COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 806, 2 May 1910, Page 10

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHARES. Good business was done in Taranaki Petroleum shares on Saturday, no less than four separate sales being recorded. Wellington Trust and Loan sold at £7 3s. 6d., Christchurch Gas at £9 17s. 6d., and Taupiri Coal at 19s. 9d. cum dividend. Bank of New Zealand, buyers £9 18s.; Equitable Building, buyers £9 35.; Wellington Trust and Loan, buyers £7 25., sellers £7 3s. 6d.; Fcilding Gas, buyers £1 25.; • Wellington Ga?, £6 15s. paid, buyers £13 55.; South British Insurance, buyers £2 195.; Standard Insurance, buyers £1 35.; Christchurch Meat, buyers £11 125.; Gear Meat, £1 paid, buyers £2 135.; Meat Export,, third issue, buyers £2 12s. 6d.; Now Zealand Shipping, buyers £7 155.; Uniou Steam, buyers £i 125.; Wellington Woollen, ordinary, buyers £3 25.; Westport Coal,,buyers £6 75.; West-port-Stockton,* sellers 7s. -3d.; LeylandO'Brien Timber, buyers £1 45.; New Zea* land Portland Cement, buyers £2 2s. 6d.; New Zealand Paper Mills, sellers £1 2s. 3d.; Sharland's, ordinary, sellers £1 2s. 3d.; preference, sellers .£1 : 2s. 6d.; Taranaki Petroleum, buyers 145., sellers 14s. 3d.; Ward and Co., sellers £4 17s. 6d. The course of' sales during the past month was as.under:— National Bank, new issue, £3 9s. 6d., £3 9s. 9d. Bank of New Zealand, £9 14s. 6d., £9 14s. 6d.. £9 18s., £9 19s. • New Zealand Loan and Mercantile, 6s. fed., 6s. 9d., 75." '. < National Mortgage, £3. Wellingtons Trust, and Loan, £7 3s. fid. National Insurance, 28s. lid. Christchurch' Gas, • £9' 17s. 6d. Fcilding Gas, .£1 .Is: 6d.,, £1 2s. . , Wellington Gas, £6 15sl paid, £13 10a., £13 7a. 6d;, £13 10s., £13 -7s. 6d.Wellington Gas. new issue, 455. . Christchurch Meat, • £li 10s. New Zealand Shipping, £8, £8. Union Steam, 325. • ■ 9'auplrl Coal, 19s. 9d. Westport Coal, £6 55.. . Westport-Stockton. -7s. lieyland-O'Brien, 255., 245., 245. 3d., 245. 3d., 245. 3d., 245. 3d. New Zealand Paper Mills, 225. 4d. New Zealand Portland Co moat, 435. Taranaki Petroleum, 9s. 3d., 9s, 6d., lis., 14s. 6d., 13?. 9d., 145., 145., 145., 145., 14s. 3d., 14s, 3d., 14s. ? . - THE MONEY MARKET. The Bank o'f England discount rate remains "at 4 per cent., but from- the improved outlook, and the fact that the Finance Bill has passed both Houses, there should noon -be an easier tone. The collection of the income tax and other taxes, and the adjustment of accounts between Uit "Hauk and tho Treasury will bring about favourable changes. ''The high Bank rate has not checked the revival of trade, nor has it prevented Stock Exchange speculation. There, has been a regular boom in rubber and oil shares, while trade shows considerable activity. , ' WOOL lit AMERICA. The Americans are holding off from fchb current. London sales, and it is stated that American houses have been filled with dear merino wool. The manufacturers, however, will not 'suffer, for they will, under the.- protection of the . American tariff, be able to extract from'tho people enough to give them a profit. The American woollen Company, one of the largest of such concorns in the United States, has issued its.annual report for the year, to Denumber 31 last. Tho increase in tho sales, as compared with 1908, is no less than £3,800,000, the figures being—l9oß, £5,800,000; 1909, £9,600,000; with a net profit of £1,159,610, on a capital, of £13,900,320. For the ten years of the company's existence the i average output is £8,490,720 per* annum, and the average net profit .£742,151. The worst year was 1899, with a turnover of £4,000,000. The statement in regard to the "company's prospects*is interesting in view-of the reference to the qampaign against trusts:—"The year 1910 opened'with prospects which appeared nearly as bright as those of the previous year, but at this writing the outlook is somewhat obscure because of the-uncertainty of the effect of the expected decisions of the United States Supreme Court in the two pending eases under the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. There has alroady been a faltering in orders for goods caused by the conservative action of the merchants of the country, but .notwithstanding, this we. '.have every reason to expect'a'good'volume of business and have proparcd ourselves to handle it. The advance sales of cloth have been provided for by engagements of wool in anticipation of our wants. This company depends upon a.large volume of business tor its success; the margin of profit is small, and while an endeavour has been made to .create an . impression -reflecting upon the'greed of the woollen and worsted manufacturers, the fact remains that the average profit for the laßt five years upon tho cloth made by this company that enters into a suit of clothes will o,ver" 7" less than 40 cents per suit of clothes. Certainly, considering the risks involved, tho large amount of capital necessary for the conduct oi the business, fluctuations in the raw materials, and the necessity of a large volume of business to employ , all its machinery, any fair-minded person cannot consider this profit unreasonable. If tho price of "clothing appears high ono must look elsewhere for the cause."

