COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 828, 28 May 1910, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHAKES. A sale of Taraualti Petroleum shares at 12s. was- the only transaction recorded yesterday. National Bank, buyers £5 165.: Equitable Building, buyers £9 75., sellers £9 12s. 6d.; Metropolitan Building, sellers £12; Wellington Trust and Loan, buyers £7 45.; Wellington Deposit, buyers Bs.; National Mortgage, buyers .£3 3s.j ,Fcildjii{r Gas. buyers £1 Is 6d., sellers £1 35.; New Zealand Insurance, buyers £3 155.; Gear Meat, £4 paid, buyers £10 55.: £1 paid, buyers £2 145.; Hikuransi Coal, buyers 19s. 6d.: Taupiri Coal, sellers 19s. 6d.; Wcstnort Coal, buyers £6 65.; Leyland-O'Brien Timber, buyers £1 4s. 6d.; New Zealand Drugs, buyers £2 6s. 6d.; Taranalti Petroleum, buyers Us. 6d., sellers Ms.; Taringainutu Sawmills, buyers £1 4s.

WELLINGTON MARKET REPORT. The New Zealand Farmers' Co-operative Distributing Company, Ltd., repcrt as follows:—Potatoes have advanced further durthe week and supplies are difficult to obtaiu. It is, however, quite possible that prices may come back later, as we are inclined to think that' the somewhat rapid advance during the last two weeks has induced farmers to pit their crop in antieipatiou of further rise. We do not think that tho information to hand as to the quantity available warrants any further increase, and we are just now awaiting developments before securing our supplies of seed for the coming season. Unions are still offering freclv. Vegetables, with the exception of swedes and marrows, are all in good demand at fair prices. Dessert lines of apples and pears are in good demand, as is also the better class of cookers. Eggs have suffered a very considerable drop during the week, owing to increased supplies. Pollard and bran are very scarce, with increased values. Potatoes: Prime Up-to-datcs, £6 10s. per ton. Onions: £4 to £4 10s. per ton. Garlic: 3d. per lb.; Cabbage: Choice, ss. 6d. to 6s. 6d.; ordinary, 2s. to 4s. per sack. Cauliflower: Choice, Bs. 6d. to 10s. 6d.; others, 4s. 6d. to 6s. per sack.- Green peas: Is. per peck. Carrots: Hutt, Bd. dozen. Turnips: White, 6d. dozen. Swedes: 2s. to 2s. 6d. per sack. Vegetable marrows: Is. per sack. Pumpkins: 2s. 6d. to 33. sack. Pie melons: 3s. per sack. Lettuce: Choice. 55.; fair, Is. 6d. to 2s. 6d.per case. Spinach: Best, 2s. 6d. per case. French beans: ss. 6d. per half sack. Spring onions: 6d. dozen bundles. Tomatoes: 6s. 6d. per half case. Apples: Cookers, large, 4s. to ss. 3d.; small, 2s. 6d. to 3s. 6d. case;dessert, well coloured, 6s. 6d. to 7s. 6d.; others. 4s. to ss. 6d. per case. Pears: Dessert, 6s. to Bs. 6d.; cookers, large, 4s. 6d. to ss. 6d.; small, 3s. 6d. to 4s. per case. Grapes: Best nutt, Is. 3d.; best Nelson, Is. per lb. Butter: Separator, 10d.; dairy, 9d. to 9Jd. per lb. Cheese: Best Factory mediums. 5Jd. to s*d. per lb., loaf, 6Jd. to 7d. lb. Pressed pork: 70's to 9D's. 4d. to 4*d.; 90's to 100's, 4d.; baconcrs, 3Jd. to 4d.; choppers (heavy), 2d. to 23d. Eggs: Fresh, 25.; preserved, Is. 2d. per dozen. Bacon: Factory sides, 7d.; rolls, 7*d.; hams, 83d. i per lb. Honey: 4d. to «d. per lb. Beeswax: Is. 4d. to Is. 6d. per lb. Fungus: Keen demand at s!d. per lb. Walnuts: ,sd. to 5Jd. per lb. Tallow: Tins, 245. cwt. Poultry: Cockerels, ss. 6d. for good birds; small, 3s. to 3s. 6d.; table roosters. 45.; table hens, 3s. 6d.; small, 2s. to 2s. 6d.; ducks, large, ss. to 65.; 4s. 3d. to 4s. 9d. per bushel, blors. 9d. per lb.; hens, Bd. per lb. liveweight. Maize: 3s. 6d. to 3s. 9d. per bushel. Wheat: 4s. 2d. to 4s. 3d. per bushel; broken, 3s. 6d. per bushel. Barley (feed)3s. 3d. per bushel; Cape, 3s. 6d. per bushel. Horse beans: 4s. 6d. to 4s. 9d. per bushel. Partridge peas: ss. per bushel. Prussian blue peas: ss. 6d. per bushel. Barley Meal: £5 10s. per ton. Sharps: £6 10s. per ton. Brau: £4 15s. per ton. Chaff: Oaten sheaf. £5 to £5 15s. per ton. Hay: Prime. £3 15s. to £4 10s. per ton. Straw: Wheatcn, £2 10s. per ton; oaten, £2 7s. 6d. per ton; Linseed oil cake: Genuine. £13 per ton. Oats: Feed, 2s. 9d. to 2s. lOd. per bushel; seed, Sparrowbills, Gartens, Duns, 2s. lOd • Algerians, 3s. 3d. per bushel; crushed, «j lid. per bushel. Machine-dressed cooksfoot: 6Jd. to 7d. per lb. Farmers' dressed cocksfoot: sd. to 6d. per lb. Per. rye Eras- " 6d. to ss. per bushel. Italian ryegrass] <s. 3d. to 4s. 9d. per bushel

