COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14250, 22 December 1909, Page 5

COMMERCIAL.

The sharemarket was fairly active again yesterday, especially in mining lines. In investment stocks the only sale reported was in Wilsons Portland Cements (ord.) at 445. In mining Waihis sold at £9 14s 6d, with further sellers at £9 15s, and buyers at £9 14s. Talismans were somewhat easier, selling at from 41s 6d to 40s to 41s to 40s 6d, with closing sellers at 40s 9d, and buyers at 40s 3d. Waihi Extendeds* were firmer in consequeneo of encouraging news from the mine, though they cased again during the afternoon. Business was done in these shares at from 3s 5d to. 4s to 3s 4d, sellers closing at 3s sd, buyers at 3s 4d. Waihi Grand Junctions were a trifle harder, sales being reported at. 35s 6d, with late sellers asking 35s 9d, and buyers at 35s 3d. May Queens (ex rights) were done at 3s 3d to 3s sd; New Monowais at Is 9d and Is 8d; New Sylvias at 6« 2d and 6s 3d; Saxons at Is 4d; Waiotahis at 4s lOd to 4s Bcl to 4s 9d; Progress Minos at 12s 6d ; Old Haurakis at 3s 6d to 3s 3d; Crowns at-5s lOd; and Tairua Golden Hills at 4s 6d. The Stock Exchange will closo for the Christmas and New Year holidays to-morrow evening, reopening 011 Monday morning, January 10. Tho Slock Exchange closes for the Christmas and New Year holidays from the evening of Thursday, 23rd inst., re-opehing 011 Monday, January 10. Tho wholesale distributing trade continues busy; orders are s.ill coming in freely from town and country. Merchants arc l also well satisfied with the volume of business going through 011 forward account. Canned Fruits: Prices have again advanced, and there is every indication of a further increase in price. Sultanas: Cables advise a sharp advance in prices, the market for better grades of iruit being very firm. Resin: Cables advise market is firm at last rates. Cream of Tartar: Cables indicate a very firm market, arid any movement in price will be upward. Seeded Raisins: 'Frisco cables advise a considerable increase in price; the market has an upward tendency. Figs: 'Jho Christinas demand has praclicall.v cleared stocks; glove-shape boxes especially are in good inquiry.

Linseed Oil: 'ibis lino has also advanced, and ii now quoted at a high rate. Tinplates: Further rise in price is announced; the market is firm. Hides: 1 lie market showed a further improvement at last week's sale, and competition from exporters is very keen. Sheepskins; '1110 demand is very strong with prices inclined to be firmer. '1 allow: Market is very firm. Potatoes: Only a small shipment arrived by the Mokoia from the Souih, which will about finish the imports of old for this season. New potatoes are coming in rather more freely than is required to keep the market going, consequently there is an easier feeling. Price is 7s to Cs. Onions: The Maheno brought 429 bags from Australia. Th«se ' are all Victorian Globes, and arrived 111 a very good condition. New locals aro not on tho market just yet. Price is 12s 6;). Oats: The market is still very firm in the South. Very few lines arc being offered, l ocal stocks are fairly good. Price is firm at 2-i 6d. Chatf: Very good supplies of both Southern and local, and the demand shows 110 signs of falling off. Prime local is worth £4, Blenheim £4 103. Fowl Wheat: The inquiry still keeps up, and tho market in the South is as firm as ever for good whole fowl wheat. Price is 4s £d. Maize: A smell shipment of New Caledonian maize arrived by the Maheno. This will have to be disposed of immediately, as this Island maize usually gets attacked by the weevil. The arrivals from the coast wero 94 sacks by tho Ngatiawa and 57 sacks by the Aupouri. Stocks held hero are quito sufficient, to keen things going till fresh arrivals come to hand. Price remains at 3s Ad. ex store. Bran: Owing to the dry weather the demand is very keen. Tho local price has advanced to £4 ss. Stocks here are only moderate. Pollard: The demand at tho present is rather poor, but it is likely to improve very soon. This market is well stocked, and the price is £4 15s, Flour: .The quotations for this remain the same, viz., £12 10s per ton, in sacks, less discount for Auckland roller flour, and £10 15s, f.0.b., less 2£ per cent, for Southern flour in sacks. Fungus: The quantity coming to hand is not very heavy. All dry parcels are moving off at sd. Flax: Deliveries for 20 days of December are 2337 bales, equal to 400 tons. The bulk of what is coming to hand is being graded as f.a.q. The London market is rather quiet; if anything it is inclined to droop owing to the largo offerings of Manila, but prices locally-have undergone no alteration. Fine, if procurable, would bo worth £28 to £29; g.f.a.q., £23 ss; f.a.q., £22 ss; and common, £20 ss. Tow: The quantity that has reached here for 20 clays of December amounts to 911 bales, equal to 91 tons. Demand is not very brisk. Price averages about £4- 10s to £5 for export purposes. Indian Tea: Tho offerings at the Calcutta tea sales No. 23, amounted to about 27,500 chests, and quality on tho whole marked little change, an occasional invoice from the Dooars showing _ perhaps a trifle more flavour. A good inquiry prevailed through the auctions, and practicallv everything brought to tho hammer was disposed of at a firm range of prices. Common whole leaf and low brokens wero more difficult to buy, the former being a pie to two pie above last week's quotations. Anything with a touch of flavour was strongly supported, and Darjeelings again brought very full rates. Ceylon Tea: At the Colombo tea sale of the 24th ult. tho offerings showed a drop in quantity, 1,490,9371b being catalogued, but there was a fair selection. Quality, with few exceptions, was poor, and any teas possessing cup quality were keenly competed for. A good general demand existed throughout the sale, and all grades may be quoted firm at last prices, with common sorts slightly dearer. Common Teas: Teas of this class wero sought after, and both grades were rather dearer, particularly leaf teas. Medium Teas: Both grades wero firm at last, week's rates.

