COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 1123, 26 July 1865, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

Daily Times Office, Tuesday Eveirng. The total amount of revenue received at the Customs to-duy on goods passed for home consumption was L 894 9s 9d, the items being-.—Brandy, 497 gals, L 299 Is Id ; whisky, 205 g»ls, L 123 10s lid ; geneva, 56 gals, L 34 2s Cd ; ruin, 31 gals, LlB 12s ; bottled beor, 224 gals, LIG 16s; wine, 337 gal?, L7l 3s ; tobacco, 153 lbs, Ll9 2s 6d ; tea, 1705 lbs, L 53 15s ; coffee, 1117 lbs, Ll3 19s 3d ; sufar, 1608 lbs, L 0 14s ; drapery, Ll4O 7s Id •, boots, L 37 3s Id ; sundries, LC9 lCs 4d.

Nothing has occurred in the way of business to call for special notice. Although not absolutely dull, trade manifests much less of liveliness than it should do at the present time. Despite the continued fine weather, the country trade is flagging, and very few goods indeed are in course of being forwarded. The flour market is not active, but is, nevertheless, firm. In the principal staple goods prices are also fully maintained. The auction sales of the day call for no remark.

THE BRITISH WOOL TRADE. Perhaps no branch of national commerce has undergone so prodigious an expansion of late years as this trade. The growth of population, the progress of comparatively luxurious tastes, the almost universal prevalence of broadcloth (at any rate, when the British people are endimanche), have contributed to this result ; which, however, could not have been attained had not tho marvellous progress of wool production in Australia kept prices at a moderate point. . . • • Fears were entertained in 1851 that the great "old discoveries of that year would paralyse the pastoral interest ; but it will be seen that they have scarcely checked its progress for an instant, and that, comparing the Australian wool exports for 1851 with those of 1863, there is an increase of 35,363,3291b5., or 84.69 per cent. Assuming what is not at all improbable, that a similar progress is achieved during the next 12 years, the imports of

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Australian wool in 1875 would reach the inimenSe aggregate of M2,596,7751b5. The fact is, the Gold discoveries of Australia, so far from checking the development of the fleecy resources of the continent, have given an immense stimulus to every branch of Australian production, by attracting additional; population to the various settlements, increasing the demand for meat, &c. It will be interesting to note the progress of the Australian wool deliveries at the following decennial periods :— Year 'lb. Yrar lb 1823 .. 534,520 185$ ... 47.076.010 1833 .. 4,195 410 1803 .. 77,173,440 1813 .. 17,433,780 Thus the increase in the second period over the first was 3,650,9201b; in the third over the second, 13,248,340 ib ; in the fourth over tho third, 29,643.2301b ; and in the filth over the fourth, 30,097,4361b. The accelerated rate of progress here observable is due, of course, to the application of a constantly increasing amount of labour and capital to the work of wool production in the Australian, and also to the gradual extension of settlements. Thus, in 1800, only New South Wales existed as a colony ; in 1808. a settlement was effected in Tasmania ; in 1829, a rather abortive and unprofitable effort waa made to turn Western Australia to some account ; in 1830, Port Phillip drifted into a colony, and a rather ambitious beginning was made with South Australia ; in 1842, various settlements were formed in the North Island of New Zealand ; in 1850, the Canterbury settlers broke ground in the Middle Island ; and, in 1559, tho lloreton Bay district was separated from New South Wales, and placed under independent government, under the new and attractive name of Queensland. So the work of Australian colonisation constantly expands ; but it the reader will glance at a good map of Australasia, he will see that, after the lapso of nearly ("ight.y year", since a convict settlement was first formed at Port Jackson, we have still not got half round the enormous Australian littoral, while the settlements actually formed are of a very patchy and impei feet character. It appeals probable that in the course of the next twenty years colonization will advance still further towards the north of the Australian continent, while the existing settlements will become more perfect in their details ; so that it would not be at all surprising if, by 18S4, we attained nn annual export of Australian wool of some 150,000,0001b. Another great source of our wool supplies is South Africa—a less favorite portion of our colonial empire, but still a territory possessi ing resources and attractions to the vigorous enterprise of the Anglo-Sixon race. . . . We have an increase of 18,753,2321b, or 984-21 percent., comparing 1863 with 1844. .... -ho wii-l- »oul Ui^.i.3 hi :311 with those of 1863, v,o arrive at a general increase of 111,G22,8831b ; and to this progress Australia, the South African colonies, and British India contribute as follows :— Lb. Australia 59,- r>71,189 Soutii Africt 17.9**9,474 British In.lia ■• 18 753 932 Total 95,294.055 We thus arrive at the curious fact that of the whole increase the three great groups of British Colonies contributed 96,294,6551b, and other parts oi the world—Spain, Germany, South America, &c.—only 15,328,2281b. The vroo'len manufacturing industry of Great Britain has accordingly been placed on its present highly satisfactory basis through tho exertion of British colonists in a great measure—a fact which philosophical dreamers who declaim against colonies would do well to remember. There is only one weak point in the presen. ii \>zct, of our wool supplies, viz., that we are becoming increasingly dependent on Australia. Of a gross total of 177,496,6441b received lastyctr, 77,173,44G1b, or 43.60 percent., came from Australia; while in 1844 the same quarter of the world contributed 17,002,2471b out of «5,713,7C11b, or only 26.15 per cent. The disastrous experience of the cotton trade during 1801, 1862, and ISG3, has shown what a fatal policy it is for any one branch of industry to depend upon one quarter of the world for its supplies of raw material; and although in the matter of wool, as in everything else, we cordially echo the colonial'watchwords, "Advance Australia," we yet hops to see the Cape Colonies, India, Brazil, &c, more freely pouring in their highly acceptable contingents. —" Mark Lane Express."

