COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 622, 27 September 1909, Page 10

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

' INVESTMENT. SHAKES.'.,. ' Sales of Fcildtng Ons at 21s. 3d., and Shnr. land s preference, at 20s. 9d. nnd 20s. 6d. we™ recorded yesterday. There vero more buvine orders than usual,,-.-giving promise of bitter business in the near future. Nationul Bnnlr ■buyers £5 »,., sellers £6 Is.; Now ZealandSV Plate, .buyers £ 14s. 9d. i -Wlliniton In Sent buyers Us., sellers lis. 6d.; Wellington Trust and Loan, sollers £7 2s: 6d. ; Wellington Deposit sellers Bs. 6d.: FeUding Oas, buyers 215.; Osborne Gas, sellers £2 12s. 6d. ; Palmerston North Gas, sellers £7 155.: New Zealand Insurance fe y . e ," £ 17 lv S ? uth , ? litlsh Insurance, buS J 2 . B, i. 6d 'V s ,V ul ? a ?. d tosuraace, .'buyeri £I*l™, flhrlstahurcli Heat, buyers JElOllo.; Sew ZtiJand

Shipping, buyers £7; Union Steam, sellers £1 to A- Kalao ?V Woollen, preference, sellers £5; Wellington Woollen, buyers £3; Hikurangi Coal, «1 ycl V B f- ; Taupiri Coal, buyers 19s. 9d.; sellers *s ; ; )\ estport-Stockton, sellers ,75.; Kauri Timhf,,:„. b 'S orS n J 15s - M.i'Leyland-O'Bricn Timber, buyers 21s. 9d. ; New Zealand Paper Mills, buyers SL& : Sharland'a ordinary, sellers 20s. 9d., preference, buyers 205., sellers 215.; Tarauaki .Petroleum, sellers 9s. TRADIi REVIVAL. i„s,j'? o! Paramount importance to New ZcaK„j sce , a revival of trade in the United «,?i? ™- a ? d - thc United jStates, because' any bound to;react on this country. i?iS!5 tnal a « tlTl 'y. cspcoially ■ in ■ tho ■ United Kingdom, means an increased distribution of ?»n«?i, V nc , cea sarily, 'therefore, .an IniSciscd consumption of such food products as NewZca--2 YJ> a ' ls -. With respect to the United Kingdom, the trade figures for June- Bhowod for the ,5. t'! 18 s' oar an advance in,the export ft which,--although it: only, -amounted' to | n „ r .? r t cc ,? t '',. a ,' ro r a <!d some-ground for believi„?.nts,i. .If * lde ..] n "J" foreign;husincss of the «?™Jfr ha<i A e ?. E(!a to ebb.;' The figures for July strengthened this impression.. -■ The exports for ™i y „ rc J orded ., a! ? advance'of £1.782,000, -or 5.2 per cent, while the imports, exhibited an.im-. £.4?i' emo °,* of "A545.C00, or: 7:6, per cent. Notwithstanding ;the increases in- the export trade «n.ei e i-»»«n? u,y 'J lO - total for the fo ' ren months was £11,278.000, or 5 per cent..-below that of the ™ ,?. eri , od ?f' lm On tho other hand, tho imports for the seven months were £6,900,000-or 2 per cent.-higher., . .'-. ... ■, With respect to'the United States,-the latest circular of Messrs. Henry Clows and Company, of. How,-xork, states that the outside conditions continue favourable The trade outlook is promising.- -Interior merchant's, have been buying on a conservative basis, and the outlook is lor a. BQpd consumptive demand for nearly all classes of merchandise. Building is active and the railroads aro free - purchasers of materials for constructive purposes. Advices concerning wheat ■ and cora continue-favourable, tho only discouraging reports being from the cotton districts, where continued drought and heat have cajised further' deterioration in the condition of cotton.;._ uioney continues in good supply at easr rates, but the westward currency movem j S aS a A rettd y begun, and both the interior Si? • , oa , na dian • banks are drawing against their balances in this city. It is not generally thought, howover, that tho cron demands this season 'will co,use any material, advance in "if!" 0 ? ratos - Western banks, being.' abundantly aoie to meet a large part of anticipated requirements. \-The .condition of ■' the' national banks appears;to .be exceptionally strong. -.:-' ' WEECK' STATISTICS. . The 'statistical summary of vessels totally lost, condemned, etc., published by Lloyd's EeB.ister, shows that during-1908, the'gross reductionm the effective'mercantile marine of the world amounted to.Boo.vessels, of 809.292 tons, ex?i- ■?