COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2055, 5 September 1868, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

DaUy Times Ofiice, Friday Evening.

The amount of Customs Revenue received to-day on goods cleared for consumption was as follows, viz :—

£ s. d. £ s. d. Brandy ~.. 32 7 3 Tea ~ ; ... 30 0 0 Whisky ... 21 8 5 Sugar 14 9 10 Rum ... 21 9 7 Coffee 30 5 9 Wine ...... 16 14 4 Drapery ... 21 17 1 Btld Beer . 21 13 9 Boots ....... 12 11 Beerinbulk 5 0 0 Sundries... 14 4 0 Tobacco ... 47 15 0 -- ; .

Total,: £298 7 11

Since the date of our last summary, no improvement in trade has been experienced, and it is only possible to refer to the business of the past few weeks as having been quite dull and spiritless—transactions in the import" market and outside alike wanting in magnitude and interest. The present time is usually the most quiet part of ibhe year, and chiefly because demand for winter goods has ceased, while inquiry for spring supplies is scarcely begun to be felt ; however, much of the dulness now experienced is attributable to the extreme severity of the season which, interfering with mining and other up-country operations, has caused a decreased demand for all kinds of supplies. Traders anticipate a more active state of things during the coming

month. The intelligence to hand by last Home mails scarcely, if at all, affected values, and induced no movement in any of the staples. We are, therefore, able to report markets as having been maintained, and closing with a fair degree of firmness. Stocks in first hands have, during the month, become larger, which, considering the limited business done, is not surprising. Hill, few of the staples are held to the extent they were at this time last year ; while our prospect of a demand for export to other Provinces is, for the coming few months, quite as encouraging as then. The arrivals from the United Kingdom have been the ships Helenslee, from Glasgow, and Salamander, from London; -besides these, only the Severn, from Mauritius, is to hand. The commercial events of the month, though uninteresting, have presented the satisfactory features of weU maintained credit and an unimpaired feeling of confidence.

In the money market, things are moving easily. Bank rates of discount remain the same, and exchanges close without alteration—viz., selling rates on London, 3 days' sight, 2 per cent. prem. ; at 30 days' sight, li per cent. prem. ; at 60 days' sight, 1 per cent. prem. On Melbourne, i per cent, prem., and on Sydney and the other Australian Colonies, 1 per cent. prem.

