COMMERCIAL.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 231, 6 March 1875, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

The Customs revenue collected yesterday was as

The grain market has been exceedingly active throughout the week, both as regards sales and deliveries. Orders, however, come forward very slowly, and as stocks now are accumulating m store lower prices must result, unless shipments commence. Wheat is steady at 3s, but some of the larger buyers are not anxious to increase their present purchases. Flour is quiet at £9 in bakti’s parcels. Oats have been nnsettled, several buyers being apparently uncertain what to give; but the advices now to-hand from Melbourne, per the Otago, will have a depressing eiiect, as that market is rapidly drooping. A correspondent, writing on the 24th nit. says:—“Our grain market is in a state of transition from high prices to low, so that present quotations are only nominal. As soon as oats come forward freely from Tasmania and New Zealand prices here will go below 4s, so that to leave a margin for shipment from your port, you would have to ship at 2s 6d free on board.” Should this prove correct, prices iu Christchurch must xfl.ll to 2s to 2s 3d, and judging from the enormous crop available in Otago this is not unlikely. Barley is selling at 4s 6d up to 4s 9d, the latter only in very rare cases. Higher rates are spoken of, but we cannot find any buyers willing to operate beyond these quotations. Cheese meets a steady market at 6Jd to 7d for very prime. Business has been fairly brisk in the import markets during the past week, the trade showing disposition to buy largely. The foreign arrivals have been the Charmiau, from London, on the 23th ult, and the (Jatharina, from New York, via Dunedin. on the Ist inst. The former bringing full cargo of general merchandise, the latter kerosene, chairs, brushware, general ironmongery, and a quantity of preserved lish, buckets, tubs, &c. The ship TVaifangi is now full, and is expected to sail on Tuesday next for London. The Laugstone is loading with wheat, &c, and will have quick dispatch. Large trade sales have been made in Mauritius sugars, at £34 10s to £33 10s for whites; yellows meet with a considerable amount of attention at £33, i.b. In teas the business done has been above the average. We hear of several parcels of the shipment per W. G. I’atton taken up at rates withheld. Brandy Hennessy’s pale and Martell's dark find purchasers in small lots at 9s fid. Geneva is meeting with more attention. Whisky—The usual trade sales have been maintained. Rum (W.I.)—A few parcels of 10 o.p. have been placed at 4s 3d to 4s fed, ,’b. Ales and stout are moving oil - freely, best brands have been sold at 11 s 9d to 12s 3d, d.p. Several small sales have been made in best brands of twist tobaccos at Is 9d, i.b. Kerosene is forced off at Is 4d to Is 4id, i.b. Candies meet with fair Bale at 10Jd to Xld. Dried Fruits—A large parcel of currants have been sold at 4:Jd; we hear of a line of very fine fruit fetching 5.1 d, Corusacks Ihere have been several large sales in cornsacks at 12s. Woolpacks almost neglected. A few pockets of English hops have been disposed of at 2s lid to 3s, d.p. The demand for cement is still large, parcels realise 23s 6d to 23s here, or 21s delivered in Lyttelton.

At Mr R. Wilkin’s weekly wool and skin auction on Thursday, Mr Aikman reports a good attendance and prices as under—station skins, 6d to Bld per lb; butchers’ pelts, lid to 2s 6d each : lambskins, Is lid each; small, 9d each. Wool— About 60 bales and packages, in the grease, Id to Hid per lb; locks and pieces, 4Jd to 8d per lb.

Mr H. E. Alport reports a large supply of sheep and a moderate quantity of cattle at the Addington Taras, on Wednesday last. 1h head 18 months old f ood quality store steers and heifers, at £3 10s6d; 5 bead do do 2 years old, at £4 15s; 4 head do do 2 to 3 years old, at £6 2s 6d; 280 half-fat merino ewes, at 3s 3d. Sales were effected of half-bred fat sheep, at from 10s to 14s 6d; merino wethers, good weights, at 9s 6d; store halt-breds, 8s to 11s 3d: lambs, 6s 6d to 8s ; fat steers and heifers, £7 15s to £9 2s 6d; store do do, 3 years old, £6 2s 6d to £7 2s 6d. Beef briskly competed for. Very prime made 30s per lOOlbs. Quotations—2ss to 27s 6d periooibs; mutton, 2d to 2Jd per lb.