*, a ll„ vessels of less than ICO tons. Of tnisUotal oS2 vessels,;of 666,487 tons, were,steamers, and. 418, of 242,805 tons, were mailing 'vessels. .A comparison of the figures for 19087 with the average of the. yearly percentage's for the quinquennial period (1903-07), showß that but little . va " a «on has taken place. Tho percentages for 1908 work out .at 1.82 in the number.of.Bteamers lost, and 1.67 in point of tonnage, which compare with 1.90.and I.79. respectively, for the preceding period of; fivo years." The number of Bailing; vessels, lost of 4.68, as against 4.98, tonnage 4.77; as • against '4.72. These- figures , show, that steamors havo. a muoh greater immunity "ojn disaster thnn have sailing.',vessels.-' :■'■' , Strnndings and kindred '- which are comprised;under the'torm "wrecked,".■ are niuch ,the most prolißc cause of disaster. ; .To-such casualties, are attributable 43.5 per cent,;; of the losses of steamers and 33.8 per cent, of the losses pf sailing, vessels. The next i-mbst -' common tormination. of a vessel's career; is by. 'condemnation, breaking up, etc.,'20.4-per cent, of the! steamors and 27.8 per cent, of the sailing ves--sels'-rcmpved; from the merchant fleets =of the world being aecountcd for in this manner. Cases of abandoned, foundered, and missing 'vessels aro no doubt frequently more or less similar in the circumstances of loss. If these be taken collectively, they comprehend 19.4'. per cent.' of the steamers, and 24.2 per cent, of the sailing vessels removed from tho mercantile marine during 1908. -. - -Out of a total 0f.9542 Bteam and sailing ves-sels-owned by tho.United Kin'edom, according to Lloyd s ■ Register Book, 1908-1909, aEeregating 17,300,000 tons, only 150 aggregating 216,000 ions, were lost during 1908. which makes a percentage of loss of 1.57 in regard to the number-of vessels owned, and one of 1.25 in regard to' tonnage. This is a very small percentage of loss indeed and only four other nations, who have immeasurably smaller merchant flco'.s, can show lower., percentages of .loss for.the year. These ar f/«AUBtro!Hnngnry, which lost 3 but of 340 russets',' percentage of number .88. of tonnogo .98;-Denmark,- which lost B"6ut of 870' vessels, percentage of number. .92, o.f. r tonr.ngo .31;IIolbnd, which lost 6 but of 65S;'veEEel3i percentage of; number 1.06,-of-t.onr.age'"-lil2; and Germany, which tost. 28. out of 2178 vsscls, percentage of number 1.29.-'of tonnage 1.3.4;) ': "•'- >~.' The Dominions overseas have; been milch'more unfortunate. ,' Under the head 'of British "Colonics,". Lloyd's Register records, a. loss for theyMr 6< K. out-of• SC-31 vcscels.'.a oercenia"o of 3.17 on tho total number of vessels, and of 2.66 or. the total tonnage. 'These, are.the highest, figures shown by n.nv rcparatc grouo except Norway, whose.loss.of 75 out bf a total of 2148 owned works out'at a percentage of 3.49 on the total' number-.ind 0f;2.93 on the total tonnage. Sweden; also . rtoos inre!ty- badly..' with' 47 '■ losses out of 1542. shins a-, percontago of 3.05 an to number o,n'd- 2.57.as to tonnatre. -The United .States forms an ..important mercantile country .Wnirh. ennnot be passed over;-it has been unfor:.t"nato during the .yc.ir: jts losses were 84 out Of a total of 3030; oxotndint; vessels trading on the Great Lakes of North America. This works out -at a percentage of loss ot 277 as regards number and 2.03 as regards tonnago, the highest percentages shown by any group except Norway and th"--Ttnti«'i "Colonics." - . - '' ■' .

