COMMERCIAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2298, 5 May 1868, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Lyttelton Timet ORct, Monday Evening. The Customs revenue collected at Christchurch to-day amounted to £7B 7s 2d. The following were the items : Spirits, 62.1 ga i lonS) £3l g| 10d . mQ lbs, £lB 13s 4d; tobacco, 226 lbs, £2B ss: arms fees, 3s; light dues, la 4d. The Customs revenue collected at Lyttelton this day amounted to £12918s Bd. The following were the items : Spirits (bottled), 74 gallons, £44 8s 7d; apirits (bulk), 62 gallons, £37 4s; sugar, 3360 lbs, £l4; hops, 638 lbs, £3los 8d; tobacco, 60 lbs, & 10s' candles, 1250 lbs, £5 4s 2d. The following is the Customs revenue collected at Christchurch and Lyttelton for fte week ending May 2:— tw- * "• d - £ atl e» 968 15 5 Merchant shipping fees.. 1 12 0 Arms fees 8 11 0 Light dues ... „ 13 7 j T °tal £992 5 6 At the ordinary sittings of the Waste Lands Board the value of land sold was £1286. Only £2260 was taken for pasturage rents. The total of the year's rents paid un at present is £33,738 Is Id. The Board sits for an hour this morning, at ten o'clock, to receive the remaining rents, somewhere about £IOOO only bring due. Prom the applicabona for some time past there is now fair reason for believing that a permanent revival of land sales for bona fide occupation haß set m.

Tnußo.-The Herald of May 1 has the following remarks:—Business for the past month has ken more animated than for a long time, principally owing to the export business which has been carried on, and engaged the attention of shippers. The stock and station market has shown no signs of decline in price, but a firmer tone has been imparted into operations by the latest intelligence to hand from England, which shewed that there was a slight advance in the price of wool. There have been a few transactions in cattle during the month at very high rates, There are enquiries for station properties! principally from Australia. One of the best stations in this province, about fifteen miles from Tinvuu, will'be sold by public auction at Dunedin on Tuesday. The run, known as the Otnio, comprises about 100,000 acres of flue country, with 34,000 sheep, and numerous improvements. Other runs in this district are also in the market for sale privately, The market for breadstuff* has shewn remarkable activity, and a large quantity of gram has changed hands. At the beginning am! middle of the month wheat sold freely for 6s per bushel, cash, delivered in Timaru, and oats for 2s Gd. At present, from recent advices from Australia, and the bad dressing of wheat, the local market is not so firm, and buyers are offering 5< 9d, but holders do not leem disposed to part at that figure. Oats are dull of sale at 2s 6d. The exports for the month were 863 hales wool, 4285 bushels of wheat, 15uo bushels of oats, 324 bushels of barley, and six tons potatoes. The want of proner agricultural ma hiuery is beginning to be felt, but no doubt farmers will be better provided for the future. There is much grain in stack yet, owing to the want of threshing machines. In port there are about 10,000 bushels of wbeat, and 30,000 bushels of oats awaiting shipment. Dairy produce has been in better supply this season than in any previous one, and prices have consequently been low. Several farmers have now in hand quantities of both butter and cheese waiting a market, and cannot quit at payable rates.

Oamaru—The Oamaru Times, of April 24, says :-We are unable to report any improvement in the markets, nothing having occurred to disturb the general quietude. There are symptoms, however, of a reaction after the recent stagnation, and auguries are not wanting of the approach of brisker times. There is little or no grain changing hand"

just now; holders of wheat asking as much as 7s 6d, while buyers are not inclined to advance beyond 7b, which price is obtainable for good samples. Oats are unaltered. The wool season may be said to be now nearly over, and by a rough calculation, which, howevsr, we believe pretty accurate, the season's clip will reacli very nearly, if not quite, the number of bales we estimated it at the beginning of the season, namely—Booo bales. There have been shipped, principally by coasters, since the first of October 4611 bales To this number must bo added 2095 batei on board the Star of Tasmania, and 244 bales on board the Water Nymph, at the time of the wreck of those vessels, making a total of 6950 bales, less, however, 615 bales of the latter recovered and reahipped per coasters, and included in the first number given ; this will leave 6335; to this add 350 bales in town and say 1000 bales to be delivered, and the total clip of the season will be found to reach in round numbers 7700.