Commercial.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 995, 27 March 1891, Page 30

Commercial.

Business in this city is in a paradoxical state —it is brisk in certain lines. The frozen meat industry was never more flourishing. Merchants, as a rule, are_ full of country orders. Every vessel leaving the whart is filled hatch high with goods for coastal ports. Country storekeepers visit town and purchase freely. On the other hand, retailers complain of a dulness of trade, and report of the shortness of money. The fact probably is that the present is one of the dull periods of the y ear between the seasons, as the drapers call it, when people are lolh to spend any more money than they can possibly help. i no market values of goods as a rule remain unchanged ; in fact in all leading lines there is only ail ordinary trade doing, and prices remain stationary. The fine weather has stimulated the demand for grass seed. _ Rye is worth from 5s 9d to 7s, and cocksfoot is quoted at 41d to sid. Supplies are coming in freely. Fencing-wire is firmly held, and southern cities are drawing their supplies from Wellington. Black wire is worth Ll2 to Ll2 10s, and galvanised Ll 5 to Ll 5 103. Ales and Stouts have moved off freely during the week. Jno Goope and Co’s Romfort bitter is quoted at 9s 6d to 10s- Griffin’s Anglo-Bavarian. 10s tolls; Bass’ No. 4 in bulk, L 1 0; Johnson’s stout, quarts 10s 9d to 11s, pints 7s 6d to 7s 9d ; Griffin’s, quarts lls to 11s 3d, pints 7s to 7s Gd. In brandies there has been a fair demand during the week for Denis Mourtie one grape at 31s 6d ; three grape, 42s 6d ; Jobit’s, in qr casks, 6s 9d to 7s ; Denis Mounie, in qr casks, 10s to 10s bd. There has been better sales of Key brand geneva from 14s to 16s. Burnett’s Old lom, in bulk, has sold well at 5s 6d. Teachers Highland Cream Whiskey at 21s 6d cases, and 8s 6d per qr casks has been in better enquiry. The demand has increased Pommerys champagne, quarts 110 s, pints 110 s to 115 s ; Roderer, quarts 100 s, pints 105 s; Heidseck s dry Monopole, quarts 100 s to 10os. Bruno Silva’s port, three diamond, has been sold at 8s 6d, four diamond 7s to 7a 6d; Warre and

Co’s port has sold at 83 in qr casks. Townsbend*s sarsaparilla Is in better demand at 33s to 355, according to quantity. Agents report that there will be an advance of Is per case after the first of next month in accordance with advances in America. Van Houten’s cocoa is selling freelv at, 3s 4d to 3s sd. Dried fruits are firmly held. Cuirants are worth s|d, Elemes 7d to?i- Sultanas and Valencias are almost out of the market. Dates are selling at 4|d. Californian muscatels are worth Is. Agents report good sales of Lone ack cigarettes at 35s to 3Gd. Frosaard’s Swiss cigars, light weights, 72s Gd ; heavy weights, 755. Nobel’s Glasgow dynamite has sold well during the week at Is 9d, detonators at 4s 6d per box, fuse BJgI per coil by the cask. Nobel’s galignite is coming greatly into favour as a powerful blasting compound, and local agents report good sales at Is 9d. Light of the Age kerosene, 150 test, with patent tops, has sold freely at lid. A shipment of Linklator’s ling, which arrived in capital condition, has sold from 49s to. 50s. Shipments of new season’s rice from J apan are to hand, bestdressed,No. 1 is worth from L 22 to L 23, duty paid. Flag brand of salmon sells at Ss 6d. A shipment of Juno tobacco is expected by the next Direct steamer, nnd a large parcel has been sold to arrive. J. C. William’s nosegay is worth Is lOd, and ruby twist 2s 31 to 2a r 4L:I according to quality. Cream of Virginia (T. C. Williams’) in 2oz packets is worth 7« 61b. Vestas are now worth —Bryant and May’s plaids, 4s 6d ; R, Bell and Co.’s, 4s ; Pace’s 4s 8d ; 250, 17s 6d to 18s ; Bryant and May’s safeties, 8s 6d to 9a. Vinega-r is in better demand, a line of Pott’s in J casks has been sold at Is lOd. Laery and Co. report as follows : —Oats are without alteration during the past week. Gatmeal—Very little doing. Milling wheat is in fair demand. Fowls’ wheat—Large quantities are now offering at reduced rates. Flour is in good request, and bakers are laying in stocks anticipating a rise. Fowls’ barley is in fair demand at very low rates. Potatoes have again receded. Bacon and Hams—Fair sales have been made of the former, while hams are very slow of sale. Onions in sympathy with Australian market have fallen, and present prices leave very little for the grower. Chaff —Market glutted. Pollard—Only hand to mouth sales can be effected. Bran is dull of sale. Cheese is in good request. Fresh Butter — Market glutted. Salt Butter—Nothing doing. Fruit —Large consignments of bananas are expected by the Taupo to-day, and should realise fair prices. Lemons are scarce. Island oranges leave a loss to shippers on of being .gathered too early and reaching this market perfectly green. Eggs are enquired for. Poultry is dull of sale owing to the approach of the game season. Messrs Edwards and Mcßeath report for the week as follows : —Labour is plentiful, but very little demand for it. Messrs Harcourt and Co. report as follovys : —We held a very successful sale by auction on Monday afternoon. The attendance was large, and the bidding, especially for share stock, was spirited, every lot offered being quitted at the hammer. The landed properties did not receive the attention they deserved, only one lot, town acre 1087, reaching vendor’s reserve. The results were as follows : —Town acre 1087, fronting South Road, to Mr H. D. Edwards, for L 345, the rest of the landed properties being withdrawn. In shares the following prices were obtained :—Wellington Woollen, 47s and 47s 6d ; Meat Export, L 5 paid, 92s 6d ; Bank of New Zealand, old issue, 103 s 6d ; Bank of New Zealand, new, L 7 7s ; New Zealand Loan and Mercantile, 59s 3d ; New Zealand Insurance, 725; New Zealand Drug 3, ex div, 19s; Moliikinwi Coal, 8s 6d ; Gear Meat warrants, LI3G 10s ; Wellington Gas, LlO paid, L1516s ; Wellington and Manawatu Railway, 20s ; Fiery Cross gold mine, 6s 9d. The sale totalled up L 2302 2s 9d.