COMMERCIAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2375, 3 August 1868, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Lyltelloit Times Office, Saturday Evening. The Customs revenue collected at Cliristehwti tc-dav amounted to £4l 18s 2d.

The Cusioms revenue collected at Lyttelton to-day air.ounied to £G 8s lOd. The Customs revenue eollected at Christchurch and Lyttelton for the month ending July 31, amounted to £7125 0s 7d.

Messrs Wilson and Alport held a sale by auction at the Ashburton on Thursday last, 20 head of fat cattle were yarded, but did not reach owners' limits. 15 broken and unbroken draught and saddle horses partly sold at auction, aud the remainder were nearly all placed privately after the sale was ended. Several stacks of oats were sold privately; ploughs and harrows werenot readily saleable. They alio had a fair supply of cattle in the market on Saturday, principally dairy stock. Fair quality cows brought from £6 10s to £lO 10s; a large steer, good beef, withdrawn at £l7; pair of workers at £2O. A quantity of fruit and forest trees and shrubs brought good prices.

Meli:oi i;n!:. - The Argus of July 23 reports :—Though we are still unable to report any actual improvement in business, indications of a better feeling have not been wanting throughout the day. In breadstuffs, we hear of a brisk trade demand springing up. The millers report having sold flour more freely than for some time past, in ten and twenty ton parcels, at up to £2O 10s; the larger buyers, however, still hold back, and we question if £2O could be obtained, There has been more doing in wheat, apparently from a feeling that the market has seen its lowest for the present. A line of 4,000 bushels of New Zealand and a parcel of 3,000 bushels of Adelaide wheat, have changed hands; in these cases the price realised was not allowed to transpire, but we understand that as much as 8s was offered and refused in another instance for 5,000 bushels of New Zealand wheat. Maize, for trade purposes, continues to be moved off freelyat 3s 5d to 3s Cd for sound parcels; there Is, however, some difliculiy experienced in getting rid of anything but what is in prime order. Inquiries for hops are on a fair scale, and higher rates paid. For a shipment of fifty pockets disposed of an advance of ljd per lb was realised over sales lately reported. We do not hear of much doing in tea. A line of boxes was quitted at 1 s lid, Sales of brewing crystal sugars are mentioned at £3B 10s, Of tobacco, some seventy packages of dark tens and half-pounds found purchasers at up to lid. Fancy aromalics have also been quitted, realising Is lOd and Is 10id for two small parcels. Under the hammer, twist in faulty condition was sold at Is Id to Is 3d. The latter figure was obtained for damaged St. Andrew. Tens cleared off at same time at lOd tolled. The sale of a bin of malt at 9s Gd, to arrive, has been brought under our notice. There is, however, not much doing in the market. The parcel offered by auction this forenoon was withdrawn. Eor a small line of 300 cases of Downer's kerosine oil Is lid was paid. In liquids wc note the disposal of more than one shipment of Byass's stout at f?s Cd. Sales of Devenish's bottled ale have been made at 10s 3d.

Anucxed is a review of the grain trade during the past month and its present prospects " GO, Mark-lane, May 30,18G8. " Sir, —The corn trdde has been considerably influenced by the operations of the month ofMayinthe United Kingdom and in most parts of the world. The imports of foreign

graiu have been inconsiderable of a'l articles, excepting wheat and maize; of the former, for the four weeks ending May 23. about 670,000 qrs. have been received—a smaller quantity than in March or April, auil quite 100,000 qrs. less than the estimated required monthly bulk. Fanners' supplies to local markets have increased, and, aluiough smaller than in ordinary years, they have been larger than the current demand.

