COMMERCIAL.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3229, 19 June 1871, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Independent Office, Saturday evening. Thb business of the past week has been a fair average for tho time of year, .but not of sufficient extent to affect prices. Sperm candles are becoming very scarce. A large quantity of kerosene has come in, but the greater part has been placed, and we hear of sales, to arrive, at 3s per gallon. The news of the advance on brandy in England does not appear to have influenced prices here, nnd sales continue at former quotations. Flour is firm at lust week's prices. Oats ore inquired for. At Mr James Smith's sale by auction on the 14th, a large invoice of saddlery, pavtly damaged, realised the following pi-ices :— Gentlemen's saddles, 425, 52s 6d, and 67s 6d each by the case; ladies' side do, £3 to £9 15s ; trap harness, £i 5s to £5 the set ; American chairs, wood seated, cane, and office, 43 9d to 9s each ; rocking do, lie Gd each. The attendance was good, and the bidding more spirited than usual, and evincing confidence in the advent of «, belter state of trade ?than has been shown

fov some time past.— At Messrs Johnston and Co's sale there was an equally good spirit shown, and nearly the whole of tho lots were cleared at fair prices.

CnmsTcnuncn.— The " Times" of June 17 says -.—There has been little doing in sugars during tho week, as tho retailers hold full stocks. Importers and second houses, on tho contrary, are well cleared out. Crushed loaf is moving, in fair- sized lines, at £58 to £58 10s (Dutch) ; English do, £60 103 to £61. Melbourne- first counters are in steady request at £51; stocks reducing. The consumption for kerosene continues heavy, but, as supplies held are somewhat excessive, sales are reported at 3s 3d to 3s 4£d. Candles have gone direct from the Norna into the hands of the trade at llsd to Is ; few lots, however, have yet been landed. Stocks of brandy on hand are by no means heavy, and, in fact, case brandies are somewhat scarce. There has been more demand for whisky, in bulk, at 5s 3d to 5s 6d for Seotck ; and Irish, ditto rules from 6s 3d to 6* 6d. Rum is likewise commanding more attention, and several largo lota have changed hands at quotations withheld. A fair business is doing in currants, at sid, and for very prime lots s£d is-given. Eleme raisins on the spot are scarce, at 6£d. Sultanw are more heavily held, at 74d to 7f d. Few sales of | cornsacks have transpired at 14s 3d. Very few good samples of wheat are offering, and generally holders in store will not accept anything under 5s 4d to 5o 6d ; few sales, howover, can be reported at these figures, although several lots have changed bauds at a shade under the above quotations. Flour continues in steady request, for local purposes, at £14 to £15. Recent advices from Melbourne note an improving market for oats, which has made holders of this cereal less anxious to quit, and those that have held them until nosr will not accept buyers' quotations, which are— for bright potato, 2s 3d to 2s 3J;d ; slightly discolored, 2s Id to 2s Ud ; Tartariuu, bright, 2s to 2s osd. We have heard of few sales of barley, and prices vary so much that it is imjDOßsiblo to give quotations. Stock.— The Opuha and Kakahu runs, in tho Timaru district, comprising about 46,000 acres leasehold and 749 acres freehold, with 2(1,000 sheep, were offered by Messrs E. Mitchell and Co, on the 10th, and knocked down to Mr Alfred Cos for £15,400, who, in half-an-hour, re-sold at a profit of £500, Mr John Studholme being the purchaser. Tho Balmoral estate, in tho Afinuri district of tho Nelson province, comprising 24,000 acres freehold. 14,000 acres leasehold land, and 24,000 sheep, was offered by Messrs Bird and Bennett, on the 15th, and knocked down to Mr Hennah for the sum of £24,250. Quotations for fat sheep remain as last given— namely, for Merinos l£d per lb, and for cross-breeds 2d. The butchers are all well supplied at pro3ont, but it is pretty certain that, as the season advances, the supply will be lessened, and we may then look for a proportionate rise in price. This remark will apply to cattle as well as sheep. Our quotation for fat cattle remains at 17s 6d per lOOlbs, although small tote have made a little over that price. Dunedin.