COMMERCIAL.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2116, 4 December 1880, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

The Customs duties collected at Christchurch on Thursday, December 2nd, were as follows :—Spirits, .£259 7s 2d; tobacco, £193 11a lid ; wino, £lB 12s 6d ; tea. £312 18s 4d : goods bv weight, £3 2s lOd; ad valorem, .£3B Is ; other duties, J 329 Is 3d; total, <£881153. At the usual sitting of the Waste Lands Board held at Christchurch on Thursday, December 2nd, sales were made as follows: Ordinary—Selwyn, 82a Or 18p; Akaroa, 72 acres. Total acreage sold, 154 a Or 18p, producing £303 4s 6d. Refunds on account of former purchases were made in the sum or -boa Bs. The opening of the month has not been of the most encouraging nature. _Tho business transpiring has been meagre and not np to what is usually expected at this period. The south-west weather lately prevailing has brought into Port tho long looked for barque Ocean Ranger from New York. We understand a small portion of the cargo, badly damaged by sea water, and unfit for reshipment at Mauritius, has been sold by auction at the latter port. The delivery of the cargo most likely will ho subject to an average demand. With a continuance of the present weather the Eangitiki and West Riding should very soon pnt in an aopearance. The cargo of sugar from the Mauritius by the Loja was tried at auction on Thursday afternoon in the presence of a fair attendance, but the utmost efforts of the auctioneer failed to enlist the attention of buyers. With the exception of one or two small lota of whites at £34 10a and £35, and one lot of brewers’ crystals, the entire lot was passed in. The deliveries of tea have been fair, and some business baa been dene in values at la to la 2d in half chests, Thera has been an inquiry again for Van Houten’s cocoa at 4s fid to 4s 7d. Candles_ are firm at 9Jd tolOd. Tobaccos have been quitted at la to Is 2d, according to brand, bnt sales have not been extensive. Bennetts have lately had more frequent sales, and as lines of approved quality are not so easily got, prices jure sustained. Vestas, 1000’a, are selling at 75s to 77s for Bell and Black’s. Boiled oil maintains its late value of 4s Bd. Colza has been sold at 4s 9d to sa. Castor on the spot has been placed at 3a fid to 3s 8d in bond, but parcels to arrive are offering at a concession on tho above quotations. Any day may now see the first of the Calcutta vessels with corn sack a and woolpacka. There have been a few enquiries for parcels to arrive, but no business has as yet passed under notice. Owing to the weather lately the demand for turnip seed has been pretty extensive, and has consequently fully kept up prices. Galvanised iron is quoted at late rates. There are no spot parcels offering, hut a few sales to come to hand are reported. Yard rates from £2B 10s to £3O, according to brand. Nintffeet lengths are not in over supply. Plain galvanised iron is asked for, at £2B to £29. In spirits not much can be noted —a sale of 20qrs Hennesey’s brandy is reported at 10s fid, and a line of Geneva at 13s 9d. Ale and stout are without change. COMMERCIAL TELEGRAMS. Auckland, December 3. Grain and produce are in plentiful supply. Oats are overstocked, and the demand is not brisk; good samples are quoted at 2s. The state of trade is such that eats cannot be im«rted at a profit, being obtainable in the irket cheaper than they can be imported from tho South. Flour is dull and heavily stocked. New potatoes fetched £4 to £5 per ton. Picked Oamaru’s move off slowly at £3 to £4. Timaeu, December 3. Mr Mess Jonas reports : Cattle of all descriptions are in good demand, particularly young stock and stores. Beef, 22a per lOOlbs. Horses —First-class draughts are enquired for, bnt few are offering. Merino wethers, 4s 2d; merino owes, 4a 3d; crossbred wethers, 10a. Oats have advanced Id to 2d, present quotations for prime feed being la 4d to Is sd.