COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4788, 27 July 1876, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

The Customs duties received at this port yesterday were as under:— _ .

The Customs duties received at this port for the four weeks ending July 20, were as under:—

The import trade of the past month has only been moderate, and stocks have been considerably augmented by the arrival of three London ships. There Is also a certain feeling of depression, due to the bad weather and the fall in the price of wool, which has not been without its effects, upon trade. The import duties received at this port continue to show a marked increase upon each corresponding month of last year, and consequently we may infer that our trade is improving. Some complaints are heard of a slight tightness in the money market; but trade bills are met with regularity, and we have no failures to report. The Pym, 55S tons, arrived from London on July 7; Camperdown, 1487 tons, July 9; Sarah Bell, 812 tons, July 11; Horsa, from Glasgow, July 26 ; and the Delmira, 333 tons, from Melbourne, July 11, all with general cargo for this port. The vessels expected are—The Dunbritton, sailed May G ; Midlothian, 1085 tons, sailed May 19 ; Waikato, 1021 tons; Zealandia, 1115 tons; and St. Leonards, loading in London; the Panola, 697 tons, and Ada Wiswell, from New York; and the Wellomai, from Melbourne. The bank rates are as under: —Discount on local bills, under 95 days, 7 per cent; do, 125 days, 8 per cent; do, over 125 days, 9 per cent. Exchange on London—Buying rate at 90 days, 1 per cent discount; do 60 days, \ per cent do. Selling rate at 90 days, i per cent premium; do 60 days, 1 per cent do; do 30 days, U per cent do; on demand, 2 per cent do. Interest on deposits for 3 months, 4£ per cent; do 6 months, 5 per cent; do 12 months, 5i per cent. Ale and Porter (duty, Is. per gallon bulk, Is. 3d. bottled.)—A very moderate amount of trade has been done in bottled ales and stouts during the month, and stocks in importers’-hands being rather in excess, prices remain at a low and unremunerative figure. Best brands of ale and stout are quoted at from 10s. 6d. to 11s. 6d. per dozen, while outside brands are neglected at 7s. Cd. to 9s. 6d. per dozen. Bags and Woolpacks (duty, 10 per cent.V-Com-sacks have met with no inquiry, and are in full stock. Holders quote 10s. to 10s. 3d. per dozen; woolpacks, dull at 3s. 6d., for full size packs. Prices continue to rule exceedingly low in Melbourne, both for sacks and packs; there is therefore little chance of improvement in this class of goods. Candles (duty. Id. per lb.)— Ample stocks, with only a moderate business doing, quotations remaining at last month's rates. Belmont’s sperm, XOjd. per lb.; foreign, Dfil. per lb. Cement (duty, Is. per barrel.)—Dull and difficult to place. Best brands haye been offering as low as 17s. per barrel, for a parcel on terms ; but holders quote 17s. 6d. to 18s. per barrel, for ordinary lots. Coffee (duty. 3d. per lb.)—Usual business doing. Stocks moderate. Plantation is worth Is. 3d. per lb., in bond. Chicory has been scarce for'some time past, but recent arrivals have supplied the wants of this market at 7d. per lb., d.p. Confectionery (duty, 2d. perlb.)—Our local manufacture has almost superseded the demand for English make, but Keiller’s meets with moderate sale at 10id. per lb. Flour (duty, 20s. per ton.)—Stocks of Adelaide flour are now ample for our wants for some time to come. Best brands are quoted at £l4 10s. to £ls per ton, for trade lots, and while Southern flour continues so low there is not much probability of improvement. Fruits (duty, Id. per lb.) —An advance of Gs. per cwt. on the price of currants in the Home market has tended to harden prices here, and holders are asking 44d. to 4|d. perlb., with a disposition to hold for higher rates. Eleme and Valencia raisins are firm at Old. to CJd. per lb.; sultanas, Bd. toSid. perlb.; muscatels scarce, really fine fruit being worth Is. 2d. to Is. 3d. per lb.; figs, in fair supply at Bd. to 9d. per lb.; dried apples, 7}d. per lb. Hops (duty, 3d. per lb.) —There are no English hops in the market. Californian hops are worth Is. 3d. to Is. 6d. per lb.; Tasmanian Is. 6d. per lb., but the enquiry is only limited and dull of sale. Malt (duty, Is. Cd, per bushel). —No English malt in stock. Metals (duty, 10 per cent.) —Stocks of galvanised iron are moderate, recent arrivals having supplied this market, which was becoming bare. The demand continues good, and best brands are worth £3l to £32 10s. per ton for trade lots in assorted lengths. Fencing wire has been dull, and best brands cannot be quoted higher than £lB, £l9, and £2O per ton for. Nos. 6,7, and 8. Oils (duty, Gd. per gallon).