Commercial.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 249, 7 November 1872, Page 5

Commercial.

In breadstuffs and grain, the market has become exceedingly firm. The late, news from Australia has caused holders of wheat to asfc for advanced, prices ; prime milling sort^a are very scarce, and only small parcels can be obtained ; the miller's quotation is 5s 3d, sellers requiring ds 4d to Hs 6d ; good Ordinary samples are worth from 5s to 5s 3d ; second class is not iv sale. Fowl wheat, scarce, 3s 3d. Oats are in first-rato demand ; feeding lots find buyers at 2d Id to 2s 2d, and milling at 2s 3d. Tnere is no barley in the market ; malting is quoted at 6s Gd ; feed.ing, at 5s to 5s 3d. Potatoes, quiet, at L 5 10s for prime Provincial ; Australian, 20s to 30s lower- In flour, the demand during the last few days has been very brisk ; trade lots of ten tons are being freely disposed of at Ll3 and L.13 iO3 j for larger parcels, a lower figure is not accepted, inferior flour in inquired for at LlO j bran, L 4, stocks light ; pollard, L 5 10s ; oatmeal, Lll 10s, in, bags, Lll, in sacks, (full pale 5 pearl barley L 24 ; hay, L 3 15s ; chaff, L 3 15s ; straw, L 2 3s. A. Mercer reports for the week ending November 2 : — Ketail prices only. Fresh butter in half and lib prints, best quality lOd to Is per'lb ; second quality, lOd fresh butter in lump*, 10d j powdered and salt butter, lid; for second quality no enquiry* exists. The market continues well supplied-. * with fresh butter, and prices are rapidly on ' ' the decline. The enquiry for new season . salt butter is in a great measure abated, con- - sequent on the receipt of supplies .from Canterbury, much to tbe disadvantage of . this Province, where the market can "hfii more than supplied with butter, much" superior in quality at lOd per lb.' ' Cheese? ur . is good request, an enquiry exists for iaew season. Good samples are worth frdm'ScL*, to 9d per lb ; second quality, 1 6d pej*Mb. ' Side and rolled bacon is fetching 9d to lOd* per lb. ' Eggs are very scarce tljis. ireeis,and selling at 1« per 4o&

The Wool Season. —The first of the Southland eHp was .conveyed by rail to the , fUuff on the 25th nit.'

Ak Old Acquaintance. — Many of our readers will read with r«gret, the following telegram which appears in the Mclhonnae papers : — The Key Mr Parsons, the Baptist minuter, is suffering from ill health, and proceeds to England for a year.

Good Yields. — Telegraphic advices from Tambaroora (tf.S. W.) state that Beyers and Holtermao had finished crashing 71 tons of second-class stone, which yielded 479 oz. of gsld ; and that Paxton's had also finished crashing between 306 and 400 tons of stone, which averaged 10 oz. to the ton.

The Port Railway. — The Otago members of the Assembly, who returned by the Wellington on the 26th, were brought to town by rail, Messrs Proudfoot, Oliver and Dlph having courteously placed one of the first ela3* carriages at their disposal. It is intended to run excursion trains on th« Prince of Wales Birthday.

Moeraki Jetty. — The new jetty at Moer&ki is steadily processing, and witl, when finished, 1» of great service, as the quantities of grain shipped from Oamaru during the past year have been very extensive. There is a large area under crop this year, and it is expected that still heavier shipments will be made during the ensuing season.

Engagement or Immigrants. — The immigrants by the May Queen, numbering equal to 85 4 statute adult's, were received into the Immigration Depot on the 24th. Most of them being nominated proceeded direct to their friends, and the remainder open for engagement, met with ready employment. Ploughmen, at LSO per .annum ; 'farnr laborers, L 4 01« LSO ; female servants, L3O ; nurse girls, L 25. There are a few suitable families y«t wanting employment.

The Northerk Districts. — By the North Otago Public Works Bill, which passed the Legislative Council with only some trifling amendments, tha following sums have beon voted for expenditure in the north of the Province : — Harbor Works, Oamaru, L 24.000 ; Roads, LIO,OOO ; Amamoka Tramway, L 25.000 ; Otepopo Bridge, L 300 0; Kakanui Harbor, LSOOO ; Moeraki Harbor, L3OOO. The Oamaru and M.ierewhenua Railway Bill, which was rejected by the Council, would have passed had it been supported by petition.

Postal. - -The reason for the change which wm made a short time ago in the colors of the various New Zealand postage stamps was a puazle to many people. The report on the postal service recently presented to both Hr-uces of Parliament enlightens ns on the subject, and states :— " It having been discovered that the colors in which certain of the denominations of the postage stamps were printed were liable, Tay ch«mical process, to be go altered as to resemble the colors of stamps of a higher value : in order for the protection of the revenue it was deemed advisable to alter tbe color of such stamps. These are now so arranged that the effect of any change in the colors will be to assimilate them to those of postage stamps of lower value."

