AGRICULTURAL, COMMERCIAL, AND MARITIME REPORT For January.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume III, Issue 1, 31 January 1857, Page 14

AGRICULTURAL, COMMERCIAL, AND MARITIME REPORT For January.

We have had but little intercourse with Australia since our last report, the only arrivals, during the interval, having been one from Sydney and one from Melbourne. For the last three or four months, we have been called upon to report not only a dull but a steadily declining market in wheat, flour, and all other articles of grain. As far as ordinary intelligence would permit, we foresaw that this was almost certain lo be the case, and whilst ourNaiive growers were in a position to sell their wheat to the Auckland merchants at a price considerably be\ond that which the farmers of South Australia (the largest and best wheat producers in this part of the world) declared would leave them a handsome profit, we heaped caution upon caution, entreating them not to withhold their grain inthr' hope of forcing a price which it was impossible for them to command —not to injure and impede the coasting trade by keeping their own and other vessels unemployed, and not io put a stop to the few legitimate sources ofNew Zealand'scommercial industry by permitting Califo;nia, Chili, and other remote countries to compete with, undersell, andoust them from the neighbouring markets. They paid but comparatively

little heed to our remonstrances. They counted, with a crude and ill-informed judgment, lhat.wiih lire fall of the year, prices would rally arid advance, and instead of realising and acquiring the capital to enable them to extend and improve the operations of the approaching seed time, they have withheld their produce to a period when all the markets are overstocked, when Australia boasts of being in possession of more than a year's und when heavy sales at unsatisfactory prices can only be effected. Experience, however, is the only teacher of men and nations, and we hope thai, in future, our native farmers will be less obslimate in accepting a fair and remunerative price for their produe. . There have been but three arrivals during the present month, namely ; the ship Chapman, 758 tons, Captain Harland, from London, with a general cargo of merchandise, 52 passengers, and a detachment of the sSlh Itegt. consisting of S officers, 88 soldiers, and several women and children; the steam ship William Denny, 600 tons, Captain Mailler, from Sydney, with g,»ods and passengers; and the schooner Queen of Perth, 92 ions, Captain Slur'.ey, with goods and passengers, from Melbourne. The departures have been more numerous; and it is gratifying, in limes of so much and long prevailing dillness, to observe that unabated efforts are being made to extend the exports and enhance the resources of New Zealand. The following vessels sailed; schooner Eliezcr, 66 tons, Captain Wallace' from Manukau for Sydney, with 40,0 0 feet sawn timber;—brigantine Vixen, 138 tons, Captain Pcarse, for Amov, with 87,600 feet Kauri timber;—ship Conference, 531 tons, Captain Webster, for Manila, in ballast ; bng Gertrude, 120 ions. Captain Dunning for Sydney, v;ith 50,000 feel kauri limber. J>oo bags kauri gum, 50 coils rope, and 6 oales wool;-brig Moa, 2",8 tons, Captain Jhunipson, with 1461 na-s kauri gum, -25 baies flax, J55 bags wheat. 5 bales wool, 58 tons copper ore, 50 coils woo! lash,n »' 4<:asks oil, and sundry merchandise; and William Denny, steam ship, 600 tons, Uiptam Mailler, with 12(6 bags kauri gum, i>G hales hay, 9 bales wool, and sundry goods and passengers, for Sydney. The: coasting trade' exhibits a sensible diminution. There arrived 57 vessels of 2057 tons, w.iliil7s passengers, laden with 6056 bushels wheat, 1727 bushels maize, 5 tons potatoes, 85 cwl. onions, 126 packages mixed fruit. 5480 lbs, salt poriv, 15 cwt. hams and bacon, 19 p>gs, 300 sheep, * tun oil, 56 barrel*

sperm, 14 barrels slush, 12 bales 55cwt. flax, 67 bales wool, 59i tons kauri gum, 2 casks lurd, 54,000 ft. sawn limber, 26,000 shingles, iG3O posts and rails, 515 tons firewood, 6 bags flour, 4 boats, 200 feet house blocks, 55 tons copper ore, 2 (65 feet) spars. The vessels sailed coastwise were 50, of 4600 tons, carrying 154 passengers, and the customary amount of goods of native supply-

The subjoined are the Auckland Market Prices Current corrected to this date. Bread Stuffs. Flour, fine, 20L per ton. Flour, second quality, . . 181. per ton. Biscuit (prices uusleady) at from 20s.to25s.per ewt. Bread per loafof2lbs. . . sd. Brai> is. 3d. per bl. Butchers Meat. Beef and Mutton from . . 6d. to 7d. per lb. Pork (fresh and salt) . . sd. vo6d.diito Farm Produce. Wheat, (scarce) ' ss. Od. per bushel Maize, . . . 4s. to 4s. sd. per bushel. Oats, ... 4s. to 4s. 6d. per bushel Poiatoes, . . . 2J. too*, perion Onions .... Ud. to 2d. per lb. Bay (plenliful) . . hi. to 61. per lon. Dairy Produce, Butter . . . ds. 3d. to Is. 6d. per lb. Eggs . , . 4s. 3d. perdoz. Poultry ... 4s. per couple Ducks . . . . 6s. to 7s. per couple. Geese . . . . 6s. to 7s. 6d. each. Turkics .... Bs. to 9s. each. Hams and Bacon . 40d. lo lid. per lb. Groceries. Tea • . . . 51. to bl. ss. per chest. Sugar .... ohd. to sd. per lb. Coffee .... iOd. per lb. Bice . . . . 2d lo per lb. Soap .... 555. per cwt. Candles . . . . 10d. per lb. Tobacco .... led. to Is. per lb. Live Stock. | Sheep from . . 17s. to 255. a head. j Dairy Cows . . 9J. lo 12£. each. Calves from . . 255. lo 40s. each.