COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 987, 30 November 1910, Page 10

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHADES. Sales of Kaiapoi Woolleu, ordinary, at £5, .and Wellington Woollen, ordinary, at £3 13s. 6d. and £3 145., were recorded yesterday. The quotations were unchanged. . Buyers. Sellers. Sales £s. d. £s. i. £b. d Bank K.Z 10 8 0 - — Equitable Building - 915 0 — N.Z. 'Loan and Mercantile 010 0 - — Well. , Trust and Loan 710 0 715 0 — Feilding Gas — 12 0 — Napier Gas 12 5 0 — — Well. Gas (£10) ..< — 19 2 6 - Well. Gas (new) ... - 210 0 - N.Z. .Shipping 10 16 0 11 5 0 - TJnion Steain 1 16 9 — - Kaiapoi Woollen ... - - 5 0 0 Well.- Woollen (ord.) 3 13 6 — 3 14 0 Well. Woollen (pre.) 2 14 6 - - Taupiri Coal — 10 6 — Wostport Coal 617.0 — — Westport-Stockton 0 7 3 0 7 9 — Manning and Co. 4 2 6 — — Hiramar, Ltd — 0 2 6 — N.Z. Con. Dental ..123 - — Taranaki Petroleum 0 8 6 0 9 9 — Taringamutu Totara 2 3 0 — — Ward and Co 5 4 0 — — * The course of 6'ales during the month was as follows:— National Bank, £5 15s. 6d.; new, £5 Kβ. Equitable Building, £9 lZs. 6d\ Christchurch Gas, £9 155., £9 15e., £9 155., £9 15s. Feilding Gas, £l-ls. 9d. Palmerston North Gas, £8 ss. Wellington Gas (£10), £19, £19, £19, £15. South British Insurance, £3 16. New Zealand Insurance, £4 3s. New Zealand Shipping, £10 3s. Kaiapoi Woollen. £5, £5. £5. £5. Wellington Woollen, ordinary, £3 133., £3 '13s. 6d., £3 Ms. Wellington Woollen, preference, £2 16s. Taupiri ■ Coal, 19s. 9d., 19s. 9d. Westport Coal. , £6 !3s. New Zealand Consolidated Dental, £1 25., £1 2s. ' . New Ze'aland Paper Mills, £1 3s. 9d. Leyland-O'Brien Timber, £1 6s. 6d. Taranaki Petroleum, 9s. 3d., 9s. Taringamutu Totara. 435.. «s. 6d. Ward and Co., £5 3s. 6d., £5 3s. Gd.

AMERICAN COMPETITION. Three noteworthy attempts at "invading" tho English market have been unsuccessfully made by American manufacturers of textile articles. Over twenty years ago the Alexander Smith Company of Yonkers, New York, pushed very vigorously the sale of a carpet known as "Moqucltc" in Great Britain and on the Continent. The "moquette" weave is of the Axminster class, and., a meeting of Scotch, Yorkshire, and Worces-tershire-manufacturers was promptly called to consider tlie new form of competition. They brought out a carpet which drove the American article out of the market. One of the next moves was that of another firm in New York State which forwarded large quantities of collars, cuffs, and shirts to" England, • ar.d made a crcat "raid," as they termed it. on the London market. The'"raid" was very quickly repelled, and tho American firm made no profit out of its experiment. A large American clothing firm is now issuing circulars to English buyers in which men'e suits, retailing at 40s. upwards, are offered as "popular priced, snappy" lines. Attention is drawn to the tariff law with respect to imported goods to tho effect that "European- woollens can bo Gent- hero, manufactured, andi. returned minus tariff, charges." Although the offer has received tho careful attention, of clothing houses it is not likely to load to any 1.-irse business. American clothing, apart from the question of its price, is'not approved of by wearers in England on account of its cut and'style. Another important point is that buyers have learned from experience that they cannot rely upon the punctuality of American' deliveries. When tho American home trade improves, all promises as to foreign deliveries arc apt to be forgotten. Americans have much to learn in these matters, although they do not think so.

