COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15174, 13 December 1912, Page 5

COMMERCIAL.

market review.

, A SEASONABLE ACTIVITY.

v'^'V *, Wits the approach of Christmas, general - Chants are experiencing a brisker tone •> •bwi° ess> and orders aro coming forward M«»ach greater volume. Reports from coun- ' districts indicate a much more substantial .which is anticipated to continue for mft'time. Fancy goods houses are in full ' "V ' wifh orders coming to hand for the ouai seasonable goods. Hardware houses ' continue busy, and thero is no falling off in trade coming in for future requirements. ■ Soft goods houses are experiencing a brighter aUt® of «ff airs » and r.«w season's goods are moving off much more freely. Produce morchants ary doing a fair amount of business, jUd orders are coining forward well. ' Almonds: The market is firm, with an ' BD#ard tendency, and high prices are being 'asked for the new season s crop. jpj~ Iron: Manufacturers at Homo are at *,«<9£u>t commanding the portion, aud .high " : S*ro ruling. , . . J T&pioca: The market is quiet, and stocks on hand are sufficient to last, until the arrival of the direct steamer m December. Mattress Fibre: -Mail notifications indicate " that the market is quiet, but steady, at ruling of Copper: Manufacturers concider it a favourable time to advise clients to !WJ> as the trend of the copper market at . the present moment is in an upward direc- ' tion, and higher prices are likely to rule for the «,iU-known brands. fol«»ised Sheets: A cablegram just reV ceived advises a further advance in galvanised jheets. Tils market is firm, with upward tendency. This is owing in the first instance to the present ruling high class of gpeltcr, sad this fact, coupled with the strike troublee, has greatly increased tha cost of production. frur.os: There has been » further advance i jn this market, and there is every probability i of higher prices ruling for some time to

tame. .Split L^ctils: Tho market is firm, with IE upward tendency, And stocks on spot are wilier low. . .J Potatoes: Stocks aro commit in now too ■ freely, and in consequence the price has tone back considerably. To-day's quotation "» 58 10». The future of the market -well altogether depend upon the arrivals. There ii » demand from the South, but it is very . tcull. Onions: The Aorangi brought a email shipment of Califoroians via Wellington, and the Icteric had also a small shipment. These . onions arrived in fair order, considering the time of the year. Melbourne onions are arriving by every steamer, so that the market is well supplied, and is likely to be 60 from now on. The price is £10 10s. >, Oak: Tiiore is no change to report as far is local business is concerned. Stocks are ~ <wrj light, and the same remark applies to • the South. Local stocks are sufficient to meet requirements. Price 3s. Chiff: Stocks are accumulating very fust, and buyers are holding off in consequence. . -Sew chaff will be on the market next month, tut general use will not be made of it for ■ soma time yet. It will bo used principally ' for nixing, and there is yet a good quantity of old chaff to come on the market. Thi position is very weak. To-day's quotation is £5 5s for local, £5 15s for Southern. ' Fowl c Wheat: The demand is normal. Stocks ate good, and the Imce is 4s 6d. . Mum:, Arrivals from the coast have been en the. light sitje, but, as the demand for : utiu at this time of the year is not extenmo, there is an easier tono in tho market, i So far no alteration has been made in price. The ex Stor«» quotation is 4s 9<L Bran is soiling" well at £5, with moderate .stocks. i;{ . Pollard is moving off freely. Stocks are •!;- not heavy. Price £6 ss. Fungus: Dry lots tire being quitted at lid. The quantity arriving is increasing. • FkJwr: Tho Southern quotation is £9 15.i f.o.fc- The Auckland Roller Mills quote £11. . Flax: Good deliveries are now beins made. -The London market is easing off slightly, the main cause of this being tho antral of manila, but bo far quotations hero . have .undergone no alteration. The ruling prices are: Good fair, £27 10s; fair, £26 jj lOs; common, £24 10s. V Tow * without much change. Price, is 4 About £11 per ton. Te»:r Tsicra is a considerable uncertainty .with regard 4o the future of prices. All the CejVaq and Java tea that could be marketed ba.;l»eo : -.promptly offered at auction, and tie Indian growers have sold at. the rate of BWJO chests per week. The physical powers V aid time, as well as the means of buy er?, haw been subjected to a most unusual strain, ■ tad yet there has been a sustained and "brisk . : eoapetition, with a frequent tendency for potato improve, whilst; there has been but - » (light increase in deliveries for export, and utile improvement in quality to attract bnjeti, except in the case of Ceylon tea. ; The reason for the confidence shown by '- buyers is difficult to ascertain, although there £ ut'niitf theories advanced. Tho most probable explanation given is as follows:— "Tl»{ Ino comparison between this year's . prices, and those of thp last 18 months or : two, years is" valid, because it was only • through quite exceptional circumstances that tea did not advance many pence per lb ' higher than it actually touched. There were . times when the position was such that if tea.Had been coffee, sugar, cotton, or any . article in which there are ' term markets/ and facilities for speculation, it might have . easily been cornered by on© or two hold operators, and a new level of prices created, for * tin;-» only, to bo sure, yet so high as fa> Bake nur present quotations seem quite ; low,"

