MONTHLY COMMERCIAL SUMMARY.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3394, 2 June 1868, Page 6

MONTHLY COMMERCIAL SUMMARY.

Daily Southern Cross Office, Monday Evening, Jane 1. The healthy reaction which we notioedlast month, gradually but rarely increasing in every branoh of business, ii still noticeable ; and the tightness until lately observable in the money market has oonsiderably relaxed. The value of property ii still increasing, and trade is easier. Tradesmen and business men regard their prospects with more hope : «nd confidence than for many months past. No doubt this is largely owing to the absence of commercial failures, and the stimulus to trade imparted by the increasing productiveness and rapid development of our goldfields. Mining speculation is still carried on to a considerable extent, and most of our local capitalists are more or less interested in olaims at the Thames. Already the yield from the Thames goldfields hat produced important results. The demand for goods for home consumption is »pidl> on the increase, whUe a profitable field for the employment of our surplui labour, and the investment of surplus labour, has almost entirely removed the commercial depression until recently hanging over the provinoe. Still, however, the want of adequate machinery ha* muoh^ retarded the rapid development of our goldnelds, and the yield of gold has been small indeed compared with their known riohness. Confidence, however, is bow firmly established, and machinery is being fast imported, or turned out of local foundries. There can be no two opinions with regard to the prospect of a large and permanent yield from the Thames, and the rapidity with whioh new disooveries are ; being developed renders it extremely probable that a few months hence our provincial goldnelds will equal, if not surpass, those of any other portion of the colonies as regards both their richness and extent. Property has very much risen in value lately, and no estates are sacrificed under the hammer, as was the case every day nntil within the past few months. There oan be no doubt that had many of those who have recently become bankrupt been enabled to carry out for a few months longer, until the most trying period of commercial depression had passed over, they would not only have been able to meet their ourrent liabilites, but to have scoured a handsome balance on the oredit side of their ledgers. The blow came, however j property rapidly fell in value ; and those whose capital was invested, and not immediately realisable, were swept away, Agriculture has also received a stimulus, and new branohes of industry are being opened up. We quote the following prioes of goods :— Wool : Wool is now out of season, and the market is depressed. None is offered. Hides : These sell at from 5s to 12s, and sheepskins at from 3d to Is 9d. Leather : The market is fully supplied with this commodity from looal tanneries ; prioes same as last quoted : Colonial sole, lOd to Is ; Sydney sole, 13d ; calfskins (colonial), 4s to 4s 6d ; Frenoh, 6b to 5s 6d. Tallow : There is a fair demand for local consumption, but prioes are somewhat lower than usual. Supplies are readily oleared off. It is worth 30s to 33s per cwt. Coals : Owing to the development of our provincial ooalfieldi, whioh furnish first-class fuel in abundanoa and at lower prioes than foreign coals, there is scarcely any sale or demand for the latter. Kawakawa coal is saleable at 25s for unioreened, and 30a for screened ; and Whangarei coal is sold at 12s for screenings ; best screened, 22s 6d, 19a 6d from the oargo, and 13s delivered at the mines. Newcastle coals, as already stated, is not saleable, bnt is offered at from 30s to 345. Prioes have now reached a kind of fixed standard ; and as arrangements for a regular supply bare been made by the formation of the Kawakawa Company, and the investment of capital for developing the ooalfields, prioes are not likely to fluctuate. Bones : The demand for bonedust is almost nil, a quantity having arrived by the < Rita.' The season in which this manure is most in demand is now over, and the weather has lately been so wet as to prevent its being (sown. Ordinary is sold at £4 for cash ; butchers', £5 ; and bonedust at £9 a ton, inoluding sacks. Breadstuff* : There is no ohange to report in breadstuff's. Supplies will be adequate for some time to come. Messrs. Thornton, Smith, and Firth report that they have six months supply on hand. Wheat is in demand, at 8s 6d to 9s flour, wholesale, crown brand, £24 ; imported Canterbury, £20 to £21 ; Thornton, Smith, and Firth's, £22 to £23 ; sharps, £6 to £8 ; Hobart Town, none in the market ; bran, lOd to Is ; biscuits, best cabin, 21s to 22s ; fancy biscuits, Bd. Biscuits have been somewhat dull of sale during the past week, and the i market is fully supplied. >' .Vie and Porter, duty paid : Blood's and Tennanfc's are in