COMMERCIAL.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3256, 20 July 1871, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Shipment of G-eain. — The following extract from a letter, under date Juno 26, from a Melbourne commercial house to a firm in Timaru, is of iuterest to farmers and to shippers of grain.-— Wheat— Wo have sold your 21 bags, ex Tai-arua, at 6s 3d. Some of the wheat ex the same vessel was quite rotten. It sold at various prices, from 4s 3d to 6s 3d ; and if it were not that Adelaide is worth 7s 6d, it would have sold at very low prices. Since wo sold, we notice a decline in Adelaide wheat ; in fact, a dull market, and prices have a downward tendency. Oats, ex Tararua, wo sold at from 3s 2d to 3s 7|d j but the quality runs very uneven ; and during delivery there is nothing but trouble and fighting between tho buyers and ourselves— they waut to reject every second bag. English barley we sold at 4s. You ought not to allow the clerks of the steamers to disfigure your bills of lading by erasing marks and contents. We are bound to take oats, barley, wheat, or chaff, in fact, uny rubbish they choose to give us ; they are responsible for nothing. The Orwell has arrived, but Captain Worledge thinks that while the steamers continue to cull at Timaru, the sailing vessels will get no attention ; and he thinks she would not pay. We would rather pay 2d per bushel more freight in a good Bailing vessel than by steamer. Just fancy a 6teamer arriving during the night, and at daylight- putting on four gangs of men to pilch out 4000 sacks of grain on the wharf in wet weather. It is all landed bofore the letters are read ; and perhaps no letters of advice havo come by her. The grain has been collected at Dunedin, Oamaru, Timaru, Lyttelton, and Wellington, aud there is a glorious confusion on the wharf — the weather rainy perhaps at the time. It takes nearly a day to get the bills of lading out of the Banks, meanwhile tho grain remains on the wharf exposed. They never discharge under a shed. The only alternative is to put on a lot of drays, get a grain trier, pierce every bag, and take the best you can find. The steamer is responsible for nothing. It would not. pny them to look inside a bag to see whether it contained oats or wheat — a bag of grain is a bag of grain.

Oamaru.— Tho "Times" of July 11 reports : — Wheat shows some little retrogression, a line of good quality having changed hand 9at 4s 9d cash, which is tho fullest rate merchants feel disposed to give. Farmers, however, in roost cases, decline to accept tho reduction. Oats — for really good samples — 2s might be obtained, but wo can name no price for discolored and inferior. Barley, for malting purposes, of good quality and color, in demand ; discolored, unsaleable. Flour (F. 0.8.), £15 ; oatmeal, £15 ; bran, £3 ; pollard, £4.