COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1128, 16 May 1911, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHAKES. There were no transactions in investment shares yesterday. The buying and selling quotations were as under:— Buyers. SclloVs. £ s. d. £ s. d. Bank Now Zealand '. 11 16 6 - National Bank — 6 0 0 National Mortgage — 3 9 0 Well. Trust, and Loan ... 7 13 0 7 16 0 Napier Gas (£10) 23 15 0 - Well. Gas (£10) - 19 0 0 Well. Gas (now) — 3 0 0 South British — 3 10 6 Standard Insurance' 1 10 0 — Gear Meat (205.) — 3 10 0 Union Steam 2 1 I) — Well. Steam Ferry (18s.) 012 0 018 C liO.vland-O'Ericn 17 0 — N.Z: Drug- 2 9 0 - N.Z. Paper Mills 12 0 13 0 Taranaki Petroleum ... — 014 0 Taringamutu Totara ... 2 9 0 210 0 SHAELAND AND CO., LTD. Tho balance-sheet of Sharland and Co.. Ltd., for tho year ended February 28 was available yesterday. The gross profit for the year was £29,277 12s. lid., and the expenses (including depreciation and allowance for bad debts) totalled £22,806 15s. Id., leaving the net profit at £6470 17s. lCd., and there was brought forward from the previous year £289 9s. 3d., thus making available for distribution the sum of £6760 7s. Id., which the directors recommend should be appropriated as under:— „. ~ £ s.d. ' Dividend, 7J per cent 4350 19 6 Reserve fund MO 0 0 Carry forward 4C9 7 7 6760 7 1 , Last year tho company had to draw upon its reserve fund to pay the dividend, liecause of a serious defalcation at Auckland, which resulted in a loss of £5358 15s. 7d. The gross profits and the working eipcnsci (other than tho amounts allowed for bad debts and depreciation) show as under:— Gross profit. Expenses, lcar. £ £ 1928 26,643 19.550 1909 27,692 19.890 1910 27.163 20,289 1911 29,277 21,097 The roservo fund, with the addition of tho £2000 recommended to l;j added this year, will stand at £11,5C0. I Customs duties collected at. the port of Wellington yesterday amounted to £556 18s. lid.

UNION STEAM SHIP COMPANY. At a meeting of tho directors of tho Union Steam Ship Company of Nov.* Zealand, Ltd.. held on Friday, an interim dividend of 9»d. per shave was declared tor the halt-year ended March 31 last. The dividend was payable to shareholders on Saturday last. AUSTRALIAN MUTUAL PROVIDENT. The annual report of the A.M.P. has been sent to policy-holders, who will no doubt be gratified to note the continued expansion of the business. The new businesses written during the past three years compare as under:— Policies. Assuring. Year. No. £ ISSB 19,117 5,042,351 1959 19 789 5.166,653 1910 19;560 5,487,375 This is a splendid record, and nnito a number of other equally interesting comparisons can be made. On Decombor 31 the society had on its books 247,872 policies, assuring £63,712,325. and producing an annual pTemium of £2,223,475. Of the business transacted by tho society during 62 years this represents 54.9 per cent, of the number of policies, 52.0 per cent, of the sum assured, and 49.5 per cent, of the animal premium income. The distribution of the existing business in the'ordinary department among tho various registers is shown below.— Sum assured. Register. Policies. £ New South Wales 70,333 20,118,665 Victoria 63.859 16,985,654 Now Zealand 401493 11.235,969 Queensland 23,187 7,111,446 f*. Australia 21,346 5,284,796 TV. Australia 11,294 3,604.711 Tasmania 8,846 2,550,431 London 3,499 ' 1,820.653 i 247.672 68,712,325 WHEAT AND FLOUR. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyriebt London, May 14. Tho wheat and flour afloat for tho United Kingdom totals 3.385.CCU quarters; for tho Continent, 3,570,000 quarters; Atlantic shipments, 123,000; Pacific shipments, 16,000. Tho total shipments to Europe during the week amounted to 1,670,000 quarters, including 258,000 from Argentina, 745,000 Russian, 135,000 Danubian, 115,000 from India, and 74,100 from Australasia. Three Australian wheat cargoes sold at 355. 3d. each, and two others at 355. 6d. LONDON MARKETS. By Telegraph—Press Assocmtion-ConyriEht London, May 14. Hemp—The market is dull and prices unchanged. Copra—Small business doing. ' South Sea, in bags, £22 10s. to £23. Cotton—The Liverpool quotation for middling upland American cotton i 6 8.03 d. per lb. Rubber—Fine hard Para rubber is quoted at 4s. Bid. per lb. Rabbits—Neglected and prices unchanged, though the quality excellent. METAL MARKETS. By Telecraph—Press Association-Oopyriibt London, May 14. Oopper-On the spot, £53 lis. 3d.; three months, £54 2s. 6d.; electrolytic, £55 2s. 6d. Tin—On the spot, £196 55.; three mouths, £189 ss'. LONDON WOOL SALES. By Telegraph—tress Association—Copyright London, May 14. For tho wool sales, 46,413 bales have been catalogued to date, and 43,005 sold. All qualities are extremely Arm at opening rates. Continental buyers are especially keen for merinos and fine crossbreds.

