COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 808, 4 May 1910, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

• INVESTMENT SHAKES. Taranaki Oil shares changed hands yesterday afternoon at 14s.- 6d., two sales being made at the price.' There were no other transactions in investment shares. Bank of New. Zealand, sellers £10:, Equitable Building, buyers £9 35.; National Mortgage, buyers £3; Wellington Trust and Loan, buvcrs £7 2s. 6d.; Christchurch Meat, buyers £11 12s. 6d.; Gear Meat, £1 paid, buyers £2 135.: Wellington Meat Export, third -issue, buyers £2 12s. 6d.; New Zealand buyers £7 155.; Union Steam, buyers £1 12s. 3d.; Westport Cpal, buyers £6 75.; West.pnit-Stockton Coal, sellers 7s. 3d.: Kauri Timber. 15s. pnid, sellers 16s. 7d.; Leyland-O'Brien .Timber,, buyers £1 45.; New Zealand Paper Mills, buvers £1 25.; Sharland's preference, tellers £1 2s. 3d.; Taranaki Petroleum, buyers 14s. 6d.. sellers 155.; Tarengarautu Totara Sawmills, buyers £1 45.; Ward, and Go., 6Cllers £4 17f>. 6(1. THE WOOL SALES. . The London wo£l sales appear to be gaining in firmness, for on Monday good business was doue, the demand beine very firm for, every line. In respect to the proQuction and' consumption of-..w001, Messrs. Hehnuth, Sohwartzc, and Company, tho well-known London 1 wool-brokers, write;— > The total quantity of raw wool available for consumption in 1909 was 2592 million lb., against 2295 ae.d 2468 million lb. in 1908 and 1907, but, "as pointed ' out in former reports, the N shifting of arrivals (.retarded iinporla' at the end of 19C6 and 1908, and very early receipts; at-the end of 1907, and also as far as colonial wools are concerned in 1909) has greatly affected the annual figures, and the last four years have .to -bo taken more or less together. The receipts from the colonics and the River' Plate in Europe and North America during the calendar vear , amounted to 2,351,C00 bales Australasian,' 400,000 , bales Cape,-and 535,001) hales River Plate, against 1,979,000, 291,000. and 501,000 bales respectively in 1908. The supply of "other sorts" shuwed a great inorcase. of Mediterranean, East. India, and China wools, but also some increase of mohair, and -camel's hair, and a duce. Patagoman, and'-Falkland Islands'. The quantity of clean wool at the disposal, of the industry (not the quantity actually consumed in the form of manufactures) wa? on the average of periods as follows per head of population:— On previous lb. and deoiraals. period. 1861-70".; 2.26 1871-80 : 2.43 Increase 7i per cent.. 1881-90 "2.57 Increase 6 .per cent.-1891-1900 2.76 Increase 71 per cent. 1901-1909 ... fc.64 Decrease 4& per-cent. Taking the last. four, years separately the. amount Ma i,691b. per head, acainst 2.611b. per head from 1901-05. , The distribution shows only a slight increase in the United Kingdom, a great addition on the' Coutihent; and an 'extraordinary- increase in North America, where the figures varied tremendously. Last . year's quantity left in the United States is a record figure, but the imports were still larger in the year of "free wool," 1897, before the introduction of the tariff. GOLD AND SILYER EXPORT. RETURN FOR APRIL. .The following return shows the quantity and value of gold and silver exported from the several ports of New Zealand for the months of April, 1909 and 1910, and the first four months of those years. GOLD. April, 1910. April, 1909. Oz. £ Oz. £ Auckland • ... 26,502 .104,793 • 19,675 77,956 Nelson • ......... ,17 68 Westport 1,476 5.637 Greymouth ... '8,712. 33,890 5,053 19.040 Dunedin ..1... " 3,525 . 14.101 Invercargill ... 2,089 8.330 38,796 152,718 28.253 111,097 Increase for April, 1910, 10,5430z., valued at .£41,621. SILVER, . ' April, 1910, 126,0780z., £12,745. April, 1909, 147,9830z., £14,737. ; Decrease for April, s 1910, 21,9050z., £1992. The figures for the four months ended April 30, 1910 and 19C9, are:1910. . 1909. Gold, 152,7720z.; £603,798. 145,3890z., £576.893. Silver, 536,1780z., £53,738. 550,6750z„ £54,887.

increase for four months in sold. 73830z., £26,905. Decrease for four months in silver. 14.497 oz., £1149.