BREADSTttFFS AOT GRAIN. (Free.) The market for breadstuff's has been characterised by great tameness throughout the month. No foreign supplies have been received, nor is there any prospect of anything of importance coming forward; yet in the early part of the month the value of flour was not maintained, and now, though greater firmness attends the value, our quotations are not equal to those of the sth ulti The small demand for flours has prevented business in wheats, and the limited sales effected have been at rather easier rates. ; Oats are without any change for the better, and barley only in moderate, request. - Closing quotations are :—Provincial flour (town brands), large bags, L 1 8; smaU bags, LlB 10s ; country brands have been sold at rather lower rates; bran, Is; fair samples of wheats, farmers' parcels, 7s 3d to 7s 6d; | barley fit for malting, 4s 3d; bats, 2s 5d to 2a 6d; maize, none ; new Patna rice, L3O ; dressed Java rice, L 3 4; oatmeal, Ll6. ALE AND BEER. , (Duty, Is per gaUon in bulk, Is 3d per gal. in glass.) These goods have sustained no improvement, and, with still heavy stocks, cannot be expected to recover from the depression felt. - The business done through the month has, in bulk beers, been better than that of the preceding month; but the reverse has been the case with beers in glass, although, for any., considerable lots of bottled, importers .would accept low rates. ; The disinclination to buy largely cannot, however, at present be overcome. The closing values in bond, are : For bulk ales of good brands and recent shipments, L 5 to L 6 10s; for stouts in glass—Machin's, 9s; Guiness's, 9s to 9s 3d; Blood's, 9s; Byass's 8s; Arrol's (none); Barclay's, Bs. For ales in glass—Tennant's, 9s; other brands, in fair condition, 7s to Bs. oii/men's stores. (Duties chiefly 2s 6dper cubic foot.) The raarkot is still very well supplied with all these goods. Early in the month some business was done in small shipments then arriving, but latterly little appears to have been going forward. , Prices have been fairly maintained. Our quotations, duty paid, for the brands chiefly in favor, are :—Pint pickles, lis 6d to 12s 6d; jams (lib), assorted, 10s 6d; Bauces (half-pints), assorted, 8s 6d; ditto, Lea and Perrin's, 13s 6d; bottled fruits, 15s •to 15s 6d; salad oil, pints, 14s 6d ; ditto, half-pints, 8s 3d; castor oil, pints, 12s 6d ; ditto, half-pints, 7s 3d to 7s 6d ; mustard, Colman's, libs, 12s 6d; ditto, 41bs, 7s3d to 7s 6d; ditto, 71b tins, 9,} d ; Colman's starch, 4|d ; do thumb blue, 9jd ; sardines, halves, 9s 9d to 10s ; ditto, quarters, 5s 6d ; salmon, libs, 16s to 16s 6d; oysters, 8s ; lobsters, 5s 6d ; ling, 3£d to 4d ; herrings, 25s per half-barreL PROVISIONS. (Duty, ld per lb.) The trade in provisions imported from Britain has very much faUenoff, and the only goods for which there is even a moderate inquiry, are the best brands of hams, parcels of bacOn only are very difficult to place. A fair demand has been felt for Colonial butter and cheese. For good samples of Wellington butter, Is has been obtainable; and some good sized parcels of Canterbury cheese have been placed at 7£d. The quotations are:— Sinclair's or Coey's hams alone, Is 3d, duty paid ; hams and bacon in proportions, Is Id to Is 2d, duty paid ; English cheese, prime parcels, lid to Is, duty paid; Colonial butter, guaranteed quality, lid to Is ; Canterbury cheese, 7£d. BUUJ)ING MAIERIAIS. (Duty on Timber, Is per 100 f t; on Building Iron, 20s per ton.) The business done in timber through the month h^s been quite in the hands of second houses, importers' stocks being previously cleared out, and no arrivals of either Baltic or American timber taking placa, excepting only a trifling parcel of Scotch flooring per I Helenslee, for which aprice equal to 25s 3d for 14 inch is reported to have been realised. Galvanized iron is reported as moved in parcels, but we have not heard of any considerable sale ; other descriptions of iron and fencing wires are extremely dull and difficult to quit. The principal duty paid market values are Morewood's corrugated galvanized iron (none), other English brands, L3O to L 32 10s ; best Scotch, (Smith and M'Lean's) L3O to L3l ; other brands, Scotch, L2B to L 29; bariron, BBH,^LI2; fencing wires (assorted) Nos. 5 to 8, Lls to LIS ; Baltic deals, 9 x 3, 54d ; T and G flooring, l£in, 25s 6d ; other sizes in proportion; clear pine, Ll6; Oregon,, L 9 to L 9 10s ; T and G lumber, L 9 toL9 10s; shelving, L 12,; slates, countess, Ll2 to H2 Its; Portland cement 21s to 225. SPIRITS. (Duty, 12s per gallon.) The commencement of the. mouth witnessed rather easier rates for each of the principal items under this head; considerable accessions to stocks, and an unusually light demand, have not alio wed the marketto quite recover itself, though more firmness ih values is now apparent than was the case a fortnight since. In Hennessy's Brandies, transactions have been made at 8s 9d, for which priceimporters nowhold. Whiskies have been quitted at a shade lower prices; aiid genevas have retrograded to a greater extent. Rums continue scarce, and command full rates. Closing, quotations in bond are : —Hennessy's and Martell's pale brandies, in hulk, 8s 9d; do ih case, 29s 6d to 30s ; Otard's, none; Maret's, hone; Renault's, 83 ; Champagne Vineyard Proprietors', 8s; Associated Vineyard Co.'s, case, 265. Rum, West India, 10 0.p., 4s 9dtoss; ditto, 30 0.p., 5s to 5s 3d. Geneva—JDKZ, 15s to 16s, large parcels; ditto, VH., none. Whiskies—M'Murchy's Campbelitown, 5s 6d; Kirkliston, ss; May, 5s 3d.; Longjohn's, 6s ; Dunville's, 6s. Ditto, in case, —Kirkliston, scarce; Sheriff's, 10s 6d to lis; Dunville's, 17s 6d. r .■/. WINES. (Duty, 4s per gallon.) A parcel or two of sherries in lulk and case is the only business which has come under notice. For port wines there has been but a trifling inquiry, and all light sorts are .out of season, and unsaleable at present. The approximate quotations for fair wines of the respective classes are about as follows:—Ports of superior description, L 65 to L 75 per pipe ; do, medium qualities, L4O to L 5 5; do, common, L2O to L 3 5; fine sherries, L7O to L9O per butt; do, medium good, L 35 to L6O; do, common sorts, L 25 t to L3O; clarets, common, 15s to 18s ; do,* good, 27s to 40s; Moselle. No. 2, 37s 6d. TOBACCOS AND CIGARS. (Duty—Manufactured, 3s 6d per lb; Sheepwash, 3d per lb ; Cigars, 5s per lb.) But a moderate business has beea, done ia

