Commercial News.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 360, 4 January 1879, Page 13

Commercial News.

The amount of Customs duties received at this port for the week ending January 2nd was as under:—

The following is the Customs revenue collected at the port of Wellington for the month of December,

By weight ..4779 310 | Total.. £47,880 10 4 Total for the corresponding quarter last year, £45,586 9s. 3d. In the import market trade has been dull during the past week, and sales have been limited to the supply of the current wants of the retail trade. We report no variation in quotations, which keep pretty steady at the low rates which have ruled for some time past, and which from the constant influx of new importations show no symptoms 'of improvement. The reduc-d duties on sugar of £d per lb, and on tea of 2d per lb, came into operation on the Ist, but owing to the holidays we have not yet been able to note the effect in trade. COLONIAL PRODUCE. Butter. —Salt butter, in kegs, at this season is generally at its lowest quotation, owing to the full supplies of fresh butter that come into the market, and this season is no exception. There is no dema d for keg butter for export coastwise, and the local consuption is only slight, consequently stocks are held back, and holders look for an improved demand towards the end of this month, when the supply of fresh butter begins to fall short of the wants of the tnde. Quotations for prime cured, in kegs, have mlo/t (V/-..V1 «rl t.r> Qr\ -nor lb < to the rmalifcv.

Bacon and hams. —A fair trade has been doing in Canterbury cured hams and bacon, and stocks on hand have become pretty well exhausted. Best Canterbury hams and bacon, in cloth, are now worth 9d to 10 per lb with fair inquiry. Cheese. —Stocks of Canterbury cheese are l">w, and the deman ' improving, most of the old stock having been worked off. Prime quality Canterbury is worth 9d to 9M per lb, with fair tiade doing. Flour.—The flour market shows no indications of higher rates, and during the past month best brands of Canterbury and Oamaru Mills have remained at last month's quotations of £lO to £lO 10s per ton for sacks in bakers' lots, although we hear of some outside brands having been quitted at a lower figure. Stocks in the South appear to be still in excess of the demand, and with the harvest approaching there a pears litt'e probability of higher rates ruling. Grain. —AVe report few fluctuations in the values of feeding grains during the month, and althongh supplies of oa s have been received to a considerable amount prices have not given way. Giod samples of milling oats are worth 4s 4d to 4s 6d per maize, 4s 9d to 5s ; wheat, for fowls' feed, 4s 3d ; barley, 4s ; Blenheim malt, 8- ; bran, Is 4 I to Is 6.1 per bushel; pollard, £6 10 bo £6 15 per ton. Potatoes. Full supplie- of the new crop have been received, and prices rule from £7 to £S pa- ton. Timber,—Greater activity than has been experienced for many years has been felt in the building trade during the past month, and although stocks of sawn timber have been heavy, the demand has if anything exceeded the supply. Prices are firm at last month's rates, with prospective increase. We quote for cargoes—Pine boards and scantling, as-orted, lis 6d to 12s per 100 ft; totara, 14s 6d to 15s; kauri, 17s per 100 ft. Wool.—The bulk of this season's wool is shipped on growers' account, and we hear of few sales. Crossbred wool, in grease, is quoted at 7 1 to BJ-d per lb washed wool, lOdto 13d; sheepskins, 5d to s£d; salted hides. ssd to 3d per lb. Tallow. —Mixed tallow is quoted at £3O to £3l per ton for shipping parcels. THE WELLINGTON MARKETS Wholesale Prices. Far3i and Dairy Produce.

Building Materials. Timber. —Boards and Scantling, 100 ft., 9s. to 15s. lis. 6d. at mill; planed, tonguedand grooved, lis. 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 ; birch rails, Bd. each ; white pine shingles, 16s. to 18s. per 1000. Hobarton timber and fen cinq material Shingles, 163. per 1000 ; palings, from 16s. to 18s. per 100; rough spokes, 255. per 100 ; felloes, from 100 s. to

200 s. per 100 timber, 14s. to 16s. per 100 feet, superior; posts,; £4los. per 100; rails £3 3s. 4d. per 100 Coal and Firewood MAitKKT. Coal.—Newcastle, £2 5 0 per ton. Firewood. —2 foot rata, 365. to 40s per cord ; 1 foot wood, 4os. per cord; 4 foot wood, 365. per cord; 6 oot wood, 365. per cord. BONE DUST. Bone dust, No. 1, £7 to £8 ; bone dust. No. 2, £7 10s. to £8 10s.; bone dust. No. 3. £6 to £6 10s. J. M. TAYLOR'S SHARE REPORT. Wellington, December 27, 187 S.

