COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1060, 24 February 1911, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

' INVESTMENT ' SHARES, *A fair number of transactions in .investment Shares wore recorded yesterday. There wero sales<of Wellington Trust and Loan i at £7 135.; Meat Export (£5 paid) at £6 7p. 6d., and £4 paid at £5 <s.; New Zealand Drug at £2 95.: and Taranaki Petrol leum-at 135., 13.<. 6d.. 13s, 6d. The buying . i>nd-selling priccs wero as under:— ; .. I ■ • .' . Bu.vers. Sellers, ! ■ ' £ s.d. £ s.(I, ' Metropolitan .:. 12 0:0' — - Wellington Investment .. 0 11 0 . — Wellington Deposit 0 7 ,9 — • Feildlng Gas .: 116 ~120 ; Palmerston Gas 817 6 9 2 6 , N.Z. Insurance — • . 4 5 0 . Standard Insurance . 1' 7 0 — Gear Aleat. (£1) 3 3 0 ' — ' Meat Export (£5) —. . 67. 6 Meat Export (£4l ............ — 55 0 Meat Export (625. 6d.) -. 3 0 0 — Union Steam .....'. '117 .3 ' — Well. Woollen (ord.) ... — 4 0 0 , Well. Woollen (pref.) 215 6 —. Taupirl Coal; . l'l'O — Westport Coal 19 0 Westport-Stocliton — ■ t Ci Lcyland-O'llrien —' 17 3 Manning and Co. 4 10 0 — ; Miramar, Ltd. — 0 2 6 N.Z.' Con. Dental 12 6 13 6 Taranaki Potroloum ...... 0 13 6 0 13 9 Taringamiitu ;Totara. .... 2 6 0 2 8 0 • • NATioNAL MUTUAL LIFE. .' Tho actuarial investigation of tho National Mutual Life Association of Australasia, has been made by the actuary, Mr. E. J. Stock, and some particulars are given by the "Argus."- The amount. of the asturanco funds of .the association on October 1. 1907, wa5'£4,814,002. Three-years later (oii September 30. 1910). the funds had increased to £6,194,653. To npprceiato tho improvement in tho position of the society it is only necossary to refer to the following tablo;- • • : \ Assuranco ■ Receipts/Payments. Fund.. Period. £ £ ' . £ ,1836-01 ..: 1,590,291 820,928 3,265.126 1901-04 -1,929.662 .■ 919,709 3,932,367 . 1904-07 2,484,949 1.131,595 4,844,002 . ,1907 : 10 '3.313,253- 1.298.4W ..6,154,633. . .On Sopteinbor 30, 1914, the association had fiolicics in forco totalling 62,033 and a55nrng,.£15,453,364, with annual •premiums ' of ■£480,716; on September 30, 1907, thcro wero 77,174 policies, assuring £19,652,614, with annual premiums of £631,2C4.' Now the-fig-ures stand at 94.48' policies, assuring £24.103,973, with -annual premium* of £732,649. Therefore, tho increase in business for tho past'triennium has been 17,313 policies, assuring £4,451,359, with cxccss annual. premiums of £161:445. Expenses haVc beon kept', at-a. .satisfactory ratio. .As. the. result'of,.the care witli which funds have been ."invested,-the interest rc:civc(l during the threo years has totalled £773,547, or £157,204 more than during {he preceding triennium. Tho result of the investigation is to show that at' September 30 last tho net liability of the • association was £5,721,625. As tho assurance .fund at tho same date amounted to £6,194,633. a- surplus of £473,009 is available to provido; reversionary bonuses or sums additional.'t6 tho sums assured under policies entitled to participate. This amount compares with £329,199 shown for the threo-years ended September 30, 1907. BRITISH TALLOW IMPORTS. '. "Australia is tlio largest exporter of tallow to Groat Britain, and New Zealand comes next, with loss than half tho total of .-Australia.., The 'exports from Australia to.the, United Kingdom have almost, doubled since 1903,' while in tho same period tho New Zealand exports of tallow have increased by one-third.' OP the total imports into Great-Britain last year Australia supplied .nearly one-half.. Appended la a table r.howing the imports for the past threo years:— 19:8. 1909. ■ 1910. _From— -cwt. • cwt.. \ ' cwt'.: franco 36.6C5 40.134 43,756 > United States 427,915 263,385 48.C89 Argentina- .:.... 447.498 423,637' 412,«8 Australia, 542.279 735,988 1,(99,513 Now Zealand 377,107 453,525 499,20 V Other countries ... 225,413 267,887 ■ 359,580 • 2,055,7'.7 * 2,196,556 2,462,767 DOMINION EXPORTS. . Tlie values of. New Zealand products exported during tho first half of this month compared with the figure® for tho corresponding period of last year, show as under:— , •Feb., 1911. Feb.. 1910. £ £ • Butter 215,596 ' 133,4)3 •' Choose 1(0,797 96,142 : Boef 15,495 . 