COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 678, 1 December 1909, Page 10

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

, ' ' INVESTMENT SHARES., . During the. past month vijry littlo business was done in investment shares, and the reason for the quietness is tho comparatively , high prices ruling. -The yield to the investor except In a few cases is not equal to what can be obtained from investments in other secure ties, and so long oa this condition prevails, dullness must - continue. 'The course of sales during: ifovomber was ae under:— • Bank of Now , Zealand, £9; 155.. ...'■ . ■ ••■.. - .-. ■National Bank. £6. '. ' ■' ' Equitable Building, £9 2s. 6d.',-£9 65., £9 6s. Wellington Trust and Loan, £7. .' National Mortgage, , £2 18s.- 6d. Ohristchuich Meat (£5; paid), £4 18s. Sd., £5. Gear Moat (£4 paid), £10 10a., £10 10a. ■ -. ■. Wellington 'Meat Export • (third issue), 1 £2 16s.i', £2 16s. ■'■■ '■'■ '"■ ••■•-.- ; ' ■■■-■ •■-.■• ■'■ • (Now Zealand Bhipping,.: £7 ■■ Mβ. . Weatport Coal, £6 33., £6 3s. 6d. , ' :Wellington Woollen,.£3 2s. 9d. ..•• ;' toyland-O'Brion Timber, 235. 3d., 23a. 6d., 235. 6d.. 235.: 6d, 235. 6d. . Taranaki Petroleum, 75., 7s. . : .- ■ Ward and : Co., brewery' shares, £4 11s., •£4 13a... £4 12s. '•:'•. :■ -■ .■ Manning and. Co., brewery shares, £3 13s. 6d,, £3 13s. 6d; ■, .' ~ ;■ ■•■•-.•■ ;-.•

: ;■■'■■;■ BANK OF;'nEW SOUTH WALES.'.; , ,;Au3tralian papero are to hand with the particularo of tho half-yearly meeting- of the Bank of New South Wales. Tho accounts to-Septem-ber. 30 ;wera excellent in results; after, paying tho usual 10 pel- cent, dividend, the directors wore in a position to carry £50,000 to the reoerve fund, and to carry, forward an increased balance of £45,704. Thus,. £100.000 has been added to the reserve fund out of profits in the past twelve months, and , tho reserve now, stands at £1,700,000. Tho balance-sheet compares as under with those of previous years :—■'. ■ >: ,; ; t :■■';" '■' 1907. ; . i9CB. V ,1909. Liabilities— - > ; .& • •-.£'■■'■■ ,£ ; ■■'•■ .Notes .' ;...:: '982,704 1,000,851 ' 1,001,534' Deposits - ,26,056,302 26,872,785 -27.765,278 Bills, etc. ........:... 3.254,518 3,326.750 53,965,805 Capital paid 2,425,400 .■■ 2,500,000 2,5C0,000 Kescrve .:....... ■■■ 1,500,000 1,560,000. v 1,650,000. ;Proflt •; ;,.,.-: 181,125 r- -210,074 Y- .220 704 Contingent .;........ 690,261' ' . 851,963 1,077,963 ;.- :■'.[ :■ '. _.': " . £35,090,310 .; £36,322,431;. £38J81,054 : ''.-Assets— ; "'•' ' ••'■'■V- '"■'.■ ■ ■'■•."■••■-'.■' 'i..-.:■'■:' Cash, ;.:. -.. 6.869.023 :. 7,249,313 . 7,915,306 Notes: (other) 197,2« -206,083 ' 169,682 London, at call ...-1,663,000 ' 450.C00 2.140 000 Investments ■', -2,496.537. ■:- 2,673,410 c 2,743,525 Bills, etc. 2,170,612 .. 1,975,451 ■ ■- 2,415,016 Advanceß ■-..... 20,311,637 '■ 22,226,205 '/ 21,012,092 .Promises , ..".; 690,000. 690,000' 707,500 .Contingent.....; 690,261 ". 851,963 1,077,963