CUSTOMS REVENUE. | . Customs revenue, collected at Wellington on Saturday am6unted to '£919 15s. 2d. The' total 'for the 'week was £10,303 13s: 2d., surtax amounting to''£2oß os. 6d.,'. and beer duty to £214 14s. For the month, of April the< revenue was £56,631 46. Id., surtax £1198 145., beer duty £1075 He.. Ud. (By Telegraph—Press Now Plymouth, April 30. The Customs revenue for April amounted to £4433, as against ; in April, 1909. FEILDING MARKET REPORT. Messrs. A. H. Atkinson and 00., Ltd., re-, port 'on Friday's sale a good yarding of pigs, and values still rising. Weanerß made to 6a. Several good norses were offered and sold under the hammer. Poultry was in large supply, every pen filled, and competition keener than of late, and good values realised. In produce lines, onions were firmer, oats also, with demand for whites, potatoes of good quality selling freely from £5 "10s. to £6.. Desßert apples scarce and inquired for. Quotations:— Pigs: Weaners, 55.. 65.. 6s. 9d., 7a., 75., 3d., 7s. 9d., Bs.; Blips, 9s. 6d., 10b., 125., to 13s. 6d.; stores, 15s. 6d., 175., to 17s. 6d.; porkers, 205., 20b. 6d., 255. 6d., to 30s. -Horses: Harness mare, £7 5a.; ponies, £2 to £2 7s. 6ii.; three-year gelding, £10 155.; aged dranght, £12; saddles, £2 iOs. to £3; gig, £15. Poultry (at per pair): Hons, Is. 6d., Is.' 9d., 25.,' 2s. 3d.-, 2s. 9d., 3s. 3d., 3s. 6d., and up to 7s. 6d. for young well-bred birds; cockerels and roosters, 2s. 3d., 2s. 6d., 2s. 9d., 35., to 4s. 6d.; hen and chicks, to 4s. 3d.; ducks, 35., 3s. 3d., 3s. 6d., ss. 3d. to 15s. for purebred Aylsebury; geese. ss. 9d.; turkey, hens, Ills.. Sheep dog, <55.; pupa, Is., 2s. 6d., to 3s. Produce: Potatoes, Bs. 6d. to 10s. 6d. sack; onions, 3d. per lb.; bran, 4s. 9d. to 55.; pollard, 10s.; oafs, 2s. 9d. bushel; barley and tares, 6s. 6d.; barley, 3s. 3d. to 3s. 6d. bushel; wheat, 4s. to 4s. 9d.; quinces, Is. to is. 3d. box; tomatoes, Is. 3d. to Is. 6d.; pears,-M3.; marrows, 2s. 6d. sack; horse carrots, 2s. 3d.; factory bacon; 7d.; hams, B£d. per lb/ HIDE AND SKIN REPORT. At their usuaJ monthly ealu of hides &jkV skins, last Friday, Messrs. Dalgety ana Co. offered a large catalogue to u lull attendance of buyers. They report competition was keen for all lots offered, prices being on a par with last sale's rates. We havo to report a total clearance at the following prices:—Wool—Crossbred, to . B£d.; inferior crossbred, 7d., 7£d.; lambs' I wool, Bd., Bid.; seedy and inferior, G}d. to 71d'.; dead wool, 7£d. to 7sd.; pieces, 4Jd. to std.; black wool, to 61d.; locks, 4d. to 4Jd.; crutchingß, 6d. Sheepskins—Full-wool crossbred, from 7d. to 73d.;" damaged, to Gd.; half-wools, from 6*d. to 63d.; fine halfwools, 7d.; ouarter-wools,' 6d. to 6Jd.; lambskins, to 7Ad.; shorn lambs, from 5Jd. to 53d.; dead, 4£d. to 5Jd.; dead hoggets, 5d.; pelts, sd. to s}d.; inferior and damaged pelts, from 3d. to 33d.; butchers' halfwools, at 3s. 9d., 45., 4s. 2d., to ss. Id.; butchers' quarter-wools, at each, from 3s. to 3s. Bd.; butchers' lambskins, .to 55.; shorn lambs, from Is. Bd. to 2s. 4d.; butchers' salted skins, 3s. 9d., 4s. Id., to 4s. 4d.; butchers' salted iamb pelts, to la. Bd. Hides: Medium ox, 7d. to 74d.;' light ox, C3d. to 6Jd.; cows, good lines, 6id. to 6§d.; medium cows, 6Jd. t3 6£d.; rough, from 5Hd. to 6Jd.; yearlings, to 6}d.; bulls, to bid.; ox and cow, cut, from sd. to s|d.; horse hides, from 4s. to ss. 3d. Calfskins: Good, from Bid. to B£d.; medium, to 7£d.; cut, to Blippy, to 4?d.; dry, Is. 6d. each. Tallow: Casks, from £26 ss. to £27, per ton; barrels, 265. 3d. per cwt.; tins, 255. 3d'per cwt.: rough fat, to 16s. 9d. per cwt. Sundries: Horsehair, best tails, Is. Gd. to Is. 7£d.; other lots, from Is. 4]d. to'lb. 5d.; rabbit skin 6, to lOd. per lb.; and tails, Is. 2d. per dozen. Our next sale will bo held on Friday, May 27. LONDON MARKETS. By Telegraph—Preda Association—Copy right, (Rec. May 1, 5 rvtn.) London, April 30. Hemp.—The market is dull, ana are unchanged. Rabbits are very dull. Many of the recent arrivals wero landed in bad condition, and many were condemned, underwriters making heavy allowances. The few good lots are selling at about 14a., cx store, others 13s. Butter.—The butter trade welcomes the' Aufrtralian Customs recommendation to limit the moisture in butter to 14 per cent., cspocially after tlio rcccnt prosecntionß, which are regarded as a great hardship on innocent importers. TARANAKI PETROLEUM CO. IBy Telegraph.—Press Association.! Now Plymouth, April 30. The directors of the Taranaki Petroleum Company are meeting this afternoon to givo a final reply to the offer of tho British capitalists to' par,phase tho whole property.