COMMERCIAL.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume V, Issue 224, 8 February 1865, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

OTAGO. The business of the month hss been quiescent amongst importers,, though moderately active amongst second houses. This has been caused by the holidays, which, even for this season of the year, have been unusually numerous ; by the uncertainty of the weather, and by' some little apprehension excited by the cmharrasments'of one or two houses engaged in local trade—these emban-as-ments having culminated in tire suspension of Messrs. Clevo and Co., and two lesser traders. The liabilities of these linns, found to be much smaller than was first cx pected, are now already in course of adjustment; the dividends anticipated will leave the aggregate loss to creditors comparatively small, and any fear that minor concerns would he prejudicially affected is now dissipated. Breadstnifs.—The Hour transactions have chiefly been in Chilian, which has been forced into consumption to a greater extent, owing to the unusually short supply of other kinds;, the cargo of the Anna Mario, which'was nearly all on hand at this time last month, was cleared off shortly after at £lB, the buyers finding a tolerably active -dsniaud vp-to the pHnwentthne at £l9 H>g to £2O i’or small lots. A parcel of Chilian, of inferior quality, to hand byway of Melbourne, was placed at £l7. Closing prices are:—“ First-class silk-dressed Adelaide £27 ; guaranteed Chilian, £2O; ditto, not guaranteed, £l7 to £lB. Oats, Scotch and Danish, 2s 9d to 3s ; Tasmanian, 3s 9d to 3s lOd; New Zealand growth, Is 3d; maize, 6s; gram, 15s to 16s pr cwt; bran, is 9d to 2s per bushel. Building Materials.—ln limiter the month's business does not show any improvement, sales having boon vfery limited in extent and without any upward tendency in price. Stocks have been added to, by the. arrival of the Lansdowne, from the Baltic, with deals; the Kusng Oscar, from Vancouver's Island; and by some considerable shipments of Scotch flooring. Galvanised corrugated iron has arrived in considerable quantity, and as no c n-esnonding demand exists, considerable difficulty is found in Greeting sales.. Lav iron, square and rod. is extremely dull; entire shipments cannot be sold at any rates, buyers preferring to select sizes for absolute use, paying a much better price. Slates are scarcely asked for; the few in the market realise £lllos to £l2, for countess.

Driver, Maclean and Co.’s New Zealand Live Stock, Station, and Wool Report;— Our first Intercolonial lave Stock Exhibition is now over, and we may bo permitted to say that in the opinion of our friends and the public interested, it has been even a greater success than was anticipased. In sheep especially the exhibits were valuable and numerous, and, would have competed successfully with any in the Australian colonies. In cattle, though we had a very respectable aggregate, there were fewer first-class stock than could be desired. Fresh pure blood is evidently wanted. The entries of horses were numerous, and in draught stock equal to any we have seen; the number of thorough-breds, though limited, was choice. Since our last report, we have sold 300 head, 100 of which were Provincial bred, from the stations of Messrs, Treweek Murison, Gow-, Fleming, and Coleman. The whole—including imported—have been sold at prices ranging from £7 7s. to £2O, equal to 20s. to 325. 6d. per lOnlbs,, cxcant for a few really superior Provincial bred, sold at equal to 45. Lambs —Are saleable at from 225. to 2is. per pair. We have sold 4000 at the latter figure.