Commercial.

New Zealand Herald, Volume III, Issue 639, 29 November 1865, Page 3

Commercial.

AUCKLAND. New Zealand Hkrald Office, Tuesday evening. Tho Customs revenue received to-da}' amounted to £313 Os. lOd. j To-day Messrs. Jones and Co. held an extensive salo of wines, spirits, &c., at the stores of Messrs. GilfiUan ml Co., Queen-street.. There was a good attendanao and moderate prices wore obtained. Messrs. Isaacs offered at auction again to-day tho remaining portion of tho township of Balmain, North Shore. Owing to the inclement state of tho weather the attendance was small, and only afewlots changed hands, at from lid. to 3s. per foot. The rest was withdrawn, and will be offered again at some future dato. To-day Mr. Naihan sold a consignment of liandsomo framed prints and engravings at good rates ; also, rib-spades, at 20s. per bundle, and hollowaro at £11 per lihd.; the last two named wero damaged by salt water. OTAGO. (From tho Otago Datlt/ Times, Nov. 21.) Tho week has opened without as yet any great amount of activity. A maintained demand for goods for shipment exists, but the increasing bareness of the market provents tho execution of heavy orders. Flour is stationary in value, pending the receipt of next intelligence from Melbourne. Sales to a moderate extent are reported at £24 for Chilian. Nothing has transpired as having been done respecting the last Citrgo to band. AUCKLAND RETAIL PROVISION MARKETS. Tuesday, November 28. PARM AND DAIRY PRODUCE. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. Butter lb. fr. 1 9 to 0 0 Ducks, pairfr. 5 6 to 6 0 Mill., quart 0 5— 0 G Geese, each 6 0— 70 Cheese (col.) 10—13 Turkeys, eh. 4 6— 50 Eggs, dozen 19— 0 0 Bacon, lb. 00— 16 Lard, per lb. 1 0— 1 3 Ham (Eng.) 0 0— 16 Fowls, pair 5 0— 5 6 Potatoes, ct. 9 0. — 9 6 lIUTCIIERS' MEAT. Beef, per lb. 0 5 — 0 7 I Pork, per lb. 0 0— 0 8 Mutton, lb. 0 6— 0 8' FLOUR, &c. The Mills (Wholesale). — Fine flour (silk dressed), per ton, £2G j seconds, £23 ; sharps, £12. Bran, 2e. 3d. Ilstalli—ff&o ftouVi per lOOlbc.i 365. t tt'.mds, M». i e\wfpf| ppjF Ps»

Messes. Henderson & Macfari.ane quote Adelaide Hour (Harts and Beoby) at £27 Chilian, £24.. Biscuit.—Partington's—Wholesale and Retail, cabin, 22s per 100 ; ship, 20s. per 100; fancy, Bd. per lb. Canning's.—Wholesale, cabin, 225. per 103 ; ship, 20s. per 100; fancy, Bd. per lb. Retail 275! per 100 ; ship, 245. per 100 ; fancy, lOd. per lb. Bread, per 21b. loaf, Gd to7d.

BUILDING MATERIAL. Tisiher.—Boards and scantling, per 100 feet, 13a to 14s; boards, tongued and grooved, 14s to 20s Od; hingles, per 1000, 9a to lis ; palings, per 100, 13s. ' Posts and Rails, per 100, £4 ss. Bricks per 1000, Wholesale on the Wharf, £3 10s ; £4, delivered. Lime, p«r bushel, Is 3d to Is Cd, delivered.

COMMERCIAL SUMMARY. Herald Office, Tuesday, Sept. 28. Tbade has been dull during the month, and the non-arrival of tho Euplish mail by the Prince Alfred has had the effect of suspending business transactions to a very considerable extent. Importers aro in the dark as to what goods are coming forward, and are extremely cautious in making sales or purchases. It is certainly a cause for great regret that an important mercantile community like Auckland should be liable to such delay in the delivery of its English mail; but the principal blame rests upon tho late Government in entering into such a loose contract with the Panama Company, which relieves them from any liability, while it is productive of so much inconvenience to our commerce. There is not much chance of the mail arriving in Auckland before the 4th of next month, in which case home correspondents can bo roplie.t to by the Supplementary Mail. Trade, we say, b:ii been dull during the month ; but there is a hopelul feeling that, the advent of summer and the healthy political changes which have recently taken place, both as regards the affairs of tfiis Province and Colony generally, v ill produce a favourable reaction. Already a demand has commenced for Christmas supplies: ur.d whatever turn affairs may take, there is lilt" '>by a britk trade during tho ensuing month >. tightness in the money market has been tho natural result of a dull trade, but there have been no failures of any consequence, and there has been a dispositi .-n on the part of tho banks, particularly on the part n* the Uank of New Zealand, not to unduly press upon their customers during the monetary depression tliat has existed. It is owing mainly to this croditable fooling of the banks, that, tho efforts of tho ruinous policy of the lata Government has been tided over. Confidence in our Provincial affairs, owing to the election of an able Superintendent, in the person of Mr. Whitakcr, and a Provincial Council—the majority of whom arc men of tho right stamp, has already given a healthy feeling to our commerce, which, there is every reason to believo, will be mainlined.

