COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 4900, 31 July 1877, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

New Zbalanb Herald Office, Monday evening. Tho total amount of duties collected at the Customs to-day was £G55 5s M. Siuco our last summary tho barque G. Broughton, and ship Yosomite from London, and brig Camillo from New York, havo arrived, and added considerably to stocks of most descriptions of goods. The market is quite capable of absorbing thom, but exceptional circumstances have arisen which havo tended to cause a season of depression. Several failures havo taken jilaoo, and tho realisation of theso estates operates 6orio;isly against legitimate business. These financial difficulties have not taken us by surpriso, and, in somo instances, wore anticipated, therofi.ro, tho crisis has not been so severe as its m.ignitudo might havo led those at a distance to imagine. It will require some timo "jeforo business can be again established on a firm baaia, hut when so merchants and importers will derivo greater benefit by the weeding out of insolvent firms *ho, for some tiinb past, by their operations havo militated seriously against the solvent and legitimate trade. Breadstuflfs havo again I commanded attention, and tho raarkot has been overdono by excessive importations, , !M!(I tho prices quoted here are no res.l criterion of tho rates at which -fcsifiess is effectod. The cn~g:igemeti£s"'~coiißequent upon theso excessivo imports are, of course, maturing, necessarllj involving in several instances sales of a forced character. At this moment quotations for "Southern flour are lower in this market than in the Southern ports of shipping. For Auckland superfine flour, £22; household, £19; and Southern brands from £17 to £18 10m, the latter moving off slowly. The farmers havo availed themselves of the present favourable- season for seeding a largely increased arei of wheat, and at a similar rate of progression, a few more years will render tho importation of breadstuffs unnecessary. When wo consider that upwards of i;i00,000 is paid yearly for foreign wheat, our readers will seo tho different position in which the community would bo placed by growing its own wheat, and retaining the largo sum of money annually scut to Adelaide and the South. " Oats are hold largely, and several transactions aro recorded at prices from 3s 7d to ,'Ss od. Maizo is also overstocked, and prime ' Sydney is worth 4s 2d; Fijian, 4s; local, 3s 9d to 4s. In ales and stouts there aro no transactions, to record of any importance. Prices, if anythirg, have slightly receded, owing to the forced sales in a dull season. Spirits havo ilso attracted little attention, and very few lines have changed hands. Hcnnessy'a brandy, in bulk, has been offered at 8s 9d, without result, and c*se at 32a 6d. Of other brands there havo been no absolute sales. A largo Sftlo of bankrupt stock takes place to-morrow, and will doubtless interfere with legitimate business, as the goods must be sold at any price. Price's Belmont caudles have realised 10$ d; De Roubaix, IOJd ; and Brandon's Nevas, lOgd, in parcels. The market is amply stocked, and the stores equally so, so that there is every probability of the foregoing prices not being sustained. We hear of Price's being offered at Groceries have been interfered with by forced sales. Fine salt has been placed at £4 10s, and £3 12s 6d for coarse. Currants of fane quality realised 5d in case, and 4W in the barrel. Baisins of ~ inferior quality havo been quitted at auction at low rates, but good fruit is worth—Elemes, GJd; sultanas, Sd; muscatels, nominal. Tinned salmon haa been sold at Ss 9d ; market woll stocked. Other fish fully supplied, and nut of demand. Transactions in oil have been madeRaw linseed, in bulk, 3s 9d ; boiled, 4s; in drums, 3d extra. Aline of colza oil, in drums, fetched us; and castor, in bulk, us Gd. Devoe's kerosene has been cleared at 2s Gd, d.p., and the market not overstocked, but tho arrival of the barque Elsinore, from New York, in a Southern port, with 4500 cases of Diamond brand for this port will tend to weaken prices, exclusive of the weakness displayed in the Australian, markets. Oil colours are overstocked, and almost unsaleable, with the exception of white lead, for which there is a demand, and parcels of a good quality hava realised 41s to 44a ; white zinc, 3s to 4s extra. In ships' stores there is very little sale for canvas, and the chandlers arc supplied for somo months to come. Muntz metal does not command more tbiin 9|d. Metals genorally have been replenished largely, except galvanised iron and fencing wire. Gospel Oak is offering at £29, and other brands at £27 10s to £28. Fencing wire, from £10 to £18, accordto assortment and brand. New season's teas have arrived, but old stocks, and those held by trustees of assigned estates having to be , sold, militates greatly a;aiuct the recent shipments. Sugars command no advance upon last month's quotations, jiorave they likely to do so, as the market is well supplied, and the reduction of prices in Sydney will tend to weaken present quotations. Comjjany's No. lis worth £35 10s ; first whites Melbourne, £37i.b. The market in tobacco is not overstocked with good brands, and Venus lO's commands Is 7-Jd ; while inferior, of which there is a liberal stock, ranges from loijd to 13d. Gum ruled very low in price during the early part of the month, but within the last few days buyers are paying a higher figure, and ordinary sciaped is worth from £27 to £28 per ton. To complete shipments higher rates than these have been given. During the month the barque Ami Gambles sailed for London, with 200 tons, and the brig Camillo for New York, vrith 266 ton«.