COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2125, 26 November 1868, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Daily Times Office, Wednesday EvonJng.

Tlio amount of Custoina Kovenne received to-day on goods cleared for consumption waa aa follows, viz.:—

£ s. d. £ s. d. Brandy ...116 7 11 Tobacco ... 51 17 4 Whisky ... J7 2 2 Tea 107 1 6 Geneva ... 74 6 0 Sugar 44 15 7 Wire 19 16 0 Drapery ... 62 11 3 BotlcL ieer4B 9 0 Sundries ...145 5 4 Total, £iB7 12 1

Bub a s lack demand has been apparent in

the markets to-day, with which the weathe: has probably had more to do than anythinj cite. It is therefore possible to add ba little to yesterday's remarks, beyond repo/t ing fairly maintained values for th«; chitstaples, and a, likelihood of improved trade «o coon as the weather is again settled. A large sale of Chilian flour, ex Emma, L reported aa being made for export, tho exac rates realised notknown, butinnootheritemii breadstuffa has anything beyond the require menta for the moment been dona. Quit tancea of new congous are aLjo reported t< a moderate extent at full pricea. Tranaac tiona in fcugar almost m', and till tho Itio'i cargo is in tho market, will be trifling only In miscellaneous goods we hear of half-pin salad oils at 8s ; pints castor, at 12s ; Elcnn raisin*, s:]<l ; figs, at 84(1 ; half sardines, a' Oh 3d ; Henncsf^y's pale brandy, in case, a 27« Cd. Aleo a shipment of currants, and t parcel of Blood's stout, at prices kept back In the auction marts nothing has takct place in any staple goods. Tho Southland News of the 21et iuutani reports :— Tho week has passed without the alightcsl change in quotations. Country trade bat been limited by the absence of teams. Oat« continue acarce, and firm at 2a lOd to Ha. Wo should recommend farmers who have any on hand to send them into market. By private advicea from Hokitika, we learn that a consignment from Canterbury fetched 4s tinder tho hammer; so that an export trade might be made between here and that port. The green fruit imported ex Prairie has all passed into tho retailers' hands, the laat lot boing sold on .Saturday last, by public auction. A slight improvement in the price of dried fruits may be expected. Messrs Potter, Wilson and Co.'s Price Current, dated Ist October, reports:— The third aeriea of colonial wool aalcs commenced on 13th August, and ended on 2/>th ult. Tho arrivals comprised — Now South Wales and Queensland, 58,583 bales ; Victoria, G4,(03 do; South Australia, 11,804 do; Tasmania, 8855 do; Swan Kiver, 480 do ; New Zealand, .50,000 do ; Cape of (Vood Hope, 31,382. Total, 22fi,127., of which, however, there were 17,904- balea held over for future sale, leaving 208,223 balua catalogued. Besides these, during tho currency of the fsalcH, 'J3.U00 bates have been withdrawn from time to time, of which, probably 6000 have since bocn placed privately. The unprecedented amount of the arrivals Bcem to have produced quite a panic in the trade, and tho sales opened at a reduction of fully Id per lb. As they progressed, however, prices rapidly dropped, till a fall was established of 15 to 20 per ccut., and in tho caso of very faulty pirccla an much aa 20 and 25 per cent. Tho quantity of New Zealand wool was greater than usual, and included the bulk of the clip. Tho better aorta were in fair demand at current rates. During the last week rather a better feeling prevailed, and tho prices realised were the best of the aeries. Tho great fall which has occurred in the value of wool wan wholly onlookcd for, aa trade in thia country in generally good, and tho favourable harvest and low rate of money might havo beon expected to have had a favoora le influence. There seems, however, no doul.t that the production both in our own colonica and at tho River Plate has been increasing far beyond tho consumption, and that we must either look forward to low pricea in future, or tho production rnui>t bo largely reduced, which last-must be a work of tirno. The arrivals to date amount to upwards of 35,009 bales, which, added to tho quantify afloat and that withdrawn or not offered, will leave fully 84,000 for tho November sales. .Stock.—Withdrawn from catalogue, 20,000 bale« ; arrived for thia aalo, but not offered, 15,000 do ; arrivals Binco the 13th ult, as above, 35,297 do ; afloat at thia date, 13,804 do ; total, 84,101. Price current of Now Zealand wools.— Auguat-Scptember sales, 18G8.—1st fleece, la 5d to le 8d ; medium fleece, la Id to la 4d ; inferior lleeco, lOd to la ; medium lambs, la Id to Is 4d; inferior lamba, lOd to la; broken and pieces, lid to la Id ; inferior pieces and locks, G;l to lOd ; superior scoured, 1h 9d to 2b 2d ; medium scoured, Is 3d to Is Sd ; inferior scoured, l()d to la 2d ; akin, 7d to la Id ; in grease, good, 9d to lid ; in greaeo, middling and inferior, Od to 8d ; in grease, pieces and locka, 3d t > Cd. Mcsara Dalgety, Ducroz, and Co'a Wool Circular, dated 30th September, reports : — Tho third serita of colonial wool sales closed on the 25th instant, and tho quantity catalogued haa been fta follows :—New South Wales and Queensland, 55,802 bales ; Victoria. C4/JlO do ; South Australian, 12,050 do ; Tasinanian, 9,323 do ; Bw»n Kiver, 39G do ; Now Zeal 'nd, 40,356 do ; Capo of (jood Hope, 29,308 do : total, 208,205 do, of which about 18,000 to 2),000 balea wero withdrawn, part being sold privately ; but the bulk held till November. There was a little more auirit at tho close, and a few parcels of combing brought improved pricea ; but thcao were quite exceptional, and the averago decline from June rates inuat atill bo quoted lid to 2d on greasy, and 2d to 3d on washed woolb, while many parcels from tho interior of Australia could not be sold at this currency, and were withdrawn for want of biddera. Tho majority of the wool from New South Walua and Queensland w.iß vi-ry faulty with seeds, and more- than half of that from Victoria was of a pour character from the interior. South Auutralian, in some instances, showed staple, and realised fairly in re'ation to other Borts ; but tho bulk waa of low quality, and full of Band.

Tasmanian wool, from tho want of caro in skirting and as3Ortmout, a« well aB from thistle seed, has become out of favour—tho peculiar softness and pure colour to which scouringbroutjhtit hasheen its chief recoinmond ition, but this is destroyed when dirty locks are left in the fl-ecus. The Hobart Town wools are very heavy in condition.

New Zealand wools were generally deficient in growth and atreugth of staple ; there wero, however, some nota le exceptions, meeting good competition 'ut still at comparatively low prices. The wools from Wellington and Hawke's Bay show no improvement either in growth, condition, or assortment. Bid skirting is still a characteristic of New Zealand wooL

Manufacturers arc generally well employed, and we trust the present low range of prices may stimu ate consumption.