COMMERCIAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2344, 27 June 1868, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Lytteltm Times Office, Friday Evening. There has been a fair amount of business for the time of year transacted during the week, and prices continue very firm. Brandy in bulk has advanced, and holders are now asking 10s. The advices by mail just to hand, report the market very firm, and an indisposition on the part of holders in France and London to sell at quoted rates. All other kiads of spirits are very firm. Tea is improving in value, and must be dearer; both in China and London an advance is expected, and the same must be looked for here and in Australia. Stocks are quite within our requirements. Sugar is very quiet; the arrival of 2400 bags, ex Craigellaehie, from Dunedin, will supply all present wauts. We understand that this sugar is not to be offered at public auction. There is a alight improvement in the timber trade, and prices are advancing, but there is still little margin of profit to importers. Malt liquor 3 are very quiet, and the demand is so limited that stocks of bottled beer are not being reduced, as might have been expected, considering the limited supplies that have come to hand lately. Soap, we notice, is constantly being imported from Dunedin j to compete with our local manufacture, while we also supply the soap boilers there to some extent with tallow; several small shipments have lately been made. With the advantages at hand, and the low price of tallow here, we should not be rivalled by our Dunedin neighbours. Although money is by no means plentiful, traders are meeting their engagements more regularly than they have done for a long time past. Grain continues very firm, and prices are quite equal to last week's. Indeed, wheat has brought 7s 3d for prime samples, Oats are offering at 2s 3d, but buyers are disinclined to (Jive more than 2s. In London, prices of wheat were very firm, and there was very little prospect of any decline before August. Australian wheat had been sold at 80s and 82s, and flour 54s and 56s per 280 lbs. Tasmanian the same. The wool reports just to hand speak with doubtful confidence of the prospect of prices being maintained. The May sales had been fixed for the 14th of that month; the interval between the date of the departure of the mail and the day of sale would probably allow the quantity to be offered to reach 200,000 bales. The Blue Jacket was the onlv arrival from Canterbury. The following is Messrs T, Southey and Sons, latest report: " We have no new feature to report in our market since the departure of the Marseilles mill, beyond the arrival of several additional shipments, bringing the quantity arrived to date to 148.000 bales. "The May sales have been fixed to open on the 1 itli of that month, and during the remaining interval this total will again be largely increased. With the probability of so ample a supply, we must look, for the maintenance of recent quotations, to considerable foreign support, the nature and extent of which will, in a great measure, be influenced by the result of the Continental wool fairs." . 'The )and„ sales are again improving. Upward of £2OOO liave been received by the

Waste Lands Board during the past week. This is a sure sign of reviving confidence and a more abundant supply of money. The latest telegrams from Australia mention that New Zealand wheat had realised 9s 3d per bushel. From Sydney we learn that the rate of discount had been reduced by one per cent,

Very little business has been transacted in cereals during the past week, which may, however, be accounted for to a considerable extent by the wretched and almoßt impassable state of the roads in the agricultural districts. The favourable nature of foreign advices for breadstuffs maintains the firmness of wheat, and 7s is now freely offered, whilst as high as 7s 3d has been given. Oats are moving freely at 2s to 2s 3d j but barley still exhibits a tendency to decline. The home consumption is evidently fully supplied, and no inducement offers for exportation. We quote barley at 3s *d to 4s, with poor demand. Flour is scarcely so brisk as last week, but a steady trade is still doing. A very decided improvement was perceptible in the demand for bran and sharps on Thursday, but no alteration in price is noticeable.

The stock market has been almost devoid of transactions during the past week. Scarcely any cattle have been offered, and there is nothing, either in quotations or otherwise, calling for notice. At the Carlton Yards, on Wednesday the number of stock yarded was unusually small. The return of fine weather will, no doubt, produce a reaction in this as in other matters depending upon the outside districts for support. Messrs H. Matson and Co. report as follows on the stock market:—ln the stock market, very little business hits been transacted during the past week in consequence of the continued inclemency of the weather. Very few cattle were yarded at the Carlton on Wednesday last. Severn! large mobs of cattle have been

sent to the West Coast, and should the sales of these be satisfactory, a better demand may spring up. We do not anticipate any great move in the priee of stock until the commencement of spring, as the very severe frosts have completely destroyed all pastures. We have heard of a sale of 200 head mixed cattle off a run near Christchurch, but the price haß not transpired. The following may be taken as the average quotations:—Milch cows, £l2 to £l7; medium, £lO to £l2; fat cattle, prime, 32s 6d per lOOlbs; medium, 30s; inferior, no sale. Good two and three-year-old steers, £7los to £8 10s; medium, £6 5b to £6lss; mixed mobs of station cattle from £6 10s to £7 per head, but dull of sale. In sheep the following are the quotations:— Fat wethers, 2£d to 2fd per lb, with very good demand; fat ewes,if very good, 2Jd per lb; store wethers, good, 8s to 8s 6d; medium, 7s 6d to 8s; inferior, 6s 6d; lambs, from 5s to 6s 6d; 2,4, and 6-tooth ewes,Bs; full mouthed ewes, 4s to 4s 6d; broken mouthed, 2s 6d to 2s 9d. The demand for good cross-bred lambs is good, as also for wethers.

