COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3936, 28 September 1874, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Daily Times Office, Saturday evening. • The amount of Customs Revenue received to-day on entered for consumption was as follows: •

This past week has witnessed no improvement on: thbee preceding, and being on'the'confines of another month, we can look for none iibV until wo have en-c tered on October. A revived condition of things can-j not, at any rate, we believe, be very far distant. The' only movement we have to notice was in the auction-'^ rooms, where ships', scores were offered, and attracted' .large attendances.'.. In one line, 1000 cases of DevoeV< "kerosene, with all faults, and on behalf of whom it! may concern, were offered, but withdrawn, biddings' not reaching auctioneers' reserve. There were also' presented, and.knocked down iuoiie 1ine,1250 mate,! or about 50 tons, of Yarraville sagars, second quali-! ties, the remainder of a'previous 'consignment. The' price realised was £30 per ton—a slight advance on! previous rates, and indicating that these beautiful; sugars are gaining favour, or rather, are giving a fore-i shadowing of that wider popularity which they are destined to attain when'better known. Jn brandies! there continues to be a total cessation of business ' nothing but the barest requirements of the market being! sought to be supplied. As producers at Home still main- ■ , tain high rates, sooner or later Colonial'markets will becompelled to respond.. We have no change to note in i whisky, the market for which, continues to meet the! ■steady consumption that so repeatedly, we. have said '■ exists for the-.higher''descriptions, and almost for! them alone as distinguished from low to ordinary! sorts, for which there'ig ;rio.'enquiry.1 Other descrip-:: tions of spirits require no remark. Bottled ale and> stout remain dull, stocks still heavy. In bulk ale > the little recurrent movement which we noticed in = our last goes nothing beyond supplying the excep-: tronal and very limited wants of a few-retailers. There is a distinct market for bottled beer, but bulk comes > into contact with the local brew'in what has been won , as its own field, and which it will not' cease to hold, to ; the virtual exclusion of: the imported.: In tea, we near of no special transactions; quantities in bond," we observe from the bonded stocks returns, keep gradually : reducing, and we believe the-'market is becoming! marked by an absence.of really good teas of all de-" scriptions Butter is in steady demand, the enquiry ■ being for prime. Of chetde, stocks are moderate, and really good commands from 7d to 7Jd. Hams and bacou (Colonial) are in fair request, but the market for English is bo circumecribed as to be hardly worth : naming. In tobacco, prices are advancing, but the: rise in cost has not led yet to much or any. speculation.', The beginning of the month may elicit some movements. In candles, stocks are fairlj supplied—the de- 'i mand rather languid. Stocks of kerosene are low; ' sales during the week have been effected, according to size of parcel, at from Is 8d to Is BJd. In hops a slightly better feeling has existed this week, and a few sales been effected. Malt is unimproved. Galvanised iron is in better inquiry ; it is being looked upon as better stock. Fencing wire remains at broken rates, but a few sales have been effected. In timber, stocks have been largely augmented lately from cargoes of both Colonial and Provincial. We would remark, how-1 ever, that the newspaper notice which we formerly referred to of exportations from Auckland to this port was incorrect to this extent—that several of the crafts enumerated had sailed'and delivered their cargoes prior to that notice, and that some had been withdrawn from the berth without sailing. Flour still I maintains recent prices; £1110s in sacks, £12 in small bags. There has been some shipping during the week. Wheat is quoted as before; for prime 4s Bd. Oats are firmer. Barley dull; price nominal.

Messrs Wright, Stepiienson, asd Co. report, for the week ending 26th September, as follows:—

Fat Cattle.—The large number of 156 head came forward, all of which were disposed of. We sold 16 head on account of Mr Mansou at from £8 to £1015s. Some very (superior pens of bullocks brought from £14 to £16 10s. We quote prime quality, 33s to 35s per 1001b; medium do, 25a. We also sold privately 30 head at £10 round.

Fat Calvee.—None camo forward.

Fat Sheep.-A good supply keeps coming in, preventing any advance in prices. 1600 were penned. We sold 500 cross-breds at 17s to 20s each; 130 merino wethers, medium quality, at from Ids Cd to 13s (id ; and, privately, 500 at quotations. We quote prime half-breds, 4Jd per lb; do merinos, 4d. Store Cattle.—We anticipate that, consequent on the late rains, the demand for cattle for paddock fattening will be stimulated. A few large sales have already taken place. We quote bullocks, 3to 5 years old, £5; spayed cows, £4 ; mixed lots, £2 10s to £3 Store Sheep.—The business doing in this class of stock is very limited. We have placed several lote of

cross-breds under offer, hut have no transactions to report. We quote cross-breds, four and six-tooth, 14s ; hoggets, 12s to 13s; merino wethers, four, six, and eight-tooth, 8s to 8s G'd.

