COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 701, 29 December 1909, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

• • • 'yTfie Condon- mark'e&for £rofeh meat' has . not shown+much-ohange .during the week' / and theYGhristmas. trade appears not to .'•:. hayo affebted the,>posjtion. - -Imports of ■:'. mutton '.and: lamb .into the.-United King- :.-' _dom .duririgYOotobor from' all Quarters- ■; were light,"-the total being only 167,9340wt;,- ',', against 3G8,693pwt.-for.November, 1908. .To-' ': Ul imports;'of mutton., and lamb ' into the United? Kingdom for the first ten f months of'the year compare as follow:— 1 Y ; -Y'-; ■•■' - : -,-'.■ ■■; -1907. 1908. 1909. ■.. .From—. - Cwt. Owt. Cwt. - Australia .................. 689,066 492,195 710,234 , New .Zealand ......... 1,931,3311,613,772'1,851,499 ;" Argentine and . Urus V guay ..:......;..:...........1,209,487 1,321,656 1,348,947 J Netherlands ............. 156,428 Y 186,304 .125,151 a-.. Other- countries 1 .;.....,; 36,192 '.118,663 YM9.814. a .-';. T0ta1. : .;;.....„...i;LY4;022,504 3.732,590 4485,645 r: -Imports - ot - beef into the 'United Kingdom t during. October amounted to 627,934cwt., or J.'- an increase;of.9,9oscwt. over October, 1908, .[ American and! Argentine supplies for the month being smaller, but Australian and • Now Zealand ■' larger. Total imports ' of I beef, for the first ten months of the year .. compare-as follow:— . - '.-.' i i ' -.■;-,-■ - ...' ■■■'.'■ 1907.-. 1908. , 1909. „■ From-'-•'.--. ' '; -'.Owt. -- Owt. Owt. - United States'... 2,152,252 1,179,796 747,685 ,' Argentine and . Uru- - . ■ l guay ..................;... 2,317,176,3,039,126 3,590,220 t -Australia .;............... 110,849..'79,452 331,3843. New' Zea1and..;.'.....'.. ~368,513 -320,323. ,424,777 i-. Other countries..:.... ;.4,276 16,208 -73,538 3 "'Total .!..'....;:......;'.'. 4,953,066 4,634,905 5.167,604 '••:. -The -'principal, features shown'by-this coms . parison are ' tho diminution In American [.' supplies of, beef, and Mho increase in im- . ports from the Elver Plate and Australa- _• sia.. Out of this.year's imports from the 'Bivor Plato for ;the ten- months. 1;491,444 '"' cwt., ur: over 41 .per cent., consisted of 1- chilled, beef. Imports of live animals into tho United

, ~™__j r— ■ - Kingdom for the first ten months' of the year compare as follow:— , ■ ='• 1907. 1908. ' 1909. No. No. No. Oattl* .:.-.......... 400,766/ 318.536 . 262,817 Shoep-and lambs ... , 83,990 66,192 - 7,130 Imports of frozen rabbits into tho United Kingdom for the ten months ended October 31, from Australia,- N amounted to 377,0010wt.,. against 317,9780wt. for the corrcs-. ponding period of last year; and from New; Zealand 24,049cwt., against 67,064cwt. .." EOLLEE-SKATING. FINANOE. '." Roller skating has become an expensive mania.in Great Britain; and the companypromoter/has mado the most of tho prevailing erase. During October, 23 new coiripanies were Uoatcd. making 242 for tho yea(r.--The total capitalisation, without including ' debenture issues, for the ten months of 1909 ia J31.821.4C0. Taking all registrations sinco tho- beginning of tho craze in 1908, the aggregate is 261, and the combined capital involved £1,972,800, or .well over £2,000,000 if loan debt is In--cludod. Where tho population is to como from to -supply a remunerative patronage is .'not apparent, and the founding of fresh rinka in'places already well served is more pronounced that ever. In Abordeen,.tor instance, a. town with a yopnlation of 154,000, there aro now no fewer than eight, and the Manchester-total'has to, the same figure, thongh, considering the diaparity in tho number of inhabitants as compared with" the northern city, this is a modest 1 standard. The capital of individual companies' is'not, large