The following are prices realised for the fleece portion of the clips named:—"Kaivroka," top price lid., average 9}d.; "Aclaud," top prico Hi., average lOijd.; "Kara," top price 12d., average ll*d.; "Maaoupc," top prico 15d., average ltd.: "Mgeio," too prico lOSd.,'average 9Jd.; "ITiku," top prico Hid., average 10jd. ; "A.W.H.," top prico Hid., average lOgd. Messrs. Levin and Co., Ltd., have received by cable the following prices for wool sold at the London', sales now current, being the average prico for the fleece wool:— Cross Keys (Masterton), lCd.; do. W.A. (Tenui), lCd.; EN over Makohau (Marlon), 9Jd.; Ngapopatu (Tenui), lCd.: Khoikutu (Masterton), lCd.; 1C over T (Masterton), 9Jd.; Euatea (Alfredton), 9d.: YVC (Tenui), 9 l-16th of a penny; Paoran over Pukekaka (Moawlmngo). 83d..; TXG (M.-is-torton). 9, l d.; Wi-Ngari (Tenui), 9 and 9-16 d.; Hillend (Masterton!, 9Jd. FBOZE* MEAT. The Now Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, have received the following cablegram from their London house, under date May 13:-The frozen meat market is slightly firmer. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S CABLE. The Commerce and Tourists' Division of tho Department of Agriculture, Commerce and Tonrist3, has received tho following cablegram from the High Commissioner for New Zealand, dated London. May 13. (Note—Quotations unless otherwise specified are average market prices on spot.):— Mutton.—There arc signs of improvement in the market. Stocks on hand are heavy, but there is a better demand owins- to tho expectation that shipments are likely to .decrease. Canterburj - , 3Jd.; North Island, 23d. per lb. Lamb—The market is firm. There is a good demand, for all lamb, and prospects are rather more encouraging. Canterbury. 4Jd.; other than Canterbury, 4Jd. per )b." ' Beef.—The market is ouiet. Stocks of Now Zealand beef on hand nre light. New Zenland hinds, 4d.; fores, 2Jd. per lb. Butter.—Tho market is weaker, and the tendency is downward. Choicest Now Zealand butter, ices.: Australian, ICDs.; Danish, 1125.; Siberian, ICOs. per cwt. Cheese.—The market is a shade weaker. New Zealand, 61s Cd.; Canadian (new), 60s. per cwt. ' Hemp—Tho market has advanced ss. ner ton. vis.:—On spot, New Zealand good fair, £20 55.: fair grade, £19 155.; fair current Manila, £19 155.; forward shipment, New Zealand, good fair, £20 55.; fair grade. £19 155.; fair current Manila. £19 15s. The output from Manila for the week, was 28.CW1 hales. Kauri Gum—The market is very ouiet. Ordinary to fair thrce-ciuarter-srraped. £8 lCs.; fair half-scraped, £5 2s. 6d.; bnwn fair half to thrce-ciuarter-scraped, 855.; hush fair to good nnle and amber-seraped, £8 55.: brown pickings, common to good, 40s. Stock, 285 tons. I