TRADE IN ALLEN STREET. Oats.—The market continues strong, and heavy sales have been made. Prices for duna and Algerians rango from 2s. Id. to 2s. sd. f.o.b. south. Wheat is without alteration, with fair business doing.' Maize-Owing to tho necessity of rebagging to meet the reo.uirements. of the Halfway' Department, tho northern merchants are now asking a penny ner bushel more to cover costs. ■ .Bran lias advanced ss. per ton since last week, and supplies are on the light side. Pollard.—The Quotations remain unchanged. Rolled Oats—Some fair sales have been made. The consumption is increasing considerably, owing to tho cold weather. Baled straw and hay are in heavy supply, and are meeting with a moderate demand. Peas—Owing to heavy shipments to Ensland, local supplies arc running short and nigher rates are ruling. iloncy is offering in large auantities, and sales are diflicult to elfect. Butter.—There is an excellent demand for good prime pastry butter at 9d. to 9id. iTesh eggs are in exceedingly short supnly, 2s. 3d. per .dozen being readily obtainable. Cnilled eggs are coming forward more freely, and preserved are changing hands at Is. sd. per dozen. llams and Bacon.—Excellent business is passing, but sunplies are criual to the demand. Pears.—After some week? of low nriees the market haa at last taken a turn for the better. The most popular varieties of dessert pears are Winter Nellis and Winter Colo, which are making 7s to Bs. for choice fruit, other varieties range from 3s. to 6s. Apples—Dessert have better inquiry, and cooking varieties -have advanced 3d. on last week's rates. Island Oranges.—The market is bare. The next steamer with supplies is duo on Tuesday next. Pio Melons.—'Theso are coming forward freely, the current prices being 3s. to 4s. per case. Bananas.—Last advices from Fiji aro very discouraging. Tho hurricane experienced there in March devastated the banana plantations. One grower, writing to a Wellington firm, reports that out of 600 acres'of orchard there is not a single tree left standing. Another grower states that tho banana .industry has been almost annihilated through the storm, and adds: "I regret to say I have lost equal to 13,000 cases besides 12,000 bunches, valued at £2500." Another reports damage to cane and banana crops amounting to £7000. Bananas from Fi.ii. will not be available until about Christmas.

! WHEAT AND FLOUR. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright London, May 2. I The wheat and flour afloat for ■ the ! United Kingdom i° <1,325,000 Quarters: for i the Continent, 2.005.CG0 Quarters: Atlantic shipments, 207,00U; Pacific shipments. 27,000. The total shipments 1o Europe during the week amounted to 1,300,000 Quarters, including 300,CC0 from the Argentine and Uruguay, 550,000 from Russia. 59,000 from 1 India, and 130,0C0 from Australasia. (Rec. Slay 3, 11.25 p.m.) London, May 3. . Two cargoes of Australian wheat sold at 365. and 355. 9rt. respectively. LONDON WOOL SALES. y Telegraph—Press Association-Copyrieht London, May 2. At the wool sales there was good business, the d.cmand for every line being of tno firmest. (Rec. May 3, 11.25 p.m.) London, May 3. There was a further, good sale of wool, and prices arc- very firm for alt sorts. The Bradford market is firm, and prices have advanced a- halfpenny. . Messrs. Abraham and Williams, Ltd., have received the. following cable from London, . under yesterday's date:—The market for fine and medium croesbreds is unchanged and very firm. Shabby coarse crossbreds are 5 per cent. down, but for good qualities there is a better'demand. Merinos are 5 per cent, up, with a very firm market. . METAL .MARKETS.," , By Telccraph—Preas Association—Oopyri£ht (Rec. May 3, 11.25 ; p.m.) London. May 3.. Copper.—On the spot, £55 155.; three months, £56 16s. 3d. per ton. Supplies 27,332 tons, deliveries 28,557 tons, stocks 110,207 tons, afloat 4900 tons. Tin.—Cjn tho spot, £150 55.; three months, £151 10s. per ton. Stocks 18,458 tons, on spot 6940 tons, afloat 3347 tons, deliveries 2310 tons. Lead, £12 lOe. per ton. .TALLOW. By Telegraph—Preaa Association—Copyright (Rec. May 3, 11.25 p.m.) ■ London, May 3. Tallow—Stock?, 2494 casks; imports. 2898 casks; deliveries, 3510 casks.