Ont.of the 150 Jlritish vessels {excluding those of our overseas Dominions) lost-57 woro lost by wrcckngo, .25 thromfli collision, 22 foundered. ,4 worci burnt, !, vtr, abandoned, at. sea, and 15 ore sitoly-registered ns missintr, while of the" 64. vessels list'.belondr-K to so-styled 'British ■ ."Colonies,]' 36 were .wrecked, 11 were abandoned at sea..6 were bnrnt,<! foundered. 2 were condemned.innd 3'are registered.as mitnine. The : United States .of America,'but of their total ' of. 84 lost, have as miny-as 13 ■- missing and abandoned 14 a*-' sea. the number „!ost. through c63tjrto.il being 6. while 11 foundered at sea. Sweden! has a', peculiarly badOeminorice in regard to. collision: .after (Jreat Britain's its' absolute .total of 7 is. the highest' on :■'the : list, and tho relative proportion of . its ■ collision to ,6thor forma "of niarip'e disaster works out. at more' than one-seventh as the total number of, its ships lost.during the year is 47. , This.is all the ' more noticeable as. after Norway and .the' British "Colonics," it .has the highest percentage, of ships .lost-'on the list, namely 3.05. ' .Customs revenue collected at Wellington, on Saturday'amounted to £1701 16s. lid. ■. NETV "ZEALAND SHIPPING COMPANY. ■ "•:,v • , : —--• . ' DIVIDEND. 10s. PEK'SHAEE. Illy TelcKrnph.-i'rnm Aranrlallnn -CopjrlcM I . .. (Ecc. September 26, 5.5 p.m.) ••"'■.• . London. 1 September-25. The roport of the New Zealand Shipping Company, Limited, for tho year ended June 30, last, shows that the : profit amounted to £58,100. A dividoad of 10s.. per share, equal to 6id. ■ per cent., has been' declared, and £12,855 carried forward. '.■• • . / THE FEOZEN MEAT; MABKET., : .•.;'';'-.», Illy Telegrapb.-l'roßs Aisoclallon.-OooTrlebtJ (Eec. September 26, 5.5 p.m.) . _, '• '.'• "* London,'. September. 25.' .' The Frozen Meat Trade Association's. Smithfield market quotations for the undermentioned classes of frozen meat arc based on actual sales of not less than one hundred carcasses of mut-. ton or lamb, or twenty-five quarters of beef of fair average quality. Tho Quotations aro 'not tor selected lines, but for parcels' fairly representative of the bulk of the shipments, now.on the market. Tho prices which 'follow are on an average a farthing per lb. more than the value ex' ship, this difference representing an average cost in expenses; handling, conveyance • and selling the meat:— „ ■ ' Sept. 18. Sept.2s. Mutton— .. d: d. ' Canterbury, .light ».............•.:.... 3S ' 33 • Canterbury, medium ....:...."....„.. 3J ,' 38' .Canterbury,'heavy . : -38 31 . Southland .........:.'-' - North 'Island, '.best ......:, .V 3J . 35.'.' '- North Island, ordinary >.; 1..' 3 5-16 ■ 3 5-16 Australian,. light .'. „... 3 3 Australian, heavy '23 2J. ■ River Plate, light ..:..•.:.....-......;.■> 3 '3J. Eiver Plate, heavy ; 3 3. Lamb— . '. ■ . . ' ! Canterbury, light , 3 11-16 33 Canterbury, medium .: .3 5-16 3S Canterbury,"'heavy' :.»..... 31 '. .'3B Southland ■...„...; '315-16 ' 3j ■ ' North Island,' selooted 3 5-16 3i : .North Island, ordinary 3J 3 3-16 Australian best — — Australian,' fair .._;. — ''— : . Australian, inferior — , '_ .' ■ . Eiver Plate .... ,3 ' 3M6 Beef—' • . ~- , New .'Zealand,! oi fores ■........._..' 2 11-16 ; 2S •■■' •'■ New Zealand, ox hinds ..3} 3 3-16 : Australian, ox fores 2j 2 9-16 Australian, ox hinds ..:....... ,3J ■ ' 3J Eiver Plate, ox fores .;:;.;..'..i...'. ,, Z 11-16:• 21* ' ■ Eiver Plate, ox hinds 3 3-16 . 3 3-16 ■ ; . WOOL SALES. ""' ' (Dy Tolcßrapb.-l'rcss a» S o C utlon,-Cooyrlchi.f ~',', ' London, September 24. At to-days,wool sales there was-keen competition, and prices. were" fully, maintained. Amerioan buyers were active. ; Tho Now Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agenov, Company, Limited, have received ■. tho following *'£ London house under datl !**' 24:-"Fro2cn meat: Mutton, market firmer; the market for lamb is steady; but for dency"" thcre is a do ™ward ten-