COMMERCIAL

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4786, 25 July 1876, Page 2

COMMERCIAL

The Customs duties received at this port yesterday were as under: — £ s. d. £ s. d. Spirits .. 86 18 6 Sugar.. .. 64 10 0 Wine.. .. 1118.5 Goods by wgt. 72 14 9 Tobacco .. 31 17 6 Ad val. goods 237 8 0 Cigars.. .. 44 8 5 Other duties.. 4 7 6 Tea .. .. 28 0 G Coffee,. .. 10 1 0 Total ..£598 11 7 THE MELBOURNE WOOL MARKET. (From Goldsbrough’s Monthly Circular.) Melbourne, July 10. The sales during the month have been unimportant, the total disposed of being about 200 bales, consisting chiefly of oddments and country scoured. The fellmongers have experienced great difficulty in drying their wool, and receipts at the warehouses, whether for sale or shipment, have, in consequence, been smaller than is usual even at this time of the year. The arrival of the China on the 24th ult. placed ns in possession of our English advices to May 10th, ani of priced catalogues of the second series of colonial wool sales held in London, terminating May 6th, from perusal of which we gather that the fall from the rates current in February of 10 to 15 per cent, continued throughout the series; and, Jwith some fluctuations, this decline may be said to represent the average depreciation in the value of all classes of Australian wools, although during the last fortnight there was a little more animation when some of our finer wools were submitted. The third series are now progressing, but owing to the interruption to direct telegraphic communications with Europe, we are without any information as to the course of prices. So far the market has this year been without any support of a merely speculative character, the trade having shown no disposition to extend their orders beyond the supply for immediate requirements ; but in the face of such heavy arrivals (350,000 bales being expected) we fear It would be vain to expect any advance in rates, unless the manufacturing trade has materially improved. Attention is already being directed to the new clip, but shearing operations at the early sheds on the Upper Darling will be considerably delayed this year, as owing to the almost entire suspension of river navigation, many of the stations have not yet received the necessary supplies to enable them to commence, and the rising of the river is now anxiously looked for. Although the apprehensions of a severe drought which prevailed some time ago have, happily, been allayed by a timely fall of rain, the quantity received has not been equal to requirements, and wo fear that the want of feed for the young stock will he severely felt in many places. Lambing is progressing satisfactorily in some districts, while in others severe frosts and insufficiency of suitable feed have told very disastrously on the result. On the whole we are inclined to think the increase this year will be under the average. The following vessels arc on the berth, and will probably clear during the week, viz., Agamemnon, with about 1200 bales; V/. G, Itussell, 900 bales ; Essex, 800 bales; and Amyone, 700 bales.