COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13504, 30 January 1906, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

The Customs duties collected qt the several porls in the colony during the December quarter of 1905 .•.•uounted lo £676,910, as compared with £b55,?14 in tlio «iri,r>sponding quarter of 1004. Goods ad valorem produced £239.453; preferential tariff. £17,673; spirils, £123.283; cigars and fiiulf. £15978; cigarette.*. £26,465: tobacco, manufactured, £58,692, immautifaolurnl, £610; ale, Ihw, etc., £6194; sugar, molasses, and treacle. £53,211. For tl.o ]?. months ending 31?t lloeonilier tlic total Customs and e\ciso revenue was. £2,652,067, as against £2.650.189 for 1904. The amounts collected at the principal ports /,i«t year worei—AjieWfintl. £069,917; Wellington, £631.493; liyuelton and flirisfchiireb. £35 a .6t4: liiiiiodiii. Ths o\ci-.-> duties lollected (hiring the December f|i';rt<;r totalled £28,f63, as against £28,804 during I lie Derembei' cpuirler of 19D4. For 1905 the amount collected was £100,921, as compared with £102.307 for 1904. COMMERCIAL CAIILEG HAiMS. Press Association—liv Telegraph—Copyright. LO.VDO.V. .Taniwiy 3S. (Reeeived .Tan. 23. at 7.16 a.m.) C'oppT: Spo'.. S7:>; three lnoiiths, i' 77 ss. . Tin: Spot, X'IGI: tinee luonlhs, iltV! 17s Cd. L?ad, .fiO 17s Cd. Silver, 30 3-1 Gd. t Till plates, Ills -lid tn Us 4!d: Kemp: Firm. December and January shipments, !ss: starch and Aprii. i'll'i 'Js Cd. Copra,: Hardening. £17 10s is asked ler South. Sea afloat. Rabbits: Dull and unchanged. There art many complaints of bad (rover'iinent grading amongst New South Wale's recent consignments, many lienig seriously muter weight. Some customer! are refusing to buy. Hares' Hotter tradb.at about Is Gd, owing to shortage- of English. Frozen meat: Slice]) and beef aro unchanged: Lambs: Canterbury, -IJd; Dunedin «ind Southland, 4d; North Island, unchanged. Rivet Plato sheep: Heavy, unchanged; light, 3Jd. Beef; Fores, 2',d; hinds, 2',d. • THE IIIGII COMMISSIONER'S CABLEGRAM. (Per Uxiteo Phkss' Association'.) i WELLINGTON, Juuuaiy 20. The Department of Industries and Commerce has received tho following lepovt from Ha High Commissioner, dated London, January 27:—"The mutton market is somewhat steadier, tho average price for Cantelmry mid ton being Hd per lb; other end North Island milt ton, s,\d per lb. The lamb market is overstocked and depressed, Australian lamb being in huge supply. This season's New Zealand lamb is qnotsd at 5d per lb (nominal), and Australian lamb at Id. There is scarcely any demand for beef. The average price for hindquartera is 3d, and for fores 2UI. Tho butter market is mine tiled, being unfavourably affected by largo shipments from Australia. Ths price for choicest New Zealand butter tc-t'Jy is 118.5 per ewt, the pricc for Danish being v ]lDs. The cheese market is quiet, prices being slightly weaker, but the high prica is still restricting business. New Zealand chceso is quoted irom 62s to Gls per cv.-t. The hemp market is active fit higher prices in spot deliveries. The prices offering for New Zealand hemp are:—'Good fair Wellington' grade, on spot to-day, .03 per ton; January to March shipments, 130. The cocksfoot seed market is firm, with move inquiry about last price. Tho wool market is active and firm." PROPERTY SALES. Jl«l=rs Sievwright Btos, and Co. sold by auction at their rooms yesterday, on bohnli of Mr James Mills, a number of building sites in Stafford street and several other town properties. There was a very largo attendance, and keen interest was taken ill tlm disposal of tlio various allotments offered for tale, tho results bein* as Follows: —** Lot I.—soft frontage to Melville street by a depth of 100 ft, adjoining " Mount Lodge.'"— Mr W. I' 1 . Edmond for £333. Lot 2.—Corner allotnunt with 50ft frontage to Melville street by lOOit to Stafford street, realised iOtj. Mia A. 11. Vernon King being tlio pure-linker. Lot 3.—loft frontage to Stafford street by a depth of 100 ft, was in at tho sale, but was subsequently sold privately to Miss M'lntosh for .{'373, Lot ■!.—lflft frontage to Stafford street by 1 iv dentil of 109 ft, was sold lo Mr J. F. Mills for ■m . Lols.—loft frontage to St.ilToid street by a depth of 100 ft, was passed in at £130. Lot 0.-.-tOit frontsse to Stafford street by a depth of 100 ft realised .£'3oo, tlio purchaser bailiff Jit' Alfred ,Tames. Lot 7.—7 oft frontage to Stafford street by a depth of 1 OOt't- was secured by Ifrs Watson fhonnan, the price realised being £110. On account ot Mrs Walls, lot 7, part of st-ciioti fi7, block 11. with a. frontage of 50ft to Willi-im- street, with a depth of 165 ft. This proper!v changed hands at .t's'2o, the purchaser being Mr W.'lfoff. On account of Mr J. 11. WooiK—Lot, 6, part, sections!) and 10. block XVIII, Diuiedin, with f''ontago to York place, and dive-lling thereon, wiia add to Mrs Ru'lirai! for i'JGO. On account of the administrator." of the will of the late IVicr Rulwrtson.—A dairy farm (<f 'li aeles on (lie Elueskin road fell lo Mr W. Robertson at £!30. Lot 4. part section to, block XVII, with s, frontage to Royal tev--I'iiro of 3.'ii! by a depth of 105 ft, was disposed of to Mr J. Romi»on at £500. Messrs D. "if Fro- and C'o. (under instructions from the City Conned) olTered for sale. .'•I their rooms yesterday, 21 years' loa.se of sections 2 and 3, Kelvin flrove, Meln road. North. Eri.-t Valley. The lease wan bought by tho present occupiers (111? Olago S'ealu Laundry Couinajiv) at !l:e upset rental—e? 10s per p.er auumn. ; GRAIN AND PRODUCE REPORTS. Messrs Donald Reid and Co. (Limited) report:—Wo held cniiv weekly auction sale of grain and produce at our stores on Monday. There was a good attendant*? of local buyers, but competition was Pot keen, and only part of the catalogue was quilted at auction, the balance being held over for private sale. Prices ruled as under— Oats—There is practically no demand for export, and in conscquenee most consignments coming forward line aro being quilted m smaller lots for local consumption at prices a shade under late quotations. Wo quote: Prime milling, 2s O'd to 2s Id; good to best feed. Is lid to 2s Ol.d; medium to good, Is Old to Is lid per bushel (sacks extra). Wh?at.--In milling lines, a small local busibeing done, chiefly in good to prime samples Medium qunlily is not so> strongly (uvr.urod. but. is saleable at quotations. Fowl wheat is offering very sparingly, and is readily taken for focal use nt prices beyond shippers' limits'. We quote: Prime milling, 3s 5d to'3s Gd; medium, 3r3d to 3s 4d; -whole fowl wheat. 3i 2d to 3d; broken and damaged, 2s lOd lo 3s Id per bushel (jacks extra). Barley.—A few lines of prime malting have Changed hands at Ss .Id to Us Gd per bushel. Medium quality is not inquired for, but .feed is not plentiful, and is in fair demand. • Wo quote: Prime malting, 3s 3d to 3s Bd; medium do and milling. 2-> lOd to 3s; feed. 3? od to 2s Sd per bhshel (sack extra). Potatoes.—The quantity arriving from out- ' side markets has had a depressing effect llpoll viiluas; IJest fre?hiv-dn» lots aro selling .here to-day at £8 lo JH), while impelled kidneys and northern coiisigmuenfs of Beauty of Hebron and other sort' fiiid litlle favour and few buyers at .£ i lo £6 10s per ton (sacks in). Chaff.—Buyers have numerous consignments to olicose from, hut are oiily disposed to purchase prime hits. Prime oaten sheaf is saleable At £3 17s Gd In El, but other qualities are difficult to place at. for medium to good. £1 10s to £3 15s; light and inferior, £3 to £3 53 per'ton (bags extra). Pressed Straw.—We quote: Oaten, 40s to 455; wheaten, 30s to 3'2=; Gd per ton.