Fine Teas: Brokens of this class wero keenly competed for, and those with tip were dearer. Dusts and fannings were in bettor demand. KAURI GUM. Tho arrivals for 20 days of December were 469 tons. This shows an excess of 43 tons over the quantity that came to hand during tho same period of November, when 426 tons reached hore. » Supplies from mail to mail, viz., November 24 to December 22, 1909, 636 tons.

The amount of business doing is not very large' at tho present time, and there is ■ a likelihood of a quiet market continuing until after the New Year. Some grades are selling fairly well, but merchants are confining their purchases strictly to what they require to execute orders. Pale Select: Very little offering, with but small inquiry. Ordinary: There is a little business doing in good rescraped, but inferior parcels are not being asked for. Sorted superior threequarter scraped ordinary is only salable at a reduced price. Shippers are not anxious to take any unsorted parcels of superior ordinary. There are buyers of medium ordinary and of well-cleaned nuts free from chips and dust. Nuts that have not been so well , washed are only salable at a low price. Chalk with heart in it is salable, but. there is very little doing in poor white swamp. East Coast: Stocks here are still heavy; even at _ a still further reduction buyers are not inclined to operate Black: Good rescraped is salable. Bold lumps, sound and well-cleaned, are wanted. Sorted three-quarter scraped steel is moving off fairly well, but merchants require it to bo well got up, otherwise they-will not pay

the price asked. Unsorted paroels_ of black are hanging fire. Medium black is selling well, and good hard nuts, free from dust, arc asked for, as is also clean black sugar. Poor black nuts mixed with white swamp are not easily disposed of. Bush: Pale rescraped, if free from bled, is selling, as is clean bush bold and of good colour. Dark sorts and pickings are not soiling. A little business is being done in hard bled bush, but shippers will not take any green lots. Chips and Dust: A quiet feeling exists as far as bright chins and good ordinary chips are concerned. Diggers' ordinary chips and dust are not meeting with much inquiry, but there is a sale for coarse dust if of good colour. Black riddljngs, black seeds, and coarse black dust, if in dry condition, meet with a steady sale.

AUCKLAND STOCK EXCHANGE. BUSINESS DONE YESTERDAY. Previous day's closing sales. £ s. d. Wilsons Portland Cement (ord.) —3rd call, 44s — Bonanza—2nd call, 5Jd — May Queen (ex rights)—lst call, Js 3d ; 3rd call, 3s 4d, 3s 5d 0 3 2 New Monowoi—lst call, Is 9d; 3rd call, Is 8d 0 18 New Sylvia—2nd call, 6s 2d, 6s 3J; 3rd call, 6s '3d 0 6 1 Point Itussell —Ist call, 6d — Saxon—lst and 2nd calls, ls'4d ..014 Waiotnhi—lst call, 4b lOd, 4s 9d, 4s 8d ; 2nd call, 4s 9d 0 4 10 Progress Mines— call, 12b 6d ... — Old llauraki Gold Mines—lst rail, 3s 6<l; 2nd call, 3s 7d ; 3rd call, 3s 7d, 3s 8:1 0 3 6 Crown2nd call, 5s lOd — Pride of Walhi—3rd call, 5d — Tairua Golden Hills—2nd rail, 4s 6d ... — Talisman Consolidated—lst rail, 41s 6il ; 2nd call, 41s 6(1, 41« 3d, 41*. 40s 9d, 41s; 3rd rail, 40s 9d, 40s 6d ... 2 1 9 Walhi—lst, 2nd, and 3rd calls, £3 14s 6d 9 15 0 Wailii Extended—lst call, 3s sd, 4s; 3rd rail, 3s 6(1, 3s 5.1, 3s 4d — Waihi Grand Junction—lst and 2nd calls, 35s 6d 1 15 0

