COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1334, 11 January 1912, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHARES. A sale of Golden Bay Cement shares at 225. 9d. was the only trans-act iou recorded in investment shares yesterday. The buying ami selling quotations were as under:'— Buj-era. .Sellers £ s. d. £ s. d.

TVELLIOTrON WOOL SALES. The third of the series of local wool sales begins this morning, when, approximately. 17,503 bales will be catalogued. The attendance of buyers may be. smaller in number owing: to soma having prone to Auckland to attend the wool sales there, but the actual buying force will be as strong as ever. A week ago the general opinion as to tin; prospects was rather optimistic, and this would have prevailed even now, but for tho fact that the woolcombcrs at Bradford arc in trouble with their workers. A lockout is threatened, and in any case a. good deal of uncertainty must exist. It only requires an incident of this character to depress the market, and it would occasion no surprise if prices to-day exhibit a weakening tendency. If the labour dispute is not speedily settled, the London sales, which commence on Tuesday next, will be hampered.

niGH COMMISSIONER'S CABLE. The Commerce and Tourist's Division of the Department of Agriculture, Commerce and Tourists, has received the following cablegram from th.3 High Commissioner for Now Zealand, dated January 9. (Note: Quotations unless otherwise specified arc average market pric.33 on spot):— Eggs.—The market is firm witli a good demand. A moderate supply. 'Per 120: Home. 14s. to 175.; Dutch, 13s. to 17s. 6d.; French, 13s. to 18?;; Russian, 9s. 6d. to 125.; Danish, 12s. 6d. to 16*. M.; Austrian, 85. 6d. to 125.; Italian, 12s. 6d. to 15». 6d. Poultry.—The market is steady, but demand only modcrato. Chickens: Home, 8(1. to IOJd. per lb.; Russian, Bd. to Did. rer lb. Ducklings: Home, 9d. to 10d. per lb.i Russian, 7d. per lb. Turkeys: French, 9d. to lCd. per lb.; Continental, Bd. to 9d. per lb. Bacon.—The market is firm with more inquiry, fidra: Irish, 51s. to 595. per ttwt.; Continental, 42?. to 545.; Canadian, 48s. to 545. Hams.—lrish. 60s. to 112s. per cwt.; English. E4s. to 1023. per cwt.; Canadian, 565. to 665. per cwt.; American, 50s. to 58s. ner cwt. The market for hams is quiet but steady. PRODUCE EXPORTS. The last leaflet issued by the Departm'nt of Agriculture, Commerce and Tourists, furnishes the ouantities and valncs of tho principal products exported from New ■Zealand during 1911 and the previous year. Comparing the values, the position is as under:-

