COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5550, 11 January 1879, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

The following are the duties collected at the Cus toms yesterday:—

ougar .. .. o o a xoiai . . x,zvl 10 v The amount of Customs duties received at this port for the week ending January Oth was as under:— X* a A 4*. a ft.

Wo report a fair trade in imported goods during the week. In spito of the general complaints of dull times, but prices show no improvement. On Wednesday Mr. J. H. Bethuno sold under the hammer, by order of the Victorian Sugar Refinery Company, 320 mats of sugar No. 3, at £25 per ton in bond, and 803 mats of No. 3at £25 10s per ton in bond. The lots were taken in two separate lines by two Wellington firms, the biddings being wanting In spirit* A ship, ment of Van Dienian's Land jams was also taken at 5s 3d per dozen. The New Zealand Mercantile Loan Agency's wool sale was not well attended on Thursday, and most of the wool was withdrawn, no biddings reaching the limit; an offer of Bjd per lb. for 34 bales of greasy cross-bred, which had been bought in at fid. was held over for consideration. The locks and pieces were sold at from lid to 4id per lb.; skins, 5d per lb. In colonial produce we report dull trade and little or no change in prices. Butter in kegs is comparatively neglected, and is quoted at 8d to Bjd per lb. for prime cure. Cheese, light stocks of Canterbury make, and worth 8d per lb.; hams and bacon in fair demand, at fid to lOd per lb.; flour, full stocks of Canterbury and Oamaru flour, at £lO 10s per ton, with very little trade doing, as most of the bakers are fully stocked; Adelaide flour is worth £lB to £l9 per ton, there being none in importers' hands. Oats continue firm at 4s 2d to 4s 3d, with fair trade doing; fowl wheat is worth 4s to 4s 3d; maize, 5s to 5s 3d per bushel; potatoes, £6 10s to £7 per ton; bran, Is per bushel; pollard, £G 10s to £7 per ton.

BY TELEGRAPH. AUCKLAND, Friday.

Mr. Alexander Saunders reports: —Sales : Bank of New Zealand, new issue, £2l; Sash and Door Co., £lO 2s 6d; National Bank. 67s 6d: National Insurance, 24s Sellers : Bank of New Zealand, new issue, £2l; National, 70s: Colonial, 61s; Now Zealand Insurance, 80s. cum div.; Guthrie and Larnach, 955; Auckland Gas, £lO ; Aiburnia, 20s.

CHRISTCHURCH, Friday.

The harvest prospects arc exceedingly encouraging, and tlio wheat yield will be greater than anticipated. The increased acreage it is estimated will give a greater surplus for export than last season. The oat crop is reported to be a larger acreage than last years. Reports as to the barley crops are conflicting, and no reliable information can be given at present. The general impression is the yield will be light. Old wheat is worth 4s—the demand is nominal; flour, dull, £9 10s to £lO 10s ; oats are declining in face of the approaching harvest—for food 3s Od, and milling 3s 9d is quoted, the latter scarce; barley, nil; produce quotations unchanged.

DUNEDIN, Friday. Trade during the week has been brisker than usual at tlio beginning of the month. Mattersjsoem to have improved much with the turn of tho year. Very large quantities of tea and sugar have gone into eomsumption. The Customs duties from Monday till to-day inclusive amount to £11,293, principally tea, sugar, and ad valorem goods. Ales continue scarce ; shipments of Foster’s, McMaun’s and Tennants’ (in the bay) sold to hand at fall rates ; Foster’s quoted at 12s 6d to 8s 3d; Tennants’, 11s to Us Od. Cornsacks in considerable inquiry, but two shipments two shipments to arrive will amply supply requirements; there are offers to sell to arrive at Bs. Candles have been required for prices still unremunerativo : the stocks are moderate. Dried fruits are in fair demand ; currants. 4Jd; Sultanas and eiemes, 4d; muscatels, 10!Jd to lid ; sardines are inquired for at Ss Od and 5s Od ; lobster out of the market: salmon, firm at 8s 3d. There has been considerable stir In tea and sugar. Very little doing in wine, except hotter kind of clarets and sparkling wines. Little doing in spirits beyond trade parcels; Hennessy’s case scarce, and firm at 335; second brands of brandy as before. In the grain market there is nothing doing, quotations remaining unaltered. Tobaccos are dull; the finer kinds of aromatic have slightly advancedMr. Honry Driver-Reports that his first wool sale of this season's clip was held yesterday for the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company at their wool stores. Tho attendance was largo of both local and foreign buyers. There was spirited competition. Prices as compared with last year show considerable reduction; still they were equal to expectations, and only a few lots were passed in. AVools in grease commanded most attention; merino wools were in very limited supply, and commanded higher relative lates; greasy cross-bred in light condition brought from BJd to 10(1 per lb; heavier, in grease, from Cd to 8d: merino. In grease, from 8d to OJd; washed crossbred, 131 d: scoured, 143 d. Tho catalogue comprised 545 - bales, and 40J bags. The quantity sold was 467 J bales and 34 J bags.

