COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 902, 23 August 1910, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

SIAMS.' 1 ''TOe''"'investmeht, sfere[mafketi;\vas - quiet, :£3"55. ; wasAthe -onlyrtr.ansaction- recorded. .The quotations;; were; 'as .iinder:--,. V;,.. - • £s. d. '£ s. d;£ s. d. Bank of N.Z. -. -.! *10 1? -~ •National"' Bank' *«2-'' n * i i ?5 ; 18 ,? 0 ! ' -■>" .EQuitable Building. 9 10 ,0 , — 'Metropolitan'" •• ,N.Z. Xbaß*and>.-i[er-i; r !j ;;i,{]■ cantile ;011 0. N.Z. 1 -and -'River",* .piaW-. t .u::i.....::;.;/,2,1 0 Wel'gt'n .Gas .(£10) 18-2:6 \ N.Z. Insurance 1 : .—, . 4 1.0 . . — Ohristchurcli. Meat, 13 16 0i -7 : v — Gear Meat i(£4) ..MO , 5 0 — 'Gear.Meat (£l)' 2.15.0• - •Meat Export (£2l2s. ' ; ' : . 6d.) - : •, 3.5 0 - 3 5 0 N.Z!" Shipping-;..;:;.-; - •>- ; /-.-10- 0:0 .i —. Well. Woollen (ord.) 312 6 ' /— - WelL.Woollen (pref;)' 213 6 — '• — Westport Coal; v 613'- 6!• 6 15 .0 — Leyland-O'Brien 17 0 "18 0- — Manning and Co. ... 4 0 .0 — N.Z; Coni Dental..., , 1 2 6 . ~ ISha'rland's ord. i.. 1 '2'o — . — Sharland'spref 12,0 12 6. — 'TaringamutuTotara I'lo 0 : — "Ward and . Co. 5 0 0 . 5 5 0 . —. .

BANK DIVIDENDS. The "Financial Time's," \in discussing Australian batik dividends and the . desirability of increasing, same, .makes some very ; flattering' remarks !concerning the management of tliese institutions. This .authority' says:—"lt is-the custom of the Australian banks to 'write off every year large suras against depreciation in the form of allocations to. bank premises account, while provision for the future is also made in other directions on a scale which anticipates practically every contingency. 7 The.result-is -that the/,banks-aTo now. the .strongest^of- their jlcindr/in - 'the, Iw.orld. ••'.ln many cases , funds' are : equal to 'the total capital, outstanding. ' In respect of the depreciation of real ©state assets the shareholders appear to have something of a grievance, for, in the majority of cases, the land sites on which the bank buildings stand are improving. in value every year, instead,. of:, declining. It is;, argued,howi ever;' thafc.the provision against depreciation of assets is merely a method of keepling in.'hand a large. proportion of"-the 1 I profits; and it is' contended that a point j has' now been " reached, when' - the shareI holders are justified, in'asking whether it lis-not time to royert/to* a-more liberal !• policy in regard to. distributions." •

. The Customs revenue 'collected at tho port of Wellington.yesterday, amounted to £815 os. Id. . • w —-—

FROZEN. MEAT. , nj Teleeraph—Preaa Association—Copyright. \ , - London, August 21. The FrozehoMeat Trade.' Association's Smithfield market quotations for the undermentioned;": frozen'' meat 'are based on-actual sales'-of not'.less tbao ono hundred of • mutton or' lamb.', and twenty-flvo auarters of beef of fair averago quality. The quotations are not for selectad . lines,, but for parccls fairly representative ..'of tho bulk of tho shipments; now ."ori.'rthe markpj:- ;;-,Tho Dricea which follow aire on anaveraee a farthing'. more than tho*valuo ex ship; this difierence representing uu average cost in cipcdbcs, handling, conveyance, and eellinc the ineat:— . , . Aug. 13. Aug. 20. Mutton— 4; \ d. Canterbury, light' aj-- • 3g Canterbury, medium ...... ~3it'' 33 Canterbury, heavy 31 31 Southland ' - - North Island, .best ~.v . .n . 3a 3a ; North Island, 39,16 39-16 ' Australian, "-light 23 Australian, heavy 31-16 3 River Plate, light ......... 31 3J ; -River Plate, heavy 3|| 33 Lamb— ' . Canterbury, light .:».....vs_ , 5 . Canterbury, medium ; % 43 Canterbury, heavy 4J 4& Southland $ 52 North Island, selected,.42. 43 North Island, ordinary..?.»4ll-16 411-16 Australian, best 41 45 Australian, fair 33 33 >' .Australian, inferior 1 , • — ; ' River' Plato*;' * —— BeefNew Zealand, ox fores .... 22 22 New Zealand, ox hinds ... 3fj 33 Australian, ox fores 2j 2J Australian, o* hinds. 31 31 ' River Plate, ox fores .. 213-16 23 j River Plate, ox hinds .. 3J 3g WHEAT; AND FLOUR, By TclcgraDh—PreSs ABSocrnf.tAn.-nn^v^^j, London, Augnst 21 The wheat and flour afloat for tho United Kingdom' is 2,530,C00 quarters; for tho Continent, 1,6.40,000. Atlantic shipments, 127,000. The total shipments to Europe during the week amounted to < 325,000 ouartcrs, including 143,000 quarters *'rom ■ ArgentiHav^44s l ooo>fromrßussia, 307,000 from -194,000., from india> ! : ahdVHMO^romwAustr^