FINANCIAL POSITION IX ARGENTINA. A Buenos Ays? 3 correspondent gives a rather gloomy account of the financial position in the Argentine- Republic. He writ?s"Many banks, and among them the best, continue chary of giving credit, and discounts for first-class commercial paper are quoted 7i to 73 per Ci3nt., with little doing at the first-named rate, while on single name paper or 'pagarcs' 8 per cent, is aslted, though there is a, nominal margin of 1 per rent. Perhaps the best evidence of the cautious spirit displayed by the big finance and commercial houses is to be found in the scarcity of exchange business. Day after day bill brokers and banters report an almost complete dearth of bills on Europe, and this at a season when, as a rule, they '.arc plentiful. True, the wool clip is late coming to market, as the long, cold winter has made e-itancie-ros afraid to shear too soon last they repeat their lossos of last year. Also even were tile wool in the market, it is doubtful whether much business would be done, as ths tronblcs in Europe prevent the Continental buyers from operating with anything like their usual freedom. These, however arc factors which affect produce bills alone, and which have no effect on the drawings in blank, and it is tl«a absence of this class of bill tha-t is so significant. 11l former years advance drawing during the spring is always fairly heavy, and its non-existence Urn year emphasises the awkward position in which Argentina is placed. For now not oven the most sanguine of optimists can deny that unlcs:s we have a good season, and more than a good season, troubled times will have to lie faced wl\?n autumn comes. Credit during the past four year* lias been extended until uo'.v it is strained nearly to breaking point, and to bear the weight of another ban year on top of what has gone befoi/j will bo an impossibility." Ciwtoms duty collected at the port of Wellington yesterday amounted to .J3JSM 13=. sd. BIiITISH N.Z. HEAT CO. ANNUAL MEETING. (By Tclcgraph--Press Association.) Chrjstchurch, January 10. The anuu.il meeting of the British N.Z. Jfeat and l'roduoj Co., Ltd., was held this afternoon. The directors reported (hat, for the year ended October 31, 1911, there was a balance at credit of profit and loss account of £3101 12s. Bd., which they considered very satisfactory- They recommended that it be dealt, with by the payment of 8 per cem. dividend for the year, the extinction of the debit standing against the depositor, and to carry forward the balance, viz., ,£<69 Ms. 4d. During the year agencies were opensd at Bristol and Cardiff, and business conditions were dow established at all the chief centres throughout England and Scotland. The profit and loss account showed:—l)r„ incomo tax. £338 Bs. 'Id.; general expenses and cost of management, .EM 3s. 2d.; balance, £3101 12s. Bd.; total. £7668 4s. 2d. Cr., balance on October 31. 1910, £639 Bs. 9d.; interest. £83 14a 7d.: transfer f-jos, £4 os.; gross profits, .£6960 15s. 10d.; total, £7668 4s. 2d. The report and balance-sheot were adopted on the motion of the chairman, who gavo a lengthy review of the past season's .operation?. DUNEDIN CHAIN" MAEKET, (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Dunedln, January 10. In the grain market there is very litcle business passing in oats, as stocks in store are very light, aud there is vary little demand for .shipment. Prime milling, 2s. lid. to 2s. HJd.; good to best feed, 2e. lOd. to Is. lid.: medium,. Sc. Bd.' to 2s, Ojd. Wheat: toiwu from Loudon act] Auf tra.

liii. have imliVnicct si sliKlit riso, and prices hav:> hardened here. There is vitj- little liminc.-;-! iia.vinp;. however, an "the majority ul millers hold Fairlv lariM stocks. Fowl wheat is in pond demand. Prime iiiilline velvet. 3s. lOld. In 3s. lt»d.: tiiseau, 3s. 9il. In J.i. «Sii.; medium, 3«." 8(1. to 5-. 8»il.; hc.-l whole fowl feed, 3.-. 7d. to 3-. Bd.

Equitable Building 9 17 6 — Metropolitan 12 7 6 Well. Investment 0 11 5 0 11 9 Well. Trust nml Loan ... 7 12 6 — ■Standard Insurance — 1 12 0 Christchurcl: Meat 15 0 0 — Meat Kxporr, (52s. 6(1.) ... — 3 0 0 N.Z. Shinpiiig — 1710 0 Taupiri Coal 10 3 — Wesiport ' Cnal - 17 9 N.Z. Towel Wood Process — 18 6 TaringauKitu Tolara, — 2 8 0 C. M. Hanks. Ltd « - inn Golden Bay Cement 12 6 13 0 Mnniiing and Co — 4 12 0 X.Z. C<in. Dental — 12 9 Shnrliind's Preference .... — 14 6 Ward aud Co - 5 12 6

1911. 1910. £ £ Huttcr 1,559,345 1,823,147 Ohceso 1.104.032 1,200,219 Bucf 296,112 596,258 Mutton 1,111,086 1,190,392 Legs and pieces 44,304 58,573 Lamb 1,931,663 1,876,610 Wheat 219.1S2 216,665 Oats d>2.49 44,257 Potatoos .'. 6.339 3,535 Hemp 314,615 448,368 Rabbits 80,112 70,692 Ton- 25,760 32,104 Kauri gum 355.707 465,044 Grain and pulso 1C6.593 57.330 Hops 11,214 20,453 J! ides 155.757 230.269 Mkins 716.097 863,733 Tallow 608,760 755,319 Timber 440,270 <C7,9M Wool 6,548,509 8.270,903 Gold .1,816,989 1,896,818 17,594,965 20,528,173