COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3049, 14 November 1871, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Daily Times Office, Monday Evening. The amount of Customs Revenue received to-day on goods entered for consumption was as foUows, viz. :— £ s. d. £ s- d* Brandy ...202 li 0 Sugar ...207 5 0 Whisky ... 64 16 8 Tobacco oi o 0 Geneva ... 26 3 9 Woolpacks 18 14 9 Rum ... 41 8 5 Jewellery bb 14 1 Wine ... 31 4 0 Kerosene lo 0 0 Beer ... 47 5 0 Sundries... ti lb y Tea -109 3 0 Total ...£906 9 o With respect to the corn market in London, the circular of the New Zealand Loan and MercantUe Agency Co., Limited, dated London, September 21st, reports :— Referring to our last advices, we have to report an improving wheat market from 25th of August up to llth September, to the extent of 3s per quarter upon nearly all sorts. The trade has since become quieter, and on Monday last, 18th, a slight reaction, say (xl to Is per quarter, took j>lace. lhe weather has continued favourable for the finishing up of the harvest, as weU as for the preparing and manuring of the land previous to resowing. We account for this slight pause in the wheat trade more from the fact of miUers having got into pretty good stock of foreign than from improved expectations as to the quantity or quality of the new crop, which is the more disappointing as the threshing goes on, and we are now inclined to look to a deficiency of 20 per cent, rather than 10 per cent, as formerly mentioned. The deficiency in France in the number of acres planted, the quantity ploughed up, the number of blanks in the ears of the wheat, and the light weight to the bushel, is estimated at 30 per cent.— which upon 34 miffion quarters, the average growth of the Empire previously to the late war would be equal to about 10 miUion quarters. Our own crop is likely to average only 22 bushels to the acre, instead of 28, on ordinary lands, while on the best it may yield 32 instead of 40 bushels. Taking our annual average yield at 14 mUhon quarters, and our this year's deficiency at 20 percent., we have a loss of 2,800,000 quarters, to which add our average importation of the last five years, 8,600,000 quarters, and we show a want of about 11£ million quarters to keep us in our usual position, supposing that tliere remainedabouttheusualquantityof old wheat in our farmers' hands, which, however, is certainly not the case, as hardly any remains. France too is drawing away our best qualities of the new crop instead of supply us, as she has often done, and is competing with us m the American markets. We must likewise allow for the light weight and waste this year as compared with good seasons, and therefore think it possible we may require even up to 13 miUion quarters wheat and flour from foreign countries. Now, so far as we can at present ascertain, there is no country to which we can look to send us more than its average supply, not even America, without much pressure ; and we think that two such extensive bread- eating nations as France and England having to find 23 miUion quarters will cause prices to rise everywhere in the course of a few months. Our present quotations for fine Australian wheat are 62s to 645, and for fine New Zealand up to 62s to 62s 6<^ and at these prices sales are making; but we are sorry to say much of the NewZealand lately arrived is in very bad condition, and is not saleable except at very low prices for starch making and cattle food, and some of it wiU probably have to go down These parcels had evidently been harvested badly, and having encountered a passage during the hottest months, we are not surprised that they have arrived as described ; in fact, it is only when the grain has been well harvested that shipments from New Zealand should be made to this country. All kinds of white wheat are very scarce in England ; there is hardly any on passage from California, and the new crops of white Polish, &c, cannot be shipped freely before next June. POST OFFICE NOTICE. mails close — This Day, 14th Inst. For Waikava, per schooner Pioneer, at 3.30 p.m. On Thursday, 16th Inst. For Northern Ports of N. Z., per s.s. Taranaki, at 10.30 a.m. British maUs, via San Francisco, will be despatched from this office on the 24th inst. British maUs, via Suez, will be despatched from this office on or about the 24th inst. (Signed) ARCH. BARR, Chief Postmaster. Chief Post Office, Dunedin, 14th November, 1871. ABSTRACT OF SALES BY AUCTION. This Day. M'Landress, Hepburn, and Co., at their Rooms, Manse street —Teas, &c. BIRTHS. On the sth November, afc High street, Mrs B. Sievwright, of a daughter. On the llth November, at City Buffet Hotel, Mrs P. P. Allen, of a son. IF you are dissatisfied with the Coffee you are using, TRY THE B BRAND. The Coffee is excellent, the Package Elegant, and the Price Low. This Coffee is packed in round or square Canisters of all sizes. Storekeepers may order it through any of the principal wholesale firms in Dunedin. PORT WINE FOR INVALIDS, 60s per doz., Yellow Seal, as appros Ted and recommended by the leading medical men in Otago. BARRON, GRANT, and CO. »— ————"—' *" m~~—" ———""^———~ —* *~—* *****——^ A fatal accident happened on the evening ofthe 7th inst., near the Moa Flat Station, whereby a bullock driver named John Smart lost his life. It appears the deceased left the Teviot with his team about 5 o'clock in the evening, and was heard passing the Station near 9 o'clock. In the morning he was found a short distance away crawling on his hands and knees, and complaining of great pain across his chest, but gave no information of the nature of his injury. The waggon was observed to be broken to pieces, and the buUocks scattered about with the yokes broken. Mr Kitching, the manager of the station, procured the attendance of Dr MiUer, from the Teviot, who found the deceased had been run over by the waggon, and was suffering from serious internal injuries sustained thereby. The deceased was removed on Friday to the Teviot, where he expired shortly after his arrival. The unfortunate man was very much advanced in years, being supposed to be about eighty years old. He was well known in the early days of the settlement of Melbourne, and asserted that he and the late Mr J. P. Fawkner were the first white men who landed on the site of that now flourishing city.