Melbourne. —The “ Argus” ot the 2-lth ult. reports:—ln the import market a moderate business only has been done to-day. The auction sales went off very heavily, and the greater portion of the teas offered had to be withdrawn. Breadstuff's are very firm. Flour was sold at £lO 10s early in the day, but afterwards there was nothing done under JBIO 12s 6d and £lO 15s, at which rates sales were effected towards the afternoon. Wheat Is wanted, and sales can readily be made at the advance which has been established; ordinary quality realised 4s 8d to 4s Bjd, and about 300 bags very good brought 4s 9d net delivery ex store; 3000 bushels were taken off at these quotations. Oats are very dull, and almost unsaleable. Publicly 4s 4id to 4s 7id was obtained for Tasmanian and Victorian. Maize is still quoted at 5s 6d, but we are without any business worth special notice to report. V parcel of ordinary quality malting barley has be: placed at 5s Id; tine quality is beginning to be enquired for. Sugars are in fair request. Under the hammer this forenoon, 1000 bags only were disposed of. Browns sold at £25 to £26 ss, and rations at £2O 5s to £23 158. Privately, about 1500 bags have been taken up in parcels at prices ranging from £3l to £34 15s. We observe that the cargo of the Young Dick, from Mauritius, will be submitted to competition on Thursday. The usual quantity of Yarraville refined will at same time be offered. A parcel of light-weight cornsacks was quilted at 9s Id, Victorian new hops, a parcel of 23 pockets grown at Oxley Plains, a very fine sample, were cleared off at is Hid to 2s. Sales of kerosene oil were made at Is IJd for Devoc’s, at which 700 cases were placed. The sales of timber comprise 400,000 ft flooring, disposed of at 15s 6d to 17s 9d. Clearpine sold at £l7 10s to £l6 7s 6cl; shelving at £lO 10s to £ll 12s 6d ; carpenters’ clear at £9 15s, and T. and G lumber at £9 15s. The Schoolboy’s cargo of cedar, in log, was placed at 18s 6d to 35s 6d. We note a considerable demand for tobaccoes for export, chiefly navies and aromatics, at advanced rates, and a fair business is reported. Exchange on London has advanced a trifle. The banks’ selling rate this mail is threequarters per cent premium for sixty days’ si"’ drafts. The buying rate is par.

Adelaide.— The following telegrams appear iu the “Argus.” February Isth—\\ heat is iu active demand at 3s for export to England. February 19th—Wheat is wanted at 3s Old. February 20thHolders of wheat are asking 3s lOd. February 23rd— There is more inquiry to-day for wheat, and sales at 3s lOd are reported. February 21th—A cargo of wheat was sold to-day at full rates.

Mauritius —The “Argus” reports:—TheToung Dick, just arrived from Mauritius, brings dates from Fort Louis to Bth J anuary, but there is nothing material to add to the information by the Caton published a day or two ago. Telegrams, however, have been received in the city, via Aden, with dates to sth February, which state that yellow and grainy sugars were unchanged, but whites had declined 10c. One buyer for the English market had cleared off nil the refining greys, atO.lOdol for No 14. Ono vessel had sailed for (Port Phillip Heads for orders. One had sailed for Adelaide, and one for Syduoy. Oue wan loading tor fort Phillip

follows £ s. d. Spirits ... ... 171 9 1 Drapery Wine •• ... 177 10 ... 4 17 8 1 Bottled Beer ... 25 S 9 ... 19 6 0 Sujrar Coffee ... 43 9 8 8 5 9 Chairs ... 30 0 4 Hardware .. 33 8 3 Kerosene ... 400 0 0 Stout • • 45 7 6 Sundries .. ... 130 13 0 £1081 4 4