COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 908, 30 August 1910, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

i. i j . .INYE6TIIENT SHAKES. ' ;". '.There were .ho transactions in investment shares yesterday,- and- values were without change., ■ -afld' selling quota- ; tions were, as under:- '. . ,: ■ . ; Buyers. ■ Sellers! . £ 8. d £ s.'d. ' .Bank:of-N.Z •'-■■■— 10 10 ° ■ National:•"•Banlcr. .'.;:.;;;..-"— . ,: 5>7 6 ■' Metropolitan;' Building :":r.. , 12 0 0: •-, '• •■ ■Loan-and-Merottntile-.v...-*-— '" ~»1 §' N.Z. and Iliver Plate - J J-J , Well. Deposit -.'■■' •" Wellington Gas (£10) IB 5 0 - : ■ffcll'gt'n Gas (new issue) , — 210 0 1 Gear Meat (£4) 10 5 0 - ■ : Gear ■ Meat (£1) 215 0 . - . Meat Export (£4) :. - -5 50 I N.Z. Shipping 1 «,. mi \\ll : -Well. Woollen (ord.) ...Krj'.lZ -6 -.3 «■ 6 f Jlieyland-O'Bnen •«.«....;.... -Ul .3 '1 8 0 1 '>N.Z. C6n.-;.J)enta1j; : «.,..'...... .p- 12 6 r Sharland's preference .... fl' > - 3 Taranaki-Petroleum '....-..-IM 0 ..." 0,11 0 1 Taringamutu Totor.a.-.:.i;:"-l-ll-».■■■-—■. . Ward and Co — ' 5 6 °

TKANSTAAIi GOLD OUTPUT. ■'Thc'J?ranSsvaa,l gold output for tlie first half■ ySar.-.idtaHfrj1J5.662.505 fliio 02., valued' at ■ which* ie greater than ,hc'■•output" r for the whole year 1903, and about half a million short of the total for 904 The values for each.month for tho first half-year compared with 1909 show as. '. £ ■£ ' January 2,612,836, 2,554,451 . February •:..- 2 400 892' 2.445,088. : - ••'March ":...:'.: ' W18.877. Anril .'3,678,804. 2.629,535 tiay 2652,699 ' 2,693,785 juie ■;;■„: 2,621,81$ 2,655,602 ■'. '■''...' ■• . ' ■ 15,447,547- ' 15,557,338 •• The total for tho whole of 1909 was.£3o,-' 925,788.' The dividends declared for the first half of this year amounted to £4,500,000.. •'•' PBUIT'm'aEKETS. ■Meesra. Laughland, Mackay, and Company's ariefl frnlt report, dated July 14, stocks in- at end of June were 4308 tone, as apainst 4832 tons iit year. ■ There is considerable approicnsion as to the growing crop and. latest reports from. Greece are that it is not progressing favourably.. ? hc damage aloadv. done-to the; crop is estimated'at about 25 per cent, as an average, and further damage is anticipate to take vco on account of the sick sjaie oi tho vineyards.. It is necessary ■tp-ndfl that there are some who hold different opinions, and still think that there will be a lair crop with a return to cheaper prices. Bvurything really depends upon the weather, and it is impossible to Bay what may happen. Stocks of old fruit in Greece are estimated at about 60.0C0 tons. The shipments from Greece up till end of June to Australasia were 3759 tons, as. against W57 tons to the same d.it« in the previous season. Sultanae.-Stocliß in London wore 6531 tons, na'against 4888 tons last year. The growing crop is estimated to yield about 30.CC0 tons, but this may be altered by weather conditions. Prices of new season'n fruit may be expected to rule high aa in the season of 1906 when tho yield waa about' the same as is 'estimated for tho ' coming season. ; Figs.—lf the weather continues favourable to the gathering, the coming crop is ! reported to be emwl to that of last seaI son ,vh. "bout 22,000 tons? ' Ulcmes.—Tho principal district of produc--1 tion, Vourla. has Buffered from pero.ioi.gnoioSi: iUHI; tltti -viaovarde. have bcoa

