COMMERCIAL SUMMARY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12036, 7 May 1901, Page 1 (Supplement)

COMMERCIAL SUMMARY.

Monday, May 6. HANK NATION. Buying.— Demand, 2 per cent, discount: 90 diiyi<. J per cent, iliscinuu; DO days, J per cent, discount; 30 days, 1J per cent, discount. Selling.—Demand, 1J per cent, premium; 30 days, la per cent, premium: 60 days, } per cent, premium; 90 days, i per cent, premium. Telegraphic Transfers to London.—3ss per cent., plus (able diaries (minimum). Deposit-.—liy Ihn 1 ; iif New Zealand: Fixed for three months. 1 per cent, per annum; six months, 2 per cent, per annum; 12 months, 3 per cent, per annum; 24 months, 3; per cent, per annum. l)y National Ban!;: Fixed for three months, 1 per cent, per annum; six months, 2 per cent, per annum; 12 months, 3 per cent, per annum; 24 months, SJI per cent, per annum. liy Australian hanks: Fixed tor six mouths, H per cent, per annum; 12 months, 3 per cent, per annum. tl HNURAL MKRCH A N DISK. Although nothing lias occurred calling (or special report since the despatch of our last mail-summary, business in the import market, has been fairly good. The demand for seasonable linos is well maintained, and the same may be said of values. Tho only arrival we have to report during the interval is the s.t. Tokomaru, from London. > ALE AND STOUT. (Duty: 2s per gallon, or 4s per dozen.) There has ken tho usual amount of trade in alo and stout during tho mouth, busi-

new for (no most purl is confined (o a fow <if ihe leading English brands which liavo ctabli-'hed themselves firmly in llic market. Anything omsitlo of this is done liy ihe local brewers. The output of (lie latter has quite >iit:p?;tti(!tl second brands. We have no alIcKiliiiiH iii prices to report as tlio market U kept regularly supplied with shipments of brands that are in request, but as n:i index to market rates wo' qiiole Ihe fol'ouing us jtjrfiit.>* list quota-tions;--Ale: Read's Dog's Head. 12s 6d; VnsKrV. 1?.-: All-opp's. lis; Ihlcr ar.d Bell's, lfl-,6;!; Daukc<V, P,. ; Burke's, 12s3d. Stout: Read's Dor's Head, 12s 3:1; Foster's. Us; Fdninml's I'il- brand, lis: Johnson's. 10s 9d; liurke's, 12s: RIon.T Wolfe's, 10s 9d; Daukes's, 12-; Porter's llnll Dog. 12s; Hall's Hoar's Head, lis 6d: irl! duty paid. BUICINC. (Woolpacks and cornsacks: Free.) The season when cornsacks are in demand is now over, and there is nothing doing but occasional sales of odd lots. A good deal of grain remain? lo.be threshed, but it is anticipated that stocks of cornsacks will lie sufficient for requirements. Sales of small quantities are made at up to 5s 9d per dozen, ordinary terms, for 44's; for 46's about 3d per dozen more money is paid. This being the olf season for woolpacks, we have no business to report, CAXm.K?. (Duty: Id per lb.) Business in candles has been rather quiet during the month, but it is bound to improve turn- that the days are shortening materially. Values are without alteration; best London sperms secure per lb and l)e Uoubaix .lenar's 7d to 7Jd per' lb. both duty paid. As usual, the bulk of orders go to the local manufacturers, who dci business at tariff rates, which range from 4Jil per 11) fo? Klcclries up to 6d per lb for National Paraffins, and 6jd per lb for Imperial Paraffins, with a sliding scale of discounts varying according lo quantity purchased. I'KSIKXT. (Duty: 2s per barrel.) There has been some business doing in cement during.the month, and stocks in holders' hands are light. For best brands 16s duty paid is asked for small quantities; for parcels a concession on this is accepted. nittßti fbcits. (Duty: Id per lb: figs, 2d per lb.) A fair amount of business has been done in dried fruits during the month,' hut the market has not been very strong. 'During the bet lev: days, however, cable advices have been received from London of an advance there in the price of currants and miltanas, ,iuid this will probably have the effect of hardening local values. Meantime currants and sultanas have been quitted at 6]d per lb. Klemcs have been selling at Sit), and Valencia!* at stl per lb. There has been some business done in figs at 6}d to per lb in layers, and 6Jd per lb in bags, while boxes have bron selling at 5s Od per dozen. All fruits duty paid. yisn. (Duty: Dried, pickled, or salted. 10s perewt: polled or preserved, 2d per lb; paste, 20 per cent, ad valorem.) A very good trade has been done in somo descriptions of fish during the month, notably herrings. Stocks are in few hands, and prices are quite firm. Fresh herrings are selling at 6) 6:1 to 6s 9d per dozen, kippered herrings and herrings in tomato at 9s 6d to. 10s per dozen. The inquiry for salmon has been rather quiet during thq month, ..and, prices have not altered. Best brands of "Ked Sock-eye " fish are sold in small lots at 9s to 9s 6d per dowtn for tails, and at 10s 6d to lis per dozen for Hats. Of pink fish sales have been made at from 7s 6d to £? 