s sd; Waihi Grand Junction, 32s 6d; Waitekauri, 9s Id; Mananu, deferred, WilEBS.— of New Zealand, 46b 6d; National Bank, 775; New Zealand Insurance, 69s- National Insurance. 21s; South British Insurance, 81s; New Zealand Accident Insurance, 655; New Zealand and River Plate, new, 22s 3d; Tanpiri Coal Mines, Limited, 18s 3d; Auckland Gas, old, £14; Auckland Gas, new (£4 10s), £12 16s; Thames Gas. 335; Northern Steamship, paid up, 18s 9d: Northern Steamship, contributing, 83 6d; Kauri Timber, contributing, Is 6d; Mitchelson Timber Co., 18s; Avondale Brick anu Pottery, 235; D.S.C., Limited. 9s 3d; Northern Boot, 9s 6d; Union Oil, 20s; Broken Hill, 3d; Kuranui, 6d; KuranuiCaledonian. 9d; Monowai, 2s 8d; .Victoria, 3d; Waiotahi, 265; Welcome Jack, contributing, 4d; Chelmsford, lOd; Qrown, 10s 9d; Komata Reefs, (ftd; Maratoto, 6d: Pride of Waihi, 3d; Rising Sun, 6d; Tairua. Broken Hills, • 3a; TVaihi, £6 3s 6d; Waihi Beach United, 6d; Waihi Consolidated, Is Id; Waihi Consols, 4d; Waihi Extended, 2s 8d; Waihi Grand Junction, 355; Waihi South, 9d: Waitekauri, 9s 3d; New Four-in-Hand. Is 2d. .• G. A. BOTTLE, Chairman. W. H. O. Johnston. Secretary. 3.15 p.m., January 30,1902. , .__

CALL AND DIVIDEND LIST. Calls made. £ 8. d. Date. Young New Zealand, Jan. 3... 0 0 1 Feb. 12 Victoria, January 14 ... ... 00 l Feb. 12 Kapowai, January 27 ... 0 0 1 Feb. 12 Kuranui G.M. Co., Jan. 30 ... 0 0 1 Feb. 18 Dividends: _ - „ • ,-. , Due. New Zealand Insurance Co. 0 3 6 Now, Harrison's Taupiri Coal Co. 0 2 0 Now. Hikurangi Coal Co. ... • . Now.