COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2128, 30 November 1868, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Daily Times Office, Saturday Evening, The amount of Customs Kevenae received to-day on goods cleared for consumption was aa follows, viz.:— £ s. d. £ 8. d. Brandy ... 10 16 0 Tobacco ... 33 17 -6 "Whisky ... 19 10 0 Cigars 24 0 0 Rum 19 10 0 Tea 12 3 0 Wine 9 16 .Drapery ... 3G 311 Botld. -eer G7 10 0 Total, £238 11 11

A fair amount; of business has been doing through tho week in most goods ; but the last two or three days have witnessed very little animation in the import markets. Tho end of a month ia usually {aa at the present) marked by a lull in wholesale transactions. Coastwise orders received have been below the average, bat are likely to improve in amount immediately ; while we note the existence of a fair demand for up-country requirements, and the probability of a satisfactory trade daring the next week or two. Breadstufls remain without alteration. Some considerable parcels of Chilian and Californian flour have been placed by the importer* for export, but no local speculation appears to have been going forward. Prices are unchanged, both for these sorts and for provincial Hour, for which there has been but slender inquiry. Wheats continue worth 6s to Gs 3d for good eampJes. Barley also commands da 3d to 4s Gd. Oate are quite neglected ; 2a Cd is the nominal rate for small lots, but to quit any quantity lower rates' would be taken. The auction Bales have' been small and uninteresting, but few lines of sound staple goods occurring. Privately there have been quitted several lines of galvanised iron, of English and Scotch makes, in all representing a considerable I quantity. Prices • accepted have for some descriptions been rather low, but, on tho whole, late quotations have been nearly maintained. In dried fruits we hear of currants placed at an average of about 3 J <L, and Eleme ravins at Gd. Oilmen's stores remain very depressed and difficult to move. Lea and Perrin's saucea have realised the maintained price of 13a 6d, pickles realising from 10s 3d to' 11s 3d, according to brand; salmon, in lib tins, 15s Id ; and half-pint salad oils, Bs. Some parcels of flooring (T and d Scotch) have been moved at prices equaL to last quotations ; and an inquiry exists for red and white N. Z. pino, the quantity of which, coming forward has been very small. Provisions continue to be quitted at losing prices, and liquids have had scarcely any attention, thoagb. there seems to be a slightly better feeling with repaid to brandies, it is not, however, probable that we shall have any change in valuo to record just at present. Transactions in sugars have been almost nil, tho distribution of the Kio's cargo being waited for. In teas there have been a large number of sales, some of them heavy, and second houses mnst now be in possession of a good stock of the new congous. It is not possible to refer to kerosene, candles, or blasting powder, as having improved. A slightly better inquiry haa been ovident in hemp goods, but importers will not meet buyers' rates either for woolpacfcs or comsacks ; tho latest sales reported in these goods have been 4s 3d and 13s 3d respectively.

Dunkdin Dairy and Vec;ktablk Mahket. —November 28, 1838.—The market was fairly supplied with vegetaHes this week. The following were the price* ruling :— Asparagus, Is per bunch ; beet, ?s per doz.; broccoli, 3s per doz ; bouquets, Gd each ; cabbages, 1b 6d to 3s per doz.; cauliflowers, 3s to 58 per doz.; carrots, 2s per doz. bunches; celery, 2a to 3s per doz.; cucumbers, Is Gd to 2s each ; watercress, 2s per doz. bunches ; cress, 1b 6d per doz. bunches ; leeks, 2» per dozen bunches ; onions (dried), Is per lb ; do green, 2s per dozen bunches ; parsley, 2s per doz. bunches ; potatoes, new, 4d per lb; parsnips, 2s Gd per doz. Lunches; spinach, 4d per lb; peas, 4d to 6d per lf>; radishes, Is Cd per doz. bunches; rhubarb, Sdpcrlb. Fruit Apples—4d to 6d per lb ; gooseberries, 6d per quart. Dairy produce and poultry— None in the market.

Messrs D. Powell and Co.. of Queenstown^ report that at their sale of medium to light draught horses, an average of over L 34 per head was obtained, and hacks brought L 23 each. The bidding for the few plough or harness mares was very good. A few light hacks were not sold. .

The Oam&ru Times, of the 27th instant.

report* : —

Business still moves but slowly, and a revival of activity is not to be looked for until the wool season has farther advanced. Shearing has commenced at Malvcrn Hills, and will be pretty general on the North Waitangi in about a week. The usual rate is 15s per 100.

