SHIPPING AND COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 994, 20 March 1891, Page 28

SHIPPING AND COMMERCIAL.

(per press association.) London, March 9. The total quantity of wheat and flour afloat for the United Kingdom is 2,252,000 quarters, and for the Continent 1,068,000 quarters. Wheat lias advanced Is to 2a. South Australian wheat, new crop, is quoted at 42s 6d to 435. London, March 11. The Antwerp wool sales opened dull, a bad catalogue being offered. The prices showed a decline of 5 to 10 centimes. Half of the bales offered were withdrawn. The American visible wheat supply is estimated at 41,500,000 bushels. New Zealand long-berried wheat averages 41s 9d ; short-berried, 40s 6d. Australian wheat averages 42s 6d. Tallow—Be3t mutton, 26s ; do* beef, 2os The debentures of the Australian and New Zealand Mortgage Company are at 101; Dalgety and Co.’s, 112 J. London, March 12. The s.s. Duke of Buckingham sailed today direct for Dunedin. The Bank of England returns, published to-day, show the total reserve in notes and bullion to be L 15,818,000. The proportion of reserve to liabilities is 38-50. Conso’s, 97, ex div. Three months bills are at 2i per cent. Now Zealand 4 per cent, inscribed stock, 106§ ; 3h inscribed stock, -97£. New Zealand” long berried wheat, 41s 9d, firm. For New Zealand wheat on passage sellers are asking 39s 3d, but buyers refuse to give more than 38s 9d. Mutton is unchanged. Beef —Forequarters, 3§d ; hiud-quarters, 4§d. Hemp—Wellington fair quality, L 23 10s. South Australian wheat, L2 33, firm ; Victorian do, L2 2s, firm. Copper, Lsl 5s ; tin, L9os ss. No. 1 best Scotch pig iron, f.o.b. Clyde, L2 4s 3d, market flat. Sugar—Best German beet, 14s, firm ; Java, 153 6d. London, March 14. At the Antwerp wool sales 400 bales of Australian wool were offered and 176 sold at prices level with London closing rates. River Plate wool showed a decline of 5 to 10 centimes per lb. Tallow, medium mutton, 263 ; ditto, beef, 24s 6d. Silver, 3s 9 5-16thd. London, March 17.

Arrived Barque Asterion, from Napier (November 26); ship Jessie Readman, from Timaru (November 11). Rio de Janeiro, March 14. The R.M.S. Tongariro arrived, all well, yesterday. Her frozen meat is in good condition. Sydney, March 13. Following are the current quotations for the principal silver mining shares Broken Hill Proprietary, LlO 8s ; British, L2 15s 6d ; Centrals, L 4 3s ; North, 15s ; South, L 4 5s 6d ; Block 14, L 6 7s 6d ; Block 10, Ll 3 11s ; Junctions, LI 14s 6d. Sailed—Te Anau, for Auckland. Sydney, March 14. Arrived —Vision, from Kaipara. Sailed—Otarama, s.s., for Port Chalmers. Sydney, March 16. Arrived—Hauroto, from Auckland. Melbourne, March 13. Arrived —Bayley, from London ; Manapouri, from the Bluff. Invercargill, March 12. There is a marked increase in the exports from the Bluff, as compared with the previous year. Grain has almost doubled in itself ; wool shows an increase of 3000 bales, or 20 per cent, and general merchandise has also advanced. The weather is fine for the harvest generally all over the district. Albany, March 14. Arrived Oceana, from Plymouth. Passengers, for New Zealand—Messrs Swinburn, Dawson, Sevan, Rabell, Perry, Dobbin, Trevor, Menzies, Buckley (2), Kerr, Rate, and Anderson.

Tho New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company (Limited) have received the following cable message from their London office, dated 13th instant : Wool—The Antwerp sales closed at level of prices of last London sa’es. Frozen meat—-Beef market better. New Zealand hind-quarters are worth 4|d per lb. Other quotations unchanged since last cable. Tallow—There is a good demand. Fine mutton is worth 27s 3d per cwt; good beef, 25s 6d. New Zealand hemp —Market unchanged.