COMMERCIAL

Otago Witness, Issue 2572, 8 July 1903, Page 40

COMMERCIAL

The amount of revenue received by the Customs Department on goods clea-ed during the month of June was- £23,8?5 16* 8d — a decrease of £3926 IBs 6d as compared with tli-e previous mcaith, and an increase of £364 15*5 2d on the hgureg for the corresponding month of last year Tbs be*r duty amounted to £1744 18a Id, or £271 17s Id less than for th.9 month of May and £55 65 4<l less than during June, 1901.

South African orders for produce (reports the Melbourne Age) are increasing, but for the next few months Melbourne exportei-3 will ha\e to obtain the bulk of supplies from Now Zealand. Exports from that colony are large, as is evidenced by the fact of additional Jun* tonnage hav.mg to be pro-vide-d. The Cooeyanna proeoods to New Zealand to load a cargo of produce for S -uth Africa. This steamer is chartered by the New Zealand and South African Steamship Company, which is oub'idised by the Government to secure a direot service between New Zealand and thice ports of South Africa. The bulk of this vessel's space has already been booked. Two factors arc increasing South Afncam demands. First, a prolonged drought has largely reduced tbe production of foodstuffs in th-e various colonies; and, secondly, the shutting out of Ihe stock fiom Uie Argentine has reduced sflpplks. In a few months time Victoria should be in a position to resume her shipments to South Africa, on a large* scale.