COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4472, 20 July 1875, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

The Customs revenue collected at the port of Wellington yesterday vras as follows £ s. d. » s * a ■ Spirits .. 69 2 5 Ad valorem "Wine . .. 22 0 9 goods .. 13 11 3 Sugar.. .. 90S Goods by Tea .. .. 19 IS 0 weight .. a IS 1 T °cigar3 aEt ! 24 0 0 Total ..£163 15 2 THE WOOL MARKET?" fFroin the N.Z.L. and M.A. Company's Circular.) ' London, June 1. The second series of colonial wool sales for the present year commenced on the 4th May, with a catalogue comprising the following proportions Mew South Wales and Queensland .. 740 Bales. Victoria ” South Australia ” Tasmania ,xr ” Mew Zealand "1 >* Cape of Good Hope .. . - • • 990 ~ Total 6,187 Bales. The total quantity which arrived in time to be included in the series was as follows Mew South Wales and Queensland.. 56,606 Bales. Victoria .. HfAoO „ South Australia ” Western Australia °,4Mj „ Tasmania.. .. •• •• ** Ji’.lS: ** Mew Zealand ” Cape of Good Hope .. •• •• >» Total 270,447 Bales. Of these arrivals about 12,500 bales (viz 4,900 Australasian and 7,600 Cape) were forwarded direct to Yorkshire and other manufacturing districts and the Continent, leaving therefore about 207,000 bales of the fresh arrivals available for the auctions, in addition to any parcels which may have been held over from previous sales. This quantity is some 30,000 bales less than was originally anticipated, a circumstance mainly attributable to the delay to homewardbound vessels caused by contrary winds. The sale opened with a very large attendance of home and foreign buyers, whose biddings were characterised by considerable animation, and the prices established were fully equal to the closing rates of the i'ebniary-March auctions. Since the commencement of the sales & more or less general advance has been manifested in the value of the stanle. and there are indications that the improvement is likely to hold good, at all events during the current series, and possibly to a great extent throughout the season. This favorable change in the position of our raw material is owing partially to circumstances affecting consumption, and partly also to the recognition of the fact that the supply this year will not show the large excess over last years production which was some time since anticipated. With respect to the consumption, there seems to be Utile doubt but that there has been a rather generally improved trade in aU the woollen districts of late, though this has been perhaps more decided and marked in France than at Home or in Germany, and that the commencement of the sales found consumers, if not bare of stock, at aU events with only sufficient to meet strictly current requirements. As regards the supply, we may observe that the deficiency in the Elver Elate production, variously estimated, but placed on good authority at equal to £O,OOO colonial bales, is an ascertained fact. Further, it appears probable that shipments from the Cape this year will be about stationary, while from Australia it seems likely that the Increase, though fair In extent, will fall far short of that of 1874 over the production of the previous twelve months. The principal advance exhibited in the course of the sales thus far has been in the case of cross-bred and very fine merino fleece washed parcels. The former, notwithstanding a material Increase in the supply, have commanded keen and sustained competition at an Improvement of fuUy Id. per lb. on March rates, while for the latter an equal advance lias been secured. Ordinary and lower qualities of fleece wools are about id. dearer, lambs’ wool, so far as respects line washed parcels, has advanced Id. per lb., greasy remaining at about February prices. Scoured wools, with the exception of Capes, do not appear to lave participated in the advance noticeable in other descriptions, or at all events not to the same extent. Grease wools generally are in strong demand from the JZVeuch trade, and on average command some advance

on the extreme rates for similar parcels at the preceding auctions. Now Zealands do not admit of comparison with Feb.-March, but Victorian and South Australian unwashed shipments, with the exception of the lower grades of the latter, are selling quite as well as in that series. The main feature in favor of New Zealand produce is the improved value of crossbred and long wool, so large a proportion of which comes from that colony. This is to some extent specially due to the report of a deficiency of some i 14 per cent, in the Home growth, as to the foundation for which it is impossible as yet to pronounce. On the whole, the progress of the spring has developed features of stability in connection with the wool trade which, failing some unforeseen check, promise well for its future. Up to this date the following quantities from the respective colonies have been catalogued, of which it is estimated that 4100 bales have been withdrawn : New South Wales and Queensland .. 30,875 Bales. Victoria 70,079 ~ South Australia 20,495 ~ Western Australia .. .. .. 2,832 „ Tasmania 3,085 „ New Zealand .. 15,643 ~ Cape of Good Hope 19,093 ~ Total 170,602 Bales. It is at present arranged that the sales now in progress shall conclude about ISth June, and the next series is fixed to commence on 17th August. We append note of arrivals to this morning for next sales:— New South Wales and Queensland .. 11,549 Bales. Victoria 9,367 ~ South Australia.. 7,230 „ 4 Western Australia 188 „ Tasmania 4,004 „ New Zealand 25,835 „ Cape of Good Hope 11,405 ~

Total 69,576 Bales. BY TELEGRAPH. AUCKLAND, Monday. Sellers; South British, 485.; National Bank, 775.; Long Drive, 155.; London, 525. 6d.; Beach, 255. Sales: South British, 4Ss.; Bank of New Zealand, £l7 17s. Buyers: Calf, 10s.; May, 10s. Cd. GRAHAMSTOWN, Wednesday. The share market is depressed; Tairuas are flat at £2.