COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12446, 1 September 1902, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

Daily Times Office, Saturday Evening. The amount of revenue collected at tho Dunedin Custom House to-day on goods cleared for consumption was £497 10s Sd. The following are the Customs returns for August:—Duty on goods cleared for i consumption, £27,790 &» IQd; beer duty, 1 £1779 19a 6d; gold exported, and valued at I £64,522, 15,9930z. Tlie figure:? for August -.last year were:—Goods, £45,700 19s 6d; beer duty, £2568 3s sd; gold exported, and valued at £19,631,- 49890z. There is, therefore, a decrease in- the revenue on goods of about £18,000. The beer duty has decreased by about £800, and the gold exported has gone up from £19,681 to £64,522 — an increase of about £45,000. IMPORT MARKET. Already inquiries are being made about the new season's dried fruit, the first shipments of which should reach this market about the middle .of October. The first North German vessel to bring the hew season's currants is the Rhine, due to arrive in Sydney on October 7. The Barbarossa j follows on November 14. The first-named ! vessel being early, will bring currants only, but the latter will carry Sultanas (and figs also. _ The first direct boat bringing new fruit is the Itzehoe, due to have left Hamburg on August 18 and to arrive in Sydney, after calling at Smyrna and Patras, in the first week in November. It is expected that this ■ vessel will be heavily loaded. On account of the estimated large crop of currants, it is expected that the new season's fruit will- open at a fairly low 1 ■ level—probably from 3£d to 3|d. Good . quality sultanas are expected to open high, j owing to the fact that the English and Continental markets have been deprived of good grades since January last. It is I thought that this fact will bring about a ! kee« demand early in the season. Old sultanas are in small Compass, and are selling readily at 6d to 6Jd. The long-delayed Gladys has at length put in an appearance, and her cargo, especially such much-needed lines Hudson's extract, carbonate of soda, and Milkmaid milk, is being readily taken up. Despite the reported damage, her stuff is turning out in good condition, and so far no complaint has been made. In anticipatiort of a rise in price, consequent upon the condition of-the tallow market, merchants have been, laying in large stocks of candles. So far, however, the local manufacturer* have not made a. move. , There is a general feel>ig, too, that soap should be worth buying. The jute crop prospects are favourable, but the weather is not all that could be desired. As reported earlier in the week, the Calcutta market has taken a sharp advance. Cornsaeks show a, rise of jd ana woolpacks of Jd, and the tone of the market is very firm. Woolphoks in Calcutta con- , tinue scarce, and are likely to remain so during the present month. Should the • damage to the Aparinra's Cargo prove to be as serious as is reported, it will seriously inconvenience the stock and station agent', as the whole of the South Island stocks of cornsaeks are on board that vessel. The North Island consignees are more fortunate, as their stocks are on board the Um-ta. The fire promises to seriously- disarrange tho woolpaek market, for should it prove necessary to order fresh supplies tho goods must uow be .shipped 'via Australia, which would involve additional freight; j The 'Aparima's delay is causing a great scarcity in castor oil, especially coarse castor, and 'the market is firm at 3s 3d to 4s. i The only thing worthy of note in the iron and hardware market is a- movement in the direction of putting up the price of bar iron to £10 10,3—an' advance .of £1— and shoeing bars from £11 10s to £12 10s. It is impossible as yet to -say whether the attempt will succeed, hut it has had tho effect of considerably fuming the market. I G.C. iron is exceedingly scarce, and the arrival of the Aotea is eagerly awaited. That vessel, however, has only about 100 tons on board, and no further supplies will :bo available for from six weeks to two I months. In the face of this scarcity, added | to the fact that stocks throughout the colony > are very light, it is hard to understand why G.C.,.iron should still' be quoted at£lß 10s, which is only a shade above landed cost. DUNEDIN HORSE SALEYARDS. Messrs Wright, Stephenson, and Co. report as 'follows: —There was a fair entry of horses for Saturday's sale. In draughts tho offerings were limited to a few useful, fairly fresh, but aged horses. There were lots 'of buyers even for this class, and most of them changed hands at very good prices. Of strong harness horses • there was a good display, consignments includ-" ! irig nine really serviceable horses from Messrs j Tonkin and Co.'s rabbit collecting depots up country. These horses had been carefully selected by Messrs Tonkin and Co.'s managers, j and were all of good, serviceable ages and of a I stamp suitable for spring van, milk cart, tram- • hanling, and the bice, and numerous buyers were present for these classes. This consignment elicited keen competition, and was sold as follows: —Bay mure, £33; grey gelding, £23; grey gelding, £22 10s; bay mare, £20 10s; bay mare, £10 10s; roun gelding, £17 10s; roan gelding, £15 10s; chestnut gelding, ill 10s; | black gelding, .-€ll. Three useful upstanding harness horses from Clydevale were sold at £20, j £19, and £17 respectively. Other sales were effected at equally satisfactory rates. The demand for good harness horses is brisk. We have a customer for 12 to 15 good harness : horses, eix to eight years old preferred. Next i Saturday we offer Mr Walter Thurlow's fine | team of nine draught, mares and geldings, waggon and harness, from Cambrians, Central Ota go. We quote: Superior young draught geldings, £45 to £50; extra good, prize horses, £52 to £50; medium draught mares and geldings, £B0 to £42; aged do, £20 to £28; upstanding carriage horses, £30 to £35; well-matched carriage pairs, £G0 to £80: strong spring- van horses, £30 to £33; milk-cart and butchers' order-cart horses, £20 to £27; tram horses, £14 to £20; light hacks, £8 to £15; extra good j hacks, £18 to £25; weedy and aged hacks and I harness horses, £3 tv £7.