COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 47, 17 September 1864, Page 4

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENC E.

SOTTTHIiAirD TIMBS OFFICB. Wbdnesdat BTBirewe. Tb# revenue collected at the Oustom-houso for ih» pant two days for articles cleared for home consumption was as follows : — Yesterday, £168 7» 2d. ; to-day, £102 os. 4d. ; : together,' £270 7s. 6d., iieing duties levied as follows :— Brandy, 147 i gals .......... £45 14 1 Geneva, 47 „ 21 111 Whisky, 158 „ 73 16 0 Bot. Beer/792.,, 39 14 0 Tea, 200 1b 36 8 I Sugar, 2,240 lbs 9 6 8 Drapery 70 14 8 Ironmongery 6 13 6 £270 7 6 j For the past month we have to report an improvement in business, wliich is to be mainly attributed to the unusually fine weather we have j experienced. The great outlet for commerce has been the Lake district, business men there, and country settlers generally, laying in stocks on favorable terms, and, in consequence of the improved state of the roads, at a reasonable rate of cartage. The principal articles sent to the Lakes have been flour and sugar. Sales by auction during the month have been faw, and generally unimportant. Prices realised have been anything but satisfactory to the exposerß in moat instances, large sacrifices being sometimes made for cash. Sales of property and land have been very trifling, and prices merely nominal. Wo have observed, however, that many of the transactions which have taken place have been on account of small hondfide settlers. We have to report a movement set on foot for the establishment of a flour mill, with which it is intended to combine an oatmeal mill and a malt mill. The capital of the company is to be £10,000, to be subscribed in 1,000 shares of £10 each. From the manifest want of such mills in the province, there can be but one opinion as to the success of the enterprise, and there will be, it is fully believed, little trouble in having all the shares speedily taken up. The contemplated opening of the Oreti or Northern line of Railway, on the 3rd proximo, as far as the Makarewa, is looked forward to with great interest, and the general feeling amongst all classes is that much benefit will result to the di«trict through which the line passes, as well a« prove aj instalment of that improved system of communication with the more distant interior which the railway to Winton will supply. Stocks at the present time are sufficiently large to keep us going for some time, if we may except flo"ur, and sugar, for wliich we are almost entirely dependent on small shipments from Dunedin. In consequence of recent advices, flour, which had suffered a further decline from last months' quotations is again rising in price. We now quote beat Adelaide at £30, with every prospect of a further rise. On the receipt of tha. news per the Aldinga, we heard of one firm pur chasing a lot of 20 tons of Adelaide at £28, which was during the week previous the current selling price to retail dealerß. Tasmanian may bo quoted at £25 to £27 ; Chilian, £26 ; Californian, from £22 to £25, according to brands. Colonial oats aro selling at ss. to ss. 6d. ; Californian at 4s. 6d. Other articles of horse feed (in which little has been doing) are as follows ; — Hay, £6 to £8 per ton ; chaff, £8 to £10 j bran, 2a. ; potatoes, first quality, fetch £9 per ton. We have had two arrivals from the Home country during the month ; the Se villa from the Clyde, with 250 passenger*, and a large general cargo, and the G-ananoque from London, with cargo. One vessel is on its way hither from Melbourne — the Fanny ; and the Leonidas schooner is laid on for Invereargill. The Dart from Hobart Town is now due, having sailed on the 31st Augu«t or Ist September. In our wholesale prices current ■will be found a, complete statement of prices ruling in our markets.