COMMERCIAL.

Grey River Argus, Volume V, Issue 320, 1 February 1868, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Gr«y River Argus Office. Friday evening. The amount of revenue received at the Custom House on goods passed for home consumption on Thursday and Friday, Jan. 30 and 31, was as follows :•- Thursday - - -. £229 17 11 Friday -. -. - 52 9 0 £282 6 11

Cumstchukch. — The Lyttelton Timta of the 25th inst. reports as follows :— For certain descriptions of merchandise there has been a more active inquiry during the past week'; but, taking our markets as a ■whole, business has been quiet. The race holidays of the previous week have tended tt check commercial operations. At thip.period of the year, being between seasons, we do not look for much animation in trade, and therefore consider the amount of business being done as up to a fair average. With a few weeks of fine weather, to allow the shearing to proceed' and get finished, we should, no rionbt feel a beneficial effect arise in our n arketfl. The suspension of one or two large

squatting firms, and tlie usual minors of more to come, have created a very uneasy feeling amongst all classus. Tin- 1 Hark cloud which lias been passing ov.;r this pr!.vine> (1 iik the pas.fc two years, causing tho ruin of many merchants ami trail r- , and severely trying all connected with trade, as well as nearly paralyzing the I" ntiii'ig interest, seems determined that "P flaa^ or interest shall escape its baleful influence;, and the trials and difficulties which have lioset the path, of the merchants and farmers appear now to have attacked thu squatter. The iinprecedently heavy losses of sheep in the late severe snow storm, combined with the sudden fall in the value of wool in England, and the exceed? ingly high rate of interest which is being paid in very many instances upon the unpaid portion of their runs, must qeriously .affect the positions of those who are not financially strong. The failure of the larger runholders will not affect the cpininercial interests of the province so much as might be expected, a^ nearly th.c whole of their operations were foreign to the province.