demand, at prioes from 13a 6d to 11s 6d respectively. The market is fully stocked, and there are large quantities to arrive. Bass's is in demand, at 11s to 12s ; Jeffrey's, 10s 6d ; Allsopp's and Burtons are quoted at 11s and 10s. The duty is Is 3d per gallon, and 2* 6d per dozen. Candles : Several small parcels have been quitted at fair average prices, from Is 3£d to Is 4d. Price's now fetch about Is4&d; other manufactures, ls4J. Coffee : In bond— Plantation, Is ; Java, 10 1 ; Manila, 9d. White pepper, Is ; blaok pepper, 4£d ; cocoa, Is 2id ; chocolate, 1b l£d. Dried Fruits : The market is rather bare of dried fruits, which are worth 7id. Good raisins fetch 7d per lb. There are no dried apples in the market, and currants are overstocked. Fish : Pickled^ salmon is still almost a drug in the market. Prices are nominally at about sd. Fresh salmon realises 17s per dozen. Hops are still very scarce, and are worth from 3s 6d. to 4s. Oilmen's Stores : The market appears to be rather bare of all kinds. Starch is more plentiful, and worth 6d. Salad oil is plentiful, at 9* a dozen for half -pints. Pickles have been in demand during the past week, and a large quantity has been disposed of, prices having advanced to 12s. Bottled fruits are quoted at 14s to 14s 6d, but are dull of sale. There are no jams in the market, but advices have been received of parcels on the way. We hear from a private •ouroe that » quantity Is coming forward shortly, so that prioes are likely to decline. Hams and bacon are beooming more plentiful, and large supplies are expected to arrive shortly. The former is worth 15d, and the latter 13d. Rice is still scarce, and realises £30 per ton in bond. Salt : This commodity is scarce and stocks have nearly run out. £6 10s to £7 is obtained for supplies on hand, but there is very little sold. Soda crystals are still scarce, and realise as much as 20s to 225. Mr. H. S. Meyers is the only holder that we are aware of. Wines : All kinds are fully supplied. There is a good deal of inferior sherry in the market. Good brands are worth from 6s to 8s ; common, from 4s 6d. Port realises about the same rates. The market is fairly supplied, and the requirements are not likely to be great for some time to come. Nothing but the best port is saleable just now. Wines in oase are in fair demand at from 30s to 425. Spirits : Prandy and rum still have an upward tendency. Brandy is worth 9s 6d, and Lowndes's rum realises from 5s to 6s. All brands are very scarce just now, particularly in bulk. Hennessy's is scarce at 30s to 31s. Geneva : Hollands is scarce at 20s ; and there is absolutely no JDKZ in the market. MarteU's is quoted at from 28s to 29s ; and U.V. Co.'s at 28s. There is very little of the latter in town, and it is easily moved off in bulk. Old Tom : This commodity is in fair supply and somewhat dull of sale, but good prioes are realised. Burnetts, 18s; other brands, 14s 6d to 16s (in bond). Whiskey : DunvilleV, 20s to 225, the market being well supplied with this brand. Jamiesons is sold at 26s to 30s, there being very little in the market, and only one or two holders in town. Second-class spirits are more saleable than better brandsi Sugars: The market is now well supplied. A. quantity received from Sydney has been sold during the past few days, and supplies now are fully adequate to the demand. Company's pieces realises about £41 per ton (in bond), and ditto Y is sold at £36. Mauritius is dull of sale. Teas: The market is fairly supplied with chests and half-chests. Boxes of good brand are scarce, and realise from 2Js to 25s in bond. Chests, £7. The market is firm. Tobacco and Cigars : The market is well stocked with common tens. One or two parcels .have been sold during the week. Messrs. JL. D. Nathan and Co. held a sale of tobacco in bond during the past week, when . prices were realised as follow :—: — Washington tobacco, 7d per lb.; nay/Ottawa lump, 7d; Knights Templars, 7|d ; aromatic tobaoco, light-pressed, lid; golden aromatic twist,' 114; Zouave (damagad), Id ; Melrose tens, 5d to 7£<t per Jb. » i '. ' : • < . Colza i French refined, from 6s 3d to 6s 0d per 'gallon iff case; common colza,' in, drums,* 6s 6i Ijo ss9d. ; I ,"•' - ' v - ' : r ,•> *v , > Kerbsine*: ,The market is well supplied with this; commodity, and large shipments, are m tranaitu from America ; -3s 3d.to 3s 6d oan be obtained}- duty paid. A considerable quantity was received, from, Sydney reosntly, ' " ' r

Saleable toft good* »re in demand. Hay, £310* per ton. „ Oati: Seed, very little in the market, worth 4s 6d ; feed oatt ••11 readily at 8i «d to 3s 9d. Matte : Owing to the receipt of several parotlf from Sydney during U»t week, prioes have nightly receded. A ■mall lot was forced into the market by auction lately, but the prioes realised afforded do oriterion of its value. It was told at 3a 9d per bushel. Good maize, however, realises from Gi toss6d.