COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4831, 15 September 1876, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

The Customs duties received at this port yesterday were as under: — - & s. d. £ s. d. Spirits .. 151 14 0 Coffee .. •• 4 4 0. Cigars .. 3S 13 9 Ad valorem .. 117 13' 5 Tea .. .. 25 12 6 Goodsbywgt.. 22 17 0 Tobacco . . 63 5 0 Other duties .. 225 6 0 Sugar.. .. 100 8 0 Wine .. .. 35 10 5 Total ~ £7S4 19 1 WOOL REPORT. The agents of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company have received the following, dated July 27: , • Wool.—Shortly after despatch of last mail, via San Francisco, a better tone became apparent in the competition, with an accession of fresh buyers, especially Continental, the result being a brisker demand for those qualities which had suffered the greatest depreciation, particularly low greasy wools, while crossbreds for a time showed no recovery. On the contrary, they shared in the decline named at the opening. Since then the Improvement in certain directions has become established, having extended to greasy and inferior scoured fleece wools, for which a rise of Id. on the lowest point touched during the earlier periods of the sales may be quoted. New, Zealand superior grease wools in many cases, but not invariably, show an advance of 4d. per lb. during the past fortnight, but on superior washed and scoured parcels generally there has been no recovery apparent. Cape wools, which were in a slightly better relative position at the opening, have-not participated in the improvement, if, indeed, they have maintained their value. A fair proportion of the purchases made in the early part of the series has gone into consumption freely, and this fact has engendered some speculative demand in the market, and at present competition

both on Home and IVench account is animated. The conditions of manufacturing industry cannot but experience considerable relief from the important de predation established in the raw material, which will also no doubt facilitate a return to more prosperous trade, when the causes which have for some time past acted in restriction of business and are still in a great measure in force, shall have exhausted themselves. At present, however, there are few or no symptoms of any movement in this direction. ■ Up to the 26th July 278.653 bales had been offered, including 76,740 from New Zealand, of which about 14,000 bales have been withdrawn or bought in. It is arranged that the auctions now in progress shall be brought to a close on 12th August. The date of commencement of the succeeding series Is not yet fixed: the quantity expected to be forward for them, however, is not so large as had at one time been calculated, as according to present indications it will not exceed about 160,000 bales. To this will of course have to be added a large portion of lots held oyer from the present sales, which will in all probability bring up the available total to about 200,000. BY TELEGRAPH. DUNEDIN, Thursday. Mr. Bradshaw reports :—Sales : Colonial Bank, £1 11 s.; National Insurance. £1 55.: Standard Insurance. 12s. Buyers: Colonial Bank, £1 10s. 6d,; National Insurance, £1 4s. 6d.; Standard Insurance, 12s. ■