COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4400, 20 December 1875, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

N*w Zealand Herald Office, Saturday evening. The duties collected at the Customs amounted to £203 18s 3d. The following returns for the week ending December 18: — •n « £ s. d. Duties 3467 7 1 Lighthouse dues 66 6 7 Merchant Shipping fees .. 412 0 Arras fees 2 10 Other recoipts * 87 0 Total •• •• .. £3548 13 8 Canterbury.—The Lultdton Times of the 13tli inst. says: iso material change has taken place in the import market during the week. Sales are difficult to make, oxcept of small lots to meet current trade requirements. Stocks of merchandise have been largely increased by the arrival of three vessels from London with large cargoes—The Queen Bee on the 6th, the vvaitangi on the 7th, and the Langstone yesterday. Spirits remain quiet, with the exception of brandy. Sales of Hennessy's bulk at 8s 3d, and case 3ls Cd have been made. Bottled stout is improving: blonds, to land, has been sold at Us 3d. There is no improvement in ale. The new brew of ale in wood must be close to hand, but neither of the late arrivals bring supplies. Hops are wanted, but brewers are unwilling to meet the views of i.-iipn»l.i"» holding the small shipments of 1575 that are to hand. A few trade sales of sugars have been made at late quotations. Supplies are so ample that there is little prospect of any advance being established for a time at least. Tobacco is in better request, without change in value. Currants find a ready sale at to The shipments in port will, however, fully meet all current requirements. Figs and Elemes arc also sale« able. Galvanised iron is offering at a reduction of 20s per ton on late quotations. Cement has changed hands at 21s, but 21s 6d is generally demanded for shipments to land. It is satisfactory to learn that trade engagements due on the 4th instant were met with more promptness than was expected, and the feeling of mistrust is gradually passing away with the advance of the summer. The same paper has the following in its stock and station report:—"Although no rain fell during the week till Friday morning early, when a steady Easterly rain set in, the weather has remained very unsettled, and, judging from the reports from nearly all pirts of the colony, atmospheric dis- I turbances eppear to be very violent and general. We | have to report the sale of two runs during the week, | namely— the Sherwood Downs Station at Burke's Pass, ! comprising 3300 acres freehold and 56,000 acres leasehold, together with 20,000 sheep, which passed under the hammer at £20,000; and the Drayton Station, near Mount Hutt, consisting of 13,000 acres leasehold and 235 acres of freehold, which, with 9000 sheep, has been sold privately for £7500. in both cases delivery to bo given after shearing. In recording these sales, it is worthy cf note that they have both been made to old settlers, and the same remark we believe holds good in all the sales which have taken place during the year. For instance, the whole of the fine property of the Messrs. Rhodes, on the Peninsula, has passed into the hands of men who have been settled in the neighbourhood for years, and who well understood the value of what they were buying." Melbourne.—ln the import market, business shews little sign of mprovemenfc, and outside the auction mart there has been comparatively no inquiry experienced, and sales have been of very little account. Breadstuffs are exceedingly slow, and there is no disposition to operate eviuced on the part of buyers. Flour is moving off in small lots at £12 153 to £12 17s 6d. Sales at both these figure have been reported, but only in such small lots as it has been the habit of buyers to purehase of late. Wheat is inactive, and there is scarcely anything doing. Under the hammer 800 bushels Adelaide wnre disposed of at 6s. Northern is without inquiry, though holders would sell at 5s lOd to 5s 10£ d. A sample of the first shipment of new Adelaide, taken from a small parcel which arrived here within the last day or two, has been sent us. Wo consider the quality quite equal to the best samples of last year, and though so recently reaped, is quite as hard as old wheat, and as fit to make into flour. Oats command no notice, and apart from what has been done at auction, we have no sales to report; 1000 bushels of common Tasmanian feeding were quitted publicly at 3s 5d to 3s Cd. Maize is very firm, and sales are making at ss. Sugars are moving privately in moderate trade parcels at £34 for whitish crystals, and £31 for yellow. Publicly this forenoon, 4-4C2 mats Java were disposed of, with all faults, when slightly damaged realised £23 10s to ££S 15s, while badly damaged brought £25 10s. 353 bags damaged Mauritius, ex Mathilde, were quitted at £2810s to £32105, while 337 bags of another shipment were clpa r e<l off at £33 5s for middling white crystal?, £32 53 to £32 15s for greyish white, and £23 Jos for rations.—Argus, December 8. Adelaide, December 4-—The South Australian I Advertiser of this date reports as follows There is but little animation in the cora markrt this week, and we do not hear of a single larje transaction in wheat, either new or old. Holders of the latter have seriously bitten their fingers, for to-day no large p.ucel could be placed, except at a considerable reduction upon last week's quotations. Holders ask ss, but buy© 3 decline to operate. A few days of du* 1 . weati er, or any sudden demand for wheat, would spurt ptices considerably, as stocks in dealers' bands are vexy light. New wheat for immediate delivery is slow of sale at 4s Od, and for delivery to the middle of the month about 4s Sd is the price. For January, 4s Cd is the outside buyers' quotation. Both shippers and dealers are sparingly as possible, as they anticipate a further decline. Present appearances certaiuly indicate a considerable reduction in prices es soon as the new wheat comes forward in quantity, and we should not be surprised to see 4s 3d the quotation for the latter end of January aud Febuary. It is, however, to be borne in mind that any serious complications in .Europe resulting in war would, in all probability, lead to considerably enhanced values in breadstutrs here. Flour is quito neglected; country brands can be bought for £10, and town brands for £11 53, but no business is doing. Bran is quiet at Is 4(1. pollard, Is. Capo barley is offering plentifully at 2s 3d to 2s 4d. CALLS. The following are the current calls in the companies named below:— St*r of the South .. . 0 0 4 — Jan. 12 Waitekauri 0 0 6 — Jan. 12 Queen of the May ..010 — Jan. 12