PROPERTY SALES. At the request of the liquidator Messrs. T. Mandeno Jackson will sell at their rooms, Customstreet East, at two p.m. to-day. a freehold having: a frontage of 123 ft to Stanley-street and 96ft to Domain-street, with building. A sale was held yesterday by Messrs. Richard Arthur and Co. of a seven-roOmed house in the estate of A. E. Tyer at WellsfoWl. Bid dins: was fairly brisk, but the reserve figure was not reached, the property being passed at £510. A summer cottage at 'Blockhouse Hay, which was also put up by Messrs. lUchard Arthur, produced some good bidding, the property being eventually sold for £250.

CHRISTMAS POULTRY. The demand for Christmas poultry this venr has been very keen, and prices, on the whole, have been well up to the average. On Friday last between 3000 and 4000 head were Bold by Messrs. Richard Arthur and Co., and the supply has been very heavy for the past five weeks. Table roosters have been selling up to as high as 5s 5d each, which is a very fair price As a general rule, however, geese show a Blight fulling-off and are not in the same keen demand us they were last year. Turkeys have not been in very good condition, but anything good among gobblers has sold as high as 18s oil, but the average price would not be more than from 7s 6d to 8s on account of the comparatively poor quality. Turkey hens have been selling at from 3s 6d to ss. 'Hie heavier breeds of, ducks have been in very fair demand, and those from 10 to 12 week" old" have realised f;om 2s 3d to 3s 6d a head. Indian runners were mostly not in as good condition as formerly, and sold at from Is 6d to Is 9d each. Good heavy hens (fowls) have been selling at an average price of 2s 3d each, while the lighter kinds have been realising from Is 6d to Is Bd.

WELLINGTON FRUIT AND PRODUCE MARKETS. [BY TELEGRAPH.— CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Tuesday. With the continued hot weather the demand for all lines of fruits is particularly strong. Only moderate quantities of plums have so far come to hand. Medium quality are selling at from 4s to 5s per box. Peaches are in good inquiry at from 4s to 5s per box; apricots, 6s to 8s per halfcase; tomatoes, choice, 4d to 5d per lb; lemons, 5s to 6s per case; passion-fruit, 5s to 6s per box; cherries, 7s to 9s per half-case; gooseberries, ripe, 2d to 2Jd per lb; Mack currants, 5s to 7s per halfcase; red currants, 3s 6d to 4s 6d per half-case. Strawberries are in strong demand, choice selling from Is 6d to Is 9d per box and prime Is to Is 3d. Grapes: Choice, Is 3d to Is 6d per lb. Old potatoes are now a drug on the market. They are worth nominally from 4s to 5s per cwt. New potatoes are in better demand, having advanced to from 7s to 8b per cwt. There will orobably be

