COMMERCIAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XL, Issue 3926, 25 August 1873, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Lyttelton Timet Office, Saturday Evening. The Customs revenue collected to-day amounted to £213 6s lid. The following wore the items:—Wine, 55 gallons, £ll Os lOd ; spirits, gallons, £l7 3s 2d; sugar, 7220 lbs, £3O Is 8d; tobacco, 468 lbs, £SB 10s ; rope, 3 cwt 1 ]qr, 6s 3d; hardware, 6cases, 8 packages, 1 cask, 177 kegs, £5117s 2d ; tar. l cask, Is ; kerosene, 80 gallons, £2 ; colza oil, 25 gallons, 12s 6d; fishing tackle, 1 case, 13s 3d; essences, 1 case, £lss Id; glassware, 3 casks, £2 lls Id ; cocoa, lOOOlbs, £l2 10s; plate glass, 1 case, £3 IGs 81; stationery, 2 cases, £Bl4s 9d.

Auckland. —The New Zealand, Herald of Aug. 16 reports : —The past week has been very slack, there being no stir in the produce market, and, owing to the uncertainty in which the taritf question stood, no mercantile business of consequence, beyond that done in necessary supplies for home consumption, can be chronicled ; neither are there any imports to chronicle. Only to-day has the tariff question been settled, so that next week a little more activity will doubtless be displayed in the wholesale markets. It has been determined, after debate, and upon a division, to enforce a uniform 10 per cent, duty on all goods before specified, with certain exceptions. These are fancy biscuits which are to becharged 2d per lb ; 'boiled sugars, confits, lozenges, Scotch mixtures and sugar candy, 2d per lb ; rope, cordage, and twine, 5s per cwt; solid worth, 6d per lb. The following is the list of exemptions:—Hog skins and all fittings for saddlery; silver mounting, shellac, and felt goods for hats ; hair seating, curled hair, upholsterers’ webbing, metal, lead, copper, brass, and tin in pigs, bars or sheets, common or Hock sheet iron; saddle-trees, halters, silk plush, card and mill-boards, bookbinders’ cloth; writing paper, demy size and larger, in original packages and uncut edges. The object of the advance in duty on the former articles, and the exemptions on the latter, point to the same end—the encouragement of local industries. The new tariff will, of course, slightly disturb prices for a week or two, and will rather throw importers with shipments of certain goods ordered out of their calculations. It is not the wholesale man, however, who will advantage generally by the alteration, although on particular shipments, such as those noted under the head of exemptions, he will reap a benefit. The wholesale merchant will only be able to charge, on bulk, the additional duty levied, whilst, however, the retailer will place the increase upon each trifling article, thus profiting largely in the aggregate. Brandies maintain previous rates. Sugars are in very limited supply, and quotations are, for bonded : Brown, 3d to 3Jd; white, 4gd to 4vd ; crushed loaf, 5d ; loaf, 5Jd. The trade has been fully supplied with teas during the past ten days, large sales being effected at reduced rates. Trade is therefore dull in this line, and also in consequence of large supplies being expected per steamer from China at Melbourne and Sydney. Dealers aware of this fact are reducing their stocks for supplies at lower rates. In breadstuffs there is little, if any, alteration. We quote Auckland flour at from £l4 to £l7 ; Canterbury and Otago, £l2 10s to £l4; Oamaru, at a small advance on this. With flour the market is fully stocked. Last month’s arrivals amounted to 2000 tons, the average consumption being per month from 600 to 700 tons. Auckland wheat, for the little the market contains, is worth 6s 6d to 6s 9d; good seed wheat, from 7s 6d to Bs. Canterbury wheat, for good milling samples 5s 6d to 5s 9d is asked. Good feed oats are dull, but stand at 5s to 5s 3d. Holders of maize ask from 4s 9d to ss, according to quality and the quantity required, but large stocks remain on hand, and trade is dull. The grain market in every department is fully supplied at present writing. Bran is still worth from Is 3d to Is 6d; pollard, £6 10s to £7; sharps, £7 to £7 10s; oatmeal, £25 to £26; potatoes are still firm at £5 for best samples. In the hay market there is no material variation. Meadow hay may be quoted at from £3 to £4 per ton ; oaten hay, £3 3s to £5. A few loads of straw sold to-day at usual prices.