. "ASSEMBLY BALL?. fIIHE next is to take place on Fnd'*y,nfx*. 1 ih« 28th inrtaat., Ticke's vill be ss.a-d by the Honorary Secretary, at fct. George s^Uail, between the hours of 3 and 5 p.m., on Wednesday'and Thursday. , ~..,, i ABSTRACT OF SALES Bt AUQTIOiV. M'lanuress, HEPBOErf and Co, at'the Stuart street Jetty—Red pin*, ko; at Berrill and Band's and Bul!ocksa Yarfs—Ked and white .deaisl . . . : ;,'"■'■' Dbivbk. Macleak and Co, at Kaifcorai YardsFat sheep and cattle. Power, Pahtlin and Co., at Kaikorai Yards, Fat Sheep. J. Uahiels and Co., at Commercial Sale Kooma, Prince* street—lingravings, clumney ornaments. vascß, &c. ________________ POST OFFICB IHOTIGK. MAILS CMfIE For Oarcarn, Timaru. an! Akaroa, per p.*. Gteelorifr. this day, at 10.3 J a.m. Fcrthe N.mharD Province of New Zealnnd, per s.s.-'Auckland, this day, at 10.30 a m. For registered lettew, money orders and newspapers, at. 9.30 am. , . For Hokitika and Melbourne (the latter only for Intern specially so Mldre»««'l) P«r He- - meo > on Saturday, tbe29:h in'.t. a.t 3.30 p m-_ Frr Melbourne, Australian O>lomes, and Southland, per s.s. Hero, on Saturday, 29th instant, at 1.30 p.m. _ , , Fur Regh-ere i ' Lttter3, llorey Orders and Newspapers, «t 12,30 p.m. (Stqaed) iKOEi BARE, Q"cf Pcstmi-ter. Chief Post Office, Dttac3"'u, HOtb July. 1365. BIRfH. On tha 10th July, at Stuart street, Mrs P. Barker, (fa son. On the 24t.1i July, at Moray Phc3, Mrs John MacMabon, of a son, sTill-bira. MAJIRIKD. On tlw 25Ui July, at the r^idenca of f':e bride's fituer, Vi';-.v '-rrset, Duae.liu, by the «ov. J. Aldre'i. Ha\< v B.'ckinsiiie. Opov.?" s»reif, to Sarah, eUi-Bt tlauJjUter of Mr Prwicia Bromley. DIED. On the 23.-d Febru-iry, 1835 o's board the N«yaa3H, on bi* passaxe to ths lVvir de It Plat ', South America, John Lojrau. uped 34 vp.irs seventh e»u of Mathew Thomw.:, Bsti., IV. ckhi'l, near G'fiasow. and ■ toother to Jame^ W. Th'.'inson, of this city. On the 25-h July, at Walker street, Dutedin, Thomas O Si-.aiiriasriy, aged 27 years. iioiiie papers pirate copy.