COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 843, 15 June 1910, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

'. INVESTMENT SHARES. " A sale of Taupiri Ooal at 17s. 6ti\ was the only business recorded yesterday. National Bank, buyers £5 18s. M.; Equitable Building, buyers £9 7s. 6d.; Wellington Trust and Loan, buyers £7 55.; Wellington Deposit, buyers Bs. 2d.; National Mortgage,. buyers £3 45., • sellers £3 65.; Feilding Gas, sellers £1 2s. 9d.; Palmerston North Gas, buyers £7 155.; Wellington Gas, , £10 paid, buyers £18 2s. 6d., £6 15s. paid, buyers £13 7s. 6d., new issue, sellers £2 10s premium; National Insurance, buyers' £1 95.; Standard Insurance, buyers £1 45.; ■ Gear Meat, £4 paid, buyers £10, £1 paid, - buyers £2 135.; Wellington Woollen, prcL ference, buyers £2 9s„ sellers £2 10s.; Iliku- , rangi Coal, buyers 19s. 6d.; Taupiri Coal, buyers 19s. 6d.; Westport Ooal, buyers £6 Bs.; Leyland-O'Brien, buyers £1 4s. 9d.; " Manning and Co., buyers £4; New Zealand 3 Drug 6, buyers £2 7s. 6d.; Taringamutu To--5 tara, buyers £1 75.; Taranaki Petroleum, t buyers 12s. 6d.; Ward and Co., buyers £4 ! 17s. a AMERICAN WOOLLEN COMPAN'i. 1 The chief mills of the American Woollen s Company are in Massachusetts, and the s State Commission upon the high cost of living asked, one witness what the effect of ', the formation of that company had been. ' Tho company has a capital of £12,000,000, s owns 325 coml>s, 600,000 spindles, and 9000 f looms, and professes to make two-thirds f of the worsteds used in the United States. , The main effect,, according to Mr. S. S. I Dale, of the "Textile World Eccord," has been to steady the price of cloth by doing away with market demoralisation. The i außwer is confirmed by the speeches of ' rival manufacturers made at a time when : > thoy were seeking to promote a combinat tion. More than one of them called the : "American" "a good competitor," and it |! Is natural to suppose that controllers of a' cluster of thirty-one mills would set their faces against the anarchic breaks II and cancellations that have long distinJ guished this market. Customers or tho o Woollen Company have complained that i- its steadying tactics were sometimes ar- (• hitrary. Lines have been declared sold-up with suspicious promptness, and all snbsei quant buyers have been referred to the •' merchants by whom Hie orders were saia s to have, hecu placed. Some effective mastery of the situation has been shown by

notifications of advances on certain goods after certain dates. Tho question whether this limited control is worse for the consumer than tliu wilder course of speculation preceding it remains one of opinion. It cannot lie said of worsteds as of steel rails that "since 1901 the price has remained as steady as the price of a postage stamp.'.' Although little seems to have been said of it, there oau he no reasonable doubt that tho advanced price of loodstuft's in America lias much to do with the inability of wage-earners to buy worsteds at the present prices. 'HIE MEAT MARKET. The London ouotations for frozen beef show a slight decline, but private advices indicate that the market is much weaker. It is reported that holders are pressing sales, and trade generally is slow. Uecf has declined in the Smithiield market id. •sinco Friday. Even at the decline tho prices are satisfactory, and it is cheering to note that the dairymen have not sacrificed their calves, and arc not likely to do so during the next' few months when the cows conic into profit. The slaughtering of calves in the past and the comparatively heavy shipments of beef during the past season or two is likely to cause a shortage of beef in New Zealand, but the shortage should be of temporary duration. Tile high prices that have teen ruling and tho prospect that high prices will be maintained for some time will lead to beef production receiving, world-wide at-, tentiou. Queensland, the Northern Territory, South Africa, and South America should receive a considerable impetus from this. CUSTOMS' EETENUE. Customs revenue collected at Wellington yesterday amounted to £4438 14s. Id. TKADE IN ALLEN STREET. 1 Fruit.—The Jlokoia, duo here on Friday from tho Cook Islands 1 direct, is bringing bananas and oranges. The Jlaitai, from Sydney to-day, will strengthen the market with mandarines, passion fruit, lemons, and oranges. Pears.—Tho demand is very strong. The first shipment from Tasmania arrived on Friday, and realised satisfactory prices. Dessert Apples.—Choice meet with keen competition. "Dougherty" sorts from the Port Albert district, Auckland, realised 4s. per case. The duality of the fruit was excellent. , Tegotables—Tho demand for cabbages has improved slightly. Owing to tho milder weather, cauliflowers have come forward more freely; and f.h'a market hao declined, the quotation now being 9s. to lis. per wick. Pumpkins are in heavy supply.. and realise 3s. to 4s. per sack. Marrows are neglected, and are selling at is. 6d. to 2s. 6d. per sack. Swede turnips are quoted at £2 per ton, and the market .is well supplied by local growers. Potatoes.—Owing to, heavy arrivals from Australia the price of New Zealand-grown has declined; to-day's quotations being £6 10s. to £7 per ton on spot. . Eggs.—Fresh eggs are now making Ib. Bd. to Is. 9d. per dozen, and preserved Ib. 2d. to Is. 3d. The latter are in heavy supply. Butter is in excellent demand, first-grade milled realising-,lod. to 10id., and secondgrade a half-penny lower. Cheese.—The market is well supplied with factory chec'fe. and thcrs if no. change in tho quotations. Poultry.—Pullets are wanted at 4s. to ss. per. pair, hens at 3s. to 3s. 6d., young roostirß at 3s. 9d. to 4s. 9d.,. and ducks 4s. 6d.' to. ss. 6d.; turkey gobblers, lOd. per lb. live weight, and hens Bd. per lb. Flour.—Heavy, shipments are arriving weekly' from Australia, over 50 tons reaching this market last week. New Zealand flour Is now quoted at £9 ss. per ton, southern,- ports, usual terms. Maize.—Owing-to heavy supplies coming forward from tho Auckland district, prices have declined slightly. Pollard continues scarce. Bran is without any change in values. Oats.—Southern markets are weak. The current quotations are 2s. pen bushel for A grade .sparrowbills, and Is. 11 id. for B grade. •■ ■'. ' WHEAT AND FLOUR. Bj Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright . London, June 13. The wheat, and flour afloat for tho United Kingdom; totals 3,565,000 quarters; for the- Continent, :1.435.G00< quarters; Atlantic shipments, 142,000; Pacific,, 40,000. The shipments to Europe during the .week totalled 1,125,000 quarters, including 102,000 from the Argentine, 525,000 from Russia, 114,000 from India, and 3000 from Australasia.: METAL MARKETS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Eec. June 14, 11.10 p.m.) London, Juno 14. Ooppcr.—On the spot, £54 18s. 9d.; thrco months', £55 13s. 9d.; electrolytic, £58 ss. per ton. ... Tin—On the spot, £148 155.; three months', £149 17s. 6d. ,per ton.. •• , .-■-, ■ .Lead, £12 12s. 6d. per ton.. . . ','