COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10620, 12 October 1896, Page 1

COMMERCIAL.

Daily Times Office, Saturday evening. The amount of customs revenue received to-day on goods cleared for consumption was £32116s 4tl. Business in the import market during the past week has been very good, and importers generally are hopeful that a permanent improvement has set in. Seasonable Btocks are in moderate compass and values are well maintained. The market for dried fruits is very firra. Cable advices-wore received during the week of a considerable advance in the Home market, and this has firmedthe position of holders here. Currants are not quoted under-3|d per lb for parcels to 4d for ordinary trade lots. Sultanas have advanced; and command HM per lb. JCieroes are firm'at 5d per lb. There is ibt i'ery much doing in fish, and values are.unalteicd. A fair quantity of ling has been placed at 4Ss per cwt. Of American salmon, Vancouver fish is selling at 8s per dozen for Tall tins and 9a per dozen for flats; ■■Cocktail" taaintains the premier position, and.secures 9s 3d per dozen. The cheaper class of Alaska salmon is selling at 7s fid per dozen. Sardine 3 are quoted at 6s 9 per dozen for halves and 3s 9d per dozenfor quarters. The demand for candles is falling off a little, but bast brands of imported still find a small outlet at 7d perlb. The market is pretty bare of hops, but the San Francisco mail steamer, which arrived at Auckland on -Thursday, brought a shipment of new season's Californians, and it should arrive here during .next" week. Meantime the marker, has been cleared of the wholeof last season's. There is nothing doing in Nelsons on the spot, but it is reported that considerable sales have been made at .Nelson for.'Shipment to Australia and that prices have advanced.1 The quotation for first-class samples is now IOJd per lb f.o.b. There is only a small inquiry for rice, and prices are little- '-moi^'-'-fXiaii (nominal, dressed Jap-in an,d Eatna being both quoted £19 lOi to £20 per? ton,' duty,; Kpaid. '■' A/--fair;' amount of sugar has:>been placed-", during the week, principally Queensland. . There .are three brandß of Queensland sngar competing for trade, and prices for parcels rule from £lfi per ton upwards, according to brands. , Retailers' lots are placedat up to £2L 10s per ton, duty paid, A concession on these rates would no doubt be accepted for parcels of any; size, but traders are disinclined to Icommit, themselves to Urge purchases while there is acharice of the Colonial Sugar Company making a change in their quotation. The latter stands at present at £16 per ton f.o.b. Auckland for No. 1 whites. In iron and hardware lines business has been better during the week, and there are signs of the improvement being maintained. Values are practically unaltered, but there is considerable competition for business in galvanised iron. The current quotations are £18 to £1S 10s par ton, usual extras, but for large parcels a concession on the former rate would probably be accepted, Fencing wire is quiet at£9 to £9.10s per ton, according to quantity. Barbed, wire sells at .from. £13 per "ton upwards, according to quantity. In consequence of the briskness in the building'trade there is a good inquiry for cement, and tfadelots are selling ex store at up to 13s per barrel;: Kerosene is very firm and considerable shipments have recently been made to other ports. "Sales continue to be made at lOd per gallon in bond for parcels, and at Is 4Jd per gallon, duty paid,'for ordinary trade lota, but it is reported that these figures'leave very little margin over import cost. Turpeiitinn is selling at from 2s 4d to 2s 6d .per gallon; according to quantity acd brand. Castor oil is very firm at 3s per gallon. Raw and boiled linseed oils are stationary at 3s 2d and 3s 3d per gallon respectively. In the bagging market there is no business doing yet in woolpacks; the nominal quotation is is 6d per. pack.. . '. ,' ' . ' '

NEW ZEALAND PRODTJCEIN LONDON.

