COMMERCIAL ITEAIS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 802, 27 April 1910, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEAIS.

INVESTMENT SHAKES. Sales of New Zealand Portland Cement at £2 3s. and Taranaki Petroleum at Ms. 6d. were recorded yesterday. National Bank, buyers £5 125.; Hank of New Zealand, buyers £9 155.; Wellington Trust and Loan; buyers £7 25., sellers £7 45.; Fcilding Gas, sellers £1 25.: South British, buyers £2 18s,; Christchurch Meat, buyers £11 10s.; Gear Meat, £1 paid, buyers £2 135.; Wellington Jteat Export, £2. 12s. 6d. naid, buyers at par; New Zealand Shipping, buyers.£7 15k.; Hikuronei Coal, sellers £1 25.; Wcstport Coal, buyers £6 63.; LevlaudO'Brien Timber, buyers £1 45.; New Zealand Drug, buyers £8 7ft : New Zealand Portland Corccnt. buyers £2 2s. fid.: Taranaki Petroleum, buyer; 145., sellers 15s. OCEAN ACCIDENT AND GUARANTEE. •1 Tho' balance-sheet ■ of the Ocean .Accident and Guarantee Corporation, Ltd., for the year ouded December 31,- 1909, is as satisfactory a document as any previously issued, and shows that the company is more than maintaining its business, which has grown to very large proportions. Tho revenuo for the year ■ amounted to £1.536,121 os. 7d.: of. this, the total premium income,' less rolneurances and' bonuj j

tn assured, amounted to £1,477,805. 3s. 7d. The income from the investments Including .the interest and; dividends comprised' in the statements to bo furnished tn the Board of Trade, after making provision for depreciation of leaseholds wan £58,076 4s. Id. The compensation paid and provided for, including incidental expenses, amounted to £793.670 135. , 10d. The Inv»stments and other assets amounted to £2,103.564 ■ 15s. 9d. After debiting' all elmrges and expenses, there remains, includinsr the amount brought forward, a credit balance ot £833,256 -2s. 9d., less amount sot aside as proportion of premiums unearned, £496,616 18s.-7d., leaving available a balance of £335.639 4s. 2d. Afte? the payment of the dividend and bonuc there will remain £287,591) Bs., out of which £50C0 has been added, to the Staff Provident Fund, leaving £282,890 Ba. to he carrind forward. . • The leading items in the balance-sheets of tho past two, years comparo as under:— : 1909. 190!. ' £ £ Premium income 1,477,805 1.40Z.2C0 Interest, etc. ...; ". ' 58,076 52,780 Compensation .... ; , 810,870 740,037 All oxpenses ':..'„ 605,554 566,769 ■Unearned premiums ..'..... 467,812 Revenue balance ......■' 336,639 ' 273.671 Gen. Ins. Fund ..-.....■. 1,203,617 " 1,192,813 Deserve Fund ; 300.000 . MO.OCD Investments,.. >..,;......■ 2,103,564 2,003,799 ■Customs.revenue collected at Wellington yesterday amounted .to , £2198 17b..9d. , , ' TEADE, IN ALLEN 'STEEET. :.' ;' Bananas.—The;Navua.'.from- Fiji, with tho usual shipment, is due here to-mor-row, arid the consignment will consist' of 1500 cases' and 800 bunched,'which is rather a small lot, and is due to the recent hurricane experienced in the'isla'nd. Values are likely to run high. ■ ■ .■ , Grapes.—Tho consignments now coming forward from Australia are arriving in poor condition, and . low rates have had to bo accepted tb quit." ' Pears.—Heavy' supplies continue to reach the'market, arid choicest desserts are making, 4s. to 6s. per case: Over-production is ' said to be tho' cause;' if so, growers must make efforts to have, the fruit put into cans; ' ', Apples.—Choice dessert'apples are selling satisfactorily, whilst cooking varieties' are making, small pricc3. ■ . " ' ■'.jVegetables.—French beans are making up to' Bs,' per half-case, and ' green peas are ■ selling up to 15s. per half sack. The demand is good for all kindH of vegetables, and. consignments are recommended. Potatoes.—Fully 50 per cent, of those .coming forward aro badly diseased, and have to bo sold.for, what .they will, fetch.. Butter.—For 1 first grade, lump, milled, the demand is good. . . Cheese is offering at 63d., and fair business is passing. ... , Bacon has. advanced Jd. per lb., and hams are unchanged.' A good business is being , , dono , in these , products. • ■ r '.- ■ Fresh- eggs' have advanced considerably in value, and prices now :ran'ge from 2s. 2c. to '25..',3 d.'; preserved,- Is. 4d;'to Is. sd. Poultry .-rPullcts 'are' in strong' request, and are quoted at 4s. to' 6s. a pair; other sorts are .'without, change. Wheat.—Bnsimss ooMiiides good, and prices are unchanged. ',Oats have advanced.Jd. per bushel, and the market is firm. ' , " ■'.'■' Maize has declined Id.'! per bushel, 'and good business has been done at the reduced' raft; ■ ' ; SILVER. By Telegraph—Press Association—Coprrleht ■'. '•...-.• London, April 25. Silver is quoted at 24 ,11-16 d. per ounce standard. . , ;■. WHEAT AND FLOUR. V . By Teieeraph— Frees Association—CVinrrlirhi London, April 25. The wheat and flour afloat for the United Kingdom in '4.380,000 quarters; for the .Continent, 1,910,000 quarters; : AUantic shipments, 44,000; Pacifio shipments, 15,000. The total, shipments to Europe during the week amounted to 1,275,000 quarters, including ' 1,275,000 :from Argentina .and U;uguay, 148,000 from Black. Soa porta, and 620,000 from India. . ■'■■'.• ' ' ; PKIOE OF FLOUR. Br Teleerapb—Press Association— Copyrlscai : ■■■■■■!. , ;■■•■- Sydney, April 26. ' ■-'■ Tho Millowners' Association. has reduced the'prico of Hour by 5s f .per ton. MAIZE OF INFERIOR QUALITY. ..'/ Sydney, April 26; ■'■ \ Produce merchants complain • that the buk of; the new maize coming' to hand is of inferior quality and in soft condition. OANTEEBURY QItAIN MARKET. Standard weights.fixed. .:.' V;. (By Telegraph.-Press Association;! :■

ChrlstcHurch, i'p'rii: 25. Following ore. the weights of standard samples of grain as fixed for this • sea-son's, crops: by the-Canterbury Chamber o^.Commerce:— Fair average quality , Tuscan, Hunter's,- and pearl, 601b. per bushel; B grade Canadian oats, 401b.; : A grade gar-' tons, ,401b.; B cr.ido gartons, 381b.; B grade sparrowbills, 381b.; duns, 371b,; Danish 361b. .'-Wheat is. dull ofsale and no fresh business is reported. -Oats,are wanted. - but Growers are holdir.c. firmly,' and sales arc thereforo limited: Oatshcaf ■ chaff meecß with fair-inquiry, though it is not so readily saleable since prices advanced to their present level. Beans are now being offered, but, except for local consumption;' there is little .demand, as the best offer from .London."-is below the level of local prices.' There ;is inquiry for Italian rye l grass from the south, where local supplies are below requirements. '

VOLUNTARY LIQUIDATION. (By TeloEraDh.—Press Association.! ;■' Auckland, April 26. ' The Mitchelson Timber Co. has decided to go into. voluntary liquidation. The past , year's transactions resulted in a loss of £2333. • ■ : ■ •,-.., ' ..