Commercial.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 110, 19 September 1868, Page 2

Commercial.

The Star Office, This Dav. A considerable improvement in general ©•-.vines-*- h;*.*i been perceptible during the past wj£k, to which tbe return of fine weather B&h no doubt contributed. No transactions worthy of special mention have taken place. We have no change to report in the wheat ■_!_r!*xi. Oats are being shipped to Mel-feim-o in very large quantities ; the Swordtth t'*olr about 10,000 bushels ; the Fawn i_ now filling up, and will take about 15,000 f»a_hel3 ; and the Laughing Water sails early ■next week with 20,000 bushels ; besides these shipments, the steamers take all they can find room for. The stock on hand will be so ■eich reduced that we Jook for an advance in pr ; ex- very soon. Barley is finding buyers at •_» 6:1 for good malting samples. Tile stock market i 3 inactive, and holders -«f:^tock suffer from tbe restrictions imposed By the General Government on the export of cattle to Westlund. In Dunedin, we notice iihat there is a brisk demand for prime fat stock, the top price being from 45s to 46s per lOOlbs.

T_.e Customs revenue collected at Ciiristehurcli to-day, amounted to £52 4s. The Customs revenue collected at Lyttelton to-day, amounted to £145 16s Sd. The

following were the items : — Sugar, 7882 lbs, £32 16s lOd ; tea, 1388lbs, £34 14s ; sacks, 6 bales, £6 17s 3d; spirits, 108 gallons, £64 17s 6d; confectionery, 4 pkgs, £1 16s lid ; jams, 10 pags, £2 Os 3d ; light dues, £2 9s 6d; merchant shipping fees, 4s. Sydney. — The Herald of Aug. 29 reports: — In the import market sales are chiefly restricted to trade lots of limited amount. During the last two days there has been more inquiry for articles of general consumption. Breadstuffs are very quiet, but, with few exceptions, holders evince nodisposition to force sales, and, for bakers' lots, prices have not undergone much change. Adelaide brands are quoted at £17 to £18 10s; town mills, £17 to £18. Wheat is in request, and we understand that a portion of the recently arrived Californian has changedhands on private tonus. Maize has a declining tendency, good samples were obtainable to-day at 2s 6d. The demand for liquorsbas been light. MarteU's brandy was placed at 7s 9d to Bs. Hennessy's case, at 28s Cd. Rum is firmer ; sales of 30 o.p. were made at 4s 3d to 4s 4_d -, for parcels on the spot 4s 6d is asked. Tliere is very little doing in bulk ale ; the prices asked beholders here have induced some of the trade to order supplies from Melbourne, and a large parcel is stated to have been shipped thence for this port during the present week. Bulk stout is very firm, demand limited ; bottled dull. A large shipment of kerosene, just to hand, has found a buyer in one line, at Is lid, and 2s Id is now asked for parcels.