COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4218, 26 September 1874, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

The Customs duties received for the period between the 28th August and 24th September, 1874. inclusive, amounted to—

Trade has undergone very little change since our last report, and the position of this market has been on the whole fairly sustained during the month, notwithstanding the discouraging influence of the continued wet weather and the large influx of imports from England and elsewhere. The almost simultaneous arrival of four London ships in the first part of the month must have greatly increased the stocks on hand, as will be seen by the large amount of ad valorem duties paid to the Customs in that period, amounting to £B3IO 18s. 6d. Prices are, however, very fairly sustained, and the constantly increasing orders coming in from the country and various outports are a convincing proof of the capacity of the Province to absorb the large amount of goods that has been poured in. It is not the less necessary to urge upon the Home shippers the necessity of exercising more caution in the amount of their shipments, or this market, which is after all only a limited one, will most assuredly be overdone, and loss will be the result. In bottled beers large shipments have been received, without any reference to the fact that bottling is now carried on to a large extent in Colonial beers, and consequently prices are so depressed as to leave little or no margin of profit. In oilmen’s stores a considerable reduction in the shipments, together with the increasing consumption, has tended to lower stocks within manageable limits, and leave moderate profit, while had importations been continued to the same extent as they were six months back, nothing but loss could have been looked for. Generally, trade may be said to be good, and current bills well met. The arrivals during the month have been the Euterpe, August 30, Strathnaver, September 1, St. Leonards, September 2, from London ; the J. A. Thomson, September 8, from Liverpool; the Marion, from New York, August 30 ; and the May, from Foochow, September 24. The following vessels from London had sailed or were loading for this port;—The Douglas, Cartvale, Panthea, Hindostan, Wanganui, Star of India, Hourah, Cospatrick, and Dunfillan, and the Oneco has sailed from New York. The collapse of the Californian mail service is unfortunate, as regards our communication with America and the prospective South Sea Island trade, but will not bo of so much inconvenience to our Home correspondence while the Suez route continues to be so efficiently managed. In the meantime, we are glad to hear that negotiations are pending for a renewal on, we trust, a better and more permanent basis. We understand that the New South Wales Government has chartered the s.s. Oyphrenes to convey the homeward mails from Australia via Levuka and San Francisco on their own account. Bank rates of exchange remain unaltered. Discounts on local bills 7 per cent, for ninety-five days, and 8 per cent, for over that period. Ale and Porter (duty paid : Bulk, Is. per gal; bottled, Is. 3d.) —Stocks of bottled beer have increased considerably of late, and exporters seem to lose sight of the quantity of bottled Colonial brew which now enters largely into consumption, and, from its excellent quality, commands great favor with the trade. Our market is now glutted with both first-class and inferior brands of English beers, and prices have a downward tendency. Wo quote 11s. 6d. to 12s. per dozen for best brands of ale and stout. Bulk ale meets with little inquiry. Bags and Woolpacks (duty ; 10 per cent.) — Woolpacks are coming more into notice now that the season is approaching, and sales have been made at 3s. Od. to 4s. 3d. for full-size packs. Full stocks. The supply of comsacks is largo, and just now there is little or no demand. Quotations ; 18s. 3d. to 13s. Gd. per dozen. Candles (duty ; Id. per lb.) —Our stock of sperm candles is heavy, and prices have a somewhat downward tendency. A fair amount of regular trade is being done at to 10id., but there is a total absence of speculation in this article. Cement (duty : Is. per barrel). —Full stocks, with little inquiry, contractors being apparently fully supplied for the present. Prices are a trifle lower, importers quoting 20s. to 20s. 6d. per barrel for Portland,

