Commercial Summary.

Southland Times, Issue 909, 2 March 1868, Page 2

Commerc ial Summary.

Times Office, Friday Evening. The following are the Customs returns for — Friday, Feb. 21.

Thursday, Feb* 27. Whisky, 35 gals £21 0 0 _ ♦ The " Daily Times" of the 19th inst. contains the following item of commercial intelligence : — Business still maintains an aspect of quietness, and nothing of special interest has been going forward. Market values are generally without any changes necessitating notice. Breadstuff's continue at last week's rates, and the principal staples stand as previously given. Some moderate transactions in teas and sugars are reported, and small sales of brandies, at very high rates, are spoken of ; demand, hoTever^for any of these goods, is at the moment very light. Neither the country nor coastwise trades have regained anything like briskness, though storekeepers must be holding more than usually slender stocks. The "Press" of the 17th inst. reports :— The arrival of the Matoaka's cargo will not influence transactions in any perceptible degree, being mostly to order and of a miscellaneous description. Breadstuff^ are quiet, best flour being still quoted at late rates, with perhaps easier terms. Bran moves off freely at £3 5s to £3 10s per ton, whilst sharps may be noted dull. Wheat is quoted by wholesalp dealers at prices ranging from 5s to 5s 6d per bushel, but the farmers are asking 6s, The fine weather of the past week has enabled the bulk of the wheat crop to be got in safely, samples are therefore likely to come to market in better condition than was expected at one time. We understand buyers are in the market wanting to purchase large quantities for the English market at ss. Oats are difficult to quit at 2s. Barley, of good malting quality, has changed hands at 33 9d to 4s, with a slight upward tendency, whilst inferior is hardly saleable. For beans and peas there is no demand. Meariow hay may still be quoted at £4 ; oaten do, £2 to £2 ss. Potatoes are now offered in wholesale quantities at £4 10s per ton. There are no failures of any importance to notice, with the exception of Messrs D. and D. Cameron, Saltwater Creek, who have called a meeting of their creditors for to-day. Much sympathy is felt for these gentlemen r the loss by the late flood is the cause of their suspension, and it is to be hoped time will be given them to meet engagements, as their assets are large, but will taka some time to recover. The " Nelson Examiner" of Feb. 4, reports : — The trade with the West Coast during the past month has been unusually dull, but whether this is attributable to a falling off in the demand there, or th**t more than the usual supplies have been poured in from Australian ports, we are not in a position to state. It is to be hoped, on the conclusion of harvest, that our local trade may experience the benefit which a good season for our farmers is calculated to confer upon it. The Cissy, with the fir-t of the season's shipment of wool from Nelson and Marlborough, sailed from Port Underwood on the evening of the 26th ult., having on board upwards of 1100 bales, of the value of about £34,000. The Dona Anita has upwards of 10* »0 bales on board, and will sail before the end of the present month, while the concluding shipments of the season will be made by the Csesarea. The weather during the past month has been all that could be desired for getting in the crops, and very little corn now remains to be carried. 'J his is fortunate, as an unfavorable change took place in the weather on Sunday, a south-easterly gale bringing us heavj' rain, which has continued at intervals up to the hour of 'our going to press. There is very little this month to be said of the goldfields, which continue their returns pretty steadily, with no signs of increase or diminution worth speaking of. The efforts made to open the head of the Kuramea has drawn a good many miners to that locality, and as the road over Groom's saddle will be completed in a few days, when horses may be taken within a short distance of the Leslie, the number of men who will then resort to the Karamea wiJl certainly increase We hear of several parties doing well in the neighborhood of the Leslie, and it is probable th»t before the summer is over a large body of miners will be f >und at work on that and other tributaries of the Karamea The hi^h price to which flour suddenly rose last month has been since maintained, but there is a feeling that it must slightly recede, and that the present quotation is somewhat too high. There is not the slightest expectation, however, that flour in New Zealand will fall below £20 a ton, which may bo looked upon as the ruling quotation for the ensuing year. While flour is ruling at upwards of £16 10s a ton in Chili, at £16 9$ in California, and £18 to £22 a ton in New York, there is no chauco of the Australian growers encountering competition from either North or South America, and any surplus there may he after supplying home demands, will GLnd a ready sale at remunerative rates in Europe .

POST OFFICE NOIICE. Mails will be despatched by Wellington Time. MAILS CLO3B FOE — fampbelltown — Daily, at 9 a.m. Riyerfcon and Orepuki, on Tuesday, 3rd inst., at 10.15 am. Dunedin, Mutaura, Long Bush, and Oteramika, this day, 2nd inst., at 7 p.m. Wallacetown, Winton, Benmore, Lowther, Nokomai, Athol, Kingston, and Queenstown, this day, 2nd inst., at 7 p.m. Per s.s. Auckland, on Tuesday, 3rd March, as under : — The Northern Provinces of New Zealand, at 1.15 p.m. America, vVest India, Madeira, Canary Islands, t^and Cape de Verde I-lands, at 12 30 p.m. Continent of Europe, via London, at 12.30 p.m. (3-reat Britain, via Panama, at 1.15 p.m. Newspapers, at 12.30 p.m. Registered Letters and Money Orders, at 11.30 a.m. Letters bearing a late fee in postage stamps will be received by the Mail Agent at the Railway st"'ionup till the starting of the train for E'-uT, at 2.30 p.vn. EDW. D. BUTTS, • Chief Postmaster. Southland, 2nd March, 1868.

Wine, 39 gals £7 15 5 Tea, 1030 lbs 25 15 0 Currants, 3770 lbs ... 15 14 2 Drapery ... 90 2 0 Jewelry ... ... ... 06 0 Sundries 16 8 4 £156 0 11 Saturday, Feb. 22. Perfumed Spirits £6 12 0 Fancy Soap ... ... 416 8 Sundries 4 17 s £15 10 3 Monday, Feb 24. Brandy, 28 gals ... ... £16 16 0 Geneva, 8 eals 5 5 0 Tobacco, 355 lbs 44 7 6 Tea, 1372* lbs 34 6 3 Sugar, 6550 lbs 27 5 10 Sundries 53 8 10 £196 16 7 Tuesday, Feb 25. Geneva, 48 gals £29 3 11 Wbisty, 36 gals 2112 0 Bum, 33 gals 19 16 0 Brandy, 56 gals 33 12 0 Beer, 38 gals 2 7 6 Sugar, 4560 lbs 19 0 0 I Chicory, 488 lbs 5 1?- 0 Sundries 5 4 2 £136 7 7 Wednesday, Feb 26. Tobacco, 21 lbß ... ... £2 12 6 Sundries 0 12 n £3 5 5