Commercial Intelligence.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 2770, 9 August 1883, Page 2

Commercial Intelligence.

Timaru Herald Office, Wednesday Evening. Though there has been little animation m - general tmsiness during the past month, and tilings continue very slack, there are signs of » more healthy state of affairs setting m. Tho people of the town and district are gradually awakening out of the lethargy which they have suffered from for so long, and are bestirring themselves to develop the manifold resources of the district. With thi3 object m view, a number of Companies have been, or are m course of formation, amongst them being a Meat Freezing and Export Company, a Woollen Factory Company, a Company to purchase and work the Royal Flouring Mills and a Dairy and Bacon Curing Company. The headquarters of the three former are at Timarn and those of the latter m tho township of Goraldino. Besides these industries, two other new ones m the shape of a Barbed Wire Factory and a Soap Manufactory are m a fair way to be started: Thoro is every prospeot of the various concerns proving a anocess, and as they will give employment to a number of skilled workmen, should have a tendenoy to create a marked improvement m the trade and commerce of South Canterbury and of its capital town, Timaru. The woather during the past month has been fine but cold, and farmers have now got m pretty well all their winter wheat. The acreage sown this season will not, it is anticipated, be anything like equal to that of last, more especially as the development of the trade m frozen meat is causing farmers and other 3to turn their attention more to the rearing of sheep. Very little has been done m the grain market since our last report, but a hardening tendency is noticeable m primo milling wheat, which is a shade or two higher, and m oats. The principal imports at the port of Timaru for the four weeks ended yesterday wero as follows :— General merchandise, 430 tons ; cement, 1333 tons; coal, 500 tons; timber, 222,400 feet. The principal exports during tho name term were : — Wheat, 117,340 bushels ; eats, 20,304 bnshels ; barley, 1004 bushed ; floor, 159 tons ; bran and sharps, 770 sacks ; grass seed, 40 sacks ; wool, 97 bales, preserved meats, 1138 case 3; tallow, 280 casks ; sheepakiiis, 12 boles. Of the exports 88,404 bnshels of wheat, 11,480 bushels oats, 64 bales wool, and 70 casks tallow were exported direot to England m the ships Rangitikei and Norman Macleod, the former sailing on July 28th and the latter yesterday morning. Mr J. G. Allen, Belford Mills, reports as follows :— Flour, f .0.b. , per ton, 410 10s ; ditto, ditto, per 1001 b bags, wfill; ditto ditto, 501 b, ill j sharps, £4 10s ; bran, .£4. Mr R. Bowie reports as follows :— Flour (wholesale) is fetching £10 10a to .£ll rsr ton ; best oatmeal, .£14 10s ; sharps, £5 10a, 0.b. ; bran, £4 10s, f.0.b. ; potatoes, 50a per ton. Mr Alpheus Hayes reports m building material— Timber : red and white pine from lls per 100 f t; black pine and 1 totara, from 143 to 18s ; flooring and rusticated, from 143 ; and lining, from 12s 6d. Firewood, long, at 24s to 32s per cord. Firewood, cut „ 26s „ 36s „ Split posts, from 80s per 100. All kinds of bnilding and fencing matorial are m good snpply. In building matorial, Mr John Jackson quotes as follows :— Timber— New Zealand white pine, from lls per 100 ft; totara and black pine, 18s to 20s per 100 f t; do, Van Diemen's Land, 21a per 100 ft cash ; V.D.L. palings (sft), 23s j do (6ft) 255, cash; felloes, from Is 3d each; tongued and grooved kauri lining, from 17s 6d; rusticated boards, kauri, 235 ; Gospel Oak galvanised iron, X 27 10s per ton. All kinds of building material and blue gum timber are m good supply. Coals (Newoastle) are 36s to 40s per ton m tho yard. Firewood is at from 35a to 40s per cord. Firewood (cut), 40s b.p.