CANTERBURY. March 31.

Daily Southern Cross, 11 April 1868, Page 2

CANTERBURY. March 31.

, .Business during the past week has been quiet, jbut,. considering the time of,, year, a fair amount of transactions has ,t»ken , place. The retail dealers ■are pretty well supplied with stocky and purchase cautiously, ,and only for immediate, demand. The (want of accommodation at/ the,' railway j for,, the, (Storage, of merchandise, just now that the, •.hip. ping of grain is going forward, is , seriously felt, ,and the loss and expeme shippers. are compelled to suffer, greatly discourages capitalists from going into the produce trade. An instance has been brought to our notice where a merchant forwarded a parcel of oats from Christchurch to Lyttelton for shipment. The vessel was not abl£oto take them, and there was no store-room at the station in Lyttelton. The oats had to be left out exposed to the weather, or returned to Christchurch, at ft total cost of 6d per bushel or 25 per cent, on the cost price of the grain., No stronger proof could be adduced of the necessity for increased storage accommodation. ,We understand that if the GoTernment wonld giro easy terms for land close to the railway, with facilities for the carriage of goods,, several merchants are prepared to erect stores or granaries themselves*. This would be far better than to have our export injured by unnecessary obstructions.