Commercial.

Press, Volume XIII, Issue 1728, 19 September 1868, Page 2

Commercial.

Pnsss Office, September 19. Business continues extremely dull; :e\v e&lee are effected, purchases beiog made with extreme caution and only for positive requirements. In bivadstuff;} no alteration can !.y noted, prievs 'remaining stationary; the sales of wheat aiid flour bci::g very limited in quautUf. Tiiu pnsent et.it.2 of the market is Imrcflr justified hy th<i circumstances. Stocks tirx? known to be very light and nearly six months must elapse before any new crops can, come in. Recent advices from Australia state that at present tiieW is erery prospect of a bad iiarrcst—in Victoria through want of rain, and in South Australia llurough red rust. After, carefully considering the question vro can come to no other conclusion than that paces jnust advance before the end of the current y»sr. A few small parcels of wheat have been purchased at 6a 6d during the past week, but lots come to hand rery tlowly. In flour we hate heard of no tranfiactiocs worthy of note, the millers, however,

still ask from £19 to £20 per ton, and as all the stocks are in their hands, they are able to obtain it. A slightly better feeling has lately been experienced for oate, several shipments having recently been made to Melbourne and Auckland; and the Laughing Water is now loading in jyttelton for the first mentioned port; prices however no not improve much, good samples may obtain 2s to 2s 3d, but no advance seems likely nt present. The slight rise in barley which recently took place is maintained, though no activity is apparent; prime samples arc sought for at moderate rates for export, but the local brewers geem fully supplied. The fine weather has improved the upcountry roads ; discounts are easy and money plentiful; stocks are moderate with no prospect of additions, for-- a- considerable- timo; the spring has set in and the harvest is so far promising ; but in the face of these circumstances trade docs not revive, and no speculative feeling exists for anything. In the neigbouring provinces a similar dulness is felt, with the exception of Auckland, where the continued success of the goldfields has given a happy stimulus to trade. Sales of staple goods are ODly made for present consumption. Teae seem likely to advance slightly, late filee from Melhourne being favourable to present holders. Sugars are in steady demand and late rates are fully sustained. A large sale of sugars ex Severn, was held in Dunedin last week, when 6681 bags were submitted, and nearly the whole placed at satisfactory rates. The amount received at the Custom-house, Christchurch, September 17, was £11 9s 7d, consisting of—Drapery, 2 cases, £10 83 9d ; paper bags, 1 bale, £110 d. The amount received at the Custom House, Lyttelton, on September 17, was £198 183 6d, consisting of—Spirits, £29 Is 3d; beer, £14 5s ; sugar, £38 16.« 3d ; tea, £16 4a ; timber, £30 Os 9J ; palings, £24 ; shingles, £17 16s 3 jcwelk-ry, £4 4s; paper bags, £2 10s; stationerr,"£l; light dues, £1211s Id ; pilotage, £12 5s 4d. The amount received at the Custom-house, Chrietchurch,on*3eptemberlß,was£2s6 2s 3d consisting of—Sundries, £7 5s 8i ; sugar, £14 11s 10d j drapery, £214 3s 7d ; fancy goods. 10s Id ; stout, £8 18i 9d ; wine, £10 10s ; light dues, Is 4i ; other receipts, Is.

The amount received at the Custom House, Lyttelton, on September 18 was £46 133 10d, consisting of—Beer, £11 15s; sugar, £9 10s 2d ; tea, £6 15s; leather, £1 53 10d; boots, 3s 9d; griudery, 7s 9d ; light dues, £8 143; pilotage, £8 9a 4d. "