COMMERCIAL.

West Coast Times, Issue 232, 16 June 1866, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

Wkst Coast Times Office,

Friday Evening.

The amount of import duty collected at the Custom House to-day was £652 18s Id, The following list of merchandise cloared shews its distribution : —

Reviewing the commercial transactions of the !past month, we find that on tHe whole business has been in favor of importers. Prices obtained for staple commodities show an improvement on our last quotations. Our market has not been overstocked with any class of goods, imports keeping so near the demand as to avoid anything approaching a glut, at the same

time meeting our requirements without causing any inconvenience as to short supplies. , This is very satisfactory to note, considering the losses sustained by importers somejtime ago. Thero are, however, exceptions to this, including iron-ware — say, picks, shovels, axes, sluicing forks, axe and|pick handles, &c, and other linesin this trade,',whioh come to a bad market, owing in a great measure to the peculiarity of .our diggings compared with neighboring colonies., lighter and less expensive tools being required.

Thqugh it is satisfactory to have to report higher rates ruling, we aro not keeping pace with markets from whence our principal supplies are drawn. Quotations iri the Victorian, New South Wales, and other markets, having of late shown so marked an>dvance, that our improved rates, Jfreight, charges, and .profit, added to cost, are lower than they should be to remunerate importers.

Shipments advised aa coming forward aro on such a scale as will meet our requirements and result favorably. As we have on a previous'occasion remarked this market cannot receive heavy consecutive shipments without loss to importers ; and as we are now going into the winter months, shippers should act with caution, and so insure a good report for the coming month.

The commencement of communication with Europe by the Panama v Company's steamers enables us) to give quotations a week later in the month than^hjeretofore, which will, we think, be advantageous. Ale and Porter has met jgittf but limited sale, and will scarcely realise prices to pay importers ; Blood's stout bringing from 17s to 18s per dozen, diity paid ; Byass'. 16s to 17s ; good brands of ale, 16s to 17s. Bulk Beer is receiving more attention. Good brands of English ale, new, are saleable at f rom £9 to £1 1 ; old brew quite unsaleable. Wines and Spirits have met with good demand at improved rates. Brandy — Pale, in bulk. — First-class having run very lovr in stock, has realised^ for Hennessy's, 10s 3d at auction, privately 10s 6d ; a proportionate advance for other brands has been obtained. Arrivals not yet landed may slightly alter these figures. - IN Geneva. — JDKZ has. been sold at 14s to 15s 6d per case, according to contents. Old Tom. — Not much enquired for at 14s to Ids ; other lines under this head are without alteration. Provisions. — Have scarcely maintained last quotations. Hams and bacon are easier. Sinclair's haras, 2s to 2s 2d; bacon, Is lOd to 2s. Parcels of good butter and cheese find a market, the former worth 2s 3d to 2s 6d ; cheese, colonial, Is 3d to Is sd. Candles have further advanced. For F.W. Is 8d to la lOd has been obtained, and now scarce. Oilmen's, stores are in better supply. Good brands of pickles have been sold &t 17s and 18s per dozen; Jams, 12s to 14s ; lobsters, 13s 6d to 14s ; salmon, 1-lb., 203 to 21s per dozen. IU Flour has been in better demand, and the absence of shipments has resulted in an advance. Adelaide is saleable at £23 to]£24 per ton from the ship ; the demand for Chilian has been checked by the inferior quality of some parcels recently in tho markot ; good and genuine brands would bring £16 to £18 per ton. Oats.— Early" in the month the supply was very limited;. some small shipments recently arrived have] eased the market. A parcel ex Cosmopolite realised Ps 9d per bushel for the lot at ship's side. Bran. — Scarce ; has been sold at 3s 3£d per bushel. Chaff is in better supply, £24 and £25 having been accepted. Potatoes, £7 10s to £9 per ton. Onions, 3d to 4d per lb. Hay— Ex Cosmopolite, bringing «£l9 per ton. Hokitika, 16th June, 1866.

Gr. W. Binney. and Co. report— This month has been characterised by a marked improvement in business, sales have been well attended, and goods mostly placed at fair rates, leaving a good 'margin to importers. Although storekeepers complain, business is in a very wholesome state, bills being met with punctually. Our sales have been as follow : — A sale of general merchandise at the Mart— Potatoes good, L7 los to L 8 10a per ton; butter, good, 2s to 2s 4d; do, medium, Is 6d to Is 9d ; hams, medium, Is, do, good, Is 9d ; bacon, medium, Is 2d to Is lOd. Cargo of the Volunteer, from Onehunga— bricks, Lts to L2O per thousand; potatoes, L 8 per ton; oranges 2s 2d per doz ; ' dried fish, 5d per lb. House and section, Hamilton - street, L 92;9 2; shop, Weld and Tancred-Btreets, £75 ; cottage, 2 roomed, L 45;4 5; hotel and store at Ross Town, £275. Stock realizing first class prices. Bagatell board, L3O. Sale of merchandise at Messrs M'Farlane and M'Kay's~ flour, L 24 per ton— Butterworth's Adelaid ; sugar, slightly damaged white crystal, L 49 per ton 5 do, do yellow do, L 52 per ton 5 do, worse, from L2O to L4O ; good counter Mauritius, 5d per lb ; sherry, per qr-cask, L 8 10s to L 10;1 0; tobacco, Barrett's twist, 4s per lb 5 butter, 2s 4d peril) for good : Ooey's bacon, Is lOd ; bottled stout, Dumphier's, 15s per doz ; and other goods at like rates, Site in Revellstreet, 17 x 60 feet, we sold for L 94, property having depreciated in that portion of the town, in consequence of the foot of Rovell-street having been cut off by the encroachment of the river, the same section six months' ago being worth L 20 0; but when the wharf which is contemplated, is finished, property in that locality will be much sought after and become valuable. Q. W" B.JNNISY AHI> Co.

Brandy £150 8 0 SeueTft 38 7 6 SVinoinwood 6 12 0 3oorinwo»d 9 7 6 Boorinbottlo 28 10 0 Pea 10 5 0 3offeo 2 10 0 Sugar 74 10 9 Pobaoco 168 1 4 Digara „.'• 61 9 4 handles 116 Oilmen's Stores , 18 16 1 Hardware B 3 ? 2 Drapery 1 ' 4g 10 B £652 18 1 rhere was no clearance of gold.