COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2054, 4 September 1868, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Daily Times Office, Thursday Evening. The amount, of Customs Revenue received to-day on goods cleared for consumption was as follows, viz :— £ s. d. £ s. d. Brandy ... 98 8 0 Tea ".' ... 21 10 0 Whisky ...132 8' 5 Sugar .. ... 26 16 2 Wive 16 410 Drapery... 6 17 1 Btld Beer . 14 16 3 Sundries ... 50 14 1 Beerinbulk 15 0 0 — Tobacco ... 65 0 0 Total, £589 14 0

A comparatively languid state of the market still prevails. Sales to-day have been both few and unimportant. In breadstuffs there is scarcely anything moving. Flour remains firm, but transactions cannot be extended beyond mere current town requirements, there is no outside demand. For other produce there is scarcely any betirer inquiry. Barley, wheat, and oats, are alike dull at our quotations of 7s 3d to 7s 6d, for fine samples wheat; 4s for malting. barley, and 2s 5d to 2s 6d for oats. Potatoes are improving in value, the shipment ex Dancing Wave, is reported as sold on the wharf at L 6 7s 6d to L 6 10s. Butter and cheese (Canterbury) ex same vessel, also placed at Is and 74d respectively. Moderate sales of ordinary to medium congous in chests and halves, at ls 6|d to ls lOd. White crystals, L4O 10s (small bags). Barclay's stout at lis, duty paid, and kerosene at 2s Bd. The auction sales of the day have not been of any moment. [ Wright, Robertson, and Co. report that their sale at Kirklands, West Taieri, on Tuesday last, enabled them to dispose of upwards of 100 head of cattle at steady prices. Notwitstanding the unfavorable state of the weather, which was cold and showery i throughout the day, there was a very nu- | merous attendance. That a greater number did not enter upon business, is not solely to be attributed to a want of any disposition on their part to do so. The very large supply of cattle, and those chiefly of unsuitable quality, is one substantial reason to be assigned for many intending purchasers having B emained silent throughout the daiy. The 1 following were the prices realised:— Fat

cattle, Lll to Ll2 10s ; store do, L 6 to L 8 15s; dairy cows, L 9 10a to Lls; draught horses, L 26 t0.L34; medium do, Ll7 to L2l; hack?, L 7 to Ll6. 30 bushels of grass seed realised 6s; and upwards of 1600 bushels of pats—good quality—were disposed of at 2s 2d.

The Bruce Herald of the 3rd inst. reports :—

Stagnation prevails in every department of business. It cannot well be otherwise in this district, so dependent as itis on the profitable results of agriculture for any symptoms of .commercial activity. There are indications of a firmer tendency in the price of breadstuffs in adjacent colonies, but it .has had but slight effect in advancing the rates of our main product, oats, which may still be quoted at from ls lOd to 2s per bushel. There are some inquiries for seed potatoes. Wheat grown in the district is nearly all in the hands of the millers. We have not heard of any transactions in barley. The following are the retail prices: Eggs, ls 6d per dozen ; fresh butter, Is 9d per lb ; salt do, Is 6d per lb ; Colonial cheese, ls 3d per lb ; English do, Is 6d to ls 8d ; bread, Is per 41b loaf ; flour, 25s per cwt.

The Lyttelton Times of the 31st ultimo contains the following:—

The following is the Ninth Annual Report of the proceedings os the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, which was adopted at the General Annual Meeting fon Thursday last:—At the expiration of another financial year, and before retiring from office, your Committee beg to submit their ninth Annual Report to the members of the Chamber. By comparison, your Committee find that the export of wool this season, has been, as nearly as possible, the same as last year; which, considering the heavy losses caused last August by the severe snowstorms, and then by the floods in February, is in itself very satisfactory. The quantity of grain exported this year has been unusually large ; and the high prices obtained in the London and Australian markets speaks for the quality of this portion of our products. No doubt tbe export of grain wilL annually increase, the high prices obtained having had a very beneficial effect onthe trade of the Province. There have been fewer failures of magnitude during this, as compared with the year, but many small traders have gone through the Court. The caution shown by merchants and others in giving credit has been beneficial in stopping a good deal of the overtrading so long complained of, but still the supplies are iv excess of the wants of the community. A new Bankruptcy Act has been passed since last report; it is defective in many points; but some important suggestions made_by the committee, among others, the alteration of the present law as far as relates to Bills of Sale over station properties, will most; probably form part of the amendments now under discussion in the General Assembly. The following matters have engaged the attention of your committee during the year :'—the Pilot service, Custom House arrangements, Railway tariff, Bonded store charges, Steam postal time-table, Law affecting absconding debtors, the present Bankruptcy Act, and many other matters which have been productive of sever *1 changes for the better, more especially in the Mail ser vice to Australia via Hokitika, and as to the arrival and departure of steamers to and from Lyttelton, the time-tables being better .arranged than hitherto.