Commercial.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 1, Issue 15, 15 April 1867, Page 87

Commercial.

NAPIEB. Times Office, Monday morning. The past month commenced with a decided advance in the briskness of business, and the market was pretty well supplied with goods, especially as the arrival of the ‘ Montmorency * promised a seasonable supply to the leading mercantile firms of articles much in demand. The loss of her cargo, however, gave a temporary check to business, and caused the merchants to seek seasonable supplies from neighboring markets ’of those goods most needed. This has been to a great extent effected already, and is still in progress. The close of the month'has 'exhibited* greater stagnation’of trade than we can call to mind as having heretofore occurred. There seems to be literally no cash in circulation, —the Provincial Treasury is comparatively, empty,—and no accommodation will be afforded by either of the banks; —in short, the business prospects for-the coming winter are gloomy enough, and we cannot at present see any signs of improvement. The Provincial Government have two sales of Crown land* in course of a few days, which will perhaps impart' a little temporary briskness to town trade. The Customs Receipts at the Port of Napier for the mouth ending 31st. March amounted to £2429 3s. large shipments of sheep have been made during the mouth to settlements on the East Coast, to the Bay of Islands, and to Auckland. The export of wool, too, has been considerable— large quantities having been shipped to Auckland, Wellington, and Lyttelton, for transmission to England MELBOURNE. (Prom telegrams in the Sydney Morning Herald.) March 29. Small sales of flour are reported: £ll 10s for Victorian, and £l2los lor South Australian; Port M'Donnell wheat, 4s lOd in bond; Victorian wheat, 4s 3d to 4s 6d; oats, 3s 6d to 4s; maize, 3s 9d to 4s; sound qualities of white crystal sugar, £43; Calcutta sacks, 13s. The Carl, from Calcutta, brings 150 tons of rice, which was sold to arrive. ADELAIDE. (From telegrams in the Sydney Morning Herald.) March 27.. Tab exports sincejthe Ist of January are:. Wheat, 56,350 quarters, and. flour, 1750 tons. The' Wheat market is ’ very firm, from 4s Id to 4s per bushel, and very little offering. Flour continues very dull, at £lo to £ll per torn ;

March 28. Mr Boothby, the Government staticist, has just given in the following statistics of the last croptotal’; number of bushels of wheat, 6,410,«65, average per acre 14§ bushels; after deducting the estimated quantity’ for home consumption, and for seed, this will give 105,000 tons for export, of which 30,000, tons have been already shipped. There is mo. alteration in the corn market. I March 29. . ; Wheat is very firm at 4a Id to4s lsd, at-which price sales are reported for export* Flour continues dull at £lO to £11; r x i

* SYDNEY. (From the Herald, April I,)'

Since the departure of the last Panama mail trade - has been rather inactive, owing tcrthe uncertainly. existing as to the effect. of home advices by the'January overland mail. - The receipt of these. has not rendered matters . more brisk Second houses do not seem willing to overburden themselves with stocks,-and importers.are indisposed to quit goods, unless at fair rates.' Should n <?i Xt ma il‘bring advices of. a further decrease in shipments to this colony, an active winter business is looked for, especially as our mining -and pastoral interests are likely to be materially improved by the late .rains,, and the farmers by an improved demand for their produce. Money continues easy, and a large amount of capital awaits remunerative investments. Bank stocks are most-inquired for, hut-there is little offering, and all recently disposed of has been at % ‘arc advance on the rates ruling last month, . There is not much export trade doing in the wool market ';: the bulk of the month’s shipments have been on station account, and the whole of the ships: on the berth for the July sales having completed their engagements, buyers are looking for a reduction on. the rates paid at public sales a fortnight since.

Tallow.—The local trade are taking all offering, and this being less than requirements, has induced competition, and. forced prices up to . a considerable advance on London rates. At public e ®terday, best beef tallow realised‘£4s to £47 2s 6d; second quality, £42 10s to £-13 16s. Mutton, £4B to” £SO 6s. • ••-.