a decline shortly. The only Australian onions now available are selling from 8s to 9s per cwt. Cucumbers realise from 6* to 8s per box; cauliflowers, 2s to 4s per sack; cabbages,' 4s to 6s per sack; French beans, 2d to 3d per lb; lettuce, 2s to 3s per case. Fresh eggs are steady at from Is to Is Id per dozen. r WELLINGTON STOCK EXCHANGE. [BT TELEGRAPH.— ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Tuesday. To-day's Wellington Stock Exchange' mining transactions were :Auckland: Dixon's Consolidated (con.), buyers 4d; Dominion (Karangahake), sellers 2d; Kuranul, sellers lid; Kuranui-Cale-donian, sellers Is 3d; May Queen, buyers 3s 2d; Mountain King (paid), buyers lOd; Mountain King (con.), sellers la; New Zealand Crown, buyers 5s Bd, sellers 5s lOd; New Sylvia, buyers 6s; Old Hauroki Gold Mines, buyers 3s sd, sellers 3s 6d, sales 3s 2d (on 'Change); Reliance, buyers 4d. sellers 4£d; Saxon, buyers Is 2d; Tairua Broken Hills, buyers Is 2d: Talisman Consolidated, buyers £2 Os 6d, sellers £2 li, sales £2 Is 6d, £2 Is 9d, £2 Is 3d (reported); Victoria, ■ sales Is 2d (reported) ; Waihi, seller* £9 13s 6d; Walhi Extended, buyers 3s 7d, sales 3s 9d (reported); Waihi Grand Junction, buyers £1 14s 9d, seller* £1 15s, gales £1 lbs (reported), £1 15s (on 'Change); Vfaitangi Consolidated, sellers 2* 7d. West Coast: Blackwater Mines, sellers £1 6s 9d; Consolidated Ooldfields, buyers 17s, seller* 17s 6d; New Alpine (paid), sellers Is 6d; New Alpine (c"on.). seller* Is 3d; New Big River, sellers £2 4s; Progress Mines, sellers 12s 9d; Ross Goldfields (paid), buyer* B>, sellers 8s 6d. Otogo: Muddy Terrace, sellers £1 8* 3d. DUNEDIN STOCK EXCHANGE. [BY TELEGRAriI.— ASSOCIATION.] Dunkdin, Tuesday. To-day's Stock Exchange sales were Golden Bed, 19b 9d ; Talisman Consolidated, 40s 9d ; Waihi Extended, 3s 3d; Muddy Terrace, 26s 6d and 26s 3d. A sale was reported in Old Haurakis at 3s 6d. LONDON. By Telegraph.— Association.Copyright. (Received December 21, 10.35 p.m.) London, December 21. METALS. Copper: On spot, £60; at three months, £61 2s 6d; electrolytic, £62. Tin: On spot, £152 12* 6d; at three months, £154. The Eastern markets are steady, but the British is excited owing to the persistent demand for forward delivery making seller* very shy. Lead, £13 2a 6d.

EXPORTS. Am't'h. Eu'o'e. Xo'aL n „ , , Tons. Tons. Ton*. Per 8,s. Maheno, for Sydney. November 22 ... — 5 5 Per s.s. Niwaru, for London, November 24 ... — 18 18 Per s.8. Wimmera, for Syd-, ney, November 29 ... — 15 15 Per s.s. Ionic, for London, December 2. 304 152 456 Per s.s. Victoria, for Sydney, December 13 ... — 13 13 Per s.s. Anglo-Saxon, London, to sail 191 146 337" Per s.s. Nerehana, to London, to sail , 67 — 67 Exports to America and Europe since November 24 562 349 911 Exports to America and Europe for November ... 214 312 526 Production for November ... — — 714 STATISTICS. Exports. Production. Jan. 1 to N07. 30. Jan. 1 to Nov. 30. Tear. America. Europe. Total Tons. Tons. Tons. Ton» 1909 ... 4548 2847 ' 7395 7509 1908 ... 2541 2496 5037 5587 1907 ... 5075 2653 7728 7438

