COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Southland Times, Volume VII, Issue 518, 13 July 1866, Page 2

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Southland Times Office, Thursday Evening. There has been an improvement in business during the week, the fine weather allowing many country storekeepers to get up supplies. Prices remain unaltered. The stocks of flour are getting low j fine Adelaide may be quoted at £24 per ton, in quantity, £-22 10s per ton. Oats are more in demand since last advices from Melbourne ; they are wor£h 4a 6d to 4s 9d per bushel. Bran is ■worth 3s 6d per bushel — very little, in the market ) <Jood oaten hay, £5 10s per ton ; chaff, £7 to £7 10s per ton. Hams and bacon still scarce, colonial, Is 4d to Is 6d per 1b ; English, none in the market. Cheese, good colonial, Is 6d ; English, Is lOd per lb. Potatoes scarce at £8 per ton for best quality. "Wine and spirits have met with, fair sale; brandy, Martell's, Hennessy's, and other best brands is firm at 9s to 9s 6d ; whisky, 4s 6d per quart ; rum, 10 0.p., 4s ; geneva, JDKZ, 14s to los per case ; wine, port and sherry, is saleable at from £60 to £100 per pipe or butt j bottled ale and porter is still scarce, and in demand at 14s, for mixed lots, los ; for porter, bulk ale, new brew, £10 to £11 per hhd. Oilmen's Stores are in fair demand at paying prices ; candles continue high ; kerosene, a shade lower. The following are the Customs Returns for — Wednesday, 11th July.

