COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1355, 5 February 1912, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

- INVESTMENT SHARES. The sales recorded on Saturday were: National Bank, £5 155., and Taringamulu Totara, £2 ss. The buying and selling quotations were ae under:— Buyers. Sellers. £ s. d. £ 6. d. National Bank - .515 6 Well. Trust and Loan 7 10 0 — Oisborne Gas — 2 19 6 Well. Oaa (£10) 18 2 6 - S.U. Insurance — 3 11 6 Chrislchurch Jlcat — 16 2 6 Gear Meat (£4) — 13 5 0 Well. Woollen lord.) - 3 IS 0 Wcll.i Wooll-?n (prof.) — 3 10 Taupiri Coal 110 — Westport Coal - — 17 3 Loyland-O'Brien 18 9 — Taringamu.tu Totara 2 4 0 2 6 0 C. M. Banks, Ltd — 10 0 Donaghy P,ope and Twine — 12 6 Golden Bay Cement 13 6 — Manning and Co — 4 12 0 N.SI. Con. Dental — '2,6 Kharland's preference — 14 6 Ward ami Co 5 4 0 5 5 6 In their share report dated February 1, Messrs. ltarcourt and Co. state:— "The Stock Exchange reopened for business on January 8, after the usual Christmas and New Year vacation. The market opened dull, and has remained so throughout, the month, the volume of busings* done being very small. Tho slackness of trado is fairly general, and is not confined to any particular line of buyinc*is. Wc think, however, that the slackness is only temporary, ajid a revival will soon be noticeable. Good prices are being obtained for this season's wool clip, dairy products ar? maintaining high prices, and the pra-.pects ahead of the frozen 'meat trade,. such as the opening up of the European markets, are extremely promising. Added to this, the s'caFon in most places in the Dominion has been a favourable one, and good crops should bo the rulc ; Taking everything into consideration, it is difficult to see how the prosperity experienced during the last few years can fail to oontinuo. Parliament reassembles early in February, and it may be that many people are awaiting the results before committing themselves to anything new that may be influenced by future legislation." COMPANIES REGISTERED. - In tho list of companies registered, published in the la.~t issuo of the "Mercantile Gazette," there appear tho following :— Thomas Foley and Sons. Ltd.. registered as a private company on January 30, office Wellington. Capital £924, divided into 14 shares of £G6 ca-ch. fully nai'd un. Sub-scriberc-A. W. Press, 11: T. F. Foley. 3. Objects: To carry on business of manufacturing of and dealers in cement, lime, plasters, etc IHllmer and Gilchrist Manufacturing and Furnishing Co., Ltd. Registered as a private company on January 29. Oflire. Palmorston North. Capita! £IKO. divided into 1860 shares of £1 each. Subscribers. ,T. Gilchrist, 150: J. H. Gilchrist. W10; B. Hillmcr, SCO. Objects: To acciuire the busiiia r fl now carried on by Ilillmcr and Gilchrist, at Pnlmerston- North. Jonos and M'Grogor, Ltd.—Registered as a private company on January 31. Capital, £75C0, divided inl"_7ii"o shares of £1 each. Subscriber.-!. M. iU'Kcuzie. ZCf-5: J. B. O.iisford, 15C-9: W. F. G. Levin. !0C0; F. South, MM; A. Curruthers. ECO: D. I.illv, 1(00; O. N. Gillespie. JCO. Object: To acciuire and purchase the business of Jones and M'Gregor, of Bulk. COMMONWEALTH GOLD PRODUCTION. Jt will be seen from the figures that, follow that the gold production of the Commonwealth reached its zenith since federation WCo.when over 3.8C0.000 line ounces were produced, valued at over 16J millions slerlinic. Since that year there has been n shrinkage of moro than a million and a

quarter ounces, valued at over five millions sterling. The following details may be given:— Fineoz. Value. 1901 3,297,22s 14.CCW32 1902 3,487,050 14.E!1.9-.a 19C3 3,K5,1195 16,294,634 1904 3,742,649 15.897,337 19C-S 3,6e',-,995 15,550,910 19J-6 3.444.M7 14,651.745 ]9'j7 3,184,193 13,511,480 19C8 3,680.535 12.750.0i0 19,9 2,949,671 12,£'.0.(C0 1910 2,736,485 11.623,642 1911 2,JCO,iC'O 10,ttO,0C0 SOUTH AMERICAN TEA.' Local tea traders will he interested to learn, on the authority of the Boston News Bureau, that South America, is likely to he added to the countries which count in tho task ot supplying the world's requirement? of the commodity mentioned. It is stated bv the bureau that the American Department-of Agriculture has already accomplished much in the direction of making that part of the globe self-sufficient, and in (support of the contention it is mentioned that Egyptian cotton, Sahara, dates, and Holland bulb,= have been successfully introduced and grown. Attempts which heve been made at. Summcrville. in South Carolina, to produce tea are said to have given satisfactory results. A machine to prune the plants has fulfilled expectations, cirpccinlly in the reduction of hand labour, and a tea. pickiuc invention is now being tried. By these two mechanical, contrivances it is confidently believed the labour problem in the industry will be solved. The people of the United States, according to recent statistics, consume more than ICO.OOO.CCCIb. of tea annually, for which they pay, approximately, f3.2CO.CCfI. It is considered possible by the establishment of the industry in A.mcrica, not only to provide another material contributor to the worlds output, but at the same time also to cause an increase in the "home" consumption, and those who are interesting themselves in the project in South Carolina are strong in the opinion that these object? can be attained.

