COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Southland Times, Issue 745, 4 November 1867, Page 2

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Times Office, j Saturday Evening. Since our last trade has not much improved, and prices are without alteration. The Customs revenue lias considerably fallen off lately, this is chiefly caused by storekeepers purchasing from Dunedin houses duty paid goods, on cheaper and on better terms than they can here from merchants who import only from Victoria. This will be the case until we have direct importations from England. In many cases goods purchased in Melbourne have to pay duty in Melbourne and also duty here. But Dunedin having direct importation can supply the markets here better than importing from j Melbourne. The spring set in with mild weather and enabled farmers to get in their crops early this year. Accounts from tho country speak favorably of the crops and promise a good harvest. Best Adelaide Flour is worth £14 per ton ; town made flour, £12. oats 2s 9d to 3a per bushel; bran, Is lOd; hay, £4 10s; chaff, £5 10s per ton ; potatoes, £3 10s to £4 per ton Hams and Bacon are saleable; for Sinclair's and. other good brands, Is 2d to Is 4d per lb ; Colonial lOd to Is per lb ; prime Wellington butter, la 3d to Is 5d per lb ; new Cork, (none.) Wines and Spirits remain at last quotations. Martel's and Hennessey's best pale brandy, 7 s 6d to 8s 6d per gallon ; case do, 28s per case ; ■whiskey, 4s to 5s per gallon ; Bum, 0.p., 3s 9d per gallon; geneva, 12s per case; port and j cherry wines meet with fair sales as per quality, at from £60 to £130 per pipe or butt. Bottled Ale and Porter of best brands is worth 12s 6d to 13s per dozen for mixed lots. Bulk Ale is in fair demand at £10 to £11 per hhd for best brands. Teas are enqnired for. First class congous meet with ready sale at good prices, inferior sorts not saleable. Sugars remain at last quotations ; sales only effected for trade. Oilmen's stores are worth about 30 per cent on London price, many lines being scarce. Dried fruits are scarce. Exchange. Drafts on London, 2 per cent. Do Victoria, i do. Discount. Bills, 95 days, 8 percent. Do 125 do 9 do. Do over 125 days, 12 per cent. Renewals, cash credits, and over drafts, 121 percent. . u> iviJij reports having held, on Saturday last, the most extensive and numerously attended Bale of horses which has taken place in Invercargill forj a length of time. Upwards of forty horses were placed on the catalogue, and on being brought up to the hammer the greater portion of them were quitted at fair prices. The lot consisted of importations, by different dealers, from Melbourne per the O-neo on her recent trip, and comprised some firafc-claaa animals bath for saddle and harness ; the former sort ranged at prices from £25 to £35 for good ; a few inferior ones were sold at under those figures ; harness and good draught horses brought from £30 to £42, while one or two first-rate animals of the hitter class reached much higher prices. Two heavy entires were also offered, but were withdrawn, although some very fair bids were made for them. The Durham bull and heifer also imported per Omeo, by Mr Elliott, were likewise passed, no buyer offering a price sufficient to induce the importer to part with (hem.

The following are the Customs Beturns for— j

By the arrival of the Tararua, from Melbourne, we are placed in possession of Australian files to the 28th ult. The following commercial intelligence is taken from the Argus of the 26th and 28th October. That journal of the 26th says :— "In the import markets to-day business has been moderately active. There is httle to report in breadstuff's, and though ye conbnue_ to quote £12 IPs for Victorian flour, the market IB not so net. The auction nOT Vx° ™7 T firm ' •\£ i J£ cargo of new season s teas attracted «»x, W(ra „«-. tendance ; and some 8,261 packages out 6( the cargo, which consisted of 11,000 packages, found buyers, at prices sustaining previous currency. The sale, though a public one, was conducted on the "tender" system, and in consequence the prices realised were not allowed to transpire. A line of 250 half-chestß, sold privately, was placed at Is 6d in bond ; and a parcel of about 141 chests of good medium old season's congous found a buyer at Is 6d. At the same time, some 3,100 bags of Mauritius sugars were disposed of at 27s 6d, for browns, 32s for low yellow grainy sorts ; 33s to 34s for middling to good, and 34s 9d to 35s 3d for low to middling white crystals — prices which evidence an advance of 25s per ton. Privately, we hear of counters having been sold at 325. A shipment of 120 cases American chairs was placed at twenty per cent, advance on the invoice. A parcel of 30 halftierces of sheepwash tobacco was disposed of at 4d. A line of bolt rope was quitted at £45. In candles we learn of a parcel of 500 boxes of Goudas having been purchased at lOJd. We still continue to note a good inquiry for liquids. Sales of fair to medium qualities of sherry are mentioned at £44 to £55. A parcel ofHennessy's case brandy, in bond, found a purchaser at 265. The sale of a consignment of 20 hhds. of Clozeau's pale brandy at 5s 6d., has come unaer our notice. We likewise learn of a parcel of MartelTs pale brandy having realised 6s 9d." The same paper of the 28th says : — " Nothing of any special importance in the way of pales has transpired in the import market today, the engagements of the outgoing mail having monopolised the attention of all. In breadstuff's,' flour i 3 the turn easier. For best Victorian brands, we quote £12 10s ; and holders of parcels have been offering more freely at £12, at which ssiles to a moderate extent have been made. ' Maize is firm at 3s to 3s 2d, though there are no sales of any consequence to report. Currants meet with favor at 4d, a figure readily realised for good samples. A parcel of woolpacks was quitted at 4s. The stiffness exhibited by holders of sugar, and the evident improvement in that market, has stirred up more inquiry, though as yet no actual transactions have come before us. A considerable parcel (say four hundred hhds ) of Bass's bulk ale, No. 3., has changed hands on private terms. Sales of Machen's stout are reported at 9s 3d. The demand for brandies has somewhat slackened. We notwithstanding continue to hear of small parcels of Martell's dark old brandy being taksn up at 6s 9d, to a shade over." Our Launceston papers are to the 26th ult. The Times has the following market report : — " The weather still proves unfavorable to trade operations. Floor continues at £9 10s per ton, and wheat at 4s per bushel, although we hear that something higher has been given for large parcels. Oats remain at Is 9d to 2s per bushel. Tasmanian oatmeal, £21 per ton. Potatoes, 30a to 35s per ton — the latter figure including bags. Hay, £2 to £2 5s per ton. In dairy produce, fresh butter remains at 8d per lb., and egg 3 have advanced to 9d per dozen. In cheese and bacon nothing doing."

Friday, November 1. •Dr&nerv £47 4 4 jjrapery... ... ft Sundries _-_. £49 3 0 Saturday, November 2. Bum, 38 gall, *?| « 0 SSSIT":: ::: _ili £111 1 4