COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 4489, 3 April 1876, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

; New Zealand Herald Office, ■ - Saturday evening. , The Customs duties for to-day amounted to £932 19 3 Bd. ' The following are the Customs receipts for tthe week ended to-day :— Duties .-. -... .. .. £7,114 7 7 J Light-house dues ' 68 12 4 Fees under Merchant Shipping ; Act .. .. .. .. , 18 '7 0 ■ Fee 3 under Arms Act .. .. 11 1 0 Other receipts 33 6 0 m , To K, ••• •• -;• -" £7.245 12 11 ■ The following are the receipts o£ Customs duties, according to the several heads of revenae, at the port of Auckland the month ended 31st March, 1576 :— 1 Spirits ..;;,.. ~ .. £4,54714 1 Cigars .. .. 123 7 3 Tobacco ' ~ I_SS7 8 0 y,' no , •• •• " •• 68 3 8 * Aleandbeer 260 IS 0 " 5 e * 883 17 0 Coffee 153 0 0 ?. UB j r v -■■ ,_. 2 .° 30 0 3 LrOOds by weight.. .. ~ 1,52 l 2 0 Ad vidorem (10 per cent.) .. 11 371 8 o Other duties not specified aboTe 864 IS 9

_ Total £25,529 13 5 Canterbury.—The Lyltelton Tines, of March 27, say's:—"A moderate trade has been done in the import market, but sales have been limited to the immediate requirements of dealers. Country business is good, and steadily improving. Wo foreign arrirals have been reported, but there ara two vessels now about due from London, and may bo looked for at any moment. A Press telegram advises the loading of two vessels at Mauritius with sugar for New Zealand. No privato telegrams to the same effect have been made public. Sugar keeps moving fairly, and at full rate 3; finest white is worth £34 10s ; yellow crystals are very scarce at £32 to £33 in bond. A good trade is being transacted in fine descriptions of teas, but low and inferior congous remain unsaleable. Spirits have been rather quiet, and there is no change in values. Bottled stout is saleable at lis 6d, ale moderately so in small parcels, at lis to lis 3d; Bass' bulk ale commands £9 10s to £0 15s per hhd. Cornsacks are being taken by growers of grain very freely, but 10s 9d to lis is the current price. We note the recent arrival of 400 bales from Adelaide ; the market is more than supplied for this season's requirements. Kerosene is dull of sale, a considerable quantity is known to be on the way from America for this market, which doubtless makes traders cautious, 2s to 2s Id d.p. is quoted ; candles are saleable at lid to lljd, stocks very moderate. Hops havo not been offering, but the brewers arc fairly stocked. Building materials do not improvo in value or demand, cement alone excepted, and this import holds its value firmly, at 20s 6d to 21s per barrel. A little more business has been done in tobacco, and prices are very firm ; favourite brands of twist arc quoted at Is Sd to Is Sid. Export business has been less active during the week, partly owing to the unsettled weather, and partly consequent upon the grain' not reaching port so freely as will keep the loading ships constantly at work. This season's wool is nearly all in."

Melbourne. —Tho J rgus of the 22nd March has the following :—ln the import market today business has been quiet, aud transactions unimrjortairfc- w* ««»*;«««-*« inm"ever, a steady demand for requirements, and in that respect at least trade has been fairly active. Breadstuff's evince more firmness. Flour 13 moving much more freely in parcels of 20 tons in a line, several such sales having been effected. Under the hammer also, £11 Ids was obtained fo"r .Nagambia Hour, -while £11 10 was accepted for Benalla flour. By auction a parcel of very superior Victorian -wheat was quitted at 5s sd, a very extreme figure. There is little to be met with in the open market, but a very full price can be readily obtained for any parcels offered for sale Business is