LONDON MARKETS. Messrs. Dalgcly and Company, Ltd., report having received the following cable message from their London house, under date of Slay 26:—Frozen Meat: New Zealand lamb and beef are in good demand, with a firmer market, whilst mutton is in poor demand, with an unchanged market. Today's, quotations art as follow-—N.Z. prime ox beef, fores, N.Z. primo ox beef hinds, 5d.; N.Z. prime crossbred lamb. Canterbury, heavy, 51d.; N.Z. prime crossbred. Canterbury, light, SiJd.; N.Z. prime crossbred lamb, North Island, heavy, 5d.; N.Z. primo crossbred lamb, North Island, licht. Sid.; N.Z. prime crossbred mutton, Canterbury, heavy, 3Jd.; N.Z. prime crossbred mutton, Canterbury, light, 33d.; N.Z. prime crossbred mutton. North Island, heavy, 31d.; N.Z. prime crossbred mutton, North Island, light, 3Jd. Tallow.—As compared with our wire of May 11, prices are 6d. lower.

BRITISH AUSTRALASIAN TRUST. The accounts of the British and Australasian Trust and Loan Company, Ltd., for 1509, shows that a net profit of £16,677 was earned, and that tho sum of £10,319 was brought forward. A dividend of 2s. fid. pur share for the year has been paid, together with .a bonus of Is., per share; £3000 has been added to tho reserve, raising its total to £121,CC0; and £9996 has been carried to the next account. The subscribed capital of the company is £200,C00, and there is a debenture debt of £625,514. Other liabilities arc: Interest duo and accrued £10,431, and sundry minor items. Assets comprise: Cost £24,354; loans at short call and deposits in the colonies, £18,500; investments, £71,023; loans on mortgages aud properties held in the colonics, after providing for contingencies, £861,283; and interest duo in Melbourne. £73,832.

AMERICAN CONDITIONS. Conditions in America have a special interest for us, because when there is prosperity in America, the probabilities ;vo that most other countries, but particularly Great Britain, will also bo prosperous. When this happens. Now Zealand benefits. It is stated that the economic conditions in the United States are far from satisfactory. The indebtedness lo Eurono is said to be enormous, and at the Bamo time the balance of the trade is mncii more adverse than at any previous period in modern times. Gold exports from NewYork have been resumed, £1,5C0,CC0 having been dispatched, in the week ending April 9, and unless exports of produce expand materially, there is every prospect of the efflux of cold continuing. In commenting upon the position.' Jlessrs. Henry Clews and Co. state that if thero is one thing more than another which the country requires, it is a much larger production of all agricultural necessities. It is too early, says this firm, to form any opinions regarding the crops, most of the reports of damage to early wheal and cotton having; proved to be exaggerated. It is quite certain, however, that there will bo a larger acreage of cotton, wheat, and corn. The. outlook for meats, however, is not so favourable, since it takes more than a single year to raise a larger crop of beef, mutton, or pork. So high prices for moats may be expected for some lime to come. In this connection, it is pointed out by the Washington correspondent of the London "Times" that the "meat boycott" failed completely to effect the immediate obect at which it aimed. Beef was only 3d. per lb. in Clovcland at tho commencement of the movement, and at its conclusion the price was 3Jd. to 33d. per lb. The value of pork in like manner went iip from lid. to .sid. per lb., and similar results are reported from other parts of the country. Whatever other causes may bo at work to raise prices, there is no question that the domestic supplies are proving insufficient. The serious outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease amongst tho cattle in Argentina just announced by cable will not help matters.