Self-Destruction. — His Honor Mr Justice Johnston appears to hold opinions concerning suicide somewhat at variance with those generally entertained. This will be understood when we state that he recently informed a Welliugton Grand Jury, which had thrown out the bill against a man charged with an attempt at self-destruction, " that he looked upon the result as one of the best evidences of the advantage of the grand jury, though he had heard the extraordinary argument used that the throwing out of indietmente was a good reason why the grand jury should be abolished. To his mind the present ease was strong evidence of its utility, as the result was better for the community, and far better fer the man, than if a needless exposure had been made in Court." As the facts of the case were suppressed, the public may infer one of two things — either the accused wa» falsely charged, which is not at all likely, or his Saner caaniAerm Ihos* -rrho ineffecta»lly ess»y thi taking of thti* ewa life sufficiently punithed by failure.

Wobth Considering. — The question of ostricb farming is being dintfuascd by many of the Australian papers. The feathers are literally worth their weight in gold, the price being 145 per lb., single feathers bringing from 15s to LI each. As the birds may be plucked almost every eight months, it is L evident that the speculation must be a profitable one. The Australasian of the 14th ult. contains a long and interesting report on the suitability of Victoria for the purpoee of farming these birds, by Dr Atherstone, tbe wel} known naturalist at the Cape. From his statement we should judge that there are many parts of the North Island of New Zealand which would be quite applicable for the purpoee of carrying on so lucrative a business. The best green crop for the birds is lucerne, andjoa this and 1 lb. per diem of Indian corn to each bird, they are said of thrive amazingly.

Disengaging Apparatus. — By telegram yesterday it was stated that the trial of the disengaging apparatus invented by Mr Douglas, so far as the power ef sustaining a heavy weight is concerned, was beyond question. The experiments were made in the presence of several genentlemen, who had been specially invited to witness them. Among them were Messrs Blair and Brnnton, civil engineer* ; "Piotcxuortt Black *nxl SBand, Captain M^Lftan, ftf thft s lbion s Mr John Cargill, Capt. Louden, of the Pilot Service ; and others. After the severe teat as to the perfect safety with whioh heavy boats might be suspended and lowered, there remained but one further experiment to prove the value of the invention. This can only be thoroughly estimated by those who know the danger, difficulty, and loos of time of lowering » boat slung by the ordinary hooks and tackle. It is not difficult to lower a boat into the water. Gravitation will do that: the difficulty is what to do with her when she reaches it. If a vessel is going rapidly, *» loon as the boat floats sh« is dragged along, the tackle is tightened, and before it can be . unhooked, no matter how quickly it is done, there is a tendency to stave in her sides by bringing her into collision with the ship. A More difficult nautical operation than lowering a boat safely in a heavy sea by the ordinary methods is scarcely known ; and moat commonly it is just when the danger is greatest that the neoestity arises. Last evening, Mr Douglas, Mr John Cargill, Mr Hutcheton, M.P.C., Captain Cummings, Capt. Loaden, Major Atkinson, Mr Bell, of the Evening Star, and four seamen, took tKeir ■eate in a boat which was hanging from the davits of the steamer Albion, about a foot above the water. Capt. Louden acted as coxswain. Th* steamer got under way, a»d as soon aa nha had. attained a npe*d some »ay of «even, coma of t«n lenot*, the boat wai, allowed t« descend into the water rapidly. A Maman had his hand on a small lev«r, and: promptly answered to the order " to let go" as th» boat touched the water. The -tackl* immediately freed itself, the boat having steerage-way upon her was sheered from the vessel and the steamer shot a-head, amid the cheers from those in the boat aad those in the •teamers Albion and ?Golden Age who witnessed the success of the experiment. Mr Douglas must have been satisfied witn tbe ruulti-Star, gortmbtr 2,

Political.— lt is notified in to-day s Gazette that the Superintendent hM accepted the resignation of Mr George fTumbull as Deputy.? uperintendent. — Star, Oct. 30.

Postage op Newspapers. — By "The New Zealand Post Office Act Amendment Act," which will come into operation on the Ist January next, the rate of postage on all newspapers posted and delivered in the Colony is reduced to one half -penny.

Martin's Bay.-— Mr J. Mills, of the Harbor Company, on the 29th received a telegram, stating that the Wallace, which was chartered by the Government to take supplies to the settlers at Martin's Bay, had returned to Hokitika. The Captain reports that he had supplied the settlers' needs, and had brought back about half the stores/more not being required.

