CANTERBURY.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3404, 13 June 1868, Page 3

CANTERBURY.

The grain market is somewhat duller in oon» sequence of advices from Australia. Whe)at and | flour both at Sydney and Melbourne are a turn e uier than by previous adrices, and exporters from h ance show do inclination to operate at the prioes a iiced. There has been a demand for oats for the Melbourne market, and during the last few days 2s flight have been obtained for 5,000 bushels for immediate shipment. The rates of freight for grain by sailing vessels to Sydney show a tendenoy to decline. We observe that the 'John Knox' advertises for freight at 5d per bushel. j The inadequacy of the means at the command of , the manager of the railway to meet the requirements cjf the traffic? become drily more conspicuous. There it a want of storage accommodation for grain at Xyttelton, Christchurch, and tbe Selwyn. More rolling stock is required, and even tarpaulins are not , to be had when wanted. The result is either that like goods cannot be carried at all, or that they are r parried at a cost of labour that leaves no profit! to the ' Government. It cannot be too often asserted that ft is a foolish economy to stint a department which lias cost the province half a million, and which requires only a moderate outlay to make it remunerative. The state of the pastoral interest is far from satisfactory, and unless a rise takes place in tbe price of Wool and stock it is to be feared that a certain proportion of the stock-owners of this province will not 96 able to carry through. The late advices from England, though reporting a small advance in tbe jrioe of wool, do not lead us to anticipate a further idvancein this staple. The price of sheep seems ;o have reached its downward limit. At a sale held •eoently at Weeden, some 1,500 sheep 'realised, for wethers' 8s 6d, ewes 6s 6d, and lambs 4s 6d, on terms equivalent tooaih.— Canterbury Timet, June 6.