COMMERCIAL.

Press, Volume XVIII, Issue 2493, 27 April 1871, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

HOKITIKA.—The West Coast limes of April 24 reports : —The business of the past week has been, in all business circles, considered satisfactory. Numerous orders, coastwise and up-country, have come to hand and been executed. There appears, from the quantity of gold coming in from the remote districts, to be a feeling that this winter's yield of gold will be greater in proportion to the population than has nitherto been the case. It is certain that there are constantly large parcels of gold arriving privately, which do not appear in the escort or coastwise shipping returns, and which leads to the belief that mining in the v hitherto neglected districts would yield largely with an increased population, and in that belief we thoroughly concur. There -is an evident desire on the part of a few to induce the community to believe that breadstuffs will be cheaper; but we have failed to discover any sound reason for such a state of. things arising. It is evidently impossible, with the excessive draw upon the reported surplus in South Australia, that there can be any probability of prices being reduced by imports to the Australian colonies from the coasts of Chili or Peru. The crop of grain in the Calif ornian district are not too abundant; and if they were so, their market would be the Continent. It is well known that the grain supplies in New Zealand are miserably deficient. There has been no addition to the stock of Adelaide flour by recent arrivals, and we quote Hart's, Duffleld's, and other good brands at £19 10s, and firm, holders not being derirous to sell unless in small parcels. Wood's silk-dressed commands £16 10s ; other provincial brands a shade lower. Bran realises 1/6 to 1/7 bushel ; the supply equal to the demand. Oats, prime samples, sell readily @ 3/9 in trade lots ; retail prices, 4/. The small lot of oats brought by the Rifleman being of inferior description, did not realise within 0/3 or 0/4 bushel of the price quoted. Eastwood's Melbourne chaff sells for from £12 10s to £13 ; provincial, £9 to £9 10s, the supply of Melbourne being limited. Wheat, 3/7 to 3/9. Maize, 6/6. Butterprime samples of provincial, are very scarce, and of ready sale, @ 0/S£ to 0/9 ft : in~ferlor, a drug. Cheese, of which there is at present a large supply, can be bought, for prime, 0/5 to 0/6, which must be ruinous prices to either importer or shipper. Hams and' bacon, good provincial, are scarce, and sell readily @ 1/ to l/l for equal quantities ; English hams are scarce, and realise 1/4s. Potatoes sell for £5 10s. Sugars—the supply of Company's being deficient, sales are effected at £56 to £57 per ton ; Mauritius, bright counters, £52. Candles—Nevas, 1/2 per fl>, short supply; Brandon's, 1/0 to 1/1. Kerosene—Scarcely any in the market, and readily sells for 3/9 per gallon. A shipment of this article arriving could be placed to advantage. In spirits and wines we quote C.V.P. bulk brandy, in bond, at 8/; Hennessy's, 9/6 ; case Hennessy's, 35/, in bond, or 61/ to 63/, duty paid. Bottled ale, Tennant's, 13/ for quarts; pints,. 9/6. Stout—Blood's, 13/: pints, 9/6. Currants, 0/7. Raisins are scarce, and prime would sell at 8d: sales of inferior have been effected at 0/7. In tobaccos, cigars, and articles of oilmen's stores, no change can be noted in price. The feeling is that all engagements in .monetary circles have been met satisfactorily, and as there is an evident increase in the, amount of import and export duties, there is hope of a further satisfactory result commercially for Westland.