;.;;,.: J, £36,322,431 £38,181,084' The point of special interest was/announced' ■by the chairman towards' the close ,of . the meeting.' 'The directors propose issuing another 25,000 shares at a' premium "of £s''per share thus raising. the paid-up capital to £3,C00,C00,and increasing the reserve by another- £125,000-. ; :1- :.;. ' PIEB WASTE. IN AMERICA. , ''■■■''"':} :' : Tho estimating' of the. financial statUß of busi.nessss and,of the credit limit in each particular, enso is almost a separate profession in tho United .- States, and 'tho" leading''-".''credit,! men," as they arc called, aro experienced-and''highly ;«aid. .persons.- Tho. National; SAesociation of Credit Men. divides" itself /.iritb.-cbmimttocH to , .consider various "aspects'.'of,' "commercial lifo from the point of'view-'ofHhd financial'stability and its influences on tra'dicg. generally. ■■-The Fire 'Insurance Committed of the association .has just issued Ha annual roport, in which'tho .''following .statement is made:—"lf wo had ■ a of burning say..twice or three, timen as muohv property for every: , thiusand , people-'as Enrope does, we could"perhaps put l down as'the cause a difference in construction more or less excusable in.a country.:comparatively' cewi but to present a record of iloss, from ten to twenty times as great for the samp'number of-inhabi-tants.' and growing ; worse; "instead'.'of- 'better, would : strike any ■ reasonable! . man as prooi enough that there prevails." here an■inexcusable neglect of firo prevelitivo measures on tho part, of individuals, business,;houacs. ,municipal<«'and State Governments, Buoh'aa crista nowhoro clso jn tho world.". The chief reason which the committee gives for the. really alarming condition is tho utter'disregard 7pf of.'thoi nitizen to'his fellow-citizens and thb "welf ar'o of' his country generally. If is the! doctrino of individuality.pushed, to anextreme. Tho canker-has-eateh into municipal and- State government to such an extent that even tho bodies whoso ■duties are to. safeguard tho property, and lives of the people fail.entirely to deal, in any. effectual way with tho problem of waste by fire, "

Customs revenue collected at. ■Wellington for tho "mpnth of ..November': amounted >to £18,943 15s. 2d. Included in this amount were tho items: Primage.- £546 15s. ,U.r and surtax £175 Ws.. Id. Beer duty amounted. to £1102 lla.. 6d. For November,. 1908, the roverine ■waa--£55,347 2s 5d.,- beer duty totalling £1139 ss. . ' :-. TKADB IN ALLEN AND. BLAIR .STREETS. Tho markct3 appear to'lio exceedingly activo, a featuro peculiar to this period, of the year. ■Some of the seasonable. lines aro selling very well. .■■•.- ..- ■ ■.-' ".. ..... ■.--.. " .Hams are mooting with an excellent".demand, as retailors and others are getting, in.stooks for. Christmas. ' ", .--■■'.'• ••" .• -■ ■■■'• - ■•■•■' Bacon in good demand,; and-fair business doins. -■ ■■;■■.- : -..-:. ~ . ,--...- ■; -'•--.■ -■;■ • .-.--• .. ■ - -■ . Fresh yeggs'.—Supplies are light, and there is •every,prospect of a ri:o in the near future. ■Butter,—All farmers'. lota are easily quitted at full current rates,. and supplies are hardly equal to tho demand. - ..-'•;' ; i'. ■■■-. ; New potatoes ere coming in freely from tho country; the bulk of tho : consignments being from : tho Manawatu. Tho quality •is • fair to medium. ■ . ..-••-. :; ■-, Old potatoes are still coming forward regularly: from the south, bnt supplies, are on the light'eide.- ~- ' ,: . \ ■■■■ . Poultry is in good demand, arid those in tie habit of supplying the local market are advised to' consign-early, as later on ;the market will bo suffering from a glut, and prices will recede. , :..- .' - - , .... ~ 1 Flour.-Owing to tho low ■'■ prices ruling for Now Zealand flour, very- littlo Australian is coming forward... Sales: of new season's Austral lian flour for: delivery' in January are being mado on the basis of £9 to £3 ss.'f.o.b. Sydney and Melbourne. : .. : . . ■ ■ Oatmeal—There'is a small demand, which is the usual feature-in the warm, months. " Barley little business passing.;. '. -. - Qmons.—Australian onions control tho raarket;at the moment, and 'fairly heavy shipments are rooming'.. , , from Melbourne and -Sydney. '. ; Oata.—ln consequence ■:•. of. tho /. heavy. ship, ments, oats are : quoted , :2d. per L bushel higher, tho. advance, .taking , place during the past ■month. ' ; ■~ . . ' ■ : . -.- . ■ ■' Fowlwheat continues firm, and fair sales are being made. / ' . . • ? Maizo. is not popular- with-'ponltry men in thesummer, consequently tho-demand is slack. Pollard.—Sales are unusually heavy for this time* of year, and this is duo to tho compara■Uvely low prices quoted. . . , . ■, , ; ■■' Fro3h fruits.—Tomatoes ' are now coming forward from the Nolson district, ar.d tho quality lsiozcellent. Oranges and mandarine aro realising extreme rates owing 'to scarcity on ■ tho other side. Light shipments are coming forward.. .New Australian apricots, and plums reached tho market last week. The pinms wero ■on the sido, but the apricots were of good quality.. Bananan. aro due from Fiji' next week, and excellent prices are anticipated. - FETJIT.AND HBODTJOE EBPOET. The Now Zealand Fruit and Produce Company Limited, report prices for the weok ending November 29 Us follow:—Potatoes, 4s. 9d. to 6s. 3d. per cwt.; potatoes, now, 10s. to 135./ 6d. per cwt.; onions (Victorian), 95.: 6d.. to 10s. 6d ; cauliflower, :4s. to 10s. sack) lottnce, ss. to Bs. casej-turaipa, 4s. to ss. 6d. Back; carrots (new), Is. ■ 4d. dozen: beetroot, 2s. 9d. to 4a. 3d, Back j cabbage, 3s. 6d. to,loo. 7d. sack; beans (French), 4Jd. per lb.i rhubarb, 30. to ss. dozen; pea 3, 10d to Is. 4d. peck; beans (broad),,2d. per lb.; asparagus, 7d. to 9d. bunch;, mandarins, 83. 9d. to Us. case; -lemons, 10s. to 13s. case; oranges (Island), ICa. 6d. to 155.; paseion frnit. 12a. to 13s.>6d. box; pines, 9s. to lis.,6d. case; bananas 7s. '9d.'-.to 10s.' case; oranges (Bydney), Us. to 135.; passion fruit, 20s. case; apples (Tasmanian Scarlet Pcrmain), ■ 14s. to 165.; apples (French Crabs), 15s. 6d.; apples (Stiirmers), 165.; eggs, Is to Iβ. Id. dozen; tnrkeys, 14s. to'lßs..pair; hens' 4s. 6d. to ss. pair; ducks, 6s. to Ds. pair;-bran. 9fl. sack; .pats, 29.:2 d. to :2s. 4d., bushel; chaff. £310s. to £3 155.; peanuts,.2os. sack; preserved Bimrer, 6Jd. per lb.; gooseberries, ss. to 63strawberries. Is. 9d. to 2a. 9d. .'. .