.-. Horses.—The demand is active for heavy draughts andhorses adapted for light harness. We sold at our yards on Saturday, on account of Messrs Blair and Blues, a shipment of heavy draught stock ex Otago among which were some very superior marcs that have falcon first prizes in Victoria For these especially there was a very keen competition. Blue Bell, a bay mare, five years sld, was knocked down to Peter Grant, Esq., of Gowrie, at £300; and to the same buj'er fell Beauty, a grey mare, three years old, for £275, a black mare, by Westthorne, at £130, and an entire colt 21 months old at £125. The remainder of the shipment, not being so heavy, brought from £06 to £103 for mares, and from £38 to £C 0 for geldings. We be"to remind fanners, and the public generally, that we shall ho dour Annual Walking Show of entire horses on Tuesday, 29th instant, and from the entries received, we anticipate it will be tlie'largest ever held in Dunedin. We wish also to iutimate that we shall offer at our yards on Saturday, 3rd October, a very superior shipment of heavy draught marcs and geldings, ex Albion, from Melbourne. We quote draughts, firstclass mares, £75 to £100 ; medium ditto, £15 to £65 ; first-class geldings. £00 to £75 ; medium ditto, £40 to £50 ; good hacks ;uid light harness horses, £25 to £80: medinm ditto, £15 to £1S ; light and inferior, £4 to £7. .. :; .

Freehold Estate.—We held a sale of city properties at our wool stores on Thursday, on account of It. Oliver, Esq. There was a fair attendance of buyers, but the competition was not so good as might have been expected, considering the scarcity and rapidly improving value of freehold house property. Lots 1 aud 2, each consisting of a semi-detached brick cottage, of 0 rooms, situate in Cumberland street, next All Saints' Church, were sold at £. r.SO each ; and St. Bonan's a brick villa residence of eight rooms, with about $th of an acre of land, was withdrawn at auction, but sold immediately afterwards for tho sum of £IGOO.

Wool.—Tho telegraphic news just to hand by the Albion, under date of London, 19th September, is mcagro, but very satisfactory, as it reports prices continue firm.

Sheepskins.—Our sale on Wednesday was well attended by buyers, and the competition very brisk for every lot. We disposed of 1500 station and butchers'skins, at an advance of 3d per skin on last week's rates. Prices obtained were as follows —Butchers' green skins, half-breds, 5s 9d to Cs 4<l: merinos, •Is 7d each ; station skins, 2s 3d to 5s lOd each. Hides continue in good demand, and command full rates. We sold, at our weekly sale, several lots of light and medium weights, at from 15s Cd to 18s 6d each. . :

Grain.—Wheat remains stationary, the demand being limited to small parcels for mixing. Thsre is no alteration in values to report. Good samples may tie quoted at from 4s 9d to 5s per bushel; inferior, 4s 3d; fowls' feed, 3s b'd to'4s.' Barley—Very little business doing. Oats are scarce and in active enquiry, at 4s Id per bushel for feed, and 4s (id to 4s 9d for prime milling samples. , . -. ......... .■ ~ ~,. ;

SHARE AND MONEY MAKKETS.

Mr J. Ke:d Mackenzie reports for the week endin" 20th inst. as follows :— ■ ;

There is little, or no change since'last Saturday, either as regards the extent of transactions, which are on a very moderate scale, or quotations. The field being but a circumscribed one, business is necessarily as a, rule spasmodic, sluggish, and inert. The area, however, is being weekly, if not daily, extended by the promotion of new projects," and when -the Peninsula and Forbury Railway Co., the Southern Hotel Co., and tho enlargement of the New Zealand Insurance Co.'s capital are successfully floated, ithen there will be fresh fields and pastures new to work upon, which will confer a status in both Hemispheres of no mean importance upon • our local Stock Exchange. How the sharebrokers- should exult when the aforesaid embryo schemes get all they want from a discerningpublic! Then they will have their hands full (which they are certainly not at the present time) with orders from all and sundry to " buy and sell." Well, as it is said of old, patience is one of the. cardinal virtues, the brokers must possess and exercise- it as best they may.until.the three .schemes are accomplished facts, when they may go on their way rejoicing. f InsuranceCompanies.—National have changed hands at £110s to. £1 l.'s, at which latter figure they are firm. On the 30th current, the second half-year will terminate, and in a week or,two,thereaftcr,the results will be niKde kno«m; meanwhile it is generally understood that a bonus of 2s Od per 'share will be added to the share capital, in addition to an excellent dividend. Verily, insurance -companies are paying concerns. In the year sf grace '76,; what will Nationals be quoted at? £5 (10s paid up); this is not at all unlikely} as many large shareholders confidently expect, aud South British the.same, or not far irom it; until then the happy moneyed men who can hold on can let the shares go up and down, as suits speculators who are content with the turris';or the ups and downs'of the share market. South British have been done at £2 9s and £210s, in some pretty larg4 parcels. Standards have relapsed to 10s 6d. a.% which there have been a few transfers. The prospectus of-the New Zealand Insurahce'Company fora new issue of 50,000 shares to the public of £410s each, of which £2 10s is premium, and of a further issue of like amount and premium..to be given to the original shareholders, which'doubtless in course of time will also be placed on the market;' has been circulated during the week. This is not the place, to discuss either its merits or demerits, if any, the public beinj> well able to discriminate both one and the other, and will subscribe or not according astheir judgment and good sense dictate. . .