severely affected, so that the estimated yield, is put .it about 3000 tons, which is one-third of that of last season. .Muscatels.—A good crop is looked for, but good weather for harvesting is essential. Valencias.—lt is thought that a good crop may be looked for, but, owing to the dry weather experienced in the growing districts, fruit will probably he small. Jordan Almonds.—Prospects are for a smaller crop than last year, and higher prices seem almost to be assured. Dates.—There is practically nothing Itnown yet of the prosnects of the crop. It is the opinion generally that those who have already booked on the speculative offers made some little, time back will have done well. AMERICAN STEEL TRADE. With all their well-known proclivities for forming "Trusts" and "Combines," and notwithstanding their claims for. progressive.Doss and. alertness, American manufacturei'3 seem unable, except in a few cases, to build up a steady, export trado. Somo ten or twelve years ago, when ■ costs of , production' were somewhat low in the United States steel trade, there.seemed a prospect of that country indulging ,'in a big export trade, and being able to keep its mills running full, even if the domestic demand did .fall slack. But that prospect has been destroyed. In ten years the net cost .of producing a : ton of American steelniaking pig-iron has gone up from 355. to 555. United States steelmakers aro now quito out of the running for supremacy in exports. British and German makers can beat them, and, even in the case of their own hojne trade, American steel makers have over-reached themselves. The Steel Trust has failed to secure a. monopoly of the industry, and in its efforts to do bo has burdened itself with enormous liabilities. The independent mills are 'strong and vigorous, and have fought the Steel Trust, it every point. The net result is. ■α-large increase in capital obligations on account of new furnaces and. mills which are not renuircd. The American steel industry is drifting to a crisis.

THE AEROPLANE BOOM. Aviation is rapidly approaching practical business spheres, and there is evidently money to be made out of. aeroplanes, just as. there ha-s been money made put of motor-cars, and still earlier out of bicycles. It is stated that the activities of speculativo buyers have created a strong "bull' account out of flying machines. For exuuiple, though the French aeroplane is quoted by the makers at £480, their output lias been sold for about three -mouths ahead to speculative middlemen, who will only sell at a profit, and other makers of good .types of machine ave believed to be in a similar position. To obtain prompt delivery of one of the above-mentioned ma-chines a3 much as £760 is asked and obtained by those who had the foresight to anticipate the rise, and to place orders somo months ago. Aeroplane- building, now that types of machines have been (standardised to some extent, is a most profitable enterprise, though, of course, it must homo in mind that the originators have expended large sums in the development ol what was, for many years, an unknown and unremunerative industry. British- , built machines aro sold at much lower prices than French-made; for example, one well-known pattern of biplane, which sells at £1000 as a French-made apparatus, is quoted at £600.when of. British construction. Customs revenue collected at the port of Wellington yesterday amounted to £1791. . WELLINGTON MAMET REPORT. , /-".. Messrs. Laery and Co., Ltd., Wellington, report wholesale prices ruling on the mar-kets:-Wheat, fowl, 3s. 8d to 3s. 9d.; feed oaU 2s:- 5(1 to 2s. 7(1.; dun uals. 2s. 7(1. to 2s. 9(1.i seed oats, 2s. 7d. to 25.'9 d.; Algerian , oats, £S.- Yd; to' 2s. 9tl. ;' maize, 3s. 3d. to 3s. 5d.; ' ornsliea mait. .75.; fowl barley, Zs. 9d.:.Cape oarlcy seed, 35.-, flour, New Zealand , £9 15?. to .£10; peas, Prussian blue, 6s. 3d., split £18; partridge peas, ss. 3d. bushel; feed peas, 3s. 9U.; bouedust £5 155.; superphosphates, £5 to £5 55.; pollard, £6 10s.;. bran, £A ss. to'£4 108.; pigmeal, £5 ton; pearl barley, 155.; chaff (oatenshcaf), £4 15s to £5 65.; potatoes, table, £8 Ms. to £9; seed, Up-to-Da'tes, £7 to. £7 -55.; onions, Victorian, £7 ton; molassos fodder, £5 10s.; bacon (factory), sides 7id.. iiama 9d., rolls', BJd.; butter,, prime bulk, 10d. to lid. Poultry, lions, 3s. 6d.; ducks,'ss. to 6s. ppr pair;- turkeys,' gobblers 18s. to 205., hens, 10s. to 145.; fresh eggs, 10Jd. to Is. doz.; cheese. 5Jd. per lb.; . Akaroa- '. ma-chine-dresMd cocksfoot, 7jd. per • lb.; farmers' dressed cocksfoot, 6d. per lb.; ryegrass, 4s- 6d. per. bushel; Italian. ryegrass, 4s. to ; 4s. 4d. per bushel; white clover, 90s. per • cwt. . . - '. . . LONDON MARKETS..' . . ■ By Telegraph—Prtbs Association—Copyright. ! . London, August 28!, ' Hemp—The market is dull and flactuating. . There has been a ten to fifteen shillings decline. Good to fair New Zealand is scarce at £24. 'Copra.—The market is active, and thoro has been a large business at an advance of ■ from 75., 6d. to 10s. South Sea, small offerings, in bags. £24 10s. t0.£25. , : Cotton—The ..Liverpool quotation ..for American middling upland cotton is 7.74 d. per lb. ' , ■ ' Eubber.—Pine hard Para rubper is .QUOt-, ed at Bs. 6d.' per lb. '■':.",. . THE SIETAL MARKETS.- ■]' ■. • riy Telegr.i'ilh-'l-riiS!, Asjwiation . London, August 28. Silver is quoted at 24sd. per .ounce. ■ Antimony, £8 ss. : ' . .' ' • ■ ' Copper.—On the spot, ££5 18s. 9d.-,.. three months, £56.155. ' >'■. . Tin.-On the spot, £166;' three months, £160 7s. 6d. :..-,. ' Lead, £12 12s, 6d. ■ -Anglo steel, £6 7s. 6d. ' . Tram rails, £5 9s. . ; ■-. ■ HIGH COMMISSIONER'S CABLE. ; The Commerce and Tourists' 'Division of the Department of Agriculture, Commerce, and Touriets- has. received the. following cablegram from the High Commissioner for New Zealand, dated- London, August 27. Quotations, unless otherwise -specified, are average market prices en spot;—' . Mutton.—The market is steady, and prices are well maintained. Canterbury today, 33d., North Island, 3id; per lb. Lamb.—The market is quiet but firm.