16,619 Mutton 63,657 ' " 33,6£2 ; Legs' and pieces 735 2,511 I'n-mb 111.CC7 107,520 'Wheat 2,251 845 ■ Oats 434 ■ 3,242 ■ Potatoes £9 75 ; S«»R. 15,432 ' 57,711-- ■ Rabbits 1,642 . ' — V 1.245 ' , 2.78! , Kauri gum .; 15,943 35,250 " • Grain and pulse 190 ' 752 Hops ,17.. 417 : n>dcs ..:... .- 8,693 " ' 7,547 ••Bk{ne •. v : 28,882 . 24.147 . fallow : .17X48 , 29,716 .' Timber •' , :..... .11.086 14,964 .'•Wool ■...•522,695 921,953 Gold ...y.... 59,661 50,433 ;. • £1,192,569 ' £1,523,757 LIFE iksURAXOE. .All the life tnsura'nco' societies doing business ,in Australasia . report that the new business written for 1910 was exceptionally large. Tho Australian Mutual Provideut Society leads the business for lwln K nearly £5,5C0,0C0, akainst £5,170,[C0 in 1909. Tho National Mutual for •Its financial year showed now business of £3,268.000 against £3,215,0C0 in 19C8.95-.the Mutual Lifo and Citizens' . is £2,5C0,Ct0 against £2,010,000: and tho Temperance and Genoral '£1,494,859, against £1,797,464. Tho City Mutual has written about £500,000 thiß being about tho same as in 1909. There figures relate only to the ordinary lifo business, and they emphasiso tho fact that the publio is better enabled tor mako provision for old ago than at any previous period in the history of Australasia. ' V NOTES. - Fifteon tons of Argcntino meat were re. ceivcd in Viclma on January 12, and found a, ready'salo at prices ranging from 6d. to 9d. per lb. ' Tho public in fact clamoured to obtain this meat, and tho butchers wero completely sold out beforo noon. "The Board of Trade Journal" states tho tounago of vossels entered at ports in. tho United Kingdom for foreign countries and British possessions with cargocs during tho year 1910 amounted to 41,615,636 tons, and tho tonnage cleared to 57,331,219 tons, nB against 40,315,803 tons entered and 57,194,. 005 tons cleared during tho year 19C9. With regard to the coasting trade, tho tonnage entered with cargoes during tho year 1910 amounted to 31,961,245 tons, and the tonnage cleared to 31,601,014 tons, ns against 31,381,877 tons entered and 30,899,959 ton 3 cleared during tho year 1909. According'to a»tabular statement published by tho "Frankfurter Zeitung" tho new issues made in Germany in 1910 amounted to £131,000,000, as compared with £161.000,000 in tho preceding year, £157,000,. 000 in 1908 and £94,000,000 in. 1907. Shares represented £20.000,000 of the total emissions in 1910, as against £24,000,000 in 19C9, whilst tho balance was composed of bonds bearing a fixed rate of interest. German Stato loans in 1910 amounted to £31.000,0C0, or £22,000,000 less than In 1909. On tho other hand, foreign Government loons advanced from £8,900,000 in 1909 to £12,200,000 last year, various foreign States having appealed to tho Gorman market with undeniable success. ' All tho • American railroads ■ reaching Pugot Hoilnd will soon.'substitute'oil fuel for coal on all locomotives crossing the Cascade and Rocky Mountains. • Tho ■Northern Pacific and Great Northern Companies nro building the nil-storage tanks, whilo two other lines aro already using oil fuel. < The question having been raised of the ■ position of foreign tourists carrying auto- ■: matlo cigar-lighters in Franco, it i 3 now • officially declared that all such machines not duly stamped arc prohibited goods, and will bo dealt with in the same manner as a box of foreign matches. It may bo timely to remind British travellers that tho penalty for introducing foreign matches into , Franco is one franc per match. Tho rubber companies floated in London 1 last year represented £19.143,800 of capital. - Another boom was in oil companies, for which , tho demands were £9,466.400. Customs rovenue collected at the port of Wellington yesterday amounted to £5614 9s. 3d. . • WHEYT. j By Telegraph—rre«» Awi-I.itl»n- Co'rvH"ht. • London, Fehruary 22. ■ Tho American visiblo supply of wheat is 72,303,000 bushels.

