COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 832, 2 June 1910, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHARES. 1 Sales of Metropolitan Permanent Building at £12, and Taranaki Petroleum at 12s. 6d. were recorded yesterday. National Bank, buyers £5 175., new issue, sellers £2 premium; Metropolitan Building, buyers £11 17s. 6d., sellers £12; Wellington Trust and Loan, buyers £7 45.; Wellington Do-' posit, buyers Bs.; National Mortgage, buyers £3 35.; Gisborne Gas, buyers £2 lls. 6rt.; Wellington Gas. £10 paid, buyers £18, £6 15s. paid, sellers £13 10s., new issue, sellers £2 10s. premium; Standard Insurance, buyers £1 3s. 9d.; Gear Ileal, £4 paid, buyers £10 55., £1 paid, buyers £2 145.: Wellington Woollen, sellers £5 55.; Hikurangi Coal, buyers 19a. 6d.; Taupiri Coal, sellers 19s. 6d.; Leyland-O'llrien Timber, buyers £1 4s. 9d.; Taranaki Petroleum, buyers 125., sellers 13s. 6d.; Taringamutu Tot-ara, buyers £1 4s.

HANK OF NEW SOUTfi WALES. Tho accounts for tho six months ended March 31 last- of the Bank of New South Wales shows that the net prolits, after providing for the usual charges, bad debts and the (luctuatioiis in the value of investments, amounted to £183.938, as compared with £186,426 for tho period to March 31. 1909. With the balance from the previous term there was availahle a sum of £229,643, of which the dividend at the rato of 10 per cent, per annum absorbs £125,030. The reserve fund has been increased to £1,750,000 by the addition of £50,000; to the ofllcors' provident fund £5000 is placed; and a balance of £<9,643 is parried forward. The principal items of the balance-sheet compare as under:— March. March. 1909. 1910. £ £ Notes 1.016.8C6 1.149,153 Deposits 27,297,304 30,34t>,580 Hills payable 3,793,666 4,330,772 lloscrves 1,650,000 1,750,000 Liuuid assets 14,827.963 18,990,204 Hills and advances ... 20,910,150 20,561,443 Bank premises 665,000 706.5C0 Net profits 186,426 183,938 Dividends, p.o 10 10 In comparison with a. year ago there is a. flight diminution in net profits, but in eonirast with 1908, an increase of. nearly 11

per cent, is shown. Xoto circulation has expanded by £130,000 approximately, whilst the increase in deposits totals £3,151,276, spread among tho different dasnes of deposits, the greatest increase being in those last-named is due to the large realisations of produce at high prices, and is common to all banking institutions throughout Australasia at tho present juncture. The capital of the bank has been increased lately by the issue of 25,000 now shares of £20 each, of which £226,225 had been paid up by March 31, in anticipation of iluo date. This operation exhausts the powers of the bank in this respect, and an amendment of the Act of Incorporation is now sought so as to removo any restrictions of this character.

BRITISH AUSTRALASIAN TRUST. The repo'rt of the British and Australasian Trust and Loan Company, Ltd.. for 1909 shows a net profit, after 'payment of all interest and current expenses, and including .410,318 brought forward from last account, of £26.996, of which amount £SCOO was appropriated in November last to the payment of an interim dividend of Is. 3d. per share, and £3000 has been added to the reserve fund, bringing that account up to .C121.C00. There thus remains a. balance of undivided profits, out of which a further Is. 3d. per share and a bonus of Is: per share amounting' to £4000, havo beeu declared, leaving £9996 to bo earned forward. CUSTOMS REVENUE. .Customs revenue collected at Wellington yesterday amounted to £3020 17s. Id. AUCKLAND CUSTOMS. (By Telegraph—Press Association. , ! Auckland, June 1. The Customs duties at the port of Auckland for the momh of Hay amounted to £48,722 ss. lid. net, and the surtax to £1041:0s. ,Ud.—an increase on the returns of May, 1909, of £7292 12s. 9d. BANK SHAKES. By Telegraph -Press Association—Copyrlzh:. London, Hay 31. Bank shares arc quoted at: Bank of Australasia, buyers £108 lCs.; sellers £109 10s.; Bank of Now South Wales, buyers £43 10s., sellers £44 10s. lex div.); Union Bank, buyers £62, sellers £63. SILVER. , Bar silver is quoted at'24Jd. per ounce 6tandard. GOLD AND SILVER. Tho following return shows tho quantity and value of gold and silver exported from the several ports of New Zealand for the months of May, 1909, and 1910, and tho first five months, ot ihose years :— ' Stay, May, 1910. ' 1909. Gold. Oz. £ Oz. £ Auckland - 24,439 97,785 29,424 116.714 Nelson . 313, 1.248 Greymouth .... 7,800 30,307 6,834 27.108 Tfokitika ... 2,474 9,898 1,189 4,757 Dunedin 9,573 38,646 5,675 23,084 Invercareill ... 756 3.CZO 3,090 12.360 45,042 179,856 46,525 185,271 Decrease for May, 1910: 1,4830z., valued at £5,415. . ■•.-■■ SILVER. ; May, 1910. May, 1909. 193,7900z., £19,409 175.9580z., £17,492 Increase for May, 1910 -. 17,8320z., £1,917.' FIVE MONTHS ENDED 31st'MAY; 1910, AND 1909. 1910. ' 1909. Gold 197,8140z., £783,654 191.9140z., £762,164 Silver 729,9630z., £73,147 7Z6,6330z., £72,379 Increase for five months in gold: 5,9000z.; valued at £21,490. Increase for five months in silver: 33350z., valued at £768. GRAIN. MARKET. (By ToleeruDh-Prcsa Ansoclatlon.i Dunedin, June 1. Wheat.—There .is no business . passing, and prices arc merely nominal. Prime millins, 3s. Bd. to 3s. 9d.; medium do., 3s. sd. to 3s. 7d.; best whole fowl wheat, 3s. to 3s. 3d. Oats.—There is very little demand for shipment, aud the market is stagnant. Prices are much tho same as at last quotation, although very little business is being done. Prime milling, Ig. lid. to 25.; best feed, Is. '9>d. to Is. 10»d.; inferior to medium, Is. 7Jd. to Iβ. 9d."