COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1346, 25 January 1912, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHAKES. A sale of M'estport Coal at 275. 3d. was the only transaction recorded yesterday. The buying and selling quotations were as under:— Huyers. Sellers. £ 5. d. £ s. d. Hank New Zealand — 11 a 0 Equitable Building 10 5 0 - Well. Investment 0 11 3 0 11 9 Well. Trust and Loan ... 713 6 ■ — Christchurclr Gas 9 10 0 9 14 0 Gisborne Ons - 3 0 0 Wrll. Gas (£10) 18 2 6 - Well. C.as Ipref. 7s. 6d.) 0 8 0 0 9 0 Christchurch Mcflt 15 15 0 — Gear Meat (£4) - U 5 0 Meat Export (525. 6d.) ... - J 0 0 Well. Woollen (ord.) - 3 IB 0 Taupiri Coal 110 12 0 Wcstport Coal 17 0 17 3 Leyland-O'lirieu 18 9 — Parker, Lamb Timber ... - 1 ' J Tarineamutu Totara ... — 2 7 6 Donajhy Rope and Twine — 12 6 Golden Hay Cement 13 0 — N.Z. Paper Mills 10 3 — Sharland's nreference ... — 1 5 x Ward and Co 5 2 6 5 6 0 AUSTEALIAN MUTT7AL PBOVIDENT. According to Sydney files, the n;w business transacted by the A.31.P. Society during the past year exceeded £6,300,000 jn the ordinary department, and amounted to nearly £1,000,000 in the industrial department These figures arc very considerablv in excess of those for any previous yaV. The increase has been secured in 'fair proportions throughout the States and New Zealand, and the figures of the London branch also show satisfactory expansion. In New Soutli Wales the total new business is ove'r £250,000 in sxcass of that for the previous year. The society's snecess reflects the generally prosperous condition of tli3 people of Australasia, and serves a= a good illustration of national thrift.

AUSTRALASIAN GOLD YIELD. The gold yield of Australasia for the pa-t year again shows a shrinkage, the figure'* being 2,927,820 onnce3 in 1911, against 3,102,121 ounces in 1910. Doth the Commonwealth and New Zealand show decreases, the figures of each of th; States comparing as under:— 1910. 1911. Fine oz. Fine or,. Victoria 573,420 516,968 New South Wales 192,595 161,121 Queensland 438.784 351.845 YV. Australia ... 1,470.626 1,378,482 Tasmania 33.500 34.800 S. Australia . 7.C00 7.000 Commonwealth 2,715,925 2,500,216 New Zealand ... 446,196 427,004 3.162,121 2.927.820 The figures for South Australia and Tasmania, arc estimated.

PROFIT IX AJtMAMEXTS. Notwithstanding the creation of peace tribunals and other means for avoiding an appeal to arms, substantial profits continue to be mado hy those engaged in the manufacture of implements of warfare. The last annual report of Fried. Krunp, Ef.-en shows a net profit of £1,435,613, that tota.l comparing with £1.063.265 for the previous year, and with £760.381 for 1908-1909. AJI the shares in the business arc in the hands, of members of the Erupp family, and, as usual, the report deal; only with tha financial results of the undertaking, no reference being made, to the trade of the year, or to ths prospects of the business. Tho capital is £9,000,000. and a, dividend' at the rate of 10 per c;nt. per annum was paid. There are loans aggregating nearly £2,800,000. The amount carried forward is £211,520, as against only £8196 twelve months ago, the large increase in that item b;iug duo probably to a, desire to be prepared for any eventuality in connection with the renewal or otherwise, of the German Steel Syndicate, the Krunp Company being generally believed to be strongly opposed to considerable increas;s in output allotments, such as are being claimed by some of the members of the syndicate. In view of the complaints of English manufacturers retrardinsr the cost of the new Insurance Bill proposals, it is interesting to find that the operation of the German compulsory scheme of insurance last year involved the Krupp Company to the exl?nt of £211,184. ...

PRIVATE CABLE ADVICES. The Bank of Xew Zealand has recsived the following cable advice from its London office, dated January 23:-"Current prices for North Island farmers' lots, in average condition:—Coarse crossbred, 36-40' a quality. 9d. to 9Jd. per II).; medium crossbred, 44-46's quality, 9Jd. to lfljd.; Tine crossbred. 50's puality. lid. to 12d. Current prices for South Island farmers' lots (Canterbury stylo), in avsrape condition:— Inferior merino, common, 60-54's quality, 9»d. to 10d. per lb.: superior merino, super. 60-64's ouajity, tt\A. to 13»d.; halfbred or iiuarterbi'cd merino, super., 56's . quality. 11M. to 12Jd." Messrs. Abraham and VTilliams, Ltd., hav3 received the following cablegram from London, under date January. 23:— "Market continue:' firm. Medium ctosebred upward tendency due to American competition; other kinds unchanged." EXPORTS OP PRODUCE. The valu:s of the principal products exported during the first half of the current month, compared with the figures for the corresponding period of last year, show as under:— 1912. 1911. £ £ Butter 164,638 158,523 Cheese 108,074 91,365 Beef 7,643 9,876 Mutton 69,555 43.398 Legs and pisces ... 1.138 2,230 Lamb 74,740 91,033 Wheat 2 16 Oats 178 14 Potatoes 32 50 Hemp 11.648 12,895 Rabbits 4,192 4,445 Tow 1.580 643 Kauri gum 13,512 10,229 Grain and pulse ... 248 16 lions 175 " 45 Hides 5,782 5,831 Skins 30.616 18,601 Tallow 24,714 25,359 Timber 12.917 6,7)7 Wool 785,489 545,143 Gold 48,722 62,485 1,365,595 1,088,964 diatoms duty collected at the port of Wellington yesterday amounted to £2690 19s. Bd. SHAKES AND DEBENTURES. By Telesraph—Press Aesocia'.ion—Copyrieht London, January 23. Tho latest quotations include:—Bank of Australasia, £113 (buyers), and £115 (sellers); Union Bank. £59 and £60; New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Ag;ncy Company, £99. SILVER. By Telejrraph-l'.-ess Associition-CoprHghi London. January 23. Bar silver is quoted at 26 5-16 d. per ounce standard.