" Value has been seriously affected, notwithstanding the small import, owing lo the exceedingly fine mid forcing weather as the primary influence, but, secondly, to the | rospoets of summer supplies. The decline in wheat has amounted in London to Is, 2n, 2s, 2s,—total 7s; in Liverpool to Is, 2s, 2s, 4s—total Us; iu France, 3s per sack on flour, 4s to Gs per qr. on wheal; in Dantzic, 4s to Gs per qr., without prompting sales; in Odessa, 6s to 10s, demand suspended; in Chicago, ,')s to ss, and declining further; in New York, Is to :is, at each recent market; in San Francisco, 2s to 4s, by last advices; while this week's information shews the tendency of value to fall is increasing; Bristol, Birmingham, Leilh, Glasgow, Hull, Gloceslcr, Marseilles, and Lower Baltic markets declining further, so that feeling in some places lias risen almost to panic, as at Liverpool on Tuesday. In Mark-lane on Friday, to shew how far price has receded, it was slated that upon a bulk of upwards of 50,000 qrs. of wheat the consignees had advanced up to within value of lis per qr, but that recently the declineamountingto lOsleftthe consignor indebted. This fact was thought likely localise factors to glut the market with pressed sales. A recent return of ships on passage shews 24" cargoes, against 178 cargoes at the same time last year, not including those ships then chartered to direct poris. Steam-vessels arc exercising a great influence at present, the size aud speed of those engaged tn the Black Sea aud Russian trade upsetting estimates made a fortnight since, These steamers bring from 5,000 to 11,000 qrs to England and France, and, having to discharge on arrival, sales are forced. At Marseilles, with sales last week 35,000 qrs, with 103,000 qrs in stock, the immense imports of 170,000 qrs are reported; and, as shippers have only some six weeks more to despatch vessels so as to arrive iu the United Kingdom in July aud August, before harvest, there seems every chance of June imports being heavy, particularly as the Canadian and American spring fleet is at last telegraphed as having sailed. Present shipments at the . rate of about 50,000 qrs weekly. " Rye, of which early in May 150,000 qrs. per steamers, were shipped for the Continent, lias fallen 15s to 17s from its highest winter point, and as a substitute for wheat has caused that article to fall.

" Maize. The shipments of (his in America are in earliness, steadiness, and quantity said to be without parallel in the history of the trade, White maize is on offer now at 35s per qr. iu Mark-lauc, the price throughout May (having given way a little at each market.

" Beans, new Egyptian, of a fair sample were on offer on the 29th inst.; the price lias declined some 3s; general supplies very small.

" Barley is losing favour; there is no demand for wetting; the grinding Black Sea sorts bring 345. " The oat trade has been very firm, advancing value quite Is per qr. during the month, but the arrival of the first Russian steamers on the 28th caused a slight reaction, and price is not likely again to advance.

"The above remarks indicate that the rabicon is passed; there can be no recrossingthe line of value this summer, and to take the most temperate view of future prospects it is scarcely possible to prevent the price of wheat falling lower throughout June —I estimate to the extent of 5s certainly up to 10s per qr. as a probability. This change would bring down Odessa Ghirka wheat to 55s per qr.; lately it was 69s to 70s; it is now to be had for 60s, Baltic wheat has also been bought at 8s per qr, under the rates of a month ago. The first wheat ears of the season have been exhibited in Mark-lane; others may be seen in Hampshire and Kent. During the past week out of 28 cargoes of arrived wheat, nine c:::ne from Odessa, 11 from Egypt, and at London a weekly import of over 60,000 qrs., at Liverpool over 70,000 qrs prove the great activity going on abroad. ' In cargoes on passage or for shipment not a single transaction lias taken place.' I quote from Mr Dombrush's Floating List, and an early harvest—very early—seems assured in tills country, in France and Germany. The prospects of Hungary and Southern Russia are very fine, and California sends word she will this year reap in June 20,000,000 bushels of wheat. In Spain and Algiers liarvest will also commence iu June, and considering that of 337,000 qrs. of wheat exported by the Sulina in the three weeks ending April 2", that 210,000 qrs, went to France and only 69,700 qrs. came to England, an early harvest in other countries means a diversion of all remaining stocks to the United Kingdom. " The month of May should not pass away without notice being taken of the Cotton Statistics Bill being in progress, inasmuch as its passing would certainly inaugurate a Corn Statistics Bill than which nothing could better establish the grain trade on a sound basis, Already one city—Glocester—has a monthly return, as do most Continental cities, and if Marseilles can inform its merchants weekly of its sales and stocks it is time an attempt should be made in London, Liverpool, &c. " I am, Sir, your faithful servant, " H. Kains-Jacksox."