as a ■rule, although several ventures aro on the £100,000 mark, but unless tho inhabitants forego every form of exorcise it-' is evident, that. many of theso enter-' prises are doomed to failure. TRADE/PREFERENCE.' • An interesting return' has-been . published in the United Kingdom, setting forth the preferential treatment accorded by, foreign countries to their colonies and accorded t by thoir.colonies to the parent country.. Holland, as a Free-trado country, neither gives nor receives any preferential .treatment,; arid between Germany and her : oversea possessions there is "riiost-fav-oured-nation" treatment, only, though that favouritism and shipping subsidies go a good way. France and tho United States carry preferential treatment very'far indeed. //There iß> almost Free-trado between France, Algeria, Tunis, while possessions further: away are all treated . preferentially, 'and grant' preference in• return.' But much of the trade must be carried in French ships. In of tho United States there is "Free-trade with'Portorico,. Hawaii, and Alaska. Tho products'of the Samoan group are admitted free, under bertain conditions,.into that country; no preferential treatment is accorded by Samoa to products from tho United States. Certain,products and manufactures in the Philippine Islands are admitted, into ; tho United States free, whilst others are taxed. But United States, products and manufac-. ■ tares are admitted, diity free into . tho Philippines, and foreign aro taxed. Australia has. recently lost the flour trade, with the Philippines in consequence. Trade between United States colonics and the parent corin'try is retajned for American , shipping, but there are'details and exceptions which would call for consideration in any complete, statement /of /tho position. England grants no preferential treatment ; to her colonies. But-she has subsidised : one shipping company trading to tho . -united States. Canada, New Zealand, Aus- . tralia,' and "South Africa grant -varyingdegrees of preferential, treatment to tho 'United; Kingdom. ' : '; ... ..-:•' / ; NELSON. TEA PENSIONS. 'A cablo message from London somo weeks ago made reference to the disastrous condition of. the Nelson Tea Pen- ' sions Fund. The full, statement of the / ppsition discloses a'. very doleful story.-. It; is necessary to point out here that this tea pension scheme .iB a British concern ■ entirely, and is in no way connected with the New-Zealand tea firm of-Nelson, Moata '- and.Co., Ltd. The similarity of the names is apt to■ causo-confusion. According to. tho report of the senior official receiver of ' the, Nelson Tea Provisions Fund; the re- . ceiptß from'various sources .amounted to £28,399, the .'allocation of which was'as '■' follows:—Dividend amounting to £1.125.; payable ito each: of. 13,397.. 1.10s.) pension-, ers,: £21»5, dividend amounting to 16s;, . 'payablelto each of. 7347 (55.) /.pensioners, £5877; perision cheaues issued by company arid remaining unpaid at dato of winding- : up, £811, arid fee payable to. Board- of / -Trade, sanctioned by tho Court, £275./Tho ,' 10s: pensioners -have been assessed at £377 per claim, and tho ss. pensioners at £188 ids. per' claim./the - total liability in respect.'of' ■pensions/being" £5,435,578. ; Tho . assets to meet that - liability aggregated ■ .only £28,399./.The shareholders in tho com--pany challenged the right of the. pension- . .'ors to any of the assets other than an ;■ item of undistributed profits-representing; '• -£2239, and ; ari appeal was made to the Ocurt, which held that tho pensioners ; were' entitled to the.furthor amounts of £19,920 and. £6000. The funds, 'as' stated, - enable the payment;.of £1 12s, to be mado • i'to each,' pensioner entitled to 10s. per week, and of 165./.to each pensioner, en--titled'to ss".