Coffee (duty : 3d. per lb.) —Moderate stocks of Plantation, which is quoted at Is. 3d. to Is. I id. per lb., in bond. Chicory (duty : 3d. per lb.)—Ample stocks, dull of sale, at 6£d. per lb., d.p. Confectionery (duty, 10 per cent.). —Keiller s make is worth IOJd. to IOJd. per lb., no other English brand being inquired for. A large quantity of Dunedin manufacture now comes into this market, which, with our own make, "serves"to'check the consumption of the English goods. . Flour (duty, 20s. per ton). —Adelaide flouris unaltered in value. Stocks on hand are moderate, and sales to a limited extent are made at £l7 to £l7 10s. per ton. Fruits (duty, Id. per lb.). —Currants continue scarce and in good demand, but there are several lots to land from the London ships. Good quality fruit is worth 4jd. to sd. per lb., although sales to a small extent have been made at higher rates during the month. Eleme raisins in fair supply at 6d.; Valencias, sJjd. to ojd. per lb.; muscatels, if really prime, are worth Is. 2d. per lb.; inferior fruit, Bd. to lOd. per lb.; figs, 9d. per lb.; dried apples scarce, and in demand at 9d. per lb. Hrps (duty, 3d. per lb.) —Notwithstanding the great advance in the price of hops at Home, and in the adjacent Colonies, quotations continue comparatively unaltered here for Colonial growth. There are no English hops in importers' hands, and Tasmanian are comparatively neglected at Is. Sd. per lb.; Kent, 1873, nominally worth 2s. 2d. to 2s. 3d. Malt (duty, Is. Gd. per bushel).— English malt has been dull of sale, the Colonial taking its place at this season ; quotations vary from lis. to lis. 3d. per bushel, with little enquiry. Metals (duty, 10 per cent.) —The demand for corrugated iron continues active,- and best brands are quitted readily at £3l to £36 per ton, assorted sizes ; 9ft. lengths are worth £39. Fencing wire is in fair demand, and approved brands are worth for No. 6 £25, No. 7 £26, No. 8 £27 per ton. Oils (duty, 6(1. per gallon.)—Since the arrival of the Marion this market has been fully stocked with kerosene, most of which has gone into the retailers' hands, or been sent to the outports ; present quotations vary from 2s. 3d. to 2s. sd. according to quantity, but sales of portions of the Oneco's cargo have been made, to arrive, at a slight concession on those rates. Paint oils are in full stock, at 4s. 7d. to 4s. lOd. for raw and boiled linseed, in drums. Colza in fair supply, at ss. 4d. to os. 6d. per gallon. Oilmen's Stores (duty, 10 per cent.) —Prices of oilmen's stores have slightly improved, a fair trade having been done in most articles classed under this denomination, and if importers would study the wants of this market more than they do, fair rates might generally be obtained. Hitherto they appear to have shipped without any regard to our capacity for absorbing the supplies. • Kice (duty, Jd. per lb.) —Rice is in fair STtpply at £2l to £3O per ton, a moderate amount of trade only being done. Salt (free). —Prices have not recovered from the effects of recent large sales, and quotations are SOs. to 90s. per ton. Spirits (duty, 12s. per gallon).—Brandies continue depressed owing to the recent fall in value in the Melbourne market, and the large stocks in bond; nor does there seem any .JjioJlctrtfciuu-uij-fclie part of the trade to speculate in the slightest degree. Mart ell's brandy in quarters is nominal at 9s. 9d. to 10s., and Hennessy's 10s. 3d. to 10s. Gd. with little trade doing. Bisquit Dubouche's sold at the hammer at Mr. R. J. Duncan's sale to-day at 7s. 9d. per gallon ; other brands are little in demand. Case brandy dull at 30s. and 31s. per case. Bum is in fair supply at 3s. lid. to 4s. Gd. per gallon for 10 per cent, and 30 per cent. o.p. Geneva dull at 13s. 6d. to 16s. per case. There has been an improved demand for whisky during the month, and first-class brands of Scotch are worth ss. to Gs. per gallon. Dunville's bulk ss. 6d. per gallon. Case Scotch whisky is worth 16a. to 17s. per dozen ; Dunville's Irish ditto 17s. per dozen. Sugar (duty Id. per lb.)