COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 39, 21 October 1871, Page 10

COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Mail Office, Friday evening.

Our market lias been very quiet during the week, and except some few orders for the out ports little business has been doing. The Electra has brought a full cargo of English imports for this port, which, with the probability that Messrs Turnbull, Reeves and Co.’s stock will be forced into the market at a considerable reduction, may influence the values of some descriptions of goods in the future, otherwise prices mostly remain steady a fc current quotations. Several parcels of kerosene have reached us from Melbourne, and sales are dull at 2s lOd per gallon, duty paid. Sugars are in moderate supply here, quoted at, for No. 2 W, £sl 10s per ton ; C, £49 to £49 10s; XY, £4l to £4l 10s per ton, duty paid. No trade doing in wines and spirits. Martell’s and Hennessey’s brandy in quarters is worth 7s 6d, but few sales to any extent are effected ; in fact there appears to be so little life in the place that all transactions are of the most limited character.

Flour is steady at £l4 10s to £l4 15s per ton, for best brands of Canterbury. Good oats are in short supply, but the quantity of inferior sorts in the place necessarily influences values, which remain 'at former quotations.

London. —The “ News of the World” special telegram reports: —“My latest special advices from London are to August 19. At that date the produce markets were devoid of animation, although previous prices had been in most instances maintained, with an occasional advance in several leading articles. Wool: Since the sales the market had been very strong, and a large trade done at advanced prices, and holders generally were disinclined to sell except at an advance. Cotton continues dull, and prices had declined fully -|d to | per lb. New Zealand flax, in auction, 1,242 bales met a good demand, and 950 bales found buyers at an advance of 20s to 25s per ton ; tow, £l2 15s to £l4 5s ; common to middling, partly cleaned, £2l to £24; medium qualities, more or less dressed, £24 10s to £2B 15s; good, cleaned, £29 to £29 15s ; fine, £3l to £32; superior, well-dressed, £39 to £45 per ton. Tallow : The demand for Australian continues; the home trade buying steadily for present wants, and several parcels, both of beef and sheep, had been sold to go to France ; sales foot up 5,414 casks at 35s 6d to 44s 3d for sheep, and 47s 6d to 42s 3d for beef, closing at 44s for sheep, and 42s for beef. Hides met with a fair demand, with sales of 1,581 salted Australia at 4Jd to 6|d. Cotton seed : 548 bags New Zealand bought in at £8 ; 88 bags Sydney sold at £5 7s 6d for cotton, and out of condition.

London dates to the 31st August are also to hand. The produce markets remained without improvement, the only exception being in the wool market, which was very active and buoyant, and manufacturers were working night and day in filling orders. Since the public sales large quantities of colonial wool had been bought at extreme prices, and at tho next public sale a further advance was antici-

pated. Flax, better demand and prices advanced 20s to 25s per ton. Hides in good demand at id advance, with sales of small parcels Australian at id advance. Australian leather in demand at -|d to fd advance. San Francisco. —September 13: The trade with Australia in the past month has been to some extent progressive. The steamers have fair freights, and when the Daeotah shall have been put on the New Zealand and Australian steamship line, and the vessels go through without changing cargo, considerable increase may be looked for. By the last Bteamer there were orders for 900 tons wheat which can hardly be filled at present prices, which are 2 dol 70 cents per sack of 100 lb against 12s lOd in Liverpool. There is difficulty in getting freight for it to Australia. There arrived by the last mail steamer 80 tons tallow to the local candle factory. The high charges for freights being 7 dol 50 cents per ton higher than by sail, there will be less to import by steam. There is a large field for the introduction of tallow on this coast. THE FLAX MARKET. The “ Home News ” of August 24th reports :—We are pleased to be able to advise the continuance of a good demand, and a further advance in prices to the extent of £1 to £2 per ton. At auction last week the whole of the fresh parcels offered, amounting to 1000 bales, were sold. We would call the special attention of our Auckland friends to the price obtained for one parcel marked Hokianga, viz., £39. This is the highest price that has as yet been touched (excepting when fancy rates were ruling in 1869), and it is satisfactory to know that it has been the result of careful preparation of the fibre. It is the finest we have as yet seen in any considerable quantity, and we trust that future shipments may be kept up to the mark. About 300 bales tow have been sold at £l2 to £l4 per ton. The following list comprises the principal marks sold: —Per Beautiful Star, from Nelson, J and JR, £3O; BS, £29. Per Christian McAusland from Dunedin, MG, £3O ; ASH, 29 ; M, £2B; FK, 27. Per Queen Bee, from Auckland, Hokianga, £39 ; W, £32 ; TB, £3115s ; Min diamond, £3l; JSM, £3l; FWH, £2B to £2B 15s; NFM, £2B; TM, £25; A, £25 ; C, £25. Per Cyrene, from Lyttelton, Ashley Gorge, £29 15s; B& W, £24 to £24 10s; S & Co., £24 15s ; Styx, *£24 ; Flaxbourne mills £2l. Per Melita, from Wellington, F in circle £27; O in diamond £24 and £25. Arrivals, Cyrene, from Lyttelton, and Strathnaver, from Sydney, with 600 bales; and just reported, Caduceus, from Auckland, Charlotte Gladstone, from Canterbury, Malay, at Nelson, Agnes Muir, from Dunedin, and Asia, from Port Phillip, with 2300 bales in all. Referring to our remarks on the 27th June, we are glad to have been the means of rectifying an error in these stock rsturns, which now show a considerable decrease on those last reported. Stock on 2nd instant, 866 tons ; imports since Ist January, 1662 tons, and deliveries, 1698 tons.