(From Our Own Correspondent.. ■ London, September 5. wool. ~' • . ; My Wool-Exchange friends again report a very quiet week in the London wool trade, and I hear that no transactions of any consequence have been recorded since the date of my last letter. .lam told that business iv the ultimate markets continues dull and restricted, as, ia the present unsettled state of the industry, consumers are strictly limiting their operations in either the semi-manu-factured or raw article to the satisfaction of pressing requirements. bo far, the arrivals for the fiich series pf sales, which will open on September 22,. comprise 261,191 bales, the New Zealand lot consisting of 111,04b' bales. About 14,000 bates of New Zealand and Australian wool have bcaa forwarded direct to manufacturing districts. ' ' , i ' . A specially well-informed co-respondent who f is engaged in the wool trade writes tome to-day as follows:—" The ■ immediate cause of the lack; of . animation which lias for aoirie time past been the prevailing, characteristic of the woollen industry, has been the difficulty exerienced by "dealers and manufacturers in reconciling their ideas' of ;value3. Consumption, however, has by this time undoubtedly had an appreciable effect upon manufacturers' stocks of tops and wool; consequently, consumers have recently shown more.disposition to operate at current quotations, with the result ; that the past week has witnessed some slight improvement in the tone of business in the ultimate j markets." . • ■■■■'' : ':' FROZEN MBIT. . • i j Messrs W. Weddel and Go. tell me that the arrivals of New Zealand mutton during the past fo;'tni"*ht have been light, but.prices have.not improved, and the demand is'still slow. There are very few North Canterbury sheep on band just now, andfor some of the best carcases 3§d rper lb is still obtainable. Prime Dunedin sheep are in large demand, but unfortunately die supply' on hand just at present is very small, and for what few of this class there are,for sale are fetching prices nearly aa high as Oaaterburys—namely 3^.i to 3gd Good Wellingtons are worth from2Jd to 3d, but there are a gieat many damaged ltnM of Wellington and Napier sheep, which have beeu in store for several months, and while these remain on hand there is.not much likelihood of any advance in prices. Of the secondary sneep the cold stores are very full, but'at slightly reduced prices fair quantities of these have been sold during the last two weeks.' .. •■• In the hopes the price for frozen lamb would strengthen, as was the case .this time, last year, holders have been accumulating stocks for some little time; but at present the outlook is anything but encouraging, as there seems to be a tendency of lower prices all found. Although arrivals have been: light during the past two weeks Messrs W. Weddel and Co. *ay that there remain fairly large quantities in the cold stores. The trade has decreased considerably, and this was particularly noticeable with regard to lambs of secondary quality. A few very choice lota of North Canterbury continue to realise Aid to.4Jd per lb, but for the best grades generally 4jd is the hiehest realised, and to'obtain this the lambs must be "bright and of good quality.' Good Dunedins and Southlands are'worth 4d to 4£; For some of those of the secondary class 3Jd to 4d per lb has been accepted. The following are the latest quot-tions for New Zealand meat:— Mutton: Prime, 3Jd to 3§<lrsecondary, 2fd.to 3Jd" inferior and ewes, 2Jd to 2Jd; Lamb: Prime, 4i to 4jd; secondary, 3}d to 4d. ■ MISCELLANEOUS. .

The stores of: New Zealand wheat are quite fixhausted, and owing to.the absence _, of -foreign wheat generally; prices in the. English, market have advanced Is per "quarter. '. . New Zealand oats are hv limited supply, and there is no appreciable change in values. 1 learn from Messrs Weddel and C0.,-that fine heavy samples are quoted at 24s to2ss, aud fair ordinary 2Ss to 23s per 3841b. • • An advance of 6d per quarter is noted in New Zealand beans. This is attributed to the fandemand whichhas been experienced. Quotations are: 28a 6d to 27s 6d per 5041b: < . , At the last sale of New Zealand flax there was little demand, aud prices remain nominally ; unchanged. A small quantity of fair Wellington

sold -at £14, and good fair at £14 10s per ton SEW, &«&: 1" to^|^| Lyttelton, £15 to £15 10s; common, ■ £11 ; and t°The £s marketPfor°preserved meats i« unusually dull, and as there are still large quantit.es of secondaryqualityonthe market, there seems no hope of better price, being obtained until large quantities of this quality are rinsed of. This is more particularly so with regard to beef, and the low prices which are being obtained (importers are compelled to accept less money in order_to make any progress) arc great y interfering with the sale of mutton. For 21b tins of beef the quotations are: 6s to 6s 6d per dozen; and for the same size tins of mutton, _7n to 8 3 6d per, dozen At present the market is fully supplied^ with, rabbits, and the demand has fallen oft considerably, conssquently lower pnees are being accepted. The 21b tins are fetching 7s fad to 8s <jd PfFroin eir.esßi'3 Flack, Chandler, and Co. I learn that at the last sales tallow was in- a somewhat better demand at improved prices. What is not usually the case in regard to colonial produce, the improvement was greatest in the lowest qualities, lower in the better sorts, and nil in the best. Iha price of best New Zealand mutton tallow remains unchanged at 19s to 20,; but medium to good wa 3 in brisk demand at an advance of 3d, inferior qualities selling very freely at 3d-6d advance. In lUf tallew Ihsre is a rise of 3d. Much of the old s-ock is now bsin? press?*l into tbe market. Out of 2350 caskj of Australian and New Zealand tallow offered, 1790 ca>k< weve sold. . ~ , At a recent sale of ti mbsr 45 lots of kauri ;;« !lse(' 2s 6d per cubic foot, and some of the hew Zealand timber was sold at from Is 4d to Is 5d per °An improvement has taken place in the tallow market, and a further advance of fad per cwt v recorded. At the last sales the demand was very good. The advance is attributed to an improved demand on the spot, which was stimulated by the reports of smaller shipmonts from the colonies." This year preference is given to Australian and New Zealand tallow in consequence of the inferiority of that which has come trom The market for hides is quiet, and thera is little doing. The last sales passed off" quietly, and though there was little change in values, tae tendency was rather in favour o£ buyers. At the last sale of rabbitskins, held last week, good qualities were in fair request at steady prices but common sorts were dull of sale, and sold at id and Id per lb lower. In many cases a still greater reduction had to be made in order to effect a clearance. Out of 1695 bales offered, 1282 were sold.