: KAURI GUM MARKET. The arrivals for 12 days of December are 350 tens, which is an increase of 24 tons over tk# quantity that was received for the Rime Period of last month, when the arrivals were 226 tons. The market is still keeping up , wO, and sales of nearly all gradeu of *lio Afferent classes of gum are being made as they oorae forward, so that stocks in the 1 auula of brokers are still extremely light. There are still grave complaints being made *ith inward to the dampness of the low gndes of gum arriving at this market, but, • «the lreather has now improved, this cause • fli complaint should bo removed- It is cor- • tiinjy to the advantage of shippere from the fwifltiy to see that their gum is forwarded dry condition. P»£s select is selling. 1 Ordinary: Buyers are still operating on ; Maify good re&craped, and inferior lots aro «w meting off. Sorted superior three-!\quarter-scraped ordinary is easily quitted, **oept in cases where the reserves are too JijJfc' Unsorted superior ordinary is susked W, and buyers are eager for medium ordin.Jjj and extra well-cleaned washed nuts, Coated washed nuts continue in request. Tho demand for good swamp with heart in it, Medium swamp, and poor white swamp : keeps up, but those grades are now wanted • m dry condition, and wot lot? are not so •wily disposed of. yEast Coast: There is good competition for •fell cot l;, lines of this class of j?um, especially for lots free from bush garbs and pick}"®K. Inferior lots are not wanted. _ M Black: liescrapcd if well got up is selling, ■ tod there are buyers of bold lumps thoroughly J°wd and well cleaned. Sorted three-quar- . WMcfaped steel is meeting with a fair ' amount of attention, but unsorted blacks are : will iwjdected. Medium blacks and hard :'W»ck nuts are wanted, and there is a fair • •®oun'i of business doing in poor black nuts mixed with white swampy nut*. but those toe also required in dry condition. Buah: Most attention is being paid to pale - bold rt^era.pod and 'bold bled bush of good wour.

. J Chips and dust are all selling well, but 2*thy lots of diggers' ordinary chips and / and black riddling* containing mud, wa root, etc., can only bo quitted at a low trice.

ORIENT STEAMSHIP COMPANY.

rROFIT OP £232,090.

) ®f Telegraph.—Press Association.Copyright. .(Received December 12, 10.55 p.m.) ; London, December 12. annual report of the Orient Steamship £??>%?/ shows profits amounting to ' j' A dividend of 5 per cent. on tho v> Cajrital is recomtrtindocl. Tho sum '' £Softrallotted for repairs and renewals. fSJ9?2 added to the general reserve, and - ■ fSm carried forward. It is proposed to lVv« «a an Orient Underwriting Company with & ? WP/tal of £100,000, of which £57-912 will • TW l 10 holders of deferred shares. tow?* scheme obviates the merging of the i i 'writing account in tho general assets.