We report no transactions of any moment during the past week, which has been mainly cJevoted to holiday making. There is an inclination on the part of holders of insurance and bank shares to realise at market rates, but we hear of no sales, and prices are generally depressed. CHRISTCHU"RCH, Saturday. The dry weath°r continues, but recent rains have placed the crops beyond danger. Breadstuff's market dull, partly owing to holidays and partly to near approach of harvest. Wheat, 4s 3d to 4s 6d; flour, £J> 10s to £lO ; feed oats are freely purchased at 4s 3d; butter, 9jd to lOd; hams and bacon in cloth, B£d. DUNEDIN, Saturday. Business has been quiet during the week. • Ales are brisk, and stock not up to demand ; quotations are as last week, and firm. Woolpacks are slack. Stocks of cornsacks are light; sales to arrive have been made at Ss 6d to 3s 9d. Cement is very scarce—very little on hand, and not much in the Bay ; sales to land were effected at 17s 6d to ISs 6d. Dried fruits are quiet. For season's sugar th-re is little doing beyond trade requirements ; there are more than five cargoes on hand ; operations with the trade are delayed pending reduction of duty ; two or three lines, principally of white, have passed out of importers'hands, but nos for consumption. Quotations —For first white to snowdrops. £3 to £6; s«c >nd do. £34 to £34 10s. Nothing New English by steamer taken up by brewers. Quotations —New English. Is 7d to Is 8d ; New California, Is Id to Is 2d. Fish in fair demand; lobsters out of market ; salmon, Ss 9d; sardines, Ss 6(1 and 5s 6d. Kerosene dull. Is 3d to Is 3£d; brilliant, Is 4d to Is 4£d; shipment of Nonpareil ex Helen Maguire taken up at Is 9d Good clarets and Roederer's champasrne scarce. Brandy «juiet—Hennessy, ca«e 33s to 33s 6d, bulk 9s 91 to 10s; market well supplied with secondary brands, at usual rates; very good, enquiry for rum. Whisky dull except for trade requirements. Castor oil scarce ; eagerly bought to arrive. Grain market dull; same quotations as last week. MELBOURNE MARKET. The following is Mess's Goldsbrough and Go's wool report for the week ending December 11th : Wool.—We catalogued 4631 bales for our sales today, and had an excellent attendance of buyers, and good competition, the market being firm at fully last week's rates. In all we sold 4309 bales, greasy ranging from 7d to 13d, the latter price being obtained f r 50 bales WHB from Tasmania; scoured fleece. lSd to 22r\d, and inferior to good average fleece, 14d to 20d per lb Altogether we had a brisk sale. SuEErsKiNS.—We have sold a full supply of green and dry skins during the past week at about late rates. The market is well supplied, and the tone is healthy. We quote—Butchers' green pelta, up to 2s 3d each; do dry do, Is 6d each ; dry skins, inferior to medium, 3d to 5d per lb; do medium to superior, 5d to 6£d per lb. Hides. —Good heavy-weights continue to attract attention ; calfskins and light hides are neglected. We obtained the following prices during the we k : Green ox-hides (average sizes), 16* to 26s each ; do-cow-hides, do, 10s to 14s each ; Victorian salted, 2£d to 3id per lb. Tallow. —We cleared out a full supply at auction yesterday, and obtained about late rate;. Present pri'-es are very low, and we find great difficulty in meeting vendors' valu.tions. We quote—Mutton, £2S to £3O 10s per ton ; beef. £26 to £23 do ; mixed, £2O to £26. GRAIN. Wheat.—Since our last report we have sold 256 bags wheat by private contract, at the following quotations :—Medium to prime milling. 4s lid to ss; and inferior to medium, 4s 8d to 4s lOd per bushel , Flour —Good coantrv brands are in fair deniamJ, at £lO 10s to £lO 12s 6d per ton. Oats —Prime New Zealand milling me saleable at 5s 3d per bushel, whilst good feed realises from 4s 5(3 to 4s 8d per bushel. Barley.—We have sold several parcels of prime malting up to 6s 6d per buslul; inferior parcels are difficult to quit. Melbourne, December 9. Wool. —We held bur usual sale of sma'i cities today, and catalogued 448 bales and 206 sacks, all of which were sold except 24 bales. There was a good attendance and good competition for each lot. Inferior to average greasy ranged fr m 6J'l to 9gd, and washed from 13d to 19d. Most of the lots were crossbred, and a considerable proportion of them were in inferior condition.

Spirits .. 074 7 0 Goods by Cigai - s.. 19 7 10 , weight .. 3S2 15 11 Tobacco .. 120 16 6 Ad valorem .. 1046 1 3 Wine .. 64 10 6 Other duties.. 35 7 S "Reer .. .. 105 18 9 Light dues, shipTea .. .. 192 11 G ping, &c, . . 101 10 10 Coffee.. 56 9 3 Sugar.. .. 334 16 9 £3143 19 9