Submarine Cable. — In the House of Representatives on tho 21st Oct., Mr O'Neill brought up tho report of the Select Committee appointed to inquire into the question of the construction of the submarine cable between Tasmania and New Zealand. The committee were of opinion that no company would be found likely to be willing to" constrnct the company uuder the existing Act, and recommended that tbo offers of Symons Brothers and Captain Audley Coote be not entertained, but that offers should be invited from some other company. The Opera. — An Auckland telegram dated the 25th Oct., says that M. Cagli has written to some friends there, stating that he hoped to reach Auckland by November 17. and will bring an English as well as an Italian Opera Company.

Drowned. — The Oamaru Times records that another victim to the treachery of the Waitaki river lias been added in the i death by drowning of a lad named James Neilson. The deceased, who was 16 years of age, went to the ferry oh the afternoon of the 24th Oct. with a dray drawn by three horses — one in the shafts and two leaders — to get a load of posts. The posts had been brought across the main stream by the boatmen, and left on an island. The deceased to reach it had to ford one of the smaller streams where, at the proper ford the depth of tho water does not exceed in any portion 24 feet— a ford the deceased had often crossed before, but never alone. The marks of the wheels at the edge of the river show that he entered at the proper place, but instead of going straight across to where the posts were lying, he had from some unaccountable reason allowed the horses to go down tho stream, as when he was first observed he wna fully 20 yards to the right of tho ford, and the leading horses had plunged into the deep hole there situated. This was noticed from the shore, but before assistance could be rendered the horses and dray were out of night. Up to the 27th, the bodies had not been recovered The horses ircre the main support of the f Amily.

The Governor. — His Honor the Superintendent has received a telegram from his Excellency the Governor, in which Sir George states that he has been invited to be present at the opening of tho Exhibition at Cbristchurch on the 16th December ; and that Lady Bowen and himself, with a part of their family, hope to roach Duuedin by sea on or about the 20fch of December. We understand that the Hon. tlte Premier will accompany the vice-regal party.

Shipping Peats to New Zealand. — The Scotsman says :—": — " There in likely to be a dearth of fad in the Island of Islay before the ensuing winter is over, aa peats are being shipped in large quantities to meet the demand olsewhere. A few days ago there were 150 bags of peats sent to New Zealand from Pert Ellen, and it is understood that there are to be large quantifies forwarded regularly from Islay." We believe the spirited proprietors of the Dunedin Distillery are the importers of this peat. Query, Are there no peat bogs in the Province from which supplies cou'd be drawn ?

Not so Bad. — The following conundram appears in a Wellington contemporary: — "What is the difference between the pennltimate Premier and th.a present t — A£r Fox tried to turn wry public into a wat«rhoHse; the present Premier is content with keeping a Waterhonse at the head of public affaiis."

The Result of Competition. — Importers are to reap a decided benefit by the opening of the railway. The owners of lighters, determined to compete with the Port Railway Company, offered to convey freight fa town for 4s a ton, or 6d less than the company's first offer, whereupon the latter have reduced their price to 3s. A couple of months ago lighterage from the Port was 8s a ton.

Teje Wor& of the Session. — The actual results of the lato session are thus stated : — 126 Bills were introduced, out of which 73 were assented to. The House sat 58 days, which in hours was marked 526, or over nine hours a day. A large percentage of those days wera early or broken days ; but of those which were prolonged after mid* night, we have an aggregate of 37 hours. 236 papers were presented, and 146 reports of the Public Petitions Committee ; besides 58 reports of other committees. From the number of petitions read, one might bo led to believe that every district in the Colony had a grievance, as there were no fewer than 205 petitions presented. One result of all this is that the recording clerk says he has 103 entries in his journal, while the average of the sittings is put down at 8 hours and 23 minutes — a Jong day's worK for manual labor, and a longer for mental wear and tear, and those who know what such wear and tear means will say that it is a very fair equivalent for the honorarium.

An Action for Libel. — The Wokalip Mail is threatened with an action for libel at the instance of Messrs Malaghan and Betts, trustees in the estate of Bonlfc, Mackay,' and Co., sometime saw millers at the head.- of Lake Wakatip, and the cause of action— presumedly reflecting oa the trustees — appears to be the following sentence in the article complained of : — "Wending my way further, I came to the saw mill once owned by Messrs Boult, it 'Kay,., and Co.. and am sorry to remark that' l saw little about the whole establishment to constitute a aaw mill, with the exception ef a couple of rusty circular saws, an engine, and a small heap of saw dust ; in fact, the' place at onoe brought to my mind the words—' Once I was! What ami now?' " Our contemporary concludes an artice on the subject by saying "Meesra Malaghan and Betts may rest assured that we shall neither allow ourselves to be affected by ' bounce ' or intimidation."