- The""Court"hold further, that ; tho pensioners are: entitled to be' paid .. ' their .claims .'in priority,to the;custpmers;; and; tho 'furid not'being .sufficient.to dia, charge the pensionors' claim, no distri- ■ butiori; can therefore be mado to the cus- ' tomeri Unfortunately there is no'likelihood'of any farther money being,re-, ceived /or payment made to pensioners. . \ Customs revenue collected at' Wellington yesterday.amounted to £2200 Is. 4d.TEADE^.IN/ALLEN, AND .BLAIR, STREETS..' Some '.'excellent- cherries ' camo to, hand on Friday last from Victoria, and realised ' satisfactory rates. ..' The Ulimaroa : arrived from Sydney" yestorday./'onel day. ahead of the timo-tablo 'date,/and brought 600 packages of fresh fruits for this market. The consignment ; consists'mainly;of pineapples, oranges and | stone fruits... The market.at tho present• time is heav-' ily supplied with oranges and lemons. ■/Strawberries are in short supply/and ex--bellent rates are being obtained; up/to 3s. per pint box was /reached for particularly line samples. :. ' - ; /- ..,,. Raspberries'.'and black currants have beenin excess of requirements, and. lower rates have had to be; accepted. However, an improvement is- anticipated after the holidays, as jam-making will then begin:' .Tomatoes—Prices .have fluctuated con- • slderabiy//ranging;.froiU : 12s. to;-20s. per ■half-case;;',;-'.':"-..';,-/,'.:. ,',/ ' "', './. • /■ 7'/-.,' - - FreshSeggs .'have been short.-of- require^:, " ments, and .-.prices'; have -advanced; one ! penny per dozen. ..' ■;..'• . bulk for pastry continuesin short' supply, : and the -market could easily absorb about double- the presentquantity. .'/■ ' - ' .;:;.' Hams—Tho. demand during the Christ;/ mas week was exceedingly heavy, and) small sizes are now unprocurable. : , poultry—Pens were well cleared during tho week, and there has been no alteration in values. : Geese aro : now .unsaleable, •; a' feature usual after the Christmas"rush ;is : over.''/.-'.:■-'"/'"'v.- ■ ~.'--;;/ '-'7-.- : . New ; potatoes.—A ' largo portion.of the consignments'consists of small'tubers, and lower, rates are -ruling; in consequence.', Onions.—The quality of the onions coming from Victoria has improved very considerably, and some fairly heavy shipments are' coming forward. ■■' New Zealand onions should.bo available about the middle ol January. ,-' .'•■". . Chaff.—New'chaff ,is now being sent is - from the Wair.arapa; last season the new .chaff- did; not reach this market until about tho'middle of January. -.;■•• . .;' fegetables.—Green peaa are, now inmucJi better/request, arid; much rates are ruling. Other except'lettuce,' have advanced /in value. ,;'■'-.,-!... .7 ;;-■;';'. :..' : LONDON ;-lURKETSI;'7' '..' ' Messrs. Dalgety;.arid Company, ■ Limited, Teport-having received the/following cable; messages;'from their-. under, ■ ,'date -December.-23:—Wool: ;,At, publio v sales '. 'of: "Plate";,wool ;in Liverpool, prices for' , medium/quality crossbred,-wools'are 5 per' ; oent. higher:- for-coarse Crossbred 'wools . 5 per cent.'.tb'7s per, cent, higher, and for. ■ merinos'- arid 'fine crossbred/firm, as com- • /pared with last Lpndon.r.sales' closing/ . Iratea. Frozen meat:-The.'rimtton market, !is .father/-firmer, : but ...prices aro unchanged.'- :For. lamb, any. change in pricos/ is in favour, of sellers,-,bat stalo Btockß "are/neglected. Beef-is" in .little demand at : unchanged .prices. . Tallow: Market quiot. ; 'and .prices-unchanged./-r : - /./'-TWELVE WEEKS* SLUIOING. - , /. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.)'; ' / Duncdln, December 28.' Mutch Brothers, at Gow's Creek, Wai-" kaia, /obtained 400 oivnceß of gold for twelvoi weeks'.work.on their sluicing claim..'- '~