1878 :— £ s. d. & s. d Spirits 4598 17 7 Coffee, cocoa. Cigars and chicory, and Snuff 27S 6 0 chocolate .. 152 17 0 Tobacco 127S 7 9 Sugar, raw, reDitto (sheepfined, and wash) 41 10 9 molasses .. 1364 17 4 Wine.. 56S 9 0 Weight .. 1597 13 7 Ale and Beer, Ad valorem .. 2813 9 11 etc, (in bot1 Otner duties.. 980 16 7 tle).. Do (in wood).. 682 11 60 0 3 0 i i ea Statement all 182 13 lowing th 9 I Total ..£14,548 1 3 he e amount of Customs for t quarter ending December 1878:— Spirits ..: 13021 12 4 Coffee, Cocoa, Cifrars & Snuff 1143 6 S Chicory, and Tobacco 4303 9 1 Chocolate .. 350 0 0 Do. Sheep wash 57 19 6 Sugfir, raw, reWine 1839 13 5 tined, and . Ale and Beer molasses .. 4253 7 9 in bottle .. 1073 3 4 Ad valorem ..11559 5 6 "Do in wood .. 197 10 0 Other duties.. 3099 10 o Tea 1558 2 3 Opium 2 0 0 —

s. d. s. d. 3. d. s. d. Butter, fs, lb 0 10 to 1 4 | Lard, lb . .. 0 OtoO 0 ii utter sit, lb 0 0 — 0 0| Bacon, Pro.. 0 Retail Price. 7 — 0 0 Milk, quart.. 0 4 too a Fowls, pair.. 6 0 o7 0 Butter, fs., lb 1 0 — 1 0 Ducks, pair.. 7 0 — 8 0 Butter, salt.. 1 0—0 0 Geese, each.. 7 0 — 8 0 Cheese, Col.. 1 0 — 0 0 Turkeys, do. 6 0—10 0 Eggs, dozen 1 0 — 1 6 Bacon,lb .. 0 0 — 1 0 .Lard, lb .. 0 0 — 0 10 Ham, lb .. 1 2—1 1 Rabbits, pair 2 0—0 0 Carrots .. 4 6 — 5 0 Cabbages, dz 2 6 — 3 0 Potatoes .. 0 0 — 7 0 Turnips, doz *2 6 — 3 0 Bread, 4d. to 5d. 21b. loaf. A'd veg'bl, dz 2 0 — 2 6 Flour Market. Wholesale. & s. d. Superfine Flour, silk dressed, per ton £16 0--15 0 0 Flour, ditto, household £13 --14 0 0 Seconds, per ton 0 0 0 Sharps, per ton .. S 0 0 17 0 0 Oamaru ditto .. 12 10 0 Daiieain, dit _ 11 0 0 10 0 0 Bran, per bushel 1 6 — 1 8 Hay ajfd Corn Market. s. d. s. d. £ s. £ s. Maize, Sydney 0 0to6 0 Hay, ton .. 7 OtoO 0 Do. Crushed 6 6 — 0 0 Oaten, ditto 0 0 — 6 10 Oats (South)..4 6 —4 9 1 Lucerne, ditto 0 0 —5 0 .Wheat (fowl) 4 6 — 0 0 1 Straw, ditto 5 0 — 0 0 'Potatoes .. "100 0 — 0 o| Chaff, ditto 9 0—0 0 Seeds Ryegrass, bsh. 7 0to8 0 Alsyke, lb. ..1 2to0 t Do. Pov. B.,do.3 0—0 0 Cow grass, do...l 3—0 0 Cocksfoot, do. 10 0—0 0 Rape, do. ..0 6—0 0 Wt. clover, lb. 1 2—0 0 Lucerne, do. .. 1 6- 0 0 Red do. do... 1 0—0 0| Timothy, do. .. 1 0—0 0 Retail. s. d. s. d. 1 s. d. a. d. Maize .. 0> 6 to 0 0 | Peas .. 5 0 to 0 0 Oats, ditto .. 5 0—0 0 Do. • crushed 5 6 — 0 0 Bran, ditto 1 8—0 0 Lucerne, cwt. 0 0—7 6 Wheat (fowl) 4 3 — 4 6 Oaten, ditto 5 10-0 0 Hay, cwt. .. 7 6 — 0 0 Straw, dit o 0 10 — 0 0 Beans ..5 6—0 0 Chaff, ditto 7 : 10 — 0 0 Do. crushed 5 6—0 0 O'Sheath's do. 6 0 — 0 0 Brocolo from 0 — 0 0

Company. Capital. 1 a a 5' s <5 P. o o 3^ a P £ £ £ £ 7* Bank of New Zealand 725,000 10 10 4l<5/ 15 Union Bank of Australia 1.500,00.' 25 25 61 £ 16 National Bank of N. Z. 1,000,000 10 3* 70; 6 Colonial Hank of N. Z. 2,000,00o 5 2 51/6 7 New Zealand Insurance Co. 1,000.000 10 2 85/ 15 South British Insurance 1,000,00j 20 2 67/6 15 National Insurance 1,000,000 10 10/ 20'/ 20 Standard Insurance 1.000.000 10 15/ 20. 13£ Union Insurance 2,000,000 Z0 12/0 14/6 — Colonial Insurance .. 1.000.000 10 5/ 5/ — New Zealand L. and M. A.. 2,OOJ.O00 25 %\ 5J 16 New Zealand Shipping 100.000 10 5* S5/ — Wellington Trust and Loan 200,000 10 5 5J10 Do. (2nd issue) 30,000 10 i2'e2S/e,— Wellington Gas 30,000 10 10 350/15 Do. (2nd issue) 20,000 10 1 28/ — Wellington Public Hall .. 9,000 30 30/ 35/ 10 Te Aro Theatre 10,000 10 5J 40/ — West Wanganui Coal 50,000 5 15/ _ZL_ JZ_