—The usual amount of trade has been done during the month without any animation, and prices continue exceptionally low, from some unexplained cause. First counter is worth £44 to £44 10s. per ton ; counter, £4O to £42 ; and yellow, £37 to £3B per ton—for Mauritius and Melbourne Company's sorts. The Yarraville Sugar Company's make does not appear to find favor with the trade in this market. Crushed loaf is quoted at £sl to £53 per ton. Sales by auction have been made at £49 per ton. Tea (duty Gd. per lb.) —Quantities of last season's teas have been forced off during the month at low rates by auction, in anticipation of the arrival of the new crop—and we believe that prices have been tolerably satisfactory. The May brings a good cargo, and there is every reason to believe that her owners will reap a good margin of profit on their venture, as the stock of really good tea in bond is pretty well exhausted. Fair congous in half-chests realised, at B. J. Duncan's sale by auction, from Is. 7£d. to Is. 10£d. per lb., duty paid; boxes, 17s. to 19s. per box. Tobacco (duty, 2s. Gd. per lb.) —Moderate trade doing in twist tobacco owing to the rise of 2d. per lb. in the Melbourne market, which has had an equal tendency here. "We report the sale of twenty quarter tierces of St. Andrew's brand at Is. 7d. per lb. for export ; the same brand is now held in Melbourne for Is. 7£d. per lb. Flat tobacco is in no demand. Wines (duty, 4s. per gallon).—Ordinary trade doing, with no alteration in prices. NEW ZEALAND PBODOCE. Butter.—There is no keg butter coming forward. Holders are asking Is. 3d. to Is. 4d. per lb. As the spring advances prices are likely to become easier. Cheese.—Canterbury cheese is scarce, and worth BJd. to Sd. per lb. Oats.—This grain continues in only moderate supply, and is quoted at ss. 3d. per bushel for a good sample. Several large shipments are expected from the Southern ports, but we do not look for lower rates. Flour —Oamaru brands continue at our last months' quotations, £l3 2s. Gd. to £l3 10s. per ton for sacks. Canterbury ditto, £l2 10s. to £l3 per ton for bakers' parcels. Potatoes scarce. Sales at £9 per ton, with prospect of much higher rates. BY TELEGRAPH. AUCKLAND. September 25. Mr. Alexander Saunders reports :—Sales: Bank of New Zealand, 3575. (id.; National Bank, 705.; South British, 61s. Cd. Buyers: Crown Prince, 10s. od.; Royal Oak, 2s. Od. Sellers : Fiji Bank, 555.; Thames, 405.; Caledonian, 105 s. Mr. F. W. Binny reports as follows -.—The grain market is firm for somo lines. The following aio tho ruling prices :—Oats, ss. Cd. to 6s. 9d.; bran, £7 10s. ; pollard, £8 ; wheat, os.; barley, ss. Od.; maize, ss. 9d.; Hour, £l3 ; ham and bacon, lOd. to Is.; butter, Is. 3d. to Is. 4d.; cheese, Bd.; potatoes, £0 10s. Mr. Buckland reports :—Fat cattle, In full supply, 455. to OOs. per lOOlbs.: dairy cows, £5 ; grown steers, £0 to £7 ; fat sheep, Sd. per lb. CIIRISTCHURCH. September 25. Produce Report.—Free on board at Lyttclton : Wheat, ss. to ss. 3d.; oats, ss. od.; barley, none; flour, £l2 to £l3 ; bran, £0; sharps, £oto £7 ; cheese, Bd.; hams and bacon, uncovered, OJd.; hams, alone, Is. Millers' stocks: Wheat, low ; oats, exceedingly scarce, the demand is more than equal to the supply ; it is believed that stocks aro scarcely equal to local requirements.

' £ a. d. Spirits 2300 13 5 Cigars.. 63 6 8 Tobacco 792 13 0 465 14 10 Beer .. 684 15 0 Tea .. 338 2 3 Coffee and Chicory 48 2 G Sugar .. 759 4 1 Goods by weight 997 11 9 Goods ad valorem 8310 18 6 Other duties.. 654 10 4 Ught and shipping dues, v c. 248 11 11 £15,070 13 3