Messrs'Dalijr-ty and Co. (Limited) riuort aa follows:—WV held our weekly sale of grain uih! produce-at our stores on Monday, when wo Btibniitted n fnirlv large catalogue to the ttsaftl aitonilaiice of bnvcr?. Diddingj hoWwas *6ilie\vhat backward, and oiily a snail proportion ot'dur cntnlognp was quitted at auction, values mling us uudcr:— . Oatp.—A. good ma-iy consinmronlg have l)?cu sent into this market during ibe pr,st week, but the Cemand for siitns has not been bv anv I'neans good, and only small lots for local donsuniption can be sold ai anything like late .istes. The export demand is limited, and shippers are not buyers unless at a reduction 6f from Id to 2d per bushel oil prices lately ruliitg. -We quote: Prim? milline, 2s to An Id: good to best feed. Is lid to Q's; medium, is 3d to la IOJd per bushel (sacks extra). Wheat.—Little business is at pt-Melit pass-. lug. Tha inajority of millers are holding oil, and only extra priine lines meet with (belittle demand existing, and late rates are barely maintained. Medium quality milling has piacticaUy no inquiry. Fowl wheat is still in good demand locidiy, but for shipment merchants can hr.v to better advantage at northera ports. We qilote: Prims milling, 3s od to M Cdjjuedium, 3s .1(1 to (d; best whole 3? id to 3q .Id} hrolceii aii\l Sa Od to Bs. psr bu=biSl (Saoka extra).

Potatoes. —This market continues to be well ■ stippiied, and is again slightly easier. We qticto: Bost sorts, £S to iD per toil (bags in). : ' ■Obeli'.—Consignments/this week have not been quite so heavy as during tlie previous ou«. Tlia (p'Kuitity offering, however, is ill excess of the demand. and!only prime quality can be sold at price? eqiiiva) slit to late values. Medium and discoloured clintf is not ill demand, and tlic- majority of late consignments consist's of chuff of tliis destiription, which is difficult to clear at a, low. fipire. We quote: Prime oafon sheaf, £) 17s Gd to ft; medium, £1 Ids to £i 151; inferior and badly discoloured, £3" to Ail 5s .per ton (bugs extra). Straw.—We quote: Oaten, ,40s to 455; unci v,-beaten, 30s to 32s Cd per ton (pressed, ex truck).