Commercial News.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 245, 20 May 1876, Page 11

Commercial News.

The Customs duties received at this port for the week ending May 18, were asunder :

The import trade of the past week has heen -with unaltered quotations. Stocks are heavy, and sales to any extent beyond ordinary wants are few and unimportant, there being a total absence of anything like a speculative demand. The St. Andrew’s Castle brings a large addition to our stock. In Colonial produce keg butter is coming forward freely, holders asking 14d. per lb. for trade lots. Canterbury cheese is in full supply, and worth lOd. per lb. Bacon and hams. —None in the market until the new season’s cure is brought forward. Flour is still hardening, and Canterbury mills are quoted at £l2 ; Oamaru £l2 ss. per ton for sacks, in bakers’ parcels. Grain. —Oats still rule low, and first-class samples of milling sorts cannot be quoted higher than 2s. 9d. per bushel; inferior samples 2s. sd. to 2s. 7d. per bushel. Sales of milling wheat have been made at ss. per bushel, chicken-wheat at 4s. Gd. ; stocks lights. Maize is scarce and worth ss. Barley (malting), 4s. to 4s. Gd. per bushel, samples from the South being in many cases much discolored. Potatoes. —Ample stocks at £4 10s. per ton. THE WELLINGTON MARKETS. Wholesale Prices.