THE NATIONAL BANK.

iis£. v HALF-YEARLY DIVIDEND. •isf-Vr' ' , faf T,aj SGBAPH. PRESS ASSOCIATION.J gg* ; Wellington, Thursday. funeral manager of th« National Bank jw, 'y «*tand to-day received a cablegram f-j n ' ac^v ' s,n that the board of dideclared an interim dividend for j io 04 * *° November 30 last, at the V* ?® per cent, per annum, which will MUfPo ">.tb»Dciauuoa on. January §»

LONDON MARKETS.

By Telegraph —Press Association.—

(Received December 12. 9.30 p.m.) London-, December 12.

PROPERTY* SALES.

h J h^„£^ b ria Park Estate, which is to »,v d -, by V ctlon to-uay by Meters. hrp?.lt*io\lV a ? !( * Bona, is well known to of pedigree stock, as it was used th« }ars .,as a stud tarm. Recently owner closed the Btanio3 down, and cut ♦ h property up into allotments of front quarters of an aore to ten acres. The block 9 ?! 3 ' roads sire now being made. The th2 PnnnJ" 4 ? three-quarters of a mile of ii,?„ .ft ,'? 00 railway station, and as the „ . Passes the estate it is hoped n stopping placo 011 one of the allotm£n 5' terms are very easy. k»ii°"w y o at .• l2 o clc> ck Mr. J. 1 homes will OnL,„ ot*« c J lo , n a u tho land sale rooms, 83, tVhhl. £ et, « in tho catat « of the lato Mrs. nron^ti^° rr irh n ' several city and suburban J vP 1 ?®. 0 comprise the well-known HfSS «ko ? actuated In Karangahape S?>v,»' handsome two-storey residence ot O liWi 11 ? Day-street; » large block ( ' ' ant } adjoining the hotel, with three cotL preseut let at 273 week) ; two 1 f . 80 ! en rooms each, situated iu ™Sf C i l ,i oclt of land with 132 ft irontage to Bedford-street. and having an three-quarters of an acre; two L^JP 0 ]? 3 each In Newton Eoad. £™.„ to . r ? 6 "® tlwt penny section; two MS" M . James-street, Archhill, cach conSU L rooms; and two houses of six - m , M( Y*mouth-etreet. Archhill; ni-Mf v 11. !> having 40ft frontage to the Great North Road, by 115 ft. suitable for the erection of a block of shops; ami 23 acres or land m grass in Wolsley Road, Avondale. Full particulars aro given in our advertising columns. .Two suburban properties will bo offered by jjublic auction by Messrs. Alfred Buckland and Sons at the Chamber of Commerce at .J 1 0 clock to-day. Buckland's Estate is a, 40-aero block situated at, Otabuhu. and it 18 aubtiivided into 26 ! iDistf.onß, ranging from & nall-aore to three more:! in extent, The estate has frontages the Manukau Harbour, is witnin a fin, minu2.es of the Otahnhu railway station., and a new road brings1 it into communication with Mangero. The Remtiera Si .'lei ards Estate contains some. 70 allotment 1. The estate adjoinß the Eemuera railway station, ar.d the electric ears will nass t.irough it. Messrs. T. Mand Jackson will sell some valuablo properties at their rooms. Cus-tomfl-fltreet Last, at. 11 o'clock to-day. The list includes a residence of seven rooms, standing ■on % section having a 70ft frontage to Grange Road. Mount Eden, and having a depth of lsoJft. ASO by 1904 ft section adjoining may also be acquired. Other properties offered for sale are a farm of 40 acres, two miles from Papatoetoe railway station, and having a frontage to an arm of the Manukau; an unimproved block of 100 acres in the estate of the late Canon Turner, situated at Karalca, lust opposite the village of _ Weymouth, which will be first-class dairying land when brought in: and the Koheroa Estate, containing 2172 acres, situated on the Maramarua River, about 15 miles from Pckeno.