lIABBITSKIXS."- -• By Telegraph—Press Association--Copyright. London, August 21.At the rabbitskins sales 2263. bundles were olTcved and 2013'soid. Autumn grades declined a penny to three halfpence, and suckers and kittens by a halfpenny to a penny. Good skins were firm. Best New Zealand's were mostly withdrawn.

HIGH COMMISSIONER'S CABLE. ! The Commerce and . Tourists. Division of the Department of Agriculture, Commerce and .Tourists has received tho following cablegram from the lllgh Commissioner for New Zealand, dated Loudon, August 20, 1910. Quotations, unless otherwise specified, are average market'prices on spot:— Mutton.—The market is quiet. Stocks of mutton on hand are light, and are firmly held in few hands, but there is less demand retail. Average price for Canterbury mutton to-day is 3Ad. to per lb.,' and is. scarce. North Island, 3*d. per lb. Lamb.—The market is quiet and demand is falling off. At the close of tho market quotations show a weaker tendency. Canterbury, 4Jd. Other than Canterbury, 4?d. per lb.

Heef.—The market is steady with a very good, demand. Stock of frozen beef is heavy. New Zealand hiuds, 3£d.; New Zealand fore?, 23d. per lb. ' Butter.—The market is firm, with a good demand for tho best quality. Small quantity on hand. Choicest New Zealand -cold-stored is, making 114s. per cwt. Danish, 1165.; Siberian, 104s. • .

Cheese.—There lias been no alteration in I tho market since last week. Stock is i small, and there is a very moderate deI mand. White and coloured, 575.- 6d. per I cwt.; Canadian, 545. 6d. per cwt. , 2emp.—The market is very quiet. Buy- ! ers, believe; that New Zealand prices are ; too high compared with Manila. ,New Zealand, good fair, on spot, per ton, £24; ! fair grade, £21; forward shipment, about the same price; fair current Manila, on spot, per ton, £19 155.; forward shipment, £20 ss. per ton. The output from Manila for the week was 26,000 bales. Cocksfoot' Seed.—The market is firm, and demand on spot,'is good. .'Average price, New Zealand seed, 171b. per bushel, 675. 6d. per c\H.;' 695. 6d. There axe no buyers. . Bradford Tops.—Current quotations: The market remains firm. 36's low cro&abreds, Is. 13d.; <o's low crossbreds, Is. 22d.; 44 s medium crossbreds, Is. 4Jd.; 50's halfbreds Is. Bsd.; sfi's quarterbreds,' Is. Hid.; 60 c merinos, 2s. 4d.

, • NEW ZEALAND PKODTJCTS. Tho New Zealand Products Export Leaflot', issued by tlie Department of • Commerce, gives tho following as tho values of the exports for the period from August 1 to I.sßutter, £2164: clieese, £2368; beef, £36.026; : mutton, £52,988; legs and pieces, £2129;. lamb, £57,282; wheat. £10,330; oats, £824; potatoes, £169; hemp. £17,817; rabbits,' £2577; tow, £625; kauri gum, £39,779; grain. and pulse, £115; hops, £485; hides, £15,977; skins, £44,421; tallow, £28,700; timber, £16,667; wool, £96,428; gold, £40,441; total, £463,312. .