TASMANIA.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXII, Issue 2683, 21 February 1866, Page 4

TASMANIA.

The Tasmanian Herald (Hobart Town), of the 26fch January, says :—: — During the day business has been quiet, and prices of breadstuffs are unchanged. The news received by telegram in the latter part of the day will, no doubt, influence the price of breadstuffs ; and next -week will open with a lower quotation for both wheat and flour. The arrivals from California at both Sydney and Melbourne ""with breadstuff's are larger, and no less than six vessels are reported to be loading at California for the colonies. Our extraordinary informs us that in Adelaide -wheat has been sold at Bs. We take the following from the Launceston Cornwall Chronicle of the 24th January :—: — The late advices from Victoria have not tended to produce any alteration in our local breadstuffs markets. Prices remain without chauge. Flour at £22 10s. per ton. Wheat, nominal, and none coming forward at 9s. 6d. Oats, 4s. 6d. Bran, Is. 7d. to Is. Sd. per bushel. Potted butter is changing hands in large quantities at Is. 6d. per lb. We take' the following from the Launceston Examiner of the 25th January :—: — in the markets to-day business has been very quiet, and no change has occurred. Wheat, is 9s. 6d. ; flour, £22 10s. ; oats, 4s. 6d. and 4s. 9d. for good samples; bran, Is. Bd. ; hay, £4 ss. ; Tasmanian oatmeal, 30s. to 325. ; butter, Is. 6d. The Tasmanian Herald of the 23rd January, has the following commercial review, which we reprint: — The monetary condition of Tasmania may be characterised as sound, which state of soundness arises from the total abstinence of speculation of any kind. The true state of the case is that our trade is now so exceedingly limited, and so totally devoid of speculation that the banks have only the merchants 1 bills to discount, and as our few merchants are very cautious in their dealings, bills are generally met at maturity. There has been more demand for money lately in consequence of the several payments on account of the different quartz companies being due, but this demand does not materially affect the amount of deposits in the banks, as in a small community like this the money meiely changes hands, *nd is soon replaced in file banks. The number of our merchants i* decreasing ; one large firm closing up its establishment here selling the vessels belonging to the house, preparatory to moving to Melbourne, the reason given for so doing being that in consequence of our stationary, if not retrograde population, business is so restricted that there is no opening for the profitable employment o£ their capital. Our trade with England is now reduced to five or six vessels in the year, whereas eight or ten years ago we numbered uo less than twenty regular ships in the trade. Our supplies are now principally draw n from Melbourne, especially teas, sugars, coffee, and other Indian produce, which formerly gave employment to three or four vessels, as direct traders to Mauritius, China, Manilla, &c. Our harvest is now in course of being got in, and from all the reports from the country districts we may anticipate a bountiful crop. The following was published in our issue of Monday last, and will convey a good idea of the present state of our wheat market : — "The news to hand by the mail delivered yesterday afternoon has not had any effect on our market for breadstuffs, but the fact of our own wheat beginning to come in will soon have an effect on our market. Several lots came in to-day and were sold at 10s. 9d. to 11s. Prices at present are as quoted lately, viz , £25 for colonial flour, and £24 for Chilian. For wheat, 11s. for both imported and colonial is still the figure. There were several sales of both flour and wheat on Saturday at the above rate. One lot of 2,000 bushels wheat was sold at Us. There is more disposition shown to purchase the Californian flour than the Chilian, some of the latter being slightly gritty." We must mention that for the last four months we have been nearly entirely dependent on importations for flour and wheat. The general opinion is that wheat will rule during the year at Bs. to 10s. per bushel. Our Btaple commodity, wool, has commanded a good deal of attention, and prices have ruled steady at Is. 2d. to Is. 4d.; and Is. 6d. for first-class flocks, country-packed. The export by the two vessels sailed to this date is 3,310 bales, and the (Windward ' will take 2,000 more. There is now in store sufficient wool to load the •Harrowby,' just arrived,

and one of our best judges says there will be enough of this clip lefb, after loading the ' Harrowby,' to load at least two other vessels of the same size as the 'Harrowby.' The news of the rise in London of lid. to 2d. per lb. on wools has not had any effect on our prices here, as the account Bales by the present mail show a loss on most shipments of last season. In fish oil there is nothing doing, in consequence of our market being entirely bare. The last actual sale of sperm was made at £80, but any lot now coming in would fetch from £90 to £95. Whalebone is nominally worth £300 per ton, but, in the absence of any in the market, no transactions of course have taken place.