COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 54, 4 October 1864, Page 2

COM MERCIAL I N T EL LIGENCE .

Southland Times Office. Monday Afternoon The revenue collected at the Custom-house for the pant two days for articles cleared for home consumption was as follows: — Saturday, £5i 11s, 2d. ; Friday, £97 7s. 5d. ; together, £151 18a 7d., being duties levied as follows : — Brandy, 65 gab. ' £29 3 0 Whisky, 4,91 „ 23 12 1 Beer (bot.), 1249 do G2 9 0 Tobacco, 265 lbi 22 1-4 2 Ten, 200lb» 8 4 6 Sundriss 5 15 10 £151 18 7 Wo haTe Dunedin files to the Ist instant. The Times of that date reports as follows : — Business continues to show signs of increased activity. Flour. — Sales of second brands of Adelaide are still raacio r.t -C^S, and. for Cliilian, holders now demand £'25 10s. Sugar, — The demand for this article is moderate, still prices are maintained. Beer. — Bulk stout being scarce, brings £7 10s. to £8 for good brands. Our Auckland dates are to the 17th September. The New Z-alander, (Auckland) of 17th Sept., has the following on the price of flour : — '• We have learned from a reliable source, that the f!o tr which arrived a few days ago from Valparaiso, was purchased at a price which would le we a very handsome margin of profit to the hnporters. The price of fiour at Valparaiso was then only twelve pounds per ton, at which rate the recently arrived vessel obtained her cargo. Wheat was four shillings per bushel. It is long since such prices as these prevailed in our market ; but as we hear that other vessels are on the way, we may hope for a considerable fall in the cost of the stall' of life." The 2f. Z. Eerald reports : — Trade during the week first elapsed, has been a little more animated than the preceding one. Several auction sales have taken place, and prices ruled somewhat higher ; the following will be a fair guide regarding the state of the markets at present : — Flour. — The arrival of the Sir George G-rey from San Francisco, and the La.lv Young from Valparaiso with breadstuff?, have considerably tended to lower the prices of this article, and although £22 10s. to £23 were obtained at auction, silk-dressed flour is now obtainable at a lower figure, vi*., £20 to £21. Mart-ell's brandy quoted at 9s. 6d., pale being a shade higher. Rum— 3o 0.p., 2s. GJ. ; 10 0.p ., 3s. 3d. Geneva — best brands, 10s. to 12s. Old Tom— l2s. to 14s. 61. Best whisky— 4s. 3d. to 4s. 9d. per gallon, but these prices are merely nominal, Candles (L. W.), fetched 9£d., full W., 10* d. to lid. ; bottled fruit, 16s. ; jams, 7s. 6d. ; sardines, 63. to 6s. 3J. ; pickles, 85. 6J to 9s. 3d. ; Cork butter wa3 sold at a sacrifice ; price obtained, s£d. ; confectionery, 12£ d. ; biscuits, B£d. Tobacco — Several lots were disposed of by public sale ; prices for tens brought from 23. sd. to 3s. per lb., duty paid ; twist 3s. 6d to ss. lb., puty paid. Cigars — Nothing has been doing in the Manillas, prices realising too high. Havannahs were sold at from £6 10b. to £9, duty paid. The following is an extract from a private letter from San Francisco to Messrs. Henderson and Maefarlane, of Auckland, which will be read with interest : — Sak Francisco, July 29. Our market for flour and grain has advanced somewhat during the past month, and prices are higher now than they have been for a long time past, and we can see very little, if any, chance of the rates receding any. The new crop of wheat comes in verr sparingly, and it is now seen pretty clearly that the yield will not amount to more than one-fourth that of last season, eren if ifc comes up to that. One of our principal farmers, who last year took from hio ground 18,000 sacks of wheat, has but last week found that his crop this season will only amount to 1,200 sacks. In some districts of course the yield will be better, but we can now see without much doubt that we shall not have much more than what will be needed for our own consumption. We quote wheat to day 3 dol 45c. to 3dol. 50c, but no large lot, say of 5,000 or 10,000 sacks, could be purchased at this figure. Should our receipts of wheat be very light for a week or 60 to come, we look to see the price go to 4d01." The Lady Young, from Valparaiso to Auckland, brings date 3to the 17th June. The following is a translation of mercantile items from the Valparaiso Mercury tf that date : — The tempestuous weather which we have experienced during the greater part of the 15th has almost paralysed business, in consequence of which transactions have been extremely limited. Flour — Sales very liini ed, but pirices firm; Adventures from Australia come in now and theni Within the last few days, 8,000 quarters were sold from the SoutJi at 6 ps. for that market. At the South some transactions have taken place, cargo having been bought for that market at 6 ps. 25 cents, and Binee then 5 ps. 37£ cents to 5 ps. 50 cents has been paid. 5 pa. 75 cents in asked now ; but, as there is no demand to justify a rise, buyers are- .not to bo found, and former prices are now sought' to be maintained. Here prices are firm at G ps. for flour from the .South, find from G ps. 25 cents to 6 ps. .50 cents for flour from Santiago. Wheat. — There have been no transaction.? that we know of; but in Tome, where there are three or four vessels, sales were effected at 3 ps. We do "not believe they will be able to maintain thin price, as we do not know whence the demand is to come to support it. Wo quote the prices now at 22 ps. 12 ra. Barley. — Bales limited 5 no demand ; but nevertheless price holds with sufficient; firmness from 28 ps. to 28 ps. 12 r«., and it is more than probable ifc will increase in* price, as it is in the JJands of a few, and the price has advanced in .California. ■ ■ , . •.-.':■ ".">"'"■.[• ,. ■■■ . •"• French Beans.— N o 'transaction's ; pricfefl' ro« main M £o»l la*t quotation*.