Canterbury 5d., other: than Canterbury 43d.. per lb. Beef—The market is a shade- weaker. New Zealand hinds, 3gd., fores 23d. per lb. ■ Butter.—The market is firm, with .more inquiry. Danish 118s., Siberian 1063. per cwt. Cheese.—The market is quiet but steady. New Zealand, 57b. 6d. per cwt. Hemp.—The market is dull, with' no cbango in prices—viz., spot, New Zealand, good fair, £24, fair grade £21; fair current Manila. £19 15s. per ton; forward shipment, New Zoa'.and, good lair, £24, fair grado. £21; fair current llanila £20 6s. per ton. The output from Manila, for the week was 29,000 baled. Expect no immediate chango in the liomp market. Cocksfoot Seed.—There is a better demand. New Zealand bright clean cocksfoot seed, 171b. to bushel! '6s. per cwt. Wheat—The market is Quiet. ' Now Zealand long-berried wheat ex granary, per quarter of 4961b., 345. 6d.; New Zealand short-berried, 335. 6d. Oats.—The market is. steady, with a lair business doing. New Zealand oats, short spon-owbille, ex graaary, per quarter of 3841b'., 193.; New-Zealand oats, Danish, exgranary-, per quarter ol 3201b., 16s. 9d. Beans.—The market is steady, with very good demand. New Zealand beans, f.a.q., new,crop, per 5041b., 355. 6d. .Peas.—Tho market is firmer, and there is more demand. Now Zealand peas (partridge), per 5041b., 445. .. , . Kauri Gum.—The market is firm, with an improved demand. Ordinary to fair, threequarter soraped, 1705.; fair, half-scraped, 1055.; brown, fair, half to 'three-quarter scraped,.9os.; brown, pickings, common to good, 455.; bush, fair to good palo and amber, scraped; 1755.