COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE. Oamaru Times Office,

North Otago Times, Volume I, Issue 10, 28 April 1864, Page 4

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE. Oamaru Times Office,

Wednesday Evening. The following are the retail current prices : — sugar, yellow crystal, 7d per lb ; white do, 7^d; common counter, Pel; tea, 3s 6d and 4s ; mixed pickles, Is 9d per bottle; cheese (English), Is 9d per lb ; do, Colonial, Is (id per do ; bacon, do, Is 8d ; Sinclair's hams, do, Is lOd; coffee, per lb Is lid; butter, (cork) do Is 8d ; Wellington, do 2s; and fresh do 2s 9d ; currants, do 1 Od ; bottled fruit 2s 6d ; assorted jams, per lb Is 9d : dried apples, do Is; salmon, per tin 2s ; sardines, | do 2s; { do Is 3d ; sperm candles, per lb, Is 6d; tallow, do, Is; bread, 41b loaf Is 6d ; onions, per lb, Gd : flour, do, 5d; potatoes, Is 8d per st. ; eggs, 3s per doz; beef, 9d to lOd per lb ; mutton, do, lOd; pork, do, lOd to Is: tobacco, Barret's twist, 10s perlb; aromatic, do, 10s

Melbourne. The Arqus of the 11th has the following- — "Flour and wheat continue /irmly held, but bales take plaee for ifnmediate wants. "In the address of the retiring president of the Chamber of Commerce, at the annual meeting held on the 11th instant, the following grave remarks occur : — ' The almoBt total destruction of the wheat crop has caused much distress throughout the agricultural districts. In many nibtanccb the farmers i\ ould not save sufficient to maintain their families, and he had heard it stated that large districts would be waste ne\t season from want of means to procure seed to put in the ground ' This btatenient, which the action of the Board of Agriculture seems to confirm, if borue out by the statistics, which we may soon receive from the Itegistrar-Crencral, must have a very important inllueuce upon trade for some time to come "

London, Feb. 2G. Wool Repokt. — There are no features in our market worth noting since out 1 last report ; the few inquiries made have been ehiefU lor sorts to biipply immediate requirements, and, except in special cases, buyers have refused to pay in advance on November rates, two or three who have paid us a visit from the North having gone home without buying a bale, preferring to wait {or the sales which are fixed to commence on the 3rd of March. The arrivals to date are — Sydney, 9570 bales j Van Diemen's Lund, 390 bales ; Adelaide, 9247 bales ; Now Zealand, 1080 bules ; Cape, 15,285 bales ; total, 38,125 bales. It is much to be regretted that up to date we are without the new wool from Port Philip, and if the present stock should be all we ha\ e to offer we may fairly anticipate last sale rates. Trade in the Nortli is good, but not very animated.— Home News j

Bank Siukks. — There is an improvement in Bank of Nei\ Zealand shares, but n slight reduction in those of the English, Scottish, and Australian. The first instalment of the Otago Government Loan is partly taken up. Ni:w Zealand. — For the past month exports have been on u similar scale with December and January, being £112,122 against £147,109. Auckland appropriates £38,7GO of the former amount, and Otago £68,281. The gross exports for 18G3 were £1,830,445, with an aggregate tonnage oi 5735 tons.