The Customs revenue collected at Christchurch to-day amounted to £79 17s 3d. The following were the items:—Wine, 29 gallons, 5/ 16s; spirits, 55£ gals, 33( 7s 6d; stout

(bottled) 67 gallonß,3/ lis 4d; tobacco, 2971b5, 37/ 2s 6d; arms fees, l/4s ; light dues, 5s 3d. The Customs revenue collected at Lyttelton to-day, amounted to £217 IDs 2d. The following were the items:—Spirits, 110 gallons, 74/ 16s 6d; wine, 105 gallons, 21/ 0s Sd; tobacco, 278 lbs, 34/ 15b; sugars, 8960 lbs, 37/6sßd; millinery, 1 pkg, 7s lid; apparel, 1 pkg, 6s 3d; leather, 2 pkgs, 2/ 12s 10d, boots, 1 pkg, 2/ 8s 9d; tea, 1036 lbs, 25/ 8s; soap,3ocwt, 3/ 15s; light dues, 8s 6d; shipping fees, 1/43 3d.

LABOUR MARKET. The past has been a week of almost Inactivity in the labour market, the unsettled state of the weather contributing mainly to limit inquiries. There have been very few applications for farm hands, so that the only business done has been with regard to female domestic servants, for whom, just now, there are plenty of places available. Really good cooks are in demand at last week's rates, and girls from 14 to 16, for town, and boys for up-country, are anxiously inquired after at wages varying fronv.£ls to £2O a year. Advices have been received via Panama, that the ship Light Brigade was to sail from London on the 15th of last month, with 120 immigrants, 100 of whom are single women, selected with every care as to character by Mr Cass, the acting English agent. Giving the vessel three months to reach her destination, the immigrants will arrive at a time of the year when they will have little difficulty in meeting with engagements, PRODUCE MARKETS. ohbißtchobob eh tail fbiobs. Farm akd DiietPbodocb. Flour, per lb 3£d Hsm,perlb,Eng„ Is 3d Bread, „ 41b ... 9d Ham, Col Is Milk, „ gal Is 4d Eggs, dor, ... Is 9d Butter, lb fresh, ... Is Turkeys, p cpl 8s to 10a Cheeso,,, Eng,, ls4d Rabbits, per couple... 3s „ „ Colon., 10d Fowls do, 4s 6d to 5s 6d Bacon, „ Eng., Is 6d Ducks, do 4s to 6s Bacon, „ C 01,;.,. lOd Wild ducks, do 5s 6d MBIT. Beef, per lb 2d to 7d I Pork, per lb 2d to 6d Mutton „ Hd to 3d | Lamb, qr Is 9d to 2s 8d Othbb Pbovisions. Tca,perlb,2s6dto3sßd|Salt, per lb „2d Coffee, „IsWdto 2s Pepper, „ ... 2s Sugar, '„ (loaf) 8d Mustard, „ ... 2s „ „ (brown) s£d Pickles,per bot. pts Is 6d „ „ (white) 6dl qts2s6d Fsbsh Vbobtabiks and Feint. Leeks, per bdl, 4d Cauliflowers, 6d to Is 6d Barcelonanuts,perlb.ls Pears ... 4dto6d Apples, ... 6d Cabbages, each 3d to 6d Pine app.es, each 2s 6d Potatoes, per 281b Is 6d Lemons, each .„ 6d Oranges, each, 3d Carrots, per bdl ... 3d Onions, per lb .„ 2d Turnips, per bdl 3d Cucumbers, ea 4d to Is Lettuces, per bunch 3d Veget. marrows, each 6d Radishes, per bdl ... 3d Celery, per bundle ... 6d Almonds, per lb ... Is Walnuts per lb Is 6d Fish. Karwi, per lb ... 8d Eels, per lb 6d Fresh herrings, per Crayfish, each 6d to 2t bdl Is 6d Smoked Hoki, from Is Flounders, do ... Is 6d 6d to 4s Rock cod, per lb, 6d Barracouto, each Is 6d Moki, per lb 8d | Oysters, per doz ~, 2s