CLOSING QUOTATIONS. Rollers. Buyer*. £ i. J £ 8. d. BANKS— New Zealand 9 12 0 — INM. it A NOK— New Zealand 3 17 6 3 17 0 South British 2 15 0 2 14 0 Standard ... ( — 13 0 FINANCIAL— • New Zealand and River Plate — 1 15 6 COALNort. Co., Ltd., 10s paid — 0 11 8 Tnupiri Mines, Ltd. ... 0 19 0 0 18 6 Westport . — 6.5 0 Westport. Stockton ... 0 7 9 — OAS— Auckland .... 15 4 0 — Auckland, new issue ... — 15 6 Snll'PlNG— Northern, paid up ... — . 0 12 0 Northern, con — 0 5 4 Devonport Steam Ferrv, ex div. ... 1 12 0 1 10 0 II MB Kit— Kauri, eon. 0 14 4 — WOOLLEN— ■ Wellington ... — 3 2 6 Uibv. lii JtJ .\NKOU.S— Frank -arris, pref. ... 1 0 0 , — Auckland Tramways, pref. — 12 0 Auckland Tramways, ord. 113 10 9 D.S.C., Limited '... ... 0 3 & 0 3 0 111.I and t'luinnier, Ltd. ... i U 0 — H.M. Arcade Theatre, ord. 0 19 0 — Milne and Choyce, A ... — 10 3 Millie and Choyee, 13 ... 1 1 0 10 New Zealand Drug:, £2 ... — 2 6 6 N.Z. Portland Cement Co. — 1 17 6 Northern Hoot 0 13 6 0 12 0 New Zealand. Paper Mills — 119 Sharlaud and Co., pref. — 110 Tonson Garlick Co.. Ltd. 0 18 6 — Union Oil ... — 0 19 6 MINING— Bonanza 0 0 6 0 0 4 Dixon's Consolidated, paid 0 10 — Dixou's Consolidated, con. 0 0 6 0 0 5 Halcyon ... 0 0 3 0 0 li Imperial 0 0 4 — Kuranui 0 0 10 0 0 74 Kuranui-Caledonian ...013. 012 May Queen, ex rights ... 0 3 5 0 3 4 May Queen Extended ... 0 0 4 — New Monowai 0 19 0 17 New Sylvia ... 064 06 3 Old Albumin, paid up ... 0 1 10 — Old Alburnia, con 0 13 0 10 Point Russell 0 0 6 0 0 5 Saxon 0 14 0 13 Scandinavian ... ... 0 .0 3 — Southern Queen 0 0 2 — Thames „ 0 0 5 — Victoria ... ' ... 0 11 0 10 Wniotnhi ' 0 4 10 0 4 9 Waitangi Consolidated ... 0 2 8 0 2 6 Watchman 0 1 11 0 18 Consolidated Goldtields ... 0 18 0 0 17 3 New Alpine, paid up ... 0 1 9 0 13 New Alpine, con. ... 0 1 0 — Ross Goldflelds 0 8 9 0 8 0 Progress Mines 0 13 0 0 12 6 Four-in-Hand <010 — Golden Pah 0 0 31 0 0 2 liauraki Freehold 0 0 6. 0 0 3 Kapowal, con. 0 0 24 — Monte Christo 0-0 5 0 0 3 Mount Welcome, con. ... 0 0 3 0 0 li Old Hauraki Gold Minos 0 3 8 0 3 7 Kapanga ... ... ... 0 0 9 0 0 7 Pride of Tokatea 0 0 6 0 0 4| Royal Oak, paid tip ... 0 2 0 0 1 5 lloyal Oak, con ... • 0 1 2 0 11 Tol'atea ... 0 0 2 — Bendigo 0 0 5 0 0 34 Lanigan's Antimony Mine 0 0 5. 0..0 2 Moewai ... 0 0 24 — Crown 0 5 10 0 5 9 Crown Roy*] ..•» ... 0 0 24 0 0 1 Dominion, con 0 0 4. — Glamorgan — 0 0 3 . Golden Belt, paid up .. 0 0 10 0 0 94 Golden Belt, con 0 0 64 0 0 5 Golden Cross 0 0 2 — Kirikiri ... 0 0 11 0 0 1 Karangahake 0 0 31 0 0 3 Komata lleefs 0 0 5| 0 0 5 Mnoriland 0 0 7 , — New Waitekauri 0 0 24 0 0 14 Phoenix 0 0 4 0 0 * Pride of Waihi 0 0 6 0 0 4 Rising Still 0 0 6' 0 0 44 Tairua Broken Hills ... 0 1 3 0 12 Tairua Golden Hills ... 0 4 9 0 4 6 Tuirua Extended ... 0 0 3 . — Tairua Gem 0 0 3 — Tairua Monarch Con. ... . 0 0 2 — Tairua Reefs, 6d paid ... 0 0 3 0 0 2 Tairua Beefs, con. ... 0 0 2 — Talisman Consolidated ... 2 0 9 '203 Waihi ... 9 15 0 9 14 0 Waihi Beach 0 0 6 — Wuihi Reefs Consolidated.. 0 9 0 — Waihi Extended 0 3 5 03 4 Waihi Grand Junction ... 1 15 9 1 15 3 Ilandsworth 010 0 0 9, Missouri .... 0 0 3 — Mountain King, Is paid ... 0 1 0 0 0 8 Mountain King, con. ... 0 0 11 0 0 6 Mountain Queen, con. ... 0 0 7 — New Waitaia, Is paid ... — 0 0 9 New Waitaia, con. ... 0 0 9 0 0 7

CALL AND DIVIDEND LIST. Dividends. Sweepall Broom Company, 6s 8d fully paid shares, 2s lOd contributing shares ... ... Now Devonport, Steam Ferry Co. ... 10 p.c. Now Calls. Golden Pali, December 2 ... 0 0 1 Now Old Hauraki, December 3 ... 0 0 1 Now Mount Welcome, December 16... 0 u 1 Jan. 10