PROPERTY SALE.

Mr Neville Sievwright reports having sold by private contract sections 23, 24, and 25, block II North Harbour and Blueskin district (Waitati), containing 293 acres, together with two dwelling houses thereon, at £860 to Mrs L»mont (this wa» MrLenuoxßarr'sfanu); al<o sectionß, block VII, fronting Maria street, South Danedin, tosrether with a terrace of six houses tnereon, at i.is>, to a purchaser.

DUNEDIN STOCK EXCHANGE.

Saturday's Quotations. Members: Brodrick * Chalmer Hamilton & M Kerrow J. A. Chapman John Logan A. G. I'ENWiCK Quick * Smith J * W. Gaok Wilfrid Vivian J. R. Scott Edward Trythall.

SALE OF STORE CATTLE,

Messrs Wright, Stephenson, and Co. report having held a special sale of store cattle and ckiry cows at the Wallacetown Yards on Thursday. i There was a larce entry, no less than 5J!> head ! being yarded: There was a good attendance of i buyers from all parts—one having to drive his I purchases 250 miles. Bidding was brisk for all good sorts, [and a .larger number of wellfored cattle could have been placed at fair values. Illi bred and inferior animals were somewhat neglected. We sold 40" head as follows:—On account Waicolo estate, 20 splendid bullocks in very forward condition at £6 8s 6:1; Messrs Murray. Eobi>rt3, and Co. (Kingway), 31 forward Bpayed heifers at £i 6s, 20 do steers at £i 5a ; Mr W. A. M'Laren, 19 three-year-old bullocks at £1 !4« 31 two-year-old steers at j£3;MrJobn Cameron, 20 fresh three-year-old bullocks at £i 4s; Mr James Boyle, 26 three-year-old steers and heifers 1 at 75s and 20 18-months to two-year-old do at 553; Mr Andrew M'Donald, 7 two and three-yenr-old i steers at £3 9s, 19 do heifers (iv low condition) at i 4Ss, 12 two-year-old steers (poor) at 525, and S cows j (very thin) at 42s 6d ; Mr John Tennant, 11 two 1 and three-year-old steers at 655, 15 dry.cows at ' B2s, and 12 cows and heifers (small and in low 1 condition) at 50s; Mr John Fox, 18 three-year-old i bullocks at £i Is and 6 heifers at 61s ; Mr .Robert j liuseell, 16 yearlings (mixed sexes) at 465; Mr W. Curran, 31 one and two-year-old steers and ueifers ar, 575; Mr P. M'Kay, 21 yparlings (mixed- sexes) !at 50s; Mr Robert Meek, 17 dairy cows at £3 15s j to £7- average, £o 4s 8d ; Messrs John M'Kenzie, ! John Sadlier, George Gorman, Charles Buxtou, 1 Suoi. Bel!, and J. G. M'Donald, 15 head at ■quotations. ' Privately during tbe past week they sold 142 ■ bullocks at £4 to £5 J5.-S. and 29 yearlings at ■ 3Ss; also on account of Waruock Brothers, the ', Clydesdale stallion Glengarry, to Mr John j Trestrail for shipment to Melbourne.

DUNEDIN HORSE SALEYARDS.

Weekly Bbport. Messrs Wiught, Stepiienson, and Co. report as follows :— At Saturday's sale there was a moderate number of horses forward, and a small attendance of buyers. There were very few draughts forward, aud these were mostly of inferior quality. The demand for young, souud animals of this class is very good, and when horses of this description were forthcoming they were much inquired after, and bidding for them was brink. A fairly good demand exists for medium draughts, and a number of thbEe forward were disposed of at satisfactory prices. Spring van and express horses are in demand. Those forward to-day wee mostly of medium quality, but a ■ few reilly first - o.ass auimnls were among those offered. Tim demand for horse i answering the Utter description ia very good, and consignments .of these, sell at good prices. Aged and inferior horses of this rlass meet with very little attention. Hacks ana light harness horses are not much sought after unl-ssthey are of really Rood quality. Good useful buggy horses Bell well, but inferior and weedy sorts are hard to dispose of. We quote :S irst-elass heavy young' draughts at from £28^ to i.si ; medium, £20 to £25; aged, £15 to £19; good hacks and strong carriage horses, £15 to A2U; Boring cart sorts, £U to £15 ; light liaoks, £7 to £10; inferior, £2 to £5.