6:1 per ■ dozen. There, has not been nine!: doing in ling fish: Inst sales reported were at 54s per cwt for best brands. Sardines move olf for requirements at yriees varying according to brand and size of tin: halves secure from 5s 6(1 In 6s 3d per dozen, and quarters from 3s to 3s 6d per dozen. Alberts, the leading brand, secure? 6s 3d for quarters and 9s 3d for halves. All fish duly paid. HOPS. (Duty: 6d per lb.) The new season's. Nelson hops have come, into the market during the month, but nearly all the business in Nelson- hops is done by the brewers direct: very little of it passes through local hands. The quality of tlm new hops iVfcvniirably reported upon and the quotation for prime'lots is. 8d per lb net, f.0.b.. mid for second quality id per lb le.-s. Californiaus have hardened, and ar.' placed ut Is 6:1 to Is 3d per lb, duty paid, according („ ( ,hhl,| v . |! cs ( Kents soil in small lots at 2s per Hi, duly paid. MKTAI.S. (Duty: Galvanised iron, £2 per (on; fencing wire and barbed wire, free.) Business iu, iron and hardware lines during the mouth has been fairly satisfactory. Galvanised iron remains unchanged in value, the current quotation being £23 10s per ton, usual extras. Fencing wire has weakened during the month, ar.d is now quoted £10 10s lo £11 per lon, iiMiitl extras, according to quantity. Barbed wire sells from. £14 10> upwards, according lo quantities and ideas of holders. OILS. (Duty: Koruscnc, free: other oils, 6d per gallon.) For some time past kerosene has hern low in price, but holders have recently fixed a tariff of rates and are quoting less. Supplies aro not large, and there are not many holders, and as 'the time when the consumption is largest m close at hand, the market may be said to- he fairly firm. The tariff rates for "Faucet Nozzle" are—2oo ease lots and over, lid per gallon: 100 ca.se lots, Hid per gallon; and for smith quantities, Hid per gallon; " Flat Screw." Jil per gallon less. •Stocks of raw and boiled linseed oils aro low, and holders are asking 4s 6d and 4r Bd, duty paid, per gallou respectively. Castor oil is quilted at 3s 8d to 3s 9d per gallon, duty paid, and turpentine at about the ?amo figures. KICK. (Duty: Free.) We have nothing of interest to report regarding the rice- market. Business is dull, and sales are only to supply actual want*. Best dressed Japan goes into retailers' hands at. £15 to £15 10s per ton. Palna rice is very dull, and nominal value is £13 10s per ton. spihit.s. (Duly: Bulk, 16s per gallon: proof, bottled, 16j per gallon.) We have to report an average business in spirits during the month, with nothing calling for special notice. As u-iial. the bulk of business is done in whiskies. Orders for these aro pretty evenly distributed over the various brands which have established themselves as favourites in the market, and as supplies of these are kept up regularly, it is very rarely that any fluctuation in values takes place. As an index to market rates wo quote the following as agents' list prices for ordinary lots of brands specified: — Brandies: Hcimessy'ii. 36s lo 37t> per case; Denis Mounie's, 31s to 32s per ease: Me.rlell's, 35.? per case; Bisqnit, Ilnbouehe, 6s 9d per gallon and 21s per ease. Whiskies: Thom and Cameron's Old Highland, 7s to 7s 6d per gallon; Lochiel, 6s 9d to 7s per gallon; Dunville's, ss; Long .lolm, 7s 6d: D.C.L., 7s 6d per gallon. In case whiskies we quote: D.C.L.. 20s; Dunville's, 15s; Burke's, 15s; Walker's W.W.. 20s; Old Shiu. 18s: Gaelic Old Smuggler, 20s per ease. "J.D.K.Z. Geneva, 2 gallons 9s. 3 gallons 12s 6d, 4 gallons 15s; " Key" tleneva, 2 gallons, 8s fid per case, 3 gallons lis 6d, and 4 gallons 13< 6d; Burnett's Old Tom. 12 bottles 13s 6d. H Ixittles 14s; Wolfe's Schnapps. 21s 6d to 225; Gilhey's Schnapps, 15s to 15s 6d; Lemon Hart's rum, 3s fld to 4s per gallon; Lamb's Imperial rum, 3s 3d to 3s 6d per gallon; Lamb's Golden Grove ruin, 5s lo 5s 6d per gallon. SfffiAß. (Duty; id perlb.) Xo change whatever has taken place in the sugar market during the month. As mentioned on previous occasions, the market is controlled by Ihe Colonial Sugar Company, and the prices tbey demand for the output of their Auckland refineries fixes the price of oilier descriptions, and as the Colonial Sugar Company have not altered their rates during the month, quotations for oilier sugars remain .stationary. We quote: Colonial Sugar Company's Queensland and China (finest whites), £17 10s per lon in bond in live ion lots; £17 12s 6d for three ton lots: and £??. 15s to £23 per ton, duty paid, for smaller quantities.