The following is the latest commercial intelligence from Okarita, as reported in the Westland Observer of the 23rd instant : — For several weeks past we hare been dependent on the Bruce steamer and the Hokitika market for our supplies ; and consequently, the quantity of imported goods during that time has been r very meagre, though quite sufficient, we dare say, for the present quietness of trade. At last it has occurred to a few more of our merchants that prices in, acd freights from Hokiiika, are not the most advantageous ; and this week we have a'lvices of no less than three crafts having been .. laid on from Dunedin for this port, chiefly with ' produce, and of two from Melbourne with large >• general cargoes. The high prices ruling recently ( for horse-feed, will most probably meet with a check before many days, and we should not be l surprised, from the shipments, to see lower prices for this commodity than we have ever hitherto < quoted. By last advices from Dunedin, oats are quoted as steady, at from 4s 3d to 4s 6d ; potatoes in good demand, at £4 10s ; and it speaks well for our yonng port that, duuring the time three vessele have been loaded up lor here at Dunedin, no freight conld be got either by steamer or sailing vessel for Hokitika at any price. Good butter has been in fair demand during the week, but the price is not likely to increase. Candles and kerosene are the only two articles really scarce, and some of the " knowing ones ' (though two late) have been picking up the few boxes of candles in the market, at Is 8d to Is lOd, and from Melbourne quotations we see little chance of their being liable to "burn their fingers " with them, even at that price. Adelaide flour has at last began to advance, as it is reported" at £25 per ton, and scarce in Hokitika. The stocks of Chilian are now plentiful, and from so many inferior brands being in the market, no correct quotations can be made. We extract the following commercial notice from the Daily Times, 7th July : — The market- for a)l staples has been very inactive, and scarcely any sales are taking place except of very small parcels for current wants. Under the impression that the values of some goods must alter, there is at present a general disinclination to enter into large transactions, and until further arrivals of overdue ships from Britain, and- of intelligence as to the extent of shipments coming forward, the feeling will probably continue to prevail. Values of all goods are so nearly unchanged as to require no notice. Intelligence from the Australian markets is hourly expected, and if satisfactory, may to some trifling degree stimulate business here. We are in receipt of Tasmanian papers to the 23rd June. We extract the following from the Lannceston Examiner, 23rd June : — " There has been an absence of anything like ac tivity in business circles to-day. The advices to hand this afternoon per Black Swan have slightly affected the market. We quote flour, £14, with little doing. Wheat has receded vsince last quotations, 5s 9d to Gs being the market figure this afternoon. Oats have advanced, and we quote them firm at 4s Bd. We heard of a parcel of 2000 bushels having changed hands at that figure. Bran is not so much enquired for. Is 6d (bags included) is the market value to-day. Butter we can still quote at Is 10']. Ritchie's oatmeal, £30 to £32. Hay is coming in freely at £-* 10s. Sound potatoes, £1 15s, bags included. Bacon and hams, dried, Is Id to Is 2d. Messrs Lewis, Cohen and Co. report having sold one hundred and forty shares in Tasmanian Steam Navigation Company at £10 5s to £10 10s; and seventy shares in Launceston .Gas Company at £12 to £12 10s. The Mauritius correspondent of the Argus writing under date the 28th April, gives the following as the state of the sugar market in that colony : — Crystallised sugars, yellow counters, and fine syrups, are now to be had in this place. All the sugar of the above description in the island has been bought up by a house here (Messrs. Joshua Brothers), who have about 30,000 bags in store, which is?, I believe, intended for shipment to Melbourne. This firm — which, being the only holder, commands our market — refuses to sell, and as no fine sugars will be obtainable until July or August next, when the new crop will arrive in town, few shipments can go forward to the Australian colonies for some months to come. It is anticipated that when the next season commences, there will remain hardly a ton of sugar of the preceding one in first hands ; a circumstance almost without precedent. Rates for such qualities of our staple as can be procured are as foiluws : — Good yellow counters, 6dol 50c to 6dol 75c per 1001 b, \erj scarce; middling do, 6dol 25c to 6dol 50c, do do ; good yellow syrups, 6dol to 6dol 25c do do; good red syrup, sdol 25c to odol 50e per 1001 b; low to middling do, 4dol 50c do. We are in receipt of our files of the Grey 'River Argus to the 30th June. We extract the following commercial article from this paper of that date : — During the week, .trade has been, very quiet, the heavy freshet in the river having entirely impeded the upper navigation, and business has, in consequence, been confined to the town. An active demand may be looked forward to for the incoming week should the flood subside. Prices have remained nominal, but in many articles there is a firmer feeling. The stocks of breadstuff's being in few hands, some advance may naturally be anticipated. Adelaide flour is valued at £25 to £26 per ton ; Calilornian, £20 to £21 ; and Chilian £19 to £20. Horse-feed, which gave way somewhat in price last week, is again rather firm, and sales of oats have been made at 7s per bushel, whilst chaff has been sold at £24 to £25 per ton. In provisions, owing to the anticipated large arrival of hams and bacon, prices have given way, and Sinclair's have been sold at Is lOd to ?s, whilst Coey's have brought Is lOd to Is lid. For good butter, their is a fair demand, and prime quality would readily fetch 2s 3d to 2s 4d. The supply of this article is again getting limited, and the tendence is upwards. Cheese cannot be quoted higher — Port Cooper, Is 4d to Is sd. Candles continue a scarce commodity, and full weights readily bring Is Bd. Good brands of wines and spirits maintain their value. Hennessy's brandy, in bond, may be quoted at IDs 3d to 10s 6d per gallon; MarteU's 9s 9d to 10s 3d; other brands 9s to 9s 6d per gallon. Geneva is advancing, the stocks being light, and in very few hands, and holders are reluctant sellers, unless at full rates. Good brands of port wine are as last quoted. Case ale and porter hangs heavily, and may be quoted 16s to 17s per dozen, duty paid, and 17s to 19s for good brands respectively. Stocks are, however, gradually getting lighter.

Drapery, £9 18 9 Brandy, 27 gals. ... ... 16 4 0 Whisky, 67 gals 40 4 0 Cordiab 17 gals 10 6 8 Boots 31 3 6

£107 16 11 ThttesDAT, 12tli June. Brandy, 63 gals £31 16 0 "Whisky, 36 gals 2112 0 Geneva, 49 gals 29 12 6 Tobacco, 243 lbs 30 7 6 Sundries, „, ,„ ,„ 6 11 8 .#11? 18 3