AUSTRALIAN PRODUCE MARKETS. By Telegraph.— Association.—Copyright. ("Received December 12, 10.40 p.m.) SYDNEY,- December 12. Wheat. 3a 5Jd to 3s 6Jd; flour, £910s; bran, £6 108; pollard. £7; oats, Algerians nominal, New Zealand giants 3a sd: maize. 4s 4d to 4s sd; potatoes, local £10, West Australian and American £11 to £12, Tasmanian £12: onions, local £6 to £7 10s; butter, selected 104s. prime 96s to 100s; cheese, 7id; bacon. 7Jd to Bd.

Adelaide, December 12.

Wheat, old oe 7d, new & 5d to 3a 6d; flour. £9 ss; bran and pollard, Is 2d; oats, 2s 3d to 2s 6d.

MARKET REPORTS.

Messrs. G. W. Dinner and Sods report as follows :—

On . Tuesday wo offered and cleared extra large catalogues of hides, skins, and tallow.

Hides: Market very firm, with brisk competition. Extra stout ox. Bgd to B|d, stout Bid to &id, medium 7jd to Bd, light 7Jd to 8d; cows', extra jrood 8d to 81d, good 7|d to 71d, seconds 6Jd to 7d; stags', sjd to 6d; kips, 6Jii to 7d; yearlings, 7d to 7id; calfskins, best 9id to lOd, good BAd to 3d, meaty 7d to 7id; cut and damaged hides, ♦id to 5J.1 per lb. Skins: Market firm, with keen competition. Butcher*' picked skin* 7s 6d to 8s 6d, largo 6» 6d to 7* 3d, medium Ss Od to 6s 3d, small «s Sd to 5s 3d: pelts, Is 3d to 2s 6d; lamb skins. Is 9d to 2s 6d: country, best salted skins, 6s to 6s M, medium Ss to Ss 9d, small 4s to is S<l. pelts, Is 6d to Is 9d: lambskins. Is 6d to Is 9a; dry skins, large double fleeces 7s to 8j 3d, good 4a 3d to Ss 9(1, medium 3s 3d to 4s, small 2s to 3s, pelts 8d to Is; lambskins, Is to Is 2d each.

Tallow: Market firm. Best mixed, in shipment casks '2I:» to 29«, good 25s 6d to 275, medium 24s 6d to '25%, inferior 22* to 23s per cwt. Rough fat: ljd to ljd per lb.

Ctowtails; Is B<l per dozen.

Bones: Good dry, £4 17s 6d to £5 per ton. Wool (dumps and bags): Market firm. Fleec«, Bjd to lO^d; muted, 6Jd to 7Mi; crutchings, s£d to 64d; bellies and pieces, 64a to 7d ; locks, to sid per lb

COUNTRY SALES.

Me»«r.«. Wilson and Wilson report on their Junction Yards sale, held on Thursday, the 4th imt., ac follows:—Wo offered an extra hear* yarding: of fine-quality cattle to an average attendance of buyers, and have to import a most successful sale, although all prices showed a decided decline on late ruling: rates. The beef pens were taxed to their utmost holding capacity, the quality being food, and, although bidding under the hammer was alow, we quitted everything with the> exception of two pens. We quote: Best tat bullocks, £9 2s 6d, £9 109, to £10 10s; lighter weights, £8 to £8 15s; fat co—o, £4 10s, £5 12s 6d, to £6 10s; four-year bullocks, £5 15«, £6 15s, to £7 sa; three and four-year bullocks, £5 B*. £5 10», to £5 18s 6d; two-year steers, £4 ss, £4 12s 6d, to £5; empty cows, £3 12s to £4 6s. The empty dairy heifers offered on account <]f Mr. Syroe* were a fine lot, and sold at the following prices:—Holstein heifers, £5 to £5 ss; Jersey heiiers. £4 153 to £5; Shorthorn heifers. £14 'lOs. On account of other vendors, empty dairy heifers made £3 10s to £4 2s 6d; springing heifers. £4 5s t-o £5 15« : spring cows, £4 to £6 IDs ; bull®, £3 10s to £10 10?.