m. (Duly: 2d per lit.) An average business lias been done in toss during the month, and as cnstomoiy, there lia.s Iwcn keen competition anion;.;?! the various blenders for whatever trade is The hulk of ihe bimnes? in the local market is (lone in blended teas in packets, tins, ami hoses, and the'eotiipelition wines ll'.e public gettin;,' fair value for their money. SALE OF FAlttl AT HYDK. Messrs Dalgety and Co. (Limited) report having sold by auction on Tuesday, tho !)th April, at Hyde, on account of Mr Kichard Smithson, his freehold larm, known as Horrellsville, contaimnj: 400 acres, at £2 lis per .-.ere, to Mr John Xolan, ot Middlcmarch. SALE OF OTCJIATATA STATION. Wriiht, Stephenson, and Co. report as follows: There v.as a good muster of parties interested ia pa-toral pronation on April 11 ot our salerooms, Uish street, when v,'e offered by public auction on account of Messrs J. 11. ltitchio and C. do Vero Tcschemaker, whose partnership had expired by effluxion of time, the well-known Otcmatata station and sheep, as follows:—Leasehold, being runs ICOii, 160 c, IGOu, 160k, ICOp, held under lease from tho Oaniaru Harbour Board for 10 years from Ist March, ISO 7, at £1000 per annum, area about 015,000 acrca of first-class pastoral country. Freehold: 103* acres, with manager's house, woolshed, etc. Sheep: About 20,000 superior

merino sheep; one-.of tho best merino flocks . in Waitaki County. J The intending three in number, displayed some diffidence about starting the bidding, but when once they; not to work the competition became active, with the result that Sir J- M. E.tchio becams the purchaser of the station and stock, lot £13,5011..: ■ • ' EXPORT OK PRODUCE. Last month 28,31Gcwt of butter, valued af £119,227, was exported from tlio colony, as i against 10,G39cw1, valued at £71,150, in the corresponding month of last year. The cheeseexports were 18,318cwt, valued at £12,239, against IS.uSOcwt, valued at £41,-112, for the corresponding month. Tiie export of frozen meat from the colony last month consisted of 25,2580wt beef, valued at £"52,337. 130,9&1ewt mutton, valued at £1:19,07-1. and "l.OTcwt lamb, valued ■■ at £105.302, or a total value of £276,713, against £193,813 for the corresponding month of last year. From Dunedin 3534cwt butter, valued aV £14,555, lßlScwt cheese, valued at £1004, 401 carcases mutton, valued at £290, and 91SG carcases lamb, valued at £5007, were exported la9t ' month. From Oamaru 19,011 carcases lamb, valued at £3007, were exported. From the . Bluff the exports were:—243cwt butter, valued : at £1218; STSlcwt cheese, valued at £13,987; , 5892 carcases sheep, valued at £1381; una! 7959 carcases lamb, valued at £5202. Tiruam • exported 12,233 carcases sheep, valued at £617G, and 32.3.7J carcases lamb, valued at £15,692. .. From Lyltelton the exports were:—9Bocwt butter, valued at £4590; 60tcwt cheese, valued at £139,' i: 32,098 carcases mutton, valued at - £18,814; and 01,797 carcases lamb, valued at £32,822. Xew Plymouth exported 10,853cwt butter, valued at £45,008, and 5131cwt cheese, valued at £10,5G4. ' _ PROPRIETY SALES. . i Tiiero wss a large attendance at Messrs Park, Reynolds, and C'o.'s rooms on the 29th, whan that firm offered at auction various city