—Stocks of kerosene have become lower than usual, there being none in first hands, and the price has advanced to 2s. 9d. per gallon. Advices are to band of 700 cases on board the Wolloraai, from Melbourne, now due, which will supply current wants ; and the Ada Wiswell, from New York, has 3320 cases on board for this port. Paint oils remain at last month’s rates, with little trade doing. Oilmen’s Stores (duty, 10 per cent.) —In oilmen’s stores a fair trade has been doing, but no lines are in special demand, stocks being sufficient for current Rico (duty £d. per lb.)—There is little doing in this grain during the winter months. Dressed-Patna is worth from £22 to £2B per ton, according to quality. ■ Salt (duty, free).—Salt in the early part of this month was quoted os high as £7 per ton ; there being little or none in first hands. Several shipments have been landed, and the market Is easier, quotation being now £5 10s. per ton for fine and coarse. Spirits, (duty, 12s. per gallon).—A fair amount of business has been doing in all descriptions of spirits during the past month, but,stocks being in every cose large, with a disposition on the part of holders to realise, prices remain low; nor has the rise in brandy in the Home market affected our quotations to more than a trifling extent, Martell’s and Hennessy's brandy, in quarters, is worth Bs. 2d. to Bs, 3d.; case do, 31s. 6d. to 325. ;'Lemon Hart’s rum, 80 o.p.', 45.; 10 0.p., 3s. Bd. per gallon. Other spirits remain at last month’s rates. Sugar (duty, Id. per lb.)—Quotations for Sydney Refinery Company’s sugars remain at, for IC, £42 10s. ; C, £4O; Y, £33 per ton, at which rates the ordinary trade has been doing, there being a total absence of any speculative purchases. Crushed loaf is in good supply;.sales of English at £SO- per ton. • Tea (duty, 6d. per lb.)—Moderate business doing; purchasers limiting themselves to the supply of their current wants, and holding back for the new. season's tea. Stocks of old teas are becoming lower, • • Tobacco (duty, 2a. 6d. per lb.; cigars, 6s. per lb.) —An active business has been doing in tobacco daring the last month, and alarge amount.has paid duty. - Brices, however, have not improved, and quotations remain, for twist tobacco. Is. 6cl. to Is. 6jd. per lb. ; tens. Is. tGd. to Is. B£d. trade at fair values. : Win© (duty, 4s. per gallon.)—Trade remarkably dull. Low qualities of ports and sherries ar© little inqulr ed : for. Good sound wines saleable at fair advance on cost. v ■ ; . , . ' COLONIAL PRODUCE. . Butter.—An advance of Id. to 2d. per db. on keg butter has been sustained, but the demand is strictly limited to local wants, there being no enquiry for export. Holders are now getting Is. 2d. to Is. 3d, per lb. for prime cure : inferior qualities realise 9cl. to lOd. per lb. Cheese.—Stocks of Canterbury make, ample, at lOd. per lb; , Bacon and Hams.—The new cure is now'brought. into market,' and sales have been made at lOd. and 12d.per lb., according to condition.' Cloth packed fetched Jd-per lb. higher. • Flour.—The millers in Canterbury and Otago provinces advanced their rates 10s. per ton during the past month; but though holders on this side have not been able to follow suit, owing to large stocks and great competition, prices are firmer than they were and exhibit signs of hardening. £lllos. per ton for Canterbury and £l2 for Oamaru is the present quotations for bakers’ parcels in sacks; bags, 6a. to 10s, per ton extra. 1 • ■ Grain.—There arc ample supplies of oats in the market, and prices, remain at last month’s rates, 2s. 7d. to 2s. 9d. per bushel for fine milling oats ; ordinary feeding sorts, slightly discolored, at 2s. 2d. to 2s. Bd. per bushel. Maize has been scarce, and is worth--68. 3d. to 6s. 6d. per bushel. Wheat for malting has been quitted at 6s. 3d. per bushel; chicken feed, 2s. od. to 3s. • Malting barley in good demand at Bs. lOd. to 4s. per bushel. * Timber.—The demand tot sawn timber continues good, but stocks being large prices arc unaltered. Small cargos of pine are worth 10s. Cd. to 10. Od. per 100 ft,; totara, 15s. to 165.; and kauri, 13s. to 14s. per 100ft.' -f - f ‘ ‘ ’

uay wtuo as £ 3. d. Spirits .. iso 0 5 Wine .. .. 10 1C 9 Tobacco 2C 10 0 Tea .. .. 10 0 0 Sugar.. .. 32 1 4

Goods by wgt. £ 8. 24 8 d. 8 Ad val. goods 89 17 0 Other duties.. 23 12 0 Total .. £398 6 £

£ s. d. Spirits .. 3062 19 1 Cigars .. 170 10 4 Tobacco 1513 18 6 Wine «. .. 373 12 9 Beer .. C27 14 3 Tea .. .. 642 11 3 Coffee .. .205 19 0 Sugar.. ..1286 0 3

& s. a. Goods by wght 1043 15 1 Ad valorem .. 4154 1 Other duties.. 304 3 1 Lipht dues, shipping, &c 164 10 11 Total ..£14,009 15 11