Hides—There is an active demand for all descriptions, hut chiefly for first heavy and extra weights, the whole of which are taken by manufacturers at rates beyond the limits of. those who buy for the English market. The latest sales have been first heavy, 13s to'l6s 6d; medium. 10s to 12s 6d ; inferior, 3s 6d to 9s 9d; calf skins, Is to 3s 6d; opossum skins, Is per dozen. Candles.—The market has a lower tendency, and purchases can be made at slightly lower rates than ruled a fortnisht since.

Coffee.—For plantation sorts, 10d to IOJd, is a fair quotation. Manila and Java, 7d to 9d. Teas.—Low and medium congous, in half chests, are very scarce, and wanted at full rates, and also chests of any grade valued under- £8; scented pekoes sell at 2s to 2s 3d; fine congous, £9 to £lO. The balance of the Albert Jurss’s cargo is advertised for auction next week.

Sugars.—The market is very firm, and no likelihood of lower rates ruling for some time; the great bulk of present stock is held by the Sugar Company, whose rates for -refined sugars range froffi £42 to £49. The shipmeut of Macila sorts, ex Harriet Army tage, has not yet changed hands, but will probably do so during the ensuing week. . Tobacco.-—ln the present state of the market, it is impossible to get anything like a fair price for any samples offered , for positive sale. Some few brands, of which stocks are moderate, may command something near invoice prices; but generally speaking, the market was never in a worse state for importers. American goods.—Recent arrivals have added to stocks, and as other shipments are expected, no improvement caa be depended on for a time. The lumber market has been glutted by recent Californian arrivals, and at the late sales low prices were realised.

• HOBART TOWN. Thebe has been little of importance doing in the markets to-day, and prices coutinue without alteration, as follows:- Flour, £lO 10s to £ll per ton; sharps, £6 to £7 per tori; bran, Is 2d per bushel. Old wheat is scarce, and may be staled as out or the market; prime lots would realise 5s per bushel; new wheat is firm at 4s 6d per bushel. Oats are in slack demand, the price being from 2s 6d to 2s 9d per bushel; peas. 3s per bushel; barley (English), 6s per bushel; Cape. 3s 6d per bushel. Dairy produce is at present imdemand. and prices rule high. Prime potted butter is quoted at Is 4d per lb. Eggs, Is 3d per dozen.—Hobart Town Mercury, 20 th March.

WELLINGTON STOCK MARKET. The Hutt Market yesterday was attended by plenty of bona fide purchasers, and there were several valuable lots of stock, sheep, and cattle submitted to competition. Mr J. 11. Horner yarded about 1250 sheep, which sold at an average of from 10s to 11s each, the principal purchaser being Donald Fraser, Esq., of Rangitikei. A veryfine lot wethers, the property of William Welch, Esq. of Masterton, was then put up and found a ready purchaser in J. E. Wright Esq. of Goathur.-t Farm, who took the lot at 16s 6d per head Fat cattle, the-property of Mr David Dick and others, realised at the rate of 4j-d per lb., and milch con s sold at prices ranging between £lO and £ls. Horses were in demand; hacks fetching 8 to 18 gs; and splendid colts belonging to Mr Welch were eagerly bought at 20 guineas. Mr J. n VI allace sold Mr Ludlnm’s rams at satisfactory prices; also a lot of lambs and store cattle.—Evening Post, 4th April. THE TRADE BETWIXT THE COLONIES OF AUSTRALASIA AND THE UNITED KINGDOM. In 1864 the Imports and Exports from and to Great Britain with the Australian Colonies were

as follows:— Imports. Exports. New Zealand £1,102,407 £1,S67,624 Western Australia. 163,707 111,903 Victoria 4,003,813 4,316,944 Tasmania ... ... 464,296 266,716 South Australia ... 1,203,809 1,116,654 Queensland 341,362 440,003 New South Wales.. 2,559,380 2.741,780 £9,843,774 £11,861,624