and: suburban properties. The following sales were effected:—Pari section 11, Hock I, Upper Kai« korai district (Maori Hill), containing la lr 24p, •' with buildings, £1975; sections 22, 23, 24, block ' XXXII, Duke and Queen streets, containing • J-acre, with building, £1500; allotment 9, Town- ■ ship of Oaklands (Anderson's Bay), containing lr 28n, £5310 i; section 19, Township of Helens- '. bnrpli (Peninsula), £8. The remaining pro-* . portion offered were passed in, tho bidding not ; reaching the vendors' reserves. SALE OF LAND OX WAIMEA ESTATE. <" Messrs Wright, Stephenson, and Co. report • having sold privately to Mr W. J. Jfoffett, of ' Invercargill, block CXIX, on the sale plan; ' of the recent Wainica land auction, say, 211» ; 2r 18p, at the upset price, £2 per acre, . RAILWAY RETURNS. The rajlway returns show that the revenue and expenditure on the different sections for the four-weekly period ending March 2 wore as follows:—Kawnkawa section (eight miles),' revenue £ISO 18s 2d,'expenditure £15119s lid; . Whangarei (21 miles), revenue £1055 17s Bd, expenditure £001 Is sd; Kaihu (17 miles), revenno £1)54 Ss Sd, expenditure £021 C« 4d; Auck- ■ land (330 miles), revenuo £10,001 12s lid, expendituro £9210 12s 4d; Wcllington-Napier-New Plymouth (451 miles), revenuo £39,700 la lid, expenditure £21,130 2s 7d; total, North Island (827 miles), revenue £57,892 193 4d, expenditure £32,018 2s 7d; proportion of revenuo expended for 12-monthly period to date, 09.15 per cent. Hurunni-Bluff (1180 miles), revenue £80,033 19s Id, expenditure £49,18G 7s lid; Westland (112 miles), revenue £5034 8s sd, expenditure £2.907 17s 3d; West port (31 miles), revenue £5011 0s sd, expendituro £2006 • Is 3d; Kelson (3 miles), revenue £1175 33, ex- ' pendilure £1142 ISs sci; Picton (21 miles), revenue. £1032 9s Id, expenditure £SCO Gs; total . for Smith Island (1383 miles), revenue £92,887 15s Bd, expenditure £55,703 lis 4d; proportion of revenue expended for a 12-monthly period to date, 02.90 per cent. Comparative figures relating to the work of (he Railway department for 1900-1901 and the . preceding year show some interesting results. The number of passengers carried from the Ist April. 1900, to the 31st March, 1901, was • 5,718,210, an increase over the number for the corresponding period of last year of 758,143; season tickets, 75,820, increase 17,022; parcels, 580,180, increase 5771; horses, 10,493, increase, 29; carriages, 1239, decrease 3(31; drays, 1421, increase 233; cattle, CH.BBO, increase 8591; sheep, 2,050,871, decrease 131,717; pigs, 45,550, increase 13,135; chaff, lime, etc.. 72,774 tons, increase 1884 tons; wool, 87,529 bales, decrease II.BBC bales; firewood, 85.596 ton 9, increase 501; timber, 315,850, increase 38,948; grain, 033,975, increase 0103; merchandise, 501,617, increa.se 13,815; minerals, 1,218,088, increaso 121,182. The revenue in the same period was as follows:—From passengers, £498,74G lis 7d, increase £33,670 3s; parcels, luggage, etc, £G0,731 5-i Id, increase £3S9G 9s; goods, £955,927 9s lOd, increase £53,508 63 8d; miscellaneous, £20,339 19s sd, increase £3460 13s 9d; rents and commissions, £28,222 la sd, increase £713 3s 8:1. Total revenue, £1,575,967 73 4d, jncieasn £95,207 lGs Id.

