COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1099, 11 April 1911, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

'" ". INVESTMENT SHARES. Sales of investment shares recorded yesterday were Christchurch Gas, at £9 155., and Gear Meat, at £3 10s. The buying and selling quotations were as under:— Buyers Kellers. £ a. d. ■ £ a. d. Bank of New Zealand ... 11 7 0 — National Bank — 6 1' 6 Equitable Building 9 15 0 — Wellington Investment ... 0 11 3 — Well. Trust and Loan 7 13 0 — • Christchurch iGas 912 6 . 9 17'6 Fcilding Gas 12 3 12 9 Christchurch Meat — 16 5 0 Gear Ifeat (£1) 3 10 0 - ' Meat Export (525. 6d.) ... — 3 '7 0 Union Steam 2 0 6 —'. Kaiapoi Woollen 5 5 0 — Well. Woollen'(pref.) 3 0 0 — Taupiri Coal 116 — Wcstport Coal — 1 9' 6 Wcstport-Stockton 0 3 0 0 4 3 Leyland-o''Brir/n 16 3 — . Manning and Co 4 11 0 — '" Miramar, Ltd — . 0 2 '6 N.Z. Con Dental 12 6 — - N.Z. Drug 2 6 3 — ■ Sharlanrt's ordinary 14 0 — • Kharla-nd's preference ... 1 4 0 — Taranaki Petroleum - 0 14 0 Taringamutu Totara, 2 8 6 2 8 9 Ward and Co 5 0 0 — Whitcombe and Tombs ... 6 6 0 — A YEAR'S EXPORTS. The produce year terminates on -September 30, but the Department of Agriculture, Commerce and Tourists takes March 31 for the close, probably because that is the close of the financial year for the Treasury. The figures for the twelve months to March 31 last compared with those for the previous year show as under:— 1911. 1910. £ , £ ButtcT 1.878,32C1 1,634.864 Cheeso 1,222.364 1.135.7 M Beef : 593,238 546,392 Mutton 1,341,274 . 988,373 Legs and pieces 61.976 54,354 Limb 2,174,456 1,803,640 Wheat 232,360 311,965 Oats 31.436 .448.626 Potatoes 3.683 3,055' Hemp 403,630 373,145 Rabbits 76,390 64,895 Tow ; 31,909 22.284 Kauri gum 448,819 540,729 Grain and pulse ... 68.460 76.722 Hops 16,651 15.690 Hides 223,137 219.765 Skins 886,764 805,020 Tallow 741,147 664.646 Timber 403.473 354.965 Wool 7,194,454 . 7,941,655 Gold 1.916,448 1.992,189 £19,954,594. £20,048,693

The totals show a decline o[ £94,105 as cotppared with. 1910. It is small, but significant, as showing that the limit ot high values has been reached for the time being. The dairy industry shows (he substantial increase cf £280,116, the totals being X3.1C0.684. as . against .£2,820,£68. The improvement is thus equal to about- 10 per cent. The values of butter and chcese exports during the past five years weve as under:—

Ycnrto Butler. Cheese. March 31 £ £ 19117 1.5.22.115 <149,676 1908 1,338,393 792,318 1909 1,422,198 865,456 1910 1,634,264 1,185.704 . 1911 1,878,320 1,222,364 The butler trade has made steady progress in the last three years, but it is the cheese industry which Ins cone ahead by leaps .and bounds. The values of the exports have nearly trebled in four years. In 1903 the value nf the chcere exported from New Zealand was only £181,604. while butter accounted for £1,268,759. The frozen meat trade shows a, sain of £7f8.185 on the yoir. the totals bcins: 170,944, as against £3,392.759. There were increases under every head. Wheat and oats exhibit -shrinkages, the figures relating to the former "being less by £79,605, while the decline in the value of oats exported is as much as £417,190. the actual figures being £31,436. as against £448,626. There are increases ill hemp, rabbits, tow, hops, hides, skins, tallow, and timber, and decreases in kauri gum, grain and pulse, wool and gold. The decrease in wool is marked, amounting, as it docs, to £747,231. The fluctuations in the values of weol ex-, ported may be seen from the figures of the past, five years, which are given below:— Year to March 31 £ 1907 7,529,188 1908 6.503,436 ■ 1909 . 5,537.861 1910 7,941,655 1511 7,194,454 The values of- tho moat and dairy produce exported during,tlie past year aggregated £7,271,628, or slightly more than wool, while under the three heads'cf dairy produce, frozen meat, and wool, the total is £14,466,C62, leaving but £5,488,512 for all other exports. Tlie prosperity of New Zealand depends almost entirely upon the three main industries mentioned. Customs duties collected at tlie port of Wellington yesterday amounted to £1331 ss. ICtl. . FROZEN MEAT, lly Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright London, April 9. The Frozen Meat Trado Association's Smithfield market Quotations for the undermentioned classes of frozen meat are based on actual sales of not less than one hundred carcasses of mutton or lamb, or twenty-five cjua.ri.ers of beef of fair average quality. The quotations arc not for selected' lines, but for parcels fairly representative of the bulk of tho shipments now on the market. The prices which follow are on an average a farthing per lb. more 'than the value ex ship, this difference representing an average cost in expenses, handling, conveyance, and selling tho meat:—