CUSTOMS EEYENUE. Customs revenue collected at Wellington yesterday amounted to £2023 4s. 3d. NOTES..The well-known English shipping firm or Elder, Dcuipstci' and Co. has been floated as a limited company, with JESCO.CCO in 5} per cent, cumulative preference shares £400,000 ordinary shares. £10,000 managenicut shares, and £1,000,000 5 per cent, debenture stock, in all, £1,910,000. There are Humorous interests in other shipping, financial, and trading companies, besides 32.943 tons of shipping directly owned by the company. The rubber boom is causing trouble even in Brazil, the great home of rubber. There has been quite an exodus of labour from Rio do Janeiro and other ports to the interior to gather the prized article, and tramways, steamship lines, and other concerns have, in consequence, been seriously inconvenienced. Wages, too, have advanced considerably. In the midst

of it the Brazilian Presidential elections were held on March 1, and out of a total population of twenty millions in the coutitry, barely 600.000 votes were recorded. The people had other things to think about apparently.

According to tho "Economist" Index Numbers, wholesalo prices advanced 10.9 per cent, in the Uvclvo months from March 31. 1909, to March 31, 1910. The principal advances were in cotton, sugar, tin, tallow, flax, and rubber, but there were smaller improvements in many other direction;. During the year to March 31 the Bank of England sold India Council drafts on India to the amount of 336,306,214 rupees, realising £25.851,367. This was a large sum. but tho Indian Government generally socured a premium on the par of is. 4d. per rupee. In regard to tho abandonment by the employees of the co-partnery scheme initiated a little more than a year ago by Sir Christopher Furciess. it appears that of those concerned '32 favoured continuance and 593 voted in opposition thereto. Inquiries amongst the workmen show that the main reason for the decision is that such irregularity of work ha 3 arisen a» to furnish anything but a full vear's employment for most of the men; that the (owe.- paid workers, when they have been laid idle, have felt tho need of even the few shillings they may have accumulated towards tho shares, ft is also stated that the co-partners are unable to obtain employment in other local yards owing to tho attitude of the mcu at those yards, and. moreover, the opinion seems to have gained hold that the scheme would act to tho disadvantage of the trades union at a time of crisis.

According to tho latest intelligence from Chili, an attempt will be made as soon as tho Chambers meet to bring about a ro. sumption of cash payments. Originally tho dollar was worth 43d. Gradually its value fell, until about fifteen years ago it was declared by law to bo worth la. 6d. Sinco then there has been a gradual further depreciation. At one time tie value went down as low as 7d. More recently it has gone considerably above Is. In the meantime, it has fluctuated rapidly :ind frequently. Report says that a compact body of forty deputies are in farour of passing another law to fix the value "t is., with English sovereigns current for 20 Chilian dollars. '

Post OHi"" —»oir»<! fno'mtcd to 16s. 7d. :■ head in New South Wales, were only 13s. 6d. per heau in Victoria, and run un to £1 os. sd. per head in Western Australia, the average for the whole Commonwealth being 15s. lid. per head.

The United States Senate recently passed Bills authorising the increase of limit of indebtedness in the I'hilipDino Islands from 5,000,C00d01. to 10.0C0.000d01., increasing the size of homestead entries in those islands from 14 hectares, or 35 acres, to 50 hectares, or 125 acres, and fixing the terms of officials of the islands at four instead of two years.

A satisfactory improvement is shown b.v tho report of the Ceylon Chamber of Coiamerco for tho years 1908-9 in the four chief exports of Ceylon, namely, black ten., green tea, rubber, and cocoa. For the year \w 185,797,4001b. of black tea were exported, as compared with 174,418,2C01b. for ISCB. being an increase of 11,379,2001b. Green tea shows an increase for 1909 as compared with 1908 of «1,5001b., with a. total of 6,062,7001b. A large increase is shown by rubber, which, owing to the strong demand, has increased by more than half the total for 1908, 1.492,6001b. having been exported for 1909. There still appears to be an increasing demand for cocoa, the export of 'which for 1909 was BO.CCOIb., as compared with 62,0001b. for 1908, being in increase of 18,0001b.

O.C. AND D. CO. '.By Telegraph—Press Association.) Napier, May 27. The Colonial Consignment and Distributing Company ca.bled the following report on frozen meat: —The nuutton market continues depressed, but values of lamb and beef have advanced id. per lb. To-day's prices :—Canterbury mutton. 3i3d.; Napier. ■Wellington, and North Island mutton, 3gd. Lamb—First duality, 5Jd.; second quality. 55d. Beef—Hindquarters, 43d.; foreouarters, 4Jd. SILVER. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright London, Hay 26. Bar silver is quoted at 243<L per ounce standard. MINING HEWS Mining News will be found on pace 7 of this issue. LIVE STOCK SALES. Live Stock Sales will bo found on £asre 7 of this issue.