— The " Times" of June 12, reports :— Malt liquors in glass, especially stouts, are still scarce, the shipments by the Koslin Castle being reported as having passed from first hands ; in bulk there has been no business, but stocks are very small and very little coming forward. The enquiry for teas has been rather above the average, and amongst the sales made have been some good sized parcels ; middle class to good congous have commanded very full prices; we note mediums in large packages moved at Is s£d to Is 7d, and good mediums at Is 8d to Is lO^d, also in large packages. Transactions in sugars light, import houses being little to offer; prices steady. Hemp goods still tiro the patience of holders; cornsaeks continue to move in light parcels at 13s 6d, but the quittance of anything like a good parcel has of late been out of the question. In candles and kerosene there has been nothing doing beyond the sale of trade lots, sales of the former, full weights, at ll£d. There is no disposition to extend transactions in kerosene, although holders are willing to acoept low rates. In the grain market the feeling has been rather quieter, present rates appearing to offer no inducement to speculators. For milling purposes there has been a fair demand for wheats, and current parcels are quoted at 5s 6d to 5s 9d for shipment ; oats are aearcoly asked for, transactions for town requirements occur at 2s 3d to 2s 4d. There is a maintained demand for good barley, for which, for manufacturing purposes, 3s 9d to 4s is obtainable. Tho town price for flour is £15, a good current trade going forward, but no heavy business noted. Messrs Wright, Stephenson, and Co, report, for the week ending 10th June, as follows:— Horses. — Good heavy draught stock are still in fair demand, but not many are offering. On Tuesday, the 6th instant, we sold, ex e.B. Wanganui, from the North Island, on account of 0. T. Braithwaite, Esq, 30 colts of a light description, at from £5 10s to £15 ; and on Saturday, ex Phoebe, from Wellington, 10 head, very weedy, at from £3 to £5 10s. We quote first-class draughts, £45 to £50 ; good hacks and light harness horses, £17 to £22 ; middling do, £10 to £14 ; light and inferior, £3 to £6. Grain.-r-Good aaraples of wheat confinne in doraand at 5s 9d ; inferior, according to sample, 4s to 53 per bushel. Oates — Sales limited. We quote feed, 2s 3d to 2s 4d ; middling, 2s 6d per bushel. In barley. — Malting samples of good j colour, are worth 4s to 4s 3d ; inferior, 2s to j 2s 3d per bushel. Oamahtj.— Tho " Times" of the 12th reports : — Wheat is improving in value, present quotations being 5s 3d. Farmers are holding for higher rates. Advices from Melbourne j show a decline of 9d, which has caused purchasers to bo chary of operating. Oats are at Is lOd to 2s, according to quality, with | very little demand. Barloy as last quoted. Flour, £14 10s to £15. Outmeal, £16. Bran and pollard, £3 10s to £4. Potatoes remain at £ss. Nei,son t . — The following report appears in the " Examiner" of June 10 : — Messrs N. Edwards and Co. quote £14 per ton for Rod and Houusell's Euperfine flour ; bran, £5 10s per ton ; pollard, £6 10s per ton ; sharps, £6 10s per ton. Messrs W. Stavert and Co. quote Redwood's superior flour, £15 per ton ; wheat, per bushel, 5s to 6s 3d ; barley, 3s 9d to 4s ; oats, 3s to 3s 3d ; potatoes, £3 to £4 per ton ; hay, per ton, £4 10s to £5 ; beer, per hhd., £6, per dozen 8s; lime, per bushel, 3s 6d. Boards and scantling — white pine, per 100 feet, lls ; red pine, 13s ; totura, 15s. Shingles — Totara, per 1000, 17s. Kauri — 9 x $, 14s, 9xl, 15s ; P.T. and G., 16s 6d ; wide timber, 17s 6d to 25s ; shingles, 15s. Hokitika.— The " West Coast Times" of June 12 reports : — Flour, Hart's Adelaide. I £21 to £22 per ton ; Duffield's, 10s less ; oats, 3s 3d to 3s 4d ; bran, Is 3d to Is 4d ; Melbourne chaff, £12 10s ; Nelson do, £1.0 to £10 10s. In butter the market is well supplied. Prime salt, 8d to 9d ; fresh do, lOd to lid. Colonial new bacon, 9d to 10i-d; hums (colonial), Is to Is 1(1; English do (Sinclair's), Is 4d to Is 5d ; Cooey's do, Is 3£d to Is 4d ; Compton's do, Is Id to Is 2d. In kerosene the market is well supplied, 3d 6d to 3s 9d. In tobaccos (for Barrett's twist and other good brands), Is 6d to Is 9d in bond; inferior qualities unsaleable. Sugars — yellow crystals, 50s to 525 ; No. 2 white, 54s to 555 ; good counter do, 50s to 525. Teas urc firm, and only saleable for good brands. Cocoa and chocolate, Is 3d to Is 9d ; currants, 6d to 6£ ; maizena, 9d ; r'ce, 26s per cwt for best dressed ; Melbourne household soap, 30s to 316 ; sardines (scarce), % 12a, \ 7s to 7s 6d ; Blood's stout, 143 Gil ; Tonnant's ale, 14s 6d ; brandies, in bulk, 7a Gd in bond, duty paid 20s ; Henuessy's case do, 58s to 60s ; rum, 5s to 5s 6d in bond ; Scotch whiskey, 63 hi bond ; good sound potatoea, for 6mall lots, £5, in parcels £4 IO3 ; carrots, do do j apples, scarce, and -worth from 10s to 12s per case ; oatmeal, £20 per ton ; salt, £7 per ton ; candles, Brandon's, Is o|d ; Novas Is2£d, very firm.

Adelaide. — A telegram in tho " Argus," dated May 31, reports : — Tho corn market continues quiet. Sales are reported at 5s lid at tho Port. Holders, however, are loth to accept that price. The woalher hitherto has been highly favorable for farming operations. Mauritius.— A Sydney telegram in tho " Argus," dated May 29, reports :— Mauritius advices to the 14th of April report sugars lower, and Australian buyers supplied. The Letitia wns loading for Eobarb Town and Sydney. Fine flour waa scarce ; bran dull ; tierce beef very scarce, and worth ,21 dole.