Timber, —Boards and Scantling, 100 ft., 9s. to 155.; 11s. 6d. at mill; planed, tonguedand grooved, 11s. 6d. to 12s. sd. Red pine palings, 12s. per 100 ; red pine timber, 16s. per 100 feet ; kauri timber, ISs. per 100 feet ; red pine, tongue groved, 225. per 100 feet; totara posts, Is. 4d. each ; bircli rails, Bd. each ; white pine shingles, 16s. to 18s. per 1000. lIOBARTQN TIMBER AND FENCING MATERIAL. Shingles, £1 per 1000 ; palings, from 20s. to 255. per 100 ; rough spokes, 255. per 100 ; felloes, from 100 s. to 200 s. per 100 ; timber, 235. to 255. per 100 feet, superior; posts, £5 10s. per 100; rails, £4 3s. 4d. per 100. Coal and Firewood Market. Coal.—Newcastle, £2 ss. per ton. Firewood. — 2 foot rata, 30s. to 40s per cord : 1 wood, 455. per cord ; 4 foot wood, 30s. per cord; 0 foot wood, 30s. per cord. CHRISTCHURCH, (From Saturday’s Lyttelton Times.) Grain and Produce. —We have but little change to note in the grain market since last report. Wheat— A few samples of very superior milling have found buyers at 4s. Id. to 4s. 2d. at the hands of millers, but exporters are not offering over 4s. Their stocks are heavy, with only a moderate export demand. Oats are selling freely ; and some heavy lines have changed hands during the week at Is. Bd. for feed, and Is. 9d. for milling quality. A private telegram from Melbourne on Wednesday last mentions the arrival of the s.s. Otago with a heavy shipment from New Zealand. Sales were made at 3s. to 3s. Id., and the market is reported as “stagnant.” Barley is neglected, as the quality of that offering is very much discolored. Dairy produce is in fair demand at our last quotations. There is, however, no disposition evinced on the part of dealers to accumulate stocks at present rates. Potatoes—A few parcels were sold at 50s. per ton during the week for early delivery, but buyers are, as a rule, only offering £2 to £2 ss. for forward delivery. Flour—The millers have raised the price of flour to £ll in sacks, £ll 7s. 6d. in 100’5, 4 and £lllss. in 50’s. It is, however, extremely doubtful whether these rates can be sustained, seeing that one of our large millers advertises flour considerably under above rates. The trade is principally of a local character, the bulk of the provincial orders being executed by Southern millers at lower rates than those current in this market. Bran and sharps are in good demand, and stocks very light. Buyers’ quotations are as follows :—Wheat, 45.; oats, Is. Bd. to Is. 9d.; barley, 35., nominal; butter, Is. to Is. Id.; cheese, Bd.; potatoes, £2 to £2 ss. Stock and Stations. —The weather continues remarkably fine, and in fact it could scarcely be more favorable either for stock or for agricultural operations. There is a fair demand for store stock, both for sheep and cattle, more particularly for six-tooth merino wethers, of which there are none in the market. Turnips are now nearly ready for putting sheep on, which is the principal cause for the demand which exists at present. At the yards, on Wednesday, 6049 sheep were brought forward, and with some trifling exceptions all were sold. A few very fine cross-breds fetched 14s. 6d.; best merino wethers, Bs.; other qualities sold proportionately. A few pens of cross-bred store lambs brought Cs. 6d.; and a line of merino cull ewes sold at an average of 2s. 6d. Our quotation for mutton ranges from ljd. to 2d. per lb. There are now several boiling places in operation, and the effect must be favorable to the stock market in proportion to the numbers passed through them. There are still large numbers of inferior sheep in the country, and the flocks will be of quite as much value when they are got rid of as they are at present. Two hundred and twenty-seven cattle were yarded, the lot being fully better than average. Good stores sold at up to £8 for three-year-old steers and £7 for three-year-old heifers in forward condition. Fat cattle of prime quality, and not too heavy weight, sold at well up to 30s. per lOOlbs.; medium, 265. to 275. AUSTRALIAN WOOL MARKET REPORT. (From Griffiths and Co.’s report.) Sydney, May 4. Since the date of our last report no great amount of business has been done, partly on account of the paucity of offerings, and partly because of the Easter holidays, which have occurred during the interval. At the first sale of the month prices were as depressed as last reported, and very little wool changed hands, but at last week’s sales there was marked improvement, and for any lots offered in fair condition there was animated competition at an advance of Id. to l*d. over what had been bid the previous sales. We see nothing to justify the prices which were paid, they being, as we calculate, fully equal, for scoured and fleece, to the prices given at the last London series, and deeming the advance abnormal, we look for reaction shortly, unless indeed the necessities of vessels wanting despatch induce them, in the absence of freight offering, to enter the market as purchasers, as they have already done to some extent, which probably accounts for the late advance. The telegraphic cable is interrupted on each side of Java, and there is, therefore, no late news to hand. The latest advices still speak of uneasiness and unprofitable work in most manufacturing districts, but it is to be hoped that the decline which appears to have been established in the March-April series will have been sufficient to alter the balance of profit and loss so as to enable the manufacturer to work for a fair remuneration. Rain has fallen to some extent in almost all parts of the colony, and in the warmer climates it lias been sufficient to cause a fair spring of grass. The rainfall was, however, only short, and has been very generally succeeded by dry fine days and cold nights, so that the good it has done has been only very partial, and it is expected that the termination of the winter will in many districts show that very heavy disasters have occurred among stock that are already weakened and unfit to meet the trials of cold. A. depressed and uneven market at Homo, coupled, with the lower value now received for their wool, should induce squatters to aid the system which is advocated of opening new markets, and of attracting greater attention to the Australian wools by sending them nearer to the homes of the Con tin ental manufacturers than is done by having all the trade concentrated in London, where undue accumulations of stock often produce great unevenness and fluctuations in prices. „ , . Shipments for the present season are 21,235 bales in excess of corresponding period last year, while they are already in excess of the total quantity shipped from this colony last season ; and, although it is difficult to speak with any certainty, on account of the insufficient data supplied from the different districts, we doubt whether any considerable parcels have yet to arrive, so the season may be said to be nearly over and the total product nearly already known. BY TELEGRAPH. DUNEDIN, Thursday. Mr. J. B. Bradshaw reports : —Sales: National Insurance Company shares, 245. 3d.; Standard, 125., National Bank, 765.; Colonial Bank. 315.; Otago and Southland Investment Company, 255.; Shipping, 78s. Buyers: Bank of New Zealand, £l7; Colonial 30s 6d.; Standard Insurance, 11s. Cd.; Otago and Southland Investment, 255.; Forbury Park Company, £24.

