COMMERCIAL.

West Coast Times, Volume 20, Issue 1324, 20 December 1869, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Wnsr Coast Times and Observer Office, Saturday Evening. The duties collected at the Customs today amounted to £345 19s 2d. £ 6. d. Wine 10 0 0 Geneva 16 17 6 Kerosene 2 0 0 Hardware 2 14 6 Sundries ... ... 0 8 0 Total £32 0 0 No gold. Total amount of duties collected at the Customs for the week ending Saturday, 18th instant, for home consumption, £1224 3s 6d. On gold, £1004 3s Bd. The past week, although not characterised by any speculative demand for general articles of consumption by the trade, was nevertheless of a healthy tone, as town and district orders were executed to a considerable extent. The market being very generally stocked for almost every article, auction sales of produce on the wharf did not elicit that spirited bidding which we have had to note ; but private sales were subsequently effected at fair remunerative prices. Breadstuffs. — Flour : Hart's Adelaide, in quantity, may be quoted at £18 10s; small parcels, £191 Os ; Canterbury and Dunedin, £16 to £16 10s ; wheat> 7s to 7s 3d per bushel. Produce. — Oats are saleable at — For Taeiri, 4s 9d to 5s ; Canterbury, 4s 6d to 4s 9d. Bran, of which there i 3 a reasonable quantity in stock, in one hand> maintains former prices. Chaff is if anything easier, a trial sale of a parcel, ex Aboriginei only realising £14 for a portion, the remainder of the shipment being placed privately at from £16. Maize brings 6s 3d per bushel, in quantity, though sales are limited. Potatoes, new, ex Aborigine, brought from £10 to £11 2s 6d per ton, some having arrived coastwise, and our local growth being insufficient at present for the demand. Good old Taieris are sold at £6, in small parcelsButter : Some slight addition to our stacks has taken place, good being placed at 8d and 9d, and a fair sale. Cheese is in demand, prime colonial being preferred. Hams and bacon have not altered in price. In wines and spirits a fair quantity has been cleared for consumption ; but no speculative demand, without change. Teas: There has only been a slight importation during the week) and prices are firm at former quotations. Sugars are without alteration in price . Coffee and spices : The usual retail demand. Dried fruits are more enquired for, but in small quantities.

We append the usual weekly reports from the auctioneers, which are a fair reflex of the transactions for the past week in business circles :—: —

Mr W. Todd, auctioneer, reports as follows : — Monday, ex Claud Hamilton — New potatoes, £10 10s ; lemons, 20s ; oranges, 16s 6d to 20s ; apricots, 19s to 25s ; butter, 8d ; onions, 4-} dto 4>d. Tuesday— Bale of furniture and effects at Mr Hyde's Westland House ; good attendance, and fair prices realisedv Wednesday, ex Charles Edward and other steamers — Potatoes, £11 ss ; onions, £5 ; fowls, 6s 9d ; geese, 14s 6d to 16s ; turkeys, 20s ; ducks, 7s 6d to 8s ; butter, 7d to 9d ; onious, sd. Same day — Cottage and section in Stafford-street, to Mr Anuing, for £45. Tuesday, on the wharf, ex Aborigine — Maize, 6s 3d ; onions, 5d ; new potatoes, £10 5s te £10s 10s, and £11 ; geese, Us ; butter, Bd. Saturday — Charlie W illiams's Baths, to Mr Ennis, butcher, for £55. Also, privately parcels of butter at prices for quality ; jams' Bs. Mr Richard Reeves reports a dull week's business. At auction sales, biddings very languid ; in fact, the business done under the hammer may be almost set down as nil. Property still dull of sale. In consequence of the extraordinary dry weather we have experienced for such a length of time, there is little doing in mining matters. I have passed a considerable number of Maori Reserve scrip through my hands during the past week, at an advanced rate. Should the rain at present falling continue for twenty-four hours, this company will be able to prove the ground* when, no doubt, shares will be still more valuable. The Victoria Company at the Kanieri had a good washing-up last week ; shares are enquired for at £90. I have heard of one share in the Brighton Lead having changed hands at £110. Holders of every description of stock in Ross are increasing their demands. I have placed one parcel of Band of Hopes at equal to 47s 6d. Stars, original. 30's, can safely be quoted at £200. A little doing in Scandinavians, but holders are rather too stiff in their demands. There are sellers at £6, and buyers at £5. Drainage Company's shares are beginning to attract a a little more attention. It is confidently expected that the Ross United Drainage Company will have steam up on the 29th instant. When this company gets fairly started, a new era of prosperity will dawn on the Totara district.