There is no disguising i:n: fact, however, that the oxorbitant Custom Duties imposed litre, togetherwith the large amount of illicit distillation and smug, gling, which has prevailed in consequence of them ;iro a heavy drag upon the trade. Several Custom ' seizures lmve been made recently; but there is sood reason to believo that smugglers and illicit distiller are able to carry on their contraband trade with comparative impunity. This is not owing to want of vigilance on the part of the Customs' authorities, but tho facilities which a long line of coast with suitable places for landing goods give for smuggling, as also from the nature of the country by which distillation operations can be carried on without fear of discovery. This contraband trade will bo continued go long as tho present high duties aro imposed. To give a few instances of this exorbitant taxation, we may inform our readers that tho duty on rum, the cost price of which is 3s. per gallon, on Geneva, the ccst price of which is 2s. 9d., is 12s per gallon in each caso. The market price for both of these spirits is 16s per gallon, so that the importer, if ho wishes to sell, must sell at a loss. Illicit spirits are known to be offered in Auckland at 10s per gallon, or 2s 1068 than the duty on them, and tho profit on a hogshead of rum, on which the duty is evaded, is something over £30. We aro afraid that, even should the duty on wines and spirits be reduced hereafter, that so much time and encouragement lias been given for the organisation of illicit distillation, that there will be much diflicultv in suppressing it. Let us compare our tariff with that of Now South Wales, before the 20 per cent, was added to the latter. In Now South Wales the duty on brandy, geneva, and gin was 10s per gallon for proof spirit, and a proportionate allowance is made when it is under proof. Here the duty is 12c without any allowance. In New South. Wales, the duty on rum, whiskey, and all other spirits was 7s per gallon. Here it is 12s. In New South ;Wales, wines were charged 2s per gallon, hero tho duty is 4s in bulk or 5s in bottle. In New South Wales the duty on alo and porter was Id per gallon in bulk or 2d per gallon in bottle, here it is Is (id per gallon in bottle. The duty on tobacco, here is 2s t>d per lb., or Gd more than in New South Wales. The duty on tea here is Gd per lb.; in New South Wales it is only 3d. The duty on coffee and chicory hero is double what it is in New South. Wales. The duty on sugar is 5s per cwt. in NewSouth Wales ; hero it is Id per lb., or nearly double. This will give our readers an idea of what tho New South Wales tariff was, until recently when the piessure of financial cmbarassment compelled the Government to propoio an increase of 20 per cent, on all except tea, sugar, brandy and geneva, as also a package duty of Is per package. This increase was only caused by hard fighting, as tho debates in Parliament will show ; but even now tho New South Wales tariff is far below that of New Zealand; and we may safely say that it iB on an average more than ono third less. It is not to bo wondered at, therefore, that smuggling and illicit distillation should be so much on the increase in this Province, as no doubt it is all over the colony. We will now give tho state of the market for tho principal articles of merchandise on demand. Wines and Spirits—As wo have said, the contraband trade, particularly in spirits, has lessened tho demand in legitimate channels. Bum nnd whiskey aro vory dull of sale, and Kartell's brandyis not fetching more than from Ss to 8s 3d in bond. Owimr to smuggling transactions, rum is known to havo been offered at littlo more than tho duty on it. T'ba.—There is a fair demand, hut it is principally with retail trado, ond there is not much wholcsalo business doing. . Si-(!ak.—A cargo of sugar arrived from the Mauritius direct a few days ago, on account of Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, and this importation is likely to supply our wants for some time to come. It is difficult to give quotations, as low sales havo been made as yet. Oilmen's Stoef.s. —There is a better demand for oilmen's stores, and the market is becoming somewhat bare of bottled fruits, pickles, and preserves. Tobacco. —There are considerable shocks on hand. About eight tons medium quality cavendish was recently sold hero on account of tho Commssariat, at from 6d to 9d per lb. Cioaes.—There is little enqnivy, and stocks lire pretty full. No. 2 Manillas are worth 555. Candles. —There is a slight improvement, una Belmont aro inquired for, and fetch fair pricts. PiiovlSions. —Thero is a good demand for provisions cenerally, particularly for cheese, bacon, and hams, which are very scarce. A shipment is expected by the Pcroy, which will be shortly due here. Fiouk and Grain.—Thero has been a considerable rise in the prico of breadstuffs during tho month. Chilian flour may now be quoted at £22 per ton wholesale, and £2G in smalt parcels. Of Adelaide flour there is hardly any in the market, and the quotation for it is merely nominrl. It is estimated that there is about a four-month^ 1 supply of bread - stuffs in the Province. Maize has been rather scarce here lately, but a largo importation of about 4000 bushels from Newcastle has full 7 supplied our wants. It has been sold here at from 5s (3d to 5s 9d, the Sydney prico being 4" 4-d. Oats arc smrce, and are worth from 6s to 6s Cd. Hardwabb and BuiiJ'lX'i MA'./KP.iAJ.J. Trade has been dull. The marke: has bsen thoronghly overstocked with corrugated iron, a parc'jl of which has been sold recently as low aB iinglish cost vTice, viz .-£3O per ton. There has been a moderate trade done with Hokitika, principally in bulling materials but on account of the high freight, viz., i.6 per ton and the hoavy insurar co, which in noma rases has'been as much as 10 per cent., tho pro/it has been noor Morewood's corrugated iron of 20 guage le fetching from £40 to £-44 10s at Hokitika, but this would not more than pay expenses. Thero is a good demand on the diggings for mining tools, and eliortliandled shovels havo brought 82s per doz; longhandled sliovols wero also in good demand. As it regards Auckland there is a steady trade doing Ilea for buildiDQ materials, and whon tho fine weather nets in it is likely to iturrsaeß. Thsrt it a fail tvi rslUi ftfc* \r wtl'

supplied with linseed oil and paint. Window glass is in demand at a good advance. Of shcefc'lead and zinc there is an abundant supply. Paperhangings, well assorted, bring: from 30 to 40 per cent, advance. Timber is worth about 12s. in lots to 6uit purchasers, or 10a by the cargo. K"eroskn*e.—The market is not overstocked, but a large quantity is expected from jSew York via bourne in the Killermont.