Commercial.

Evening Star, Issue 3540, 27 June 1874, Page 2

Commercial.

The amount of revenue received at the Qua tom-house on b oods cleared for consumption was this day L 326 6s Id. Gold duty, Jjo 14s. ■ Trade during the week now closed has beep more active than might hare been anticipated during the winter : the roads, on the whole, being in better condition than usual at this season of the year, a fair sprinkling of country orders has been received and executed. The chief noticeable feature in the transactions that have taken place |is the advance in brandy. We last Saturday reported that it was firmly held. _ During the past week parcels of some magnituda have been purchased on Canterbury account, and Henaessy’s cannot be obtained under 11s 3d to lls 6d, The market is well supplied with kerosene, and prices are unchanged. In oilmen’s stores no change has taken place; the supply is good. Dried apples are much sought after, and the stock being low, command high prices. Sugars do not attract much attention, the trade bring for. the present fully supplied. Heavy stocks of ale and porter are on hand, and sales are limited to immediate demand. Cornaacks, which for some weeks past were almost unsaleable, are found to be scarce. There is much inquiry for them, and they realise from 13s 3d to 13a 6d. In other goods no change can be quoted.

THE LABOR MARKET.

Mr Skene reports The supply this week in the labor market is very far short of the demand. A. good many people are going about idle, but if such would get into the secret of adapting themselves to whatever labor is most in demand, broken weather might be almost the only excuse. Excellent‘wages are offered for stone-breaking, but the work is objected to. Earm laborers, good ploughmen, and female servants of all kinds are all picked up, and get high figures. Gardeners aie busy, and ap- J patently all well paid. u Shepherds are asked for, and already show symptoms of being scarce when their busy time comes on. CarS enters are always well employed. Masons and ricklayers are hindered by the broken weather, and by the scarcity ,of material; tailors, shoeall indoor trades, seem busy, and there are no complaints by them of duhiess. Wages do not vary much from the following Masons, bricklayers, and carpenters run about J4h 'per day all over ; ploughmen, L 65, and

married do., wife active, LBO and upwards—new arrivals go on at about L 52 and L 55, as trial wages ; females get L3O, L 35 and L4O; housekeepers, cooks, and barmaids get L 52 and upwards ; smart girls and boys are not to be had; day laborers get 8s; stonebreakers, from 2s 8d to 4s per yard, according to gauge; hotel servants are asked for.