INVERCARGILL, Friday.

A fair amount of business has been done during the week. Flour, taken up In trade lots of five tons and upwards, at £lO 10s; large bags at £lO to £2O: extra for 1001 b and 601 b respectively. Bran. £5 ; pollard. £5 10s ; oats slightly easier, feed, 3s Cd to 3s Bd, and 4s Cd best milling; oatmeal, £l9. Considerable business has been done in imported goods. Large clearances of tea and sugar have been effected since the Ist of the present month, and traders have fully supplied themselves. Good ration, Is 2d to Is 3d.; family congou, Is 7d: sugar, ration, £3O; yellow crystals, £43: whites, £45 to £4O. Dried fruits arc more freely. Currants, 4Jd ; elerae raisins. 6Jd; figs, 8d: muscatel. Is. AVooipacks are In demand at Ss Od to 4s: cornsacks, 10s to 10s Cd. Fencing wire. No 7, £10: No 8, £l7; No 10, £lO. Honnessys, bulk, 10s 3d; caso, 345, The best brand of whisky fetched c; Cd per gallon ; 19s, case. In bond. J. M. TAYLORS SHARE REPORT. AVellington, January 10, 1879.

In the share market therejeontinues to bo excessive dulncss and depression, and the prices of all bank and insurance stocks have a downward tendency, our quotations being merely nominal. There is no lack of sellers at our quotations, but owing to the pressure in the money market, there is apparently no disposition to Invest.

£ s. d. Spirits .. .. 95 15 7 Wino .. .. 15 14 0 Tobacco .. 13 7 0 Cigars .. .. 41 19 1 Tea 10 18 8 Sugar .. ..5 0 2

£ s. d. Weight . 19 6 1 Ad valorem . C6 12 n Other duties . 22 16 0 Total . £291 16 9

Spirits £ 8. d. .. 1530 10 11 Cigars.. .. 116 3 G Tobacco .. 488 17 0 Wine .. .. 200 17 10 Beer .. .. 156 i a 0 Tea ,. .. 723 11 4 Coffee.. .. 47 1 0 Sugar.. .. 023 3 3

Goods by & s. d. weight . 493 13 0 Ad valorem . 1987 6 4 Other duties.. 101 Light dues, shipV 3 ping, ire. .. 623 9 4 £7197 5 2

• Company, Capital. I fl d a s g-o a *0* § .a so 4 & ss a s £ £ £ £ % 725,000 10 10 450/ 15 Union Bank of Australia 1.500.00C 25 25 60 10 l.OOO.OOC 10 3* 70/ 0 Colonial Bank of N. Z. 2,000,000 5 2 60/ 7 New Zealand Insurance Co. l.OOO.OOC 10 80/ 15 South British Insurance .. 1,000,000 20 2 05/ 15 National Insurance .. 1,000,000 18 10/ 25/ 20, Standard Insurance .. 1.000,000 10 15/ 10/ 134 Union Insurance 2,000,000 20 12/6 41/ —'i Colonial Insurance .. 1,000,000 10 5/ 4/ — New Zealand L. and M. A.. 2,000,000 25 2-1 5.1 15 New Zealand Shipping 100,000 10 5 85/ — Wellington Trust and Loan 200,000 10 5 51 10 Do. (2nd issue) 30,000 10 22 10 28/6 — Wellington Gas ' .. 30,000 340/ 15 , 20,000 1 23/ Wellington Public Hall .. D,000 30 30/ 36/ 10 Te Aro Theatre 10,000 10 6} 40/ — West Wanganui Coal 50,000 5 15/ —