Commercial.

Evening Star, Issue 3588, 22 August 1874, Page 2

Commercial.

The Amount of revenue received at the Gu» tom-house 01. t,oods cleared for consumption this day was L 336 17s Bd. A fair amount of business was dona during the past week; perhaps more than an average, taking the season of the year into consideration. The first shipment of new season’s teas were offered on Tuesday, at the rooms of Messrs M'Landress, Hepburn, and Co, There was a good attendance of the trade, but only one line of pekoes found buyers at Is per lb. A considerable advance has taken place in tobacco, in consequence of the news from America of a failing crop and a rise in value. The only farther _ noticeable feature in the general market is thr advance of one penny per lb. by the ham and bacon cur era of Canterbury. Butter and eheese remain at about former values. The general market’s quotations are unchanged in ether goods, A Mercer reports for the week ending August 22 :—Retail prices only : Fresh butter still continues scarce, and anything like passable fetches 2s per lb. Butter will not advance any higher this season, and is likely to be more plentiful every week. Salt butter Is 6d per lb, and selling well this winter. The market is well supplied J with cheese, and best quality is lOd to Isperlb. Side and rolled bacon, lOd to Is per lb. Colonial hams, la to Is 2d per lb; beef ham, 8d; boiled beef ham, 9d. English hams, Is id to la 6d per lb. Eggs are very plentiful, and selling at Is 6d per dozen. THE LABOR MARKET. Mr Skene reports that the demand for industrious people is as pressing as ever it was; even those who are ill adapted for the country are getting worked off. Wages are as follows : Servant girls, from L 26 to L3O, L 35, and L 1 0; cooks, housekeepers, and barmaids, Ll to 30s per week; nurse girls and smart boys, 7s to 10s per week; ploughmen, shepherds, and gardeners, from L 62 to L 65 per year; if married, and wife to help, L 75 to L9O and found. The building trade i? getting active again; day laborers are getting 8s to 9s per day. SHARE MARKET. Mr Hooper reports that the tightness of the money market is materially interfering with speculation in the share market. Speculative stocks are not dealt in except at a large discount : hence many promising stocks are selling far below par, which would otherwise from tiieir prospects obtain a premium. Colonial Bank shares are in better demand. The absence of information from the Shotover Terrace Company has had a depreciating effect on the value of this stock. National Insurance nave been sold at 31s : Standard Insurance are low. offering -at 11s 6d; South British are firm at 525; other stocks about the same as last week.