Mutton • Canterbury, lijrht — — Canterbury, medium — — Canterbury, her.vy — — Southland — — North Island, best 3 5-16 3J North Island, ordinary ... 3J 3 Australian, light 23 311-16 . Australian, heavy 211-16 211-15 River Plate, lislit 31 3 Biver Plato, heavy y 213-16 . N.Z. ewes 2J 25 . Australian ewes 2:! 2f, Hirer Plate ewes ~.., 23 23 liamb:— Canterbury, light 43 — Canterbury, medium 4,i — . Canterbury, heavy .: 5 — Southland 43 49.16 North Island, celectcd ... 4ji 4^ North Island, ordinary... 4,i 4J Australian, best 33 Australian, fair 3j 3J • Australian, inferior 31 3? 'Biver Plate, first 4 3g 1 Biver Plate, seoond 33 Beef:— ,New Zealand, ox fores ... 3 215-16 • New. Zealand, ox hinds... 4S 4 Australian, ox fores 2a 23 Australian, ox hinds 33 3J River Plate, ox fores 3 21 Biver Plate, ox hinds ... 44 4 Biver Plate, chillcd fores 3 i\ Biver Plate, chilled hinds 43 4j WHEAT AND FLOUR." By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyriirht , . London, April 9. The wheat and flour afloat for tlic United Kingdom totals 4,095,000 ouartcro; for the Continent, 3.570 XOO fiuartors; Atlantic shipments, 129,000; Pacific shipments, nil. The total shipments to Europe durins the week amounted to 1,600,000 o.uarters, including 395.0C0 from the Argentine, 370,000 Russian, 90,000 . Danubian, 126,000 from India, and 370,000 from Australasia.

HIGH COMMISSIONER'S CABLE. The commerce and tourists division of the Department of Agriculture, Commerce, a u. Tourists. ha 3 I'cccivcd the following cablegram from the High Commissioner for New Zealand dated London, April 8. (Note.—Quotations, unless otherwise stated, are average market prices, on spot):— Mutton—The market is depressed. Stocks of mutton -on hand aro heavy, but consumption is increasing.' No change in prices, viz.Canterbury, 3£d.; North Island, SJd.per lb: Lamb.—The market is firmer, and there is a better demand, although arrivals are very heavy,, and stocks are accumulating. Canterbury, 4id.; other than Canterbury, 4Jd. p=r !b.

Beef.—There has been no alteration in the beef market since last week, viz.-.-N.Z., hinds, 4Jd.; fores, 3Jd. per lb. Butter.—The market is firm for best quality; a dull, market for second-class quality, of which present supplies exceed the requirements. Choicest New Zealand butter, 108s.; Australian, 1025.; Danish. 1205.; Siberian, 104s. per cwt. Cheese.—The market is very firm, and the.re is a general and active demand. New Zealand cheese, 625. per cwt. Hemp.—The market is unchanged, viz.: —New Zealand good fair, on Gpot, £s0; fair grade, £19 55.; fair current Manila, £18 15s. per ton; forward shipment, New Zealand fair, £20; fair grade, £19 55.; fair I current Manila, £19. The output from Manila fur the week was 31,C00 1 bales. Stock of New Zealand hemp, 6C6 tons. Mutton 'and Lamb.-Itiver Plates shipments received during March, 1911, are as follow;— Mutton. Lamb. . Carcasses. Carcasses. London ...-. 39,973 11,529 Liverpool 123,161 24,736 . Southampton ... 4,2-50 — Hull 1,163- 239 Newcastle 23,207 1,325 Cardiff 7.7C6 812 Bristol 4,352 — Ireland 5.934 1,623 210,846 40,26', March, 1910 169,747 29,653 Wheat—The market is dull, and supplies are small. New Zealand wheat, longberried, ex granary, per quarter of 4961b., 325. Oats—The demand is falling off. Now Zealand oats, short sparrowbills, ex gran-, ary, per quarter of 3841b., 18s.; Danish, per quarter of 3201b., 16s. Beans—There is little demand. ne« Zealand beans, f.a.q., old crop, per ouarter of 5041b.. 345. Peas—The market is very quiet,' and there is nothing doing. New Zealand peas (Partridge), per sC4lb, 425.

CITY PROPERTY. MARKET. Messrs. J. Fanning and Co. report having sold since January l:-One acre ol land and 6-roomed i.-use, Wanes town', for £675; three 7-roomed houses on .1 acre land at Devon Street, for £2560; 6-roomed house oil land 28 by 90,' Lloyd Street, for £650; the property known as the Wellington Dairy, situated ill Elizabeth Street, and consisting of shop and dwelling, 7-roomed dwelling, large brick dairy and brick stable, for £3500; C-toomcd house at Webb Street, on- land 20 by 90, for £770; two 5-roomed house? ou land <8 by 90, Uayward Terrace, for £650; 6-roomcd house on land 50 by 130. Cororaandel Street, for £915; 6-roomed house on land 33 by ICO, Carrington Street, for £520; <!-voomcd house on lam! £8 by SO, Martin Square, for .5420; 5-rcomcd house on land in Emini Street, 30 x 132, for £420; two vacant allotments at lichnont. 90 by 150 for ,£120; Taranaki Street, 10-roomed hoitse on land £2 by 120. for £1350; Roxburgh Street. 6-roomed bouse on land 3<l by 90, for .CIICO.