There are no transactions in grain, there being no demand for any description. Flour is dull of sale.' In the tpirit trade stocks generally are fulL Wo quote brandy, in case, at 30s in bond; geneva, JDKZ, 17s Cd; whisky, in bulk, Gs to (is 6d per gallon; Uenneesy's brandy, 8s 3d ; and rum, W. L, 10 o. p., 5s 3d ; sherries range from L 9 to Ll2 for lower descriptions, better class ranging from LICto L 26, in bond ; low class ports, L 9 to Lls in bond, and for best brands, from Ll6 to 1<24 ; ales, duty paid, 13s ; stouts, 12s to 13s, according to brand. At Messrs Wright, Kobertson's sale of cattle on Wednesday, there was a fair attendance, and the cattle submitted being a first-class sort, realised, on the whole, very satisfactory prices. 28 cows wero sold at prices ranging from LIO to Lls, one at Lls 10s, and one at Ll9 10s. Ten heifers realised LBto L 9 10s. Two steers Ll2 each ; fonr yearlings do, LG 10s per head. At Mr France's sale of merchandise, furnituro, &c, in the estate of Royse, Mudie, and Miller, yesterday, the attendance was good, and «atisf.-w:tory prices were obtained, except for grain and chaff, for which there was little or no competition.

Tho Weat Coast Times of the 23rd instant reports : —

There has been no increased activity in the import market during the -week ; in fact, a general feeling of dullness has been the rule, Sates of flour have been limited to the dispuaal o£ trade parcels, at the same prices whiuh ruled last week. A fueling, however, prevai a that tho present prices will not be maintained. Morsefecd is a little easier, and in uu instance have the extreme rates qnoted last week been obtained. Oats, 4a 3d, may be taken as a lull figure for good quality ; chaff we quote at Lls to LIG ; but, for a large parcel, the former figure -would be taken For bran, 2s tkl is demanded, but buyers are shy at that price. Good samples of Circular Head potatoes have been sold at LlO ; but, in some instances, L 9 to L 9 103 has only been obtained ; sales at auction of Canterbury have realised L 7 12s 6d, and of Nelson L 8 10s (in each instance Is for bags.) A considerable quantity of butter has come to hand, but the prices which we quoted in our last report have been maintained. Colonial chceae of good quality, although rather scarce, has receded a little in value, and we quote it at 9id to lOd. Groceries and odincn'e stores remain unchanged. In flpiriiß

brandies are easier, and a linoof Wennessy's bulk hns been disposed of at 7s 3d; case brandy, however, still rrutintahis former quotations. For Geneva, i'h is demanded and paid readily. Stewart's whisky, in case, is a little firmer, and the ruling price i« now 15m. Ham, R.W.P., is worth 5s 9d. Ale and porter, of good brands, have not deteriorated in value, tho ruling prices berg for Bass's triangle, 14s ftl; Tenant's 14a 9tl ; Gum' ness's stout, 14s 0d ; Bass's do, 14a. Inferior brands average about 10s. Bacon — Sinclair's, Is 2d ; Moffat's, la 4d.. Hams — Sinclair's, Is 4d; Compton'a, la 3d. Teas are still dull.

The Daily Southern Cross of the 21 st inst. reports :—

The state of tW-jjavrkets during the week baa been identical with the position we have noticed for tho last six weeks, and, although no considerable reduction hrjj been observable in thn current prices, yet there haa been a total absence of anything like that buoyant feeling which the (state of ibe season and the development of the Thames goldfields might have induced us to expect

The arrivals aince our last report have been considerable, embracing the Hero, Harriet Kins>, and Prince Alfred, with the Wellington from the South, all of which vesie'a hive brought us considerable shipments of goods.

The auction sales have been numerous, the attendance ou tho whole large, and tli'j quantities of goods pasted under the hammor veiy considerable. An we amicipatcd, the B'le of the* bersee ex Bella Mary f from Hob>rt Town, was .-gely patronised. The prices were in exevsa cf those which have hitherto ruled.

The frightful atrocities porpetrated in Poverty Bay bnvo exerted a prejudicial influence on trie market, and spread a general gloom in commercial quartets. It ia feared that, unless prompt and vigorous measures are adopted, the Bet lements in tho WaLkato will again have to be abandoned. Business continues dull at the Thimea, but the result» o£-many of the claims are such aa must disp«l any apprehensions as to the future of the goldlield.