NOTES. Durins the first nine months of this year tho rubier .boom was answerable for tho applications for new capital in London to the amount of £18,282,500, as compared with £3,372.700 in the same, period last year. The Dutch Islands in the Malay Archipelago accounted for £4,302.900 of this sum. and the Federated Malay States for a still larger amount. There are fifteen gasworks ic Queensland, and last year they made 471,514,600 cubic feet of gas, of which 415,515,000 wore consumed. The coal used was 44,577 tons, and tho coke msde therefrom was 29.433 tons. The consumers numbered 14,029 for lighting -and 3775 for heating. Together

they employed 33 hands. There were also six establishments for the salo of electricity, which supplied 7,665,545 units, and 16,630 lamps. The private electrical plants numbered 47, which supplied 9,610,168 units and 10,827 lamps. Customs revenue collected at the port of Wellington yesterday amounted to £3518 os. 3d. TBADE IX ALLEN STREET. Fowls' wheat has made another advance, tho Quotation f.o.b. southern ports now being 3s. 4d. per bushel. Bran is now in more plentiful supply, but go far there has beeu no chance in values. Pollard continues in short supply. Oats.—Very few are offering in the south, and the market continues firm. Oatmeal and rolled oats'.-Tho demand is Blackening owing to the warm weather. Oatensheaf chaff.—New season's chaff will bo on tho market three weeks earlier ■than was the case last season. Potatoes.—The season for old is about more freely, some samples showing -traces of the blight. Prices range from lid. .to ljd. per lb. according to sample. Onions.—The whole of the supplies reaching this market are coming from Victoria, and the local selling price ranges from £10 to £11 per ton. . , • Butter—Primo milled , is without alteration, tho current price being Bid. to 9d. per lb : Cheese.—Both loaf and medium sorts aje in fair request. Eggs.—The supplies of fresh eggs are equal to the demapd, and prices rule from lOd. to Ud. per dozen. Hams.—Business continues aotivo in this line on the basis of 9d. per lb. Baton—Sides are in good demand at7Jd. and rolls at' Bd. Poultry.—Shippers will bo well advised to market their supplies early. Thcro is usually a glut in the Christmas weelt, and then very low prices have to, be ,accepted to quit - . Hens are quoted at 3s. 6d. to 4s. 6d. a pair, young roosters 4s. 6d. to ss. 6d., ducks ss. to 65., turkey gobblers ' 10d. per lb. livo weight, hens Bd. per lb. Vegetables—A line of French beans was received from Sydney, being shipped in the cool chambers, reaching thi9 market; in excellent condition; the price realised was 3d. Pr lb. Tho supply of green peas is now fully equal to requirements, and cabbages are in over supply. Carrots and parsnips are meeting with good inquiry, Fruit.—Almost daily consignments of strawberries are coming forward, and prices range from 6d. to Is. 6d. per chip basket, according to quality. The first of the season's red currants made an appearance this week. The season for this class of fruit is a Ghort one, and jam makers should be prompt in securing supplies. Good consignments of tomatoes are coming from Nelson and tho Lower Hutt, and are selling at rates which are satisfactory to tho growers. The Aorangi,. due on December 8 from San Francisco, is bringing oranges, American apples, and bananas from the Cook. Islands, and these will Teach n. bare roaTkct. Only a moderate shipment is expected from Sydney to-day, consisting ,of mandarines, lemons, oranges, pineapples, 1 plums, and cherries. •

WHEAT SHIPMENTS. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright. London, November 28. - The total ouantity of wheat-afloat for the United Kingdom is 2.655.CC0 quarters, and for the Continent 2.630,000. Atlantic shipments, 236,000 quarters; Pacific, 60,000. The total shipments to Europo for tho week amounted to 1,875.000 quarters, including— Argentina, ffI.OCO; Russian, 910.CC0; Danubinn, 322,000; India, 54,000; Australasia, 43,1)00. LONDON WOOL SALES. By Tcleemph-Press AssTi.-itlo-v- rnnvrlahl.. """ London, Kovcmbcr 28. At tho London wool sales prices for good wools were firm, but faulties were weak. Messrs. Levin and , Co., Ltd., have rcwived the-following cablegram from London in connection with the wool sales now current:—"For inferior and faulty merinos prices have weakened 5 per cent.: as the sales have progressed. Ilome buyers are operating' sparingly. Crossbrcds- generally continue on a par with, opening rates, but Continental buyers are operating sparingly for this class." . CANTERBURY GEAIN.MARKET.. IBy Asscciation.l Ohrlstohurch, November 29. Recent rain has given a more hopeful feeling to those engaged in the grain trade, as.there is now an assurance of. better crops than were anticipated a lew week's ago. It has, however, made practically no difference in tho markets. Those farmers who have not sold their.:, wheat are still holding ■ firmly, but, as both Ohristchurch and Timaru millers hold large stocks of flour, and the weather has taken a change for the better so far as the wheat crops are concerned, there is little demand for • milling wheat. Fowl wheat is, however, meeting with. good inquiry, and. as the export of wheat is now. over for the time being, the only wheat outlet, other than good milling, is for fowl-feeding purposes. . Oats .retain their firmness, and grass Eeed is still tho subject of a good deal of .speculation. There is good demand for prime malting barley, and samples of this quality are commanding a good flgure.