this staple, and only a few sorts of the many descriptions in the market are saleable. Twists are scarcely selling for consumption. here, and tens are in very little requestValues in bond are about as foUows:—Barret's anchor twist, Is 7d to Is 9d ; other good twists, Is 3d to Is 6d; lumps aromatic, Is 6d to 2s; good dark quarters and tens, lOd to Is 4d. Cigars—Real Havannahs, 200s to 300s ; Manillas, No. 2, 55s to 60s; Trabucos, 70s to 75s ; Ormond's Swiss, 38s to 40s, scarce. TEAS. - (Duty, 6d per lb.) During the month a fair demand has existed, and sales made, though not individuaUy large, have been numerous, with fuU rates realising. The stock of good to fine congous now held is small, and any. improvement in inquiry would soon exhaust the quantity left in first hands, -therefore, it is j not improbable that these sorts may yet go higher, particularly if the new season's teas fail to reach here at the date anticipated. We quote as cosing rates in bond—Low congous, Is to Is 3d ; ordinary do, Is 4d to Is 8d ; good ordinary to medium, Is 8d to Is lOd; good medium, Is lid to 2s 2d; finer descriptions, 2s 3d to 2s 6d; extra fine, 2s 6d to 2s 9d; fine hyson, 2s 9d ;- gunpowder, 2s 9d; pekoes, 2s 6d to 2s 9d. SUGAKS. (Duty, 9s 4d per cwt.) There has throughout the month been a well-maintained inquiry at full rates for the better : descriptions of sugars, and until now stocks have been very bare; but the arrival to-day of the Severn, from Mauritius, ytill, make a considerable addition to supplies. From latest advices, it seems probable that for the present sugars wiU continue to rule, comparatively high. Closing values, in bo-d, -are—Finest white crystals, L4l to L 42; second whites, L 39 to L4O; good yeUows and greys, L 35 to L31/; fine counters, L 32 10s to L 34; second counters, L3l to L32.10s f brown sorts, L2B to L3O;. English loaf ,4fd; ditto, crushed, 4*d; Vic-r torian refined—No. 1, white, L 45 ; No. 2, L 42; counter, L 35. DEIED FRUITS. (Duty, ld per lb,) There are fuU supphes of aU these goods, with only a moderate amount of business t doing. The duty paid quotations are :—New j currants, 3§dto4d; raisins, Capes4d, and Mediterranean, s|d to 6d; sultanas, 7£d;musea-' tels, lO^dto- lid j Jordan almOnds; 2s'3d ; soft shell almonds, lid; Barcelona nuts^ 6d; dried apples, s|d; confectionery, English and Scotch, lid. sutstdries. Candles (duty, Id per lb).-^No improvement upon the state of things reported last month has taken place. It has been with difficulty, and at scarcely maintained rates, that parcels of any size, have been quitted. The values of first brands,"duty paid, -are quoted—viz., Price's Belmonts, 12^d; Nevas, 124 dto Is ld ; Brandon's N., 114 d ; Hale's, 11 Jd; paraffine( Young's), Is ld. I Soap (duty, 25,6 d per cwt'): —Some smaU parcels of imported, long on hand, have, to close accounts, been quitted at low rates, and the value of Dunedin manufacture at the time temporarily suffered. It can now, however, ,be quoted at L2B to L 29, according to quality. Of other kinds there is not now in the market any stock. Soda Crystals (duty, 20s per ton).-r-The stock on hand is Ught, bat sufficient Jor present requirements. Value, duty paid, Lll 10s to Ll2 per ton. Salt (free) is in better supply; for shipmentsY of fine and coarse together, L 6 is still quoted. Hops (duty, Id per lb).—Supplies are ample for the present limited demand.! A j sale of a partictdarly fine pale sample of 1867 was reported at 2s; but the current duty paid value for new Kent or Sussex is not oyer ls9dto Is 10d,. ■■.-'-..' Malt (duty, 6d per bushel).—Malt has, at times through the month, been quitted in : considerable parcels, but, in consequence of fuU supplies, last month's quotations have been barely sustained. For best English pale lls is obtainable in smaU parcels. Colonial remains at 9s.' j

Hemp Goods (duty, l s 6d per cubic foot). —There has been no business of any moment doing, either in bags or woolpacks. ' Values are about the same as quoted previously— viz., for fuU weight cornsaeks^ 14s (nominal) per dozen, and for woolpacks, fuU weights, 4s 6d, duty paid Kerosene tduty, 6d per gaUon).—During the month, a slight spurt took place in kerosene, and the value mended about 2d per gallon. For the last few days very Uttle has been done; but, at our quotation of 2s Bd, the market is firm.

Blasting. Powder (free).—The value of blasting powder is without alteration, hut there is something more of firmness in the tone of the market. Best brands we quote at 7d Second brands are- obtainable at lower rates; but holders experience considerable difficulty in making sales off any, except HaU's and Karnes.