• . ; .'.;. :UETAL MARKETS.:. ;'- :; . •' : " '■'','■■ ; j'i ■■: ' London, November 29. Sllvor is quoted at 23id..'per ounce standard., ■ ■■.:' :.-••■ (Eec. November .'30,. 10.20 - p.m.) . ■■"'. "' London, Novombor 30.' Copper,—On tho spot, £58 3b. 9d.; three months £S9 65.; electrolytic, £61 ISs. per ton.', - ■. Tin.—Ontho spot, £M 1 10s.; three months, £143' 7a. 6d. per ton. . . . ■..<■. .Load, £13 por.ton.. '..■. ■'■■]■ : ■ ■' ;;>'.;■;;,', wheat and flour, .-.-/, ..■''. '-■'' ■■■'■'■■ ■"' .■"■.'■■'•..■ London) Novembor29. Tho wheat, and flour'afloat for tho-United Kingdom.: is 2,120,000 quarters; for , tho • Continent, .l,Boo,COOi•■Atlontlq.shipments, 353,000; Pacific, '; ■; (Eoc.. November 30, 10.20 p.m.) : . :t i■•iL, ■'■■ <:' ! : :-'.- London, November 30. • -Whoat.T-4000 Quiirtore of Australian Decombor' Jaanary,shipment Bold at 28s. 6d, . ■..•■■■

P. AND O.■';OOMPANX:S;TBAB'B;BEBULTB. : ";-- (By TeloEraph.-Press Assoclatiom-Copyrlght.) L London, Novcraber 29. The Peninsular and Oriental Company's rePort shows profits totalling £275,286, of which £66,438 has been carried forward.

, ; GRAIN AND MtODUOE. . ■" ; ' (By Telcgraph-Prcss Association.) '''' '. Christehurch, November 30. There is but little to report in connection with tho grain- and produco markets. ..',-• ■■ : -A few small lots of wheat are going out of store, but they do not amount to more than a few hundred sacks. Should it be found that there is not sufficient wheat to last till noit harvest supplies may be looked for from Australia, if the strike is ended before long. It is likely that our harvest may bo late if moist weather, continues for any length of time, and the new wheat will not be available till'early in: March. . . • . There is not the same inquiry for oats as there was a short time ago, and sales are only of small quantities. ' ■ ■ 1 Shipments of potatoes that are now going forv/ard to the north will practically close tho seasons Stocks in hand are in very small compass, and as new potatoes are now offering there will be little demand for last reason's. Mr. David Whyte,' jun., land agent, Hastings, reports having sold. a valuable block of building sites on the Havelock Hills, containing 215 acres, on account'of Mi , , Bernard Chambers, Tβ Mata. Thero is stated to be a strong demand for building sites in this district. . ;