TUB PROPERTY MARKET. . Messrs Sicvwrigbt Bros, and Co., auctioneers and lend salesmen, report the following recent sales:—Section mid four-roomed house, un itc« count of lira Inglis, at £310; section and dwelling, Bellcknowcs, on account of Mr Duechu, at £675; section and six-roomed dwelling, "i account of Mr Gordon, Braemar street, South. Dunodin, at £2.»9; section, George street, on. account of Mr Taylor, at £295; section and sixroomed house, Josephine street, Darlcy, on account of Mr T. Kiddle, at £160; section ami two dwellings, corner of Forth and St. David; streets, ou account of "Mr S. Sinclair, at £425; section nr.d dwelling, Upper Maclaggan street, on account of Mr Mackay, at £180; section and five-roomed house. Richmond Btreet, lo Mr T. Buddicomb, a. £150; section and fourroomed dwelling, on account of Peters trust, to Mrs Huily, at £200; section and residence, corner Royal terrace- and London street, on account of Lady Stout, to Mr ,T. M'Gregor; quarter-acre and four-roomed dwelling, on account of Mr George M'Brido (Auckland), to Mrs Casscls, at £350; 1C acres, Mornington, at £1400; section and four-roomed dwelling, Richmond street, South Duncdin, to Mr S. Barber, at £130. We have lo report that the property market is at present very strong, the buyora being greatly in excess of sellers. Any properties offered in the city or its immediate vicinity moot with a ready sale, inoro especially, residential properties of from five to seven rooms, the rents from which -will show-a fan; interest on the capital invested. SALE OP STRATHGRYFE "WOOL'. Messrs Wright, Stephenson, nnd Co. leporJ as follows:—Wo offered on April 10 some IBS' bales ol damaged wool ex the Strathgryfe andt 217 bales and a large number of bags of Otagogrown wools on account o! various clients and; growers. The sale was held in tho Committee? Room of the Agricultural Hall, and attracted; a large representative gathering of bnyera, among whom were fellmongers and exporters from Canterbury, tho representatives pf the Oamaru, Roslyn, and Mosgiel woollen.mills, and many others interested in tho-wool trade. Tho Strathgryfc's portion of the cutalgono w»s sold at per bale, with all faults. Bidding throughout was spirited, and' prices realised quite on a parity with those obtained at our last sale. For the Otago-grown wools bidding was brisk, and prices fully up to those ruling l at the fourth series of Duncdin wool sales, and! in the case of a few bales of fine halfbred and merino prices paid show a slight advance. Pieces and locks were eagerly competed for, and brought fully up 10, and in somo cases en cecded, the London equivalent. Messrs Dalgely and Co. (Limjted) report >■». We held our second sale of salvago ex tho fourmasted barque Strathgryfe in the Agricultural) Hall on the 10th hist. There was a largo attendance of buyers, including representatives from Christchurch and Oamaru. Our cataJogiia of 423 bales was an attractive one, being composed almost entirely of merino wools of ex.cedent quality and in nice condition, though' many of the lots contained both Bathurst and 1 trefoil burr. Though slightly damaged by salt water,*soiue of the lots displayed in our show rooms were very favourably commented upon! by buyers, who backed up their opinions ire the sale room by spirited bidding until ono lot of scoured merino was run up to £14, and a, largo line of «reasy merino £10 15s per bale, tho latter being from the Walhallow station, in Xew South Wales, owned by the New Zealand: and Australian Land Company. At the end of our catalogue we offered several small lines on account of Otago clients, but, being of crossbred growth, they did not meet with such good competition as at our last sale, | which can be accounted for by the /act that depressing news has lately been received front London and the manufacturing centres as regjrds crossbred wools, which wools arc now produced in such enormous quantities in the Argentine and other countries. The 400 bales ex Slrallißryfo sold by us yesterday averaged ffi 2s per bale, as compared with 1134 hales at £7 Cs Id at our sale on tho 3rd inst.; the average per bale of the 1548 bales sold by lis thus being £7 10s per bale. Our sales in this centre for the season now amount to 4G37 bales, and for Xew Zealand -close on 10,000 bales. The following range of prices realised at yesterday's sale will give an idea of the state of the market here:—Scoured merino fleece, £12 to £14 per bale; scoured merino pieces and bellies, £8 to £12; bo3t greasy merino fleece, £10 to £10 15s; medium do, £7 10s to £10; medium do pieces (free), £7 to £8 10s; medium, do (lsuny), £i to £0. 2541 bales of damaged New South Wales wool ex Strathgryfe havo now been disponed of in this centre, and there are only a, very few bales oi damaged at Port Chalmers si ill to bo sold. Most of the cargo has been restowed, and Captain M'Hitchie hopes to contiouo on his voyage to London beforo long. It is lucky for the underwriters that the ship made this port, a3 Duncdin is undoubtedly the best market in Xew Zealand for wool; and, indeed, during the past season considerably above either the Continental or Australian centres.