COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4496, 17 August 1875, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

The Customs revenue collected at the port of Wellington yesterday was as follows: —

“LONDON COMMERCIAL. (From the New Zealand Loan Company's Circular.) General business in this country cannot be reported in bo favorable condition as we were a month ago led to hope would he the case. While the wool trade has been but little affected by the recent mercantile disasters, our other great staple manufactures, cotton and iron, have suffered considerable depression, and there is a disinclination on the part of purchasers to operate except on lower terms, which, meanwhile, manufacturers are loth to accept. The published returns of the Board of Trade for the five months ending 31at May do not sustain the promise of improvement in our foreign trade which was given by those to the 30th April. The total exports for May were £18,225,152, as compared with £21,229,247 ia the corresponding month of 1874, being a decrease of over 14 per cent, for the month, the diminution for the five months having amounted to 7 per cent. As contributing to this decline for the month, woollen goods and yarns figure to the extent of about £250,000, while on iron the decrease is not leas than £822,438, or about one-fourth from the amount of May, 1874, the quantity having simultaneously decreased only 28,240 tons, or about 11 per cent. Telegraphic wires and apparatus form, however, the principal item under which the decline has taken place, exports having been only £40,187 against £1,068,392 in the corresponding month of last year. As on previous occasions since the general decline in prices set in a few months since, the values of the goods entered for exportation in the majority of instances show a greater percentage of decline than the quantities ; in the case of coal there appears an increase of 11 per cent, in quantity, coupled with a decrease of 16$ per cent, in value. The imports for May show the large increase of 13fr per cent., due chiefly to augmentations under the head of cereals and other articles of food, the raw materials of manufacture, cotton and wool, exhibiting at the same time a moderate increase. For the five months to 31st ultimo, there is still a decrease of about i per cent. THE LONDON WOOL MARKET, (From Jacomb and Sons Circular.) London*, June 17. After a duration of six weeks and three days the second series of public sales oLcolomal wools for this year has terminated this evening; during this period 271,290 bales have been brought to the hammer, but a very small proportion having been withdrawn. it is estimated that about one half of this has been taken for foreign account; we never before remember so large an attendance of Continental buyers as mustered here during a great part of these sales. From the figures appended it would appear that the whole available quantity nearly must have been placed, so that with books pretty clear of old stock now, and anything like a fair average consumption between this and the 17th of August, we ought to have by that date a market fully prepared to deal with the (say) 260,000 bales which will then be brought to sale, and which, with the exception of a farther quantity of Capes, will form almost the whole supply we shall have to look for between this and the arrival of the new Australasian clips early next year. Up to this date last year 450,834 bales of colonial wool bad been sold In this market; up to date this year 477.276 have been disposed of, wo are therefore in a better position to the extent of the difference at the moment, with the prospect of but a small increase in colonial production this year; a decreased supply of South American (equivalent to some 60,000 or 60,000 bales colonial), and an expected decrease in Home production. We have reported the course of prices at frequent Intervals during the course of sales; the average ad-

vance on March prices which developed from the opening till past the middle of the sales has not been supported in , the last days of the series “ ■ scriptions, the few closing sales showing gre&t.apathy this feeling only supervened when a very small proportion of the quantity remained for sale. The mercantile disasters which have culminated, not only in London, but in one or two northern manufacturing districts during the last week or so. have doubtless contributed heaviness to our market at the close.

NEW ZEAXAND HEMP KEPORT. Messrs. G. and A. Noble report, under date London, 2Sth June, 1875 : After holding off for many months, some sellers of this staple exposed at auction la9t week about 1100 bales, which coming thus suddenly forward somewhat frightened buyers, who hid but little over the low rates current for the lasliftwo or three months, and so caused nearly the who&.to be withdrawn. Since then, however, ft stightlttfirmer tone has prevailed, and some small qnantiMUas been placed at rates above the auction offers.Rfe Quotations will be as rdlldws :—Common, £l4 10s. per ton; fair, £l9 10s. per ton-; good, £2l 10s. per ton; fine, £23 per ton. Tow, £0 to £l4. . 1573. 1574. 1875. Tons. Tons. Tons. Landings for May .. .. 505 230 1 Deliveries do. .. ..' 117 202 154 Stock, Ist June .. .. 1037 2496 1010 BY TELEGRAPH. AUCKLAND, Monday. Mr. Alexander Saunders reports:—Sales: Loan, 905.; Beach, 315.; Caledonian, 905.; Hoanaitiri, 325. 6d.; Cure, 14s. Buyers: Colonial, r 275. ; South British, 475.; Long Drive, 13s. Sellers: National Bank 755. ; Caledonian, 905.; Tairua, 50s. ; City of London, 475. 6d.

£ s. a. Spirits .. 150 15 4 Wine.. .. 5 * 10 Tea .. .. 53 15 6 Sugar.. .. 37 19 9

£ s. d. Ad valorem goods .. 343 5 11 Other duties.. 380 0 0 Total ..£971 1 4