reported at 03 Oats are very depressed. There is not the slightest inquiry privately, and the prices realised present the market in a most unsatisfactory aspect. 1,500 bushels were sold publicly this forenoon, when 2s 7£d to 23 9d was accepted for inferior Tasmanian, and 2s to 2s lid for Victorian. Maize was disposed of by auction at 4s 4-Jd to 4s sd, but a tinner feeling has since prevailed, 4s 6d being asked privately by the principal holders, owing to the high rate ruling in Sydney. Sugars have not been marked by anything very special. About IGOO bags and mats Bourbon were quitted this forenoon at £27 to £27 10s for low yellows, £2G 10s for browns, and £21 10s to £22 10s for low rations. SSO bags Mauritius were also got rid of at £33 15s to £34 for middling whites, £33 for soft whites, £32 10s for fine counters, £30 to £30 10s for grainy yellows, ami £2G 15s for browns. Teas are going off steadily. Congous in chests have found buyers at Is 2d for common to Is Cd for low medium. At auction ordinary congous were sold at ll£d to Is, -while S. O. pekoes were disposed of at Is Ojd for old season's, and Is 10id for new. We report a largo business as being done in Victorian made candle 3. 1000 boxes Apollo were sold by auction at SJd; two lines of 1000 boxes each were likewise taken up privately afterwards at SJd. In tobaccos, we hear of the sale of 100 packages Mount Bernard tens, on private terms. There is little doing in liquids, O'Brien's dagger stout has been quitted at improved rate 3. 475 cases were cleared off this afternoon at 8s 3d.

New South Wales.—The Sydney Morning Herald of March 11 says : —A depression which has settled upon the local wool market is almost certain to continue until the season closes, as there will be>o means of removing the bad effects of English advices until the London May sales. By that time there will be none of last clip worth speaking about left for disposal here; and if the dron"kt continues there will not be even the usual fellmongers' parcels. A prolonged period of light and head winds has retarded the voyages of vessels coming up from the southward, including the ships" expected from England. Only the Wave nf Life and Iron Duke arrived since our last summary, leaving eight others now due. Their cargoes can only be stored when they arrive, there beiug no available outlet for them at presaet. Even bulk ale, which was iu such demand a month since, is now almost unsaleable, except at prices importers will not accept. Goods for the country can hardly be forwarded in smaE quantities, owing to the excessive rates of carriage required. The prevailing characteristics of the market are extreme dullness, excessive stocks, and no immediate prospects of a change for the better. Tasmania. —The Sobart Town Mercury of the 14th March says:—The business transacted to-day has shewn very little variation iu prices. In. breadstuffs, we notice that wheat is coming in freely, and a quantity is being stored. Best samples are bringing 4s 6d. Plow remains at £11 to £11 10s, and bran at Is to Is Id; but sharps have fallen to £6 to £6 10s. In oats we have nothing to report, and quotations are nominal. There is very little long bark coming in. The Monarch is bringing down large quantities,of hops every trip'; they are 'allbeing shipped _to.; Melbourne, where there is a very good enquiry at fair .rates. Potatoes are unsettled; prices range -from £3 to £3 15s, according'to quality.' Onions are quoted.at, from £4 to £5. Best loose hay commands: : £4, and.pressed.£4.ss. J _Tie_same paper of; - the 16th ; says :—VThe Southern-Crossjthis. afternoon, took away.2S9 bales 'of. 'hops,', S4| bags of shot, and a large quantity, of fruit,: and jam, &c. The markets show no change. Breadstuffs are active, -wheat is bringing 4 3 6d, and flour £11 to £11 10s. Produce is steady at previous quotations,"

„'! ' J :'-CAI,LS ANBDIViDBNDa'-'l '''-'! The'.iollowing are the current calls and'dividends payac-ltfin the companies named below: . ■ '■'■ rc&a-J £ '■ *" s v • --> Herald 0 2 6 Anril q Pride of Tokatea ..000 — alm 12 rYoung Colonial , .. 0 0 3 -, April 12 Welcome 0 0 6 - April 12 Young 0 0 3 -April 12 Unionßeach .. .. 0 S 0 — 'April '• "'