Commercial Intelligence.

Timaru Herald, Volume IV, Issue 98, 30 March 1866, Page 2

Commercial Intelligence.

"Herald" Office, Timafu, Thursday evening. There has been a good amount of business done m town during the past week ; and merchants have been making large additions to their somewhat suaall stocks, by the arrival of considerable shipments. The whole of the harvest, with trifling exceptions, has been gathered throughout the district, and farmers are now preparing for their threshing. The price of cattle, from the sums given at the auction sales of Messrs. Stubbs And King during the past week, has made a slight advance ; and those offering for sale have realized most satisfactory prices. We hear that a mob of 200 has beon disposed of by Mr. Harris, which are to cross the Waitaki, but the price has not transpired. Messrs. Stubbs and King report that at their auction sate, on Tuesday hut, the attendance was not very large, but the prices realized were very fair. Milch cows, from £14 to £18 10s ; mixed yearlings, £4 to £9. At their auction Bale, to-day, of Messrs. Cookson and Webber's dairy stock, the attendance was very large, and bidding spirited. Tie sale was concluded too late to allow us to give a long report. Milch cows fetched, from £14 to £27 10s per head ; the greater portion realizing over £20 ; mixed unbroken, from £7 to £11. Horses, from £11 10s to £18. Timaro retail prices. — Teas, 2s 6d to 3s 9d per ft ; do cheste, £10 to £15 ; do half -chests, £4

lOj to £7 7s ; do qr. -chests £1 lGs to £2 10s ; sugars, Co.'s No. 1, 84<i per lb ; do No. 2, Bddo ; crystal, 7d do ; moist, 6d and 6£d do ; loaf and crushed, Is do ; jam 3, Is Gd ; tart fruits, 2s Cd ; pickles, pints, Is 9d ; do qrts., 33 ; bacon, 2s per lb ; butter, 2s do ; cheese (Colonial), Is6d per lb ; do (English), Is lOd do; rice (Patna), Gd per lb ; do (Carolina), 9d do ; candles (full wts.), Is 9d do ; tobacco (twist), 8s do ; flour (Chilian), 30a ]>tr csvt. ;do (Timnka), 2Gs do ; oats (uew), 4s Od per bushel, old do (scarce), 8s do do ; bran. 103 do; sharps 15s do; potatoes, £4 per ton; currants and plums, (scarce), 13 4d per lb. The Otayo Daily Time* gives the following : — Per private telegrams, we learn of the following shipments from England, the period over which they extend being six weeks :— Currants, 130 tons; cheese, 40 tons; malt, 7,000 quarters; butter, GOO lirkins ; bacon, 80 tons (twenty of which were lost m the London) ; sardines, 170 cwt ; candles, 2,000 cwt ; oilmen's stores, LIO.OOO ; corn sacks, L 1.600. From Calcutta we are informed of 600 tons rice having been despatched during the month. The price was firm at 4 rupees 11 annas per maund. Advices from Foo Chow to 26th January report the departure for Sydney of three vessels with 1, 150,000 lb tea. Two were loading for Australia. ENGLAND. We take the following commercial intelligence from the Home News of January : — An advance of 1 per cent, m the Bank rate on the 28th December was followed by a further rise of 1 per cent., and the minimum now stands at S per cent. The Bank of France rate has been carried from 4to 5 per cent. The terms m the discount market are held at the oflicial minimum, but the trilling inquiry here and there experienced for choice bills, and on bettor terms, seems to indicate a moderate degree of abundance of capital. The Bank of Otago (Limited), has declared an interim dividend at the rate of 6 per cent, per annum for the six months ending 30th September last, on £S per share, being the amount of capital called up to the 30th Juue last, free of income-tax.

The meeting of the Union Bank of Australia took place on the 16th of January, when a dividend of £2 2s Gd per share, free of incometax, was declared for the half-year. The chairman remarked that, considering the causes which have been m operation, it is not surprising that there is a falling off of 4 per cent, m the dividend ; but the company occupies a field m which it may reasonably hope for the success to which it has been accustomed-

At the ordinary meeting of the New Zealand Trust and Loan Company, held January 16, a dividend at the rate of 10 per cent, per annum was declared.

The report of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, to be presented at the meeting to be held m February or March, states the available profit to be £2512, and recommends a dividend at the rate of 6 per cent, per annum, leaving £492 to be carried forward. In these days of "promotion fees" and "preliminary expenses," it is satisfactory to lind that the pledge given by the directors of this company, to keep this special expenditure at a very limited total, has been fulfilled. The undertaking was established m the early part of last year, under the influence of persons connected with the New Zealand Bank ; and it was mentioned at the time the "preliminary expenses" would not exceed £350. The actual amount now appears, on the publication of the first report, to have only £3i'2. A prospectus has been issued of the New Zealand Iron and Steel Company, with a capital of £100,000, m shares of £10, to work an invention for smelting iron-sand at New Plymouth, New Zealand. LONDON WOOL REPORT — JANUARY 1866. Since the opening of the year a very steady business has been doing m all descriptions of wool from second hands, and inquiries and orders, have increased so much latterly that our market is exceedingly bare of all sorts. The advance paid has ranged from Id to l^d on November rates.