TALLOW. By Tclccraph—Press London, February 22. At the tallow sales. 1246 casks were offered and 171 sold. Prices realised i-Muttoi, flno 31s. 6d.. ' medium 345. 9d. beef, flne 365. fid., medium 345. 3d,

ir " ; " METAL"MAIiivETS. tiy TcltirapU—l'rcis fVipvHehC London, February 22. Copper.—On th© spot, £55 3s. 9d.; three • months'. £55 17s. 6a. 1 Tin.-On the spot, £194; three months', : £193 15s. ■ : Silver.—Bar silver is quoted at 24 l-16d. " por ounce.standard. ' I . (Ittc. February 23, 11.5 p.m.) »<•: London, February 23. Copper.—On tho spot, £55 2s. 6d.j three months', £55' 16s. 9d. . . Tln.-On spot, £195 lCs.i three months', £190 10s. Lead.—£l3 2s. 6d. .' . | ' NEW ZEALAND DHUa COMPANY, i lljj Teieeraph— I'ress Association.) Dunedln, February 23.: I • The issue of .15,C0D. jisw.. shares by Kemp--1 thOruo, Prossor and Co,'s New. Zealand Drug, Company has been largely ' over- , subscribed. . j ' , AUSTRALIAN PRODUCE MARKETS, jßy Teieeraph—Press Association—Copyright. S (Re'c.: February . 22, 1125 P.m.) j Sydney, February 23. Wheat, 3s. 3d., to'3s. 3Jd. ia being Offered, but growers aro moro inclined to hold exi pecting.a better market. Flour, new, £8 I ss. Oat's,. Algerian, 2s. 3d. to 2s. 5d.; Sparrowbllls, 1 2s. 7d.; Giants, 2s. Bd. Barley, Capo. 2s. '6d. to 2s. Bd.; prime, 2s. 9d. Bran, i £4. Pollard, £4 lOjl Potatoes. Tasmanians, £5 'to £6 .10s; Onions, £3 to £4. , Butter. 635.'.' Bacon, 6id.• to 7d. ■ 1 | . - Melbourne, February 23. Wheat,-3s. sd. Flour. £8 to fl ss. Oats, 1 feeding. Is. lCd.j milling. 2s. '-»d. Barley, ; Chevalier malting, 2s. 6d. AMie, 2s. 3d. • Bran and pollard, 15* potatoes, to £3 I ss. Onions, £2 to £3. I Adelaide, February 23. Wheat, J6. v 2id.'to 3s: 4d.' Flour, £8 ss. Bran,- 13d. Pollard, 14d. Oats, Algerian, Is. lid. , .. ._ 1 MELBOURNE' HIDES MARKET. - Sy Telegraph—i'ross Association-Copyright. (Rcc. February 23, 11.25 p.m.) ' Melbourne, February ' 23. There was .excellent competition at the ' hides-salo. to day, and' prices were firm in ! all classes. - CHRISTCHCRCH .WOOL SALE. ', (By Telegraph-Press Association.) Chrlstchu'rch, February 2J. Tho final, salo of.this season's aeries of local wool.eales was'held ycfiterday;lu the Aleinndra Hall, when-there was _a fair attcndaDco of buyers. There were 1704 bales catalogued, anil aa.tho sale was a, closing up 'one there was'a mixed-.offering, and ■ mostly in small.lots. Mcrinoß.wero not in very boon demand, but half bred and crossbred. EOld very well, and If anything prices were a. Shade easier than at the previous sale, local buyers operating more.- freely. A fair amount waß passed, especially of the larger clips offered; The rango of prices was: Medium merino, 81d. to 10d.; inferior, 63d. to Bd.; bfcst halfbred, 9d. :to lltd.j, inferior to medium, 7Jd. to 83d:; best crossbred, 9d. to'lid. :>inferior to modium, 6}d, to TJd. j Corriedale, 81d. to lid.; merino pieces. 4d. tA Bd.:. halfbred* pieces, 5Jd. to' 9§d.; crossbred pieces, 4Jd„to, 7Jd.; locks. 31d. to' sd. '' Tho following shows tho total bales of wool offered each season for tho past flvo i'oars:— , 1906-C7 .i 49.256 . 1907-08 . 50.630 '• ' 1908-09. '....... '49,643. 1919-10 £3.994 ' - 1910-11-. .'.u.:., 52,673 '% . >':• FARMERS' FIRE INSURANCE. . ' IBy Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) ; , ; , Palmerstori, vFobruary'23. ■ '■ A meeting of tho directors of tho Wellington Farmers' Union Mutual Eire Inspranco Association was held:at -Palmcrston.. today. Present: Captain Hewitt'(chairman), Alox." Kowie (Waverley), ■ R. ; B.' M'-Kenzlo (Rongotea), J. G. Wilson (Bulls), H, A. Kevins (Tenul), and John Morrison' (Halcombe). . Tho report on business transacted for tho quarter showed that a considerable increaso over £20,000 In new. proposals had been-rcccivcd, the total insurances in forco bolng over £150,000. Tho chairman reported, that no claim 3 whatever .had been received f6r fires during .tho'.ten months, and they wove building up a good reserve fund: > The question of accepting risks on stacks of grain was discussed, and a report will bo presented to tho annual meeting i|i May for consideration. .... LONDON MARKETS. The New Zealand -Loan and-'. Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, havo received tho following cablegram from their London house, undor dato February 22:—Tallow: We quote present spot values for tho following descriptions of . tallow:—Good mutton, 355. 6d. per cwt.:-good beef. 35a. 3d.; roix?d,- 335. 6d,; market, quiet.,; Wheat: We quote: 3"a. lid. 0.i.f., Australian cargo. There is very little demand, and tho outlook is discouraging. , '