£ s. d. £ s. d. Spirits .. 103S 6 8 Goods by wght 251 13 11 Cigars.. Cl 3 0 Ad val. goods 1001 7 10 Tobacco .. 255 0 0 Other duties.. 65 7 6 Wine .. .. 62 2 2 Light dues, Ale .. .. 216 17 3 shipping, &c. 76 13 7 Tea .. 70 7 6 Coffee.. 29 7 6 Sugar .. .. 311 15 4 Total .. £3440 2 3

Farm and Dairy Produce. s. d. s. d. s. cl. s. d. Butter, fs, lb 1 5 to 1 0 Lard, lb 0 0 to 0 5 Butter, sit, lb 0 S — 1 2 Bacon, Pro.. 0 11 —1 Cheese 0 0 — 0 11 Hams, Pro.. 1 0 — 1 Do.. Ct’bury. 0 10 — 0 11 McConnell’s 1 0 — 1 2 Eggs, dozen 4 0 — 0 0 Ct’bury hams 1 0 — 1 2 Detail Price. Milk, quart.. 0 4 to 0 G Fowls, pair.. G 0 to 7 0 Butter, fs., lb 1 G —1 9 Ducks, pair.. 7 0 — 8 0 Butter, salt.. 1 2 — 1 G Geese, each.. G 0 — 7 0 Cheese, Col.. 1 2 — 1 4 Turkeys, do. G 0—10 0 Eggs, dozen 0 0 — 4 C Bacon, lb .. 0 0 — 1 4 Bard, lb 0 0 — 0 10 Ham, lb 0 0—1 C Babbits, pair 2 G —3 0 Carrots 2 6 — 3 0 Cabbages, dz 2 0 —3 0 Potatoes' 5 0 —7 0 Turnips, doz 2 G —3 0 Bread, 3d. to 4d. 21b. loaf. A’d veg’bl, dz 2 0 — 2 C Flour. Market. "Wholesale. £ s. cl. Superfine Flour, silk dressed, per ton £12 to 12 10 0 Fine Flour, ditto, household .. 11 0 0 Seconds, per ton 0 0 0 Sharps, per ton 8 0 0 Adelaide, per ton 15 0 o Oamaru, ditto . . 12 10 0

Dunedin, ditto 12 0 0 Canterbury, ditto 12 0 0 Bran, per bushel — 0 1 4 Hay and Corn Market. Wholesale. s. d. s. d. £ s. £ s Maize, Sydney 4 0 to 5 0 Hay, ton .. 6 10 to 7 10 Do. Crushed 4 9 — 5 0 Oaten, ditto 0 0 — 5 10 Oats (South). .4 0 — 4 3 Lucerne, ditto 0 0 —G 10 Wheat (fowl) 4 0 — 4 3 Straw, ditto 2 10 — 3 0 Potatoes .. 0 0 — 5 0 Chaff, ditto 7 0 — 0 0 Retail. s. d. s. d. S. d. s. d. Maize .. 5 G to G 0 Peas .. G G to 7 0 Oats, ditto .. 3 G —4 0 Do. crushed 7 3 — 7 6 Do. crushed 4 9 — 5 2 Lucerne, cwt. 0 0 — 6 6 Bran, ditto 1 9 — 2 0 Oaten, ditto 5 10 —G 0 Wheat (fowl) 4 6—5 6 Straw, ditto 5 10 — 6 10 Hay, cwt. .. 5 10 — 6 10 Chaff, ditto 7 0— S 0 Beans .. 6 0 — 7 0 O’Slieath’s do. G 0—7 0 Do. crushed 7 3—7 6 Brocolo from 0 3 — 1 0 Seeds Ryegrass, bsli. 7 OtoS 0 Alsykc, lb. .. 1 2to0 0 Do. Pov. B., do.S 0—0 0 Cow grass, do...l 3—0 0 Cocksfoot, do.10 0—0 0 Rape, do. .. 0 G—0 0 Wt. clover, lb. 1 2—0 0 Lucerne, do. .. 1 6—0 0 Red do., do... 1 0—0 0 1 Timothy, do. ..1 0—0 0 Building Materials.