Commercial.

Evening Star, Issue 4028, 24 January 1876, Page 3

Commercial.

The amount, of revenue received at. tliu - -ousa «-u goods oi -aired for conamnnl.i-'n i '■■■:. y w 1 07013s Bd. General husinoss bass been fair during the past w ek. The cargo of Mauritius sugar by the Emma is being privately sold, and several linos have be n placed at current mf os. Best yellows are going oil Irocly, out the prices asked for best whites arc, by the trade, considered extreme, and consequently they are moving off slowly. Tea is freely offered and a few sales are reported, chiefly of best bores and medium half exists. Beer in bulk is

entirely out of first bauds. A small ship* meat of new brew, arrived via Melbourne, speedily found buvers at full prices. Tobacco continues to command full rates, and is in fair demand. Patna rice is much looked after. A recent shipment from Melbourne of superior quality was readily disposed of. In spirits, Hennesey’s case brandy is coming to hand more freely, and quotations ore somewhat easier. Case may bo purchased at 30s 6d; bulk, 8s 6d to 8s 9d. Candles have been somewhat neglected lately, but prices arc unaltered. The demand for kerosene is steady, and prices unchanged. In dairy produce, butter is unsettled; cheese is acarse and commands full rates. THE SHARE MARKET. Mr Frederick H. Evans reports for the week ending 22nd inst.;—Sales; Standard Insurance shares, 12s Del; New Zealand, 63*; National, 235; Colonial Bank, :50s; Mosgiel Woollen Factory 40s. Closing pries: Standard I insurance, 12s 9d to 13s; National, 22s 9d to 335; Now Zealand, 635; South British, 52s 6d; Colonial Bunk, 30s j Mosgiel Woollen Factory, 40s; Albion Brewing Company, 10s. Mr Hooper reports sales in large parcels of Standard Insurance ut 12s lOd; National Insurance, 22s 9d; Colonial Bank, :50s 3d; Temperance Hall, 16s 6d. THE LABOR MARKET. Mr Skene reports that tho labor market is quiet at present, but it is only the lull before harvest. Skilled farm hands are scarce, while shepherds are hardly to be got. Town trades are fairly busy. Couples, blacksmiths, engineers, and shopmen are stiff to move. Female helps about equal to demand. Wages : Couples, from L 65 to L9O; ploughmen, L 52 to LCS; to L7l; day labor, 8s and 03 ; dairy and odd hands, 10s, 15s, 20s, and 25s per week ; house girls, xOs to 15a per week; hotel do., L 36 to Lo2 ser year, and more; buahmen, 8s to 11s per .'day; boys and girls, 6s to 10s per week'; carpenters, 12s and 13s; masons, about 15s, &c. THR CUSiVMS KEVENUS. (From tho Nero Zealiud Times J The full returns of the December quarter of 1375, compared with the first half of the financial year 1875 6 stand thus : Customs duties, 1875 £1,234.435 Do do 1874 1,188,WS Increase L 45.487 This was a smal increase no doubt, but it was as much as could reasonably have been expected from the absence of all speculation. It marked the steady progress of the Colony as a whole, although there are distr cts, we regret to say, which have apparently rctrogaded. The leading ports at which an increase is noted for the past year, as contrasted with the preceding one, are . ~ , Increase. Auckland LIB.IBO Wellington 29,3U Dunedin 4^93 There was a satisfactory increase also at the Fort of Wanganui, and at all the sub-ports in Auckland Province, Poverty Bay alone showing almost as large a total as Taranaki. On the other hand, the principal ports at which a decrease in receipts is noted, are „ Decrease. Napier Lll.llß Lyttelton 3,354 Nelson ’ ... 1,290 Westport 2,179 Greymonlh 6,195 Hokitika ... 6,613 It will therefore be quite evident that, if ic had been for Wellington and xiuckland Provinces showing signs of vitality last year, tho comparison would have been ve>y much worse than it is Canterbury Province was about stationary, the falling off at Port Lyttelton being balanced by the at Timai u. Otago, on the other hand, exhibited a small increase at all its porta of entry. The most serious, as it is also the most significant part of these returns, is the tale they tell of the West Coast of the Middle Island. Classing the town of Nelson with the Wes;; Coast settlements, we have a total deficiency on the year, as contrasted with 1874, of L 16,277. If, however, Lyttelton and Napier be added, the total would be 1.20 749-an amount which is more than covered by the increase at the ports of Auckland province, which foot up L 21.829 The total increase for Wellington province on the year was L 31.409. Selecting the five principal ports of the Colony their contribution to Customs revenue was : Auckland L 233.933 Wellington 153,641 Nelson 39,349 Lydeltou 170,732 Dunedin 362,335

The Treasurer estimated the receipts from Customs duties (exclusive of bonded stores and fees) during the financial year ending the 30th June next, at L 1,325,000. The amount actually received during the previous year was L 1,223,614. His expectations, however, are not being ful6lled. The first quarter cont.ibuted less than LI,OOO towards the anticipated excess of LIOO,OOO, and now at the end of six months the increase is no more than L 4,159. The following are the quarterly receipts during the last eighteen months ;

It will be observed that iu the March quarter of last year, which was the most productive ever known, the revenue was still LIO,OOO below the Treasurer’s anticipated average In order to make up the estimated average now, it would be necessary that the remaining two should bring in at the rate of L 354.567 each, which is in the highest degree improbable. The fact seems to be that the income has about reached a maximum. There is still a chance that the March or June quarter may prove exceptionally pro! ific ; but wo fear that, in reckoning on an increase of f-100 000, the Treasurer took too sanguine a view, and that a deficit of at least LOO.OOO is inevitable,— * Press.’

£ September quarter, 1874 ... 311,631 December 1875 ... 292,758 March ... 320,523 June ... 293,383 September if if ... 312,472 December f> if ... 303,494