Banks:—National have been/ sold at £3 9s and £3 10s in very small parcels;; Colonial at : l2s6d to 13s) but not for .any large number. Bank of New Zealand are inquired for, and could be placed at £17 15s. Fiji have been sold at £2 14s. j Mines.—ln the absence of information from th& Shotover this week—in consequence, it is supposed, of a heavy snowstorm—there have been no transactions duringIthe week ; the price Of 5s and 7s being'there? fore nominal. In Star-of the East, Lueknow, Eliza! beth, Arrow, and Coal Companies, an utter blank since last Saturday. -■.•:,.;■ '~:":" ! Miscellaneous.'— Mosgiel are sought for, but there] are few or no'sellers' under par, which bus'ersdonot feel disposed to give. :'■■::■■■'■"■.' .; i

Sales.—National-Insurance, £1 10s and £i lls; South British, £2 9s and £210s; Standards, 10s and lls; National Bank, £3 93 ;■ Colonial Banky-12s 6d and 13s. ..•...--,: ;■

Sellers.—National insurance, £1 lls ; South British^ £2 10s; Standards,' lOsi 6d ; ■ Colonial' Bank, 13s • National Bank; £310s; Mosffiel,-£2; Arrow, 8s; Siar of the East,;£ 77b 6d; Para,Para£l (303 paid-up)• Greymouth Coal, 5s (10s paid-up).^ " i Buyers.—^National ■ Insurance, £1 10a 6d; South' British, £2 9s ; StanaarOni-io^; Colonial Bank, 10s Otl; Mosgiel, £117s Cd (£2 paid-up; National Bank, £3 9s ; Forbury,£3o. " ','.'.'. >

We take the following1 from.the Melbourne Argus of the2lst:— . .-..,•: ',:;:-.; .. • • -V \

In the import markets this forenoon business showed no activity whatever, and sales were confined to supplying ordinary wants and executing1 country trade or-; ders. Nothing :of a special character Mas allowed to transpire. Breadstuffs show no activity-whatever.' Flour is moving off in bakers' lots at £18 'to £13 ss,' bags returned. Wheat is wanted] and 5s 9d can be got for prime quality, but, owing to the paucity of sup-l plies, there is really no room for transactions. Oats are very firm, arid 5s can: be obtained for very poor; feeding qualities, wliile up to 5s 3d is freely offering for anything like good feeding.- -Maize is sellingin trade par-: eels at 55,., Dundee goods, are coming into more notice.Corhsack's are in fair request, and 'sales are making at; 10s 3d. Victorian-made sacks are now being produced by Messrs Win. Miller and Co. equal in every respect to imported goods. Woolpacks are inquired for, and sales are making at 3s 3d. Candles, since-the last auction' sales, showmore firmness, and we cannot now quote under IOJd for favourite.brands.. lib salmon is steady! at 11s to lls 3d for Californian:; The demand for cur-! ranti his slackened 'again1; holders are still very firm at4Jd to sd, but-buyers are, much- less inclined to operate, than tliey'were a few days ago. Fencing wire is again somewhat slow.' Quotations range from £22 10s to £23 10s and,£24.los,;for Nos;. 6,i7, and 8. Quicksilver is moving off-for -trade requirements at 7s 6d.' Sugars are quiet, and little of special imports ance is allowed to come before us. --In liquids, brandy continues to attract attention, and further business is said to be pending. ;

.•.- £ s., d<. • - • £ 8. dj Brandy ;. 122 18 3 Tobacco ' .. 36 0 0 .Whisky '.-..: 19 7 5"Tea.'. i .. 10 0 0 Bum.. ■•;".'; "'.•. .1816 10 Sugar :. ; .. 31S 12 £J Gm :.; ..: ll 3 6 Drapery ; .. 1C9 0 9 MVme ,..".. 11 17, 3 Sundries .. 96 1 ,8