COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14589, 27 January 1911, Page 3

COMMERCIAL.

Tick sharemarket was again weak yesterday. In mining lines Waihis, which closed on the previous day with sales as low as £4 14s, experienced a further decline, the sales made being at from £4 13s to £4- lis to £4 lis 9d to £4 lis 6d to £4 lis 9d to £4 10s to £410s 3d. The closing quotations were buyers £4- 10s 3d, sellers £4 10s 9d. Waihi Grand Junctions showed a further Blight advance, being exchanged at from 31s to 31s 9d, and further supplies were left available at the latter price, with buyers at 31s 6d. Waihi Extendeds realised 2s 4d and 2s sd, and Talismans were quoted, with buyers at 50s 9d, sellers at 51s. In investment stocks business was done in Bank of Jsew Zealand* at £10 14s 6d, and more could have been disposed of at tho same price, but. further sellers required £10 16s. Leyland and O'Brien Timbers were bought at 27s 3d.

Normal conditions prevail in the wholesale distributing trade. Orders received from country and suburban districts are well spread over a largo variety of lines, which, with several exceptions, are in fairly good supply.

The high pressure which has been experienced in all departments of trade, shows, it anything, a slight relaxation, but this was only to l>e expected.

Generally speaking, indications for the future are favourable from every aspect. Rice: Conditions remain rather unsatisfactory from buyers' point of view. If re]K>rts to hand from producing centres can bo relied upon, the price is more likely to advance than decline.

Canary Seed: Forward market is firm. Business has been closed for forward shipment, in anticipation of an advance.

Peanuts: Supplies seem to bo coming forward more freely. No appreciable decline in price is likely, however. Coffee Beans: Tho prico of all types ol American and Indian have been forced up. As regards the former, there seems to lie every prospect of a prolific crop, and reaction must, therefore, l>e felt before long. The Indian crop, however, is likely to bo much smaller than last season, and prices can, therefore, bo looked upon as normal under tho special conditions. Mocha shows a tendency to firm up. Cloves: Everything points to a continuance of high prices ruling for some time to come.

Ginger: Reports of exceptionally heavy rains in _ the growing districts offered an opportunity for speculators to rush in, this being quickly availed of. Price in consequence advanced by leaps and bounds, but the latest authentic news to hand reports the market as having sagged considerably. Mutton Birds: Good forward business has passed at prices which are in favour of buyers.

Dates: Spot stocks; of both bulk and cartons are very light. Shipments are close at hand, however, and the position will receive relief in the near future.

Pineapples: Price has not yet touched a basis upon which operators are prepared to work. Supplies coming to hand arc in very light compass, and holders are in consequence asking enhanced figures. Rice Meal : Demand is good, but quality of recent shipments has not been favourable. Supplies on the spot are very light.

Tartaric Acid: Price is high at present time, and, although the market will probably remain firm, no further appreciable advance can be looked for.

Candles: Some good orders have recently been placed in anticipation of winter requirements. The local article is receiving considerable attention.

Salmon : The shipments recently landed have quickly gono into consumption. Stocks in San Francisco are reported to be firmly held for further advance.

Potatoes: Supplies during the week have been barely sufficient to keep pace with the demand. Potatoes have been wanted for export. South, owing to low values, and tho market to-day is decidedly firmer. Tho price is £5, with scarcely sufficient stocks to keep things going.

Onions: Locals are coming in now very quickly. The quality is everything that could bo desired. We do not look for high prices, as any export demand will be filled from Melbourne, where onions are very cheap. The price is £5.

Oats: _ There is very little change to report. Not much business is nassing, and in consequence buying is limited.' The price is 2s 9d.

Chaff: Local is coming in freely. The quality is very good, some of the "samples being equal to the best Southern. Supplies are also arriving from Blenheim. Stocks of Melbourne are getting low. The price is £5 10s for Melbourne and local, and £6 for Southern.

Fowl Wheat: Offerings arc light. Southern shippers are nor. keen on business, as they think very little of the new crop will turn out fowl wheat. Price is 3s lid.

Maize: There is not much in from the Coast since our last, report. Stocks here are, however, sufficient for requirements. The price remains at 2s 9d, ex store. Bran: £5 10s, with fair demand. Stocks are sufficient for requirements. Pollard: The market is very bare, although about 100 tens arrived from Sydney by Monday's boat. The market there has advanced, which will check further importations. The price is still £6 ITs 6d.

Flour: Quotations remain at £9 10s for Southern flour f.o.b. Southern ports, and £11 5s for Northern roller flour.

Fungus: Buyers are not eager for business. The nominal quotation is 4fd for dry lots.

Flax is still coming in steadily, but London market is extremely quiet. The quotations locally are, only nominal, and are £28 for fine, if procurable, £16 5s for g.f.a.q., £15 15s for f.a.q., and £14- for common. Tow: This is not coming in freely, and is selling at an average of £6 for export purposes. Tea: The "silent boom " in tea and tea shares is now going on merrily from the point of view of the grower and the shareholders in tea-producing companies, but not from that of the buyers, who are the wholesale houses and blenders. The latter want toft to supply to tho public and carry out their contracts with grocers and retail tea dealers, while all the time in the background is the growing fear that there will Ik* a shortage of supply. As each week goes by, and the Indian tea-growing season draws nearer to a close, evidence becomes stronger that, India is not going to have a repetition of last year's conditions. Then good weather prevailed in the closing month, but now the latest cablegrams received from the tea-grow-ing districts all mention that cold weather has set in, and state that, the season is now practically closed The hope of the buyers from that direction is thus fast disappearing. KAURI GUM. The arrivals for 26 days of January are 494 tons, as against 566 tons for the same period of last month, showing a falling off of 72 tons. Tho market is still very sluggish with regard to the superior grades of white gum, but black gums have met with more inquiry, and are changing hands at fair prices, although in some cases reductions have to be made to meet the views of the buyers. Nearly all kinds of chips are salable without any material alteration in values. Palo select is not selling, but stocks are still light. Ordinary: A few lines of well got up rescraped have been sold. Inferior parcels are rather difficult to quit. Only small transactions have taken place in sorted superior three-quarter-scraped,ordinary. There is very little inclination on tho part of shippers to operate in nnsorted parcels of this grade. Medium ordinary and extra well cleaned washed nuts are salable, with a, moderate business doing in coated washed nuts at. a low price. Swamp with good heart, medium swamp, and poor "white swamp, if in dry condition, are selling steadily. East Coast: Stocks are light, with business at a standstill again.

Black: Good roscraped ran bo placed. Bold lumps, sound and well cleaned, are wanted. Sorted three-quarter-scraped. steel if; selling. Unsorted blacks are passed over. Medium black and hard _ black nuts are wanted, with small transactions in poor black nuts mixed with white swampy nuts. Bush: Neither rescraped nor clean bush is asked for at the present time. Dark sorts and pickings arc slow of sale. Bled bush, if bold and properly sorted, is selling,' l but shippers are averse to touching any soft, lots.

Chips and Dust: Bright chips and dust are difficult- to sell. Good ordinary chips, diggers' ordinary chips sifted, diggers' ordinary chips and dust and ordinary dust- of good colour, free from earth, arc commanding quick despatch, with steady buyers for black riddling*, black seeds, and coarse black nuts, if in dry condition.