COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Southland Times, Issue 981, 6 July 1868, Page 2

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Times Office, : Saturday Evening. The following are the Customs Returns for —

jmaay duly, a. -■••- Brandy,'29 gals £1710 5 Geneva, 33 gals 20 0 2 "Wine, 27 gals ... ... 5 8 0 Tea, 162 lbs 4 10 Sundries 6 17 1 , £53 16 8 Saturday, July 4. Tea, 700 lbs- £17 10 0 Sugar, 2240 lbs 9 6 8 Beer, 77 gals ... ... 416 3 Sundries 6 18 4 £38 11 3

The "Argus," 27th June, reports :— An exceedingly quiet day has been passed in the import markets. In the auction -rooms nothing has been done, while privately little in the shape of business has come under our notice. In breadstuff's there has been no trade doing. We hear of one small parcel of country flour baring been disposed of at £20 5s net cash, but beyond this and the ordinary demand for trade requirements, no sales have been recorded. In wheat we learn of one or two small parcels of Victorian having been sold at 9s 3d, and a very superior sample of white wheat realised as much as 9s 6d. Oats are very steady, and well held, but there are no transactions to refer to. A very brisk inquiry has been experienced for maize, which has resulted in a great portion of the shipment to hand to-day per steamer having been cleared off ; some 800 bags found buyers at 3s Bd, chiefly for the supply of the country districts — rather a new feature in this trade. A- line of 1800 bushels chevalier barley was taken up for brewing at as high as 6s 3d- There is a large demand for barley for malting, but the market is very barely supplied. Sugars are being moved -oflvtbough.- -only to a moderate extent. . Trade parcels have been quitted for brewing at £32 for brown crystals, and £34 for yellow crystals. There is some little inquiry for fruits. Cape raisins are quoted s£d., a line of 1,000 boxes ha» changed hands on private terms. Importers o kerosene oil are very firm, and refuse to quit at the prices offered. Recent purchasers in the market, however, who can realise at a profit, do not hesitate to do so when an opportunity offers. Sales accordingly are reported to-day of Downer's at Is 10 1., though higher figures in other cases continue to be offered and relused. In liquids, sales of Dunphy's stout have been made at 8s 9d. Owing to the difficulty of making sales of bulk ales, holders have been compelled to arrange a new scale of prices. Importers' quotations for Joule's are now £8 2s 6d for parcels, to £8 10s for small lots ; a reduction in other brands also is in contemplation. A parcel of Hennessy's and MarteU's 65 pale brandy has been quitted at 8s 3d. Amongst the arrivals to-day we notice the .aSgidiaet Pauline, from Rotterdam, and. we understand that her entire cargo of 17,500 cases JDXZ geneva, full strength and full contents, is consigned to Messrs Fanning, NanMyell, and Co."

The " Lyttelton Times," 27th June 9ays : — There has boen a fair amount of business for the tima of year transacted during tho week, and prices continue Tory firm.. Brandy in bulk has advanced, and holders are now a-king 10s. The advices by mail just to hand, report the market very firm, and an indisposition en tha part of h"ldcrs in France and London to soil at quoted rates. Ail other kinds of spirits are very firm. Tosv is improving in value, and must be dearer ; both. in China and London au advance is expected, and' the same must be looked for here and in Australia. Stocks are quite within our requirements;. Sugar is very quiet ; the arrival of 2,400 bags, ex Craigellachie, from Dunedin, will supply all present wants. Malt liquors are very qu'et,-and the demand is ao limited that .stosks. of bottled beer are not being reduced, as might have been expected, considering the limited supplies -that have come to hand lately. Soap, we notice, is constantly being imported from Dunedin to compete with our local manufacture. With the advantages at hand, and the low price of tallow here, we should not be rivalled by our Dunedin neighbors. Although money is by no means plentiful, traders are meeting their engagements more regularly than • thty have done for a long time past. Grain I continues very firm, and prices are quite equal to I. last week's. Indeed, -wheat has brought 7s 3d I for..prime samples. Oats are offering at 2s 3d, but buyers are disinclined to give more than 2s. In London, prices of wheat were very firm, and there, was very little prospect of any decline before August. Australian wheat had been sold at 80s and 82s, and flour 54s and 66s per 280 lbs. The " Daily Times," 29th June reports : — " Some degree of briskness has characterised markets through the past week, and the amouni of business done coutrasts favouiably with the Into rlnilnanH. Thfl state of 'the roads in the interior has operated prejudicially to up-uuuntrj trade ; and though storekeepers are in general bare of stock, the difficulty in forwarding supplies has curtailed operations in this department. For coastwise requirements, there have, however, been numerous orders • to. hand, and a full average business has been done. Breadstuffs have, during the last day or two assumed a firmer tone, but ' without any change in rates . taking place, Transactions in flours and wheats are reported, al last quotations — viz., £19 to £19 10s for the formerj and 7s 6d to 7s 9d for the latter. Ir other grains, barley is in fair demand at 4s 3d tc 4s 6d. Oats altogether without attention, even at the low current value of 2s 6d delivered ir town. Imported potatoes have been sold at verj low rates by auction, and the market is now very full. Spirits continue to comm:uut very full rates. The quantity of good brandies available is now very small ; and for llennessy's, in [ bulk, the holders seek 9s 6d. G-enevas and rums are all but, if not quite, out of first hands ; while whiskif s, though in better supply than either oi the other items in spirits, are low in stock. Sugars continue to command full prices; good yellow crystals are in request. In teas there . have been considerable sales ; medium to good congous are in request, and most of these descriptions have passed out of importers' hands at good rates. Present holders of teas look for improvement in the market,and are disposed to quit only moderate parcels. Malt liquors are destitute of life! AJes, both in bulk and bottle, are extrenif ly difficult to place."