COMMERCIAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2340, 23 June 1868, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Lyttelton Times Office, Monday Evening, The Customs revenue collected at Christchurch to-day amounted to £7B lls 9d. The following were the items:—Wine, 75 gallons, 15/; spirits, 81} gallons, 48/ 18s 3d; spirits, 1 sample, 2s 6d ; tobacco, 116 lbs. 14/ 10s. The Customs revenue collected at Lyttelton to-day, amounted to £52 2s Ud. The following were the items -.-Spirits, 58 gallons, 34/ 14s 2d; wine, 4S gallons, 9/ 12s 9d ; woollens, 1 pkg, 1/ 13s 2d; kerosine, 80 gallons, 2/ j millinery, 12s 6d ; light dues, 1/ lis 8d; pilotage, 1/ 18s Bd.

The following is the Customs revenue collected at Ctiristchurch and Lyttelton for the week ending June 20 :

£ s. d. Duties ... ...1797 15 3 Merchant shipping fees 1 + 0 Arms fees l ut o Light dues in \-> 3 Other receipts ... 0 4 0 Total ... £lßll 9 6 The following is an abstract of the quantity of land sold at the Waste Lands Office, this day:—Oxford district, 125 acres; Upper Christchurch district, 40 acres; Lincoln district, 40 acres; Ellesraere district, 20 acres. Total, 225 acres, realising £450.

The Australasian of June 13 contains the following important intelligence :—The first lot of fat cattle from Monte Video had arrived at London by Bteamer, aB the speculation promisud to be very profitable, doubtless other steamers would be quickly put in that trade. The bullocks cost £1 a head in South America, and fetched £l4 in London. What the exact cost per head for transit was we are not told. However, with such a margin there must be a large profit, and powerful Bteamers can make the passage with certainty as to time, and with little loss of life to the cattle on board. This new trade admits of great expansion, and will help materially to keep down the price of meat in England. In fact, public opinion appears to be thorouehly aroused on this subject, and it is plain "that the price of meat will never a»ain be allowed to reaeli the high limits between which it ranged during the last three or four years. Our meat-curers will have to take this fact into consideration, and alter the basis of their calculations of some months since, else they will have to regret the non-appearance of their expected profits. They have always been warned against South America, and the Argentine States have become dangerous rivals to the Australian colonies in this branch of trade, now that proof has been afforded of their ability to send cattle and sheep alive to England.

The London correspondent of the Argus writing on April 24, says:— ' With regard to the discussion as to whether our probable wheat supplies will be sufficient to lust until next harvest, Messrs Sturge and Co., of Birmingham, remark that, supposing no large proportion of the quantity now on passage for orders is diverted to France, they see no reason to doubt that there will be enough, as considerable shipments from the eastern states of America maybe anticipated, besides the quantity on the way from California, and now shipping from the produce of the recent harvest in Chili. Australia, however, is this year more likely to import than export wheat, and .there is still five

months' consumption to be supplied before much of our next orop can be brought to market. But if the plant on the ground continues to progress favourably, Messrs Sturge assume that literally no English will be held over; and as but a small proportion of the recent very large arrivals crii have yet been consumed, they think present priceß high enough to. bring forward all that will be required, although the winds which usually prevail at this season may keep back for some time the expected arrivals from the East.

The Times of a late date has the following informntion. The last New York advices furnish some precise details with regard to the results of the mail steam line established more than a year ago between San Francisco, Japan, and China. The contract, which is for ten years, with a subsidy of 500,000 dols, was granted to the New York Pacific Mail Company, and the trips commenced from each end of the route simultaneously on the Ist of January, 18G7. One of the conditions was

that the vessels should call at the Sandwich Islands, but it was found that the harbour of Honolulu was too shallow for them to enter, and the company were released from this part of the contract upon their undertaking, in lieu thereof, to extend their service to Nagasaki, Shanghai, and the inland seaports, between which and Yokohama there was no established communication. Five round through trips, including branch service, were performed the first year—quarterly trips at first, and then every six weeks. Monthly service is now about to commence. The line send passengers or freight from China or Japan, via New York, to any part of Europe, without change of ticket or bill of lading, with the privilege of stopping anywhere on the way three days or six months, and the financial success attained is alleged to have exceeded expectation. From the great distance these ships have to run, 4761 miles without stopping, and the fact that but little trade could he looked for at starting, most persons apprehended that the preliminary voyages would result in loss. The pioneer ship, the Colorado, is said, however, to havs netted about £IO,OOO, while the total profits of the first year on the five round voyages have been about £25,000. From the commencement, European travel and freightsuch as bullion, metals, raw Bilk, spices, drugs, fine porcelain, teas, &c,—are stated to hare rapidly increased.