*&,! ... ffi o loV ... .0 17-4 --OHIO New Zealand ... ... 3 8 0 3 10 (I South British 2 8 0 2 9 0 Standard 015 9 0 IB 3 Shipping: „ New Zealand Shipping ... 4 10 0 4 15 0 Union Steam 7 15 0 8 5 0 <Kaitangata(oId) .16 10 II 17 N Do - (new) 16 0 17 0 Westport ... ... ... 2 4 9 2 5 6 Loan and Agenct— . National Mortgage ... 0 13 6 0 14 0 Perpetual Trustees ... t» 11 0 (111 3 Trustees and Executors 16 0 16 6 Miscellaneous':- • ■ ■ ■ •. n Milburu Cement (outn div.) 0 16 6 0 17 0 Blosgiel Woollen ... ... 3 19 6 4 10 Moraington Tramway ..'. 0 13 0 0 14 0 New Zealand Drug (£2 paid)- 2 2 0 2.5 0 New Zealand Drug (30s paid) • 1 13 0 1 13 6 Otago Daily Times ... 915 (I 10 5 0 Roslyn Tramway ... ... 1 10 0 111 0 Mining Companies : -->, HEEFTON. Big River Extended ■'... 1 4 '»'' 1 6- 0 Cumberland ..." ... 0 3 0 03 2 Golden Lead ... ... 0 2 3 0 2 6 Hercules 0 3 0 I) 3 6 Inglewood ... ... ... 0 0 10 0 11 Kosp-it-Dark ... ... 10 0 110 Keep-it-DarkNo. 2 .... .0 2 3 «." .2,6 Lord Edward ...... U 2 3 0 2 6 t,yell' Creek... 0 3 6 0 3 9 United Alpine (Lyell) ... 0 16 0 0 17 0 Exchange ... 0 19 0 2 0 Success Oil) 0 13 Dillon Extended ... ... 0 2 2 0 2 4 AUCKLAND. AVaitekauri 5 5 0 6 0 0 Crown 2 7 0 2 9 0\ Talisman ... 0 lfi 0 0 17 0 May Queen U 10 6 0 11 0 Try Fluke ... 0 14 6 ,0 15 0 Kapai-Vermont ... ... 010 0 0 10 6 Hazelbank 0 5 S 0 6 0 Cambria ... ... ... 0 2 4 0 2 8 Bunker's Hill 0 5 6 0 5 9 Talisman Extended ... 0 2 2 0 2 4 Victor .050 053 Britannia ... U. 1 6 » 110 Cardigan . ... ... ... 0 16 0 1 10 Welcome Find ... ... 0 3 10 0 4 2 KingofWaihi ...... 0 10 0 1 3 Puru Consolidated ... 0 5 9 0 6 3 Midas 0 12 0 14 Grace Darling ... ... 0 4 3 0 4 9 Coromaudel freehold ... 0 1 4 0 1 8 Zealandia ;., 0 19 0 2 0 Byron Bay ..012 014 Waihi Dredgiug ... ... 0 0 3 0 0 4 Dakbging Companies : ' Big Beach 0 3 0 0 3 3 Dunedin 0 9 O 0 10 0 Upper Waipori (10s paid up) 0 3 9 0 4 0 Do (contributing) 0 3 0 0 3 6 Koxburgh (paid up) :.. 0 33 0 0 13 6 Do (contributing) 0 12 0 0 12 6 Golden Run 0 17 0 0 18 0 Golden Treasure 2 7 6 ■ 2 12 6 Enterprise Ill U 1 ]3 0 Otago ... 1 1 0 12 1) Buller ... -...' ... 0 7 0 0 7 6 Jutland Flat (vendors) ... 0 7 0. 0 7 6 Do (contributing) ... 0 6 9 0 7 3 Ettnck(contnbuting, cum div.) -.■„■■ ... ... 0 18 « 0 19 6 Sluicino Companies: .Roxburgh Amalgamated (paid upj ... .. ... 0 13 0 0 13 6 Eoxburgh Amalgamated (ISs paid-up, contributinij) 0 12 6 0 13 0 ■\Vaipori Deep Lead (20s paid up) ...... 0 19 0 2 0 Moonlight (contributing) 0 17 . 0 0 18 6