HIDE AND SKIN REPORT. Messrs.Dalgety and Co. (Palmcrston branch) report:—At our ousual sale last week we offcra full catalogue to a. good attendance of buyers. All lots were keenly competed for, and sold at an advance on last sale's rates, especially for sheepskins and calfskins, as for the former we secured up to 73d. per lb. for fine crossbred skins, and best lines of calfskins realised lid. per lb. Wool: Crossbred, fine and medium. Eld. to 9d.; coarse, 73d. to Bjd.; log-stained and inferior, 7d. to 7Jd.; lambs, from 71d. to' I}*.; inferior and seedy, 6£d. to 7d.; dead wool, 6M., 7d. to 7Jd.; pieces, 53d. to 6Jd; bellies, 53d. to 6d.; locks and pieces. '.'ld. to 5d..; locks, 3id. to 4i<l.; crutchines, sd. to 1 55(1.: b'ack wool, 6d. Sheenskins:.Crossbred, fullwool coarse, 6d. to Cid.: medium, 62d. to 7id.; fine. 7M to 7?d..: lambs, from 6d. to 6>d.; (toad. 51d. to 55<1.; pelts. 4d. to 4>.d.; damaged, From '3(1 to s}d.: inferior pelts, 3£d.; pelts, bare, from 2s. to 2s. 3d.: other.lots, 2s. 3d., 2s. 6d., 2s. 9d.. 35.. 3s. Id. to 3s. 3d.; In.mb skins, from "s. 9d. to 3s.ld. Hides: These sold under very keen competition, the market, bcine particularly strong just now for nil descriptions of voll-saltcd and good-conditioned butchers' hides. One line of cows realised the satisfactory average nrice of 295. 6d. each. Ox, medium,. 7d. to 7jd.: cows (best lines). £?A-: good, from 62d. to 63d.: rough and inferior, from Cd. to (Hd.: h»ifers and steers, to 6d.: yearlines. Bd.; bulls, sd. to sgcl.: cut and slippy, 3d. to 53d.; horse hides, from 3s. 6d. to 6s. fid. each. Calksltiris: Best lines, lid. per lb.; cood. 9M. to 93d.; cut and 6>d. lo 7d. per 11). Sundries: Tallow, in tins. 235. 9d.; rough fat, 14s. to 14s. 9d.; horse hair, Is. 9d. per lb. NORTH OTAGO MARKETS. (By Telegraph-Press Association.: Oamartl, February 4. There is very little inquiry for wheat, millers waiting for the incoming crop. One line oi;lv has been sold durint* the week at 3s. 7d. net at a country station. A fair amount of busini-s, however, has been done ill new season's oats. A line of licrht Algerians was .sold at Is. ICd. net at a country station, but. for several others. js. Id. has been paid on the sairc terms, end, in other instances, Is. ll?.d. was civen. Two lines (one of 120(1 sacks) of Cartons were bo'ight at 2s. net at a country station. Cane Unrlcy has changed hands at 2s. 6d. net. delivered in town. Ryegrass need ha.s been sold nt up to 2s. 6d. per bushel as from the mill. The samples are generally well filled, and clean. LONDON MARKETS. New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, have received the following cablegram from their London house, ur.'ior date February 2:— Frozen Meet: Sale? oC mutton progress fairly well, the demand for lamho is im-nrv.-ing, and there is a fair inquiry for beef. FROZEN MEAT QUOTATIONS. By relei'rapl: Tress A; relation- Cnprrigh! (Rec. February 4. 5.15 p.m.) London, February 3. Tho Frozen Meat Trade Association's Smithfield market quotation!! for the undermentioned classes of frozen meat are based on actual sales'of not Ices than one hundred carcasses of mutton or lamb, or twenty-five quarters of beef of fair average quality. 'The quotations are not selected lines, but for parcels fairly representative of the bulk of tho shipments now on tho market. The prices which follow arc 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 the meat:— Jan. 20. Jan. 13. Mutton— d. d. Canterbury, light — —. Canterbury, medium — — Canterbury, heavy — — Southland 4J — North Icland, best 41 4J North Island, ordinary... 41-6 4j Australian, light 33 3ij Australian, heavy 3} 3i River Plate, light 3ij Zi River Plate, heavy 30 35 |.';. New Zealand ewes 3 3 ■ Australian ewes 3 3 . River Plate ewes 3J 3 3-16

LambCanterbury, light — — Canterbury, medium — — Canterbury, heavy — — Southland — . — North Island, selected ... — — North Island, ordinary... — — Australian, best 4J <J1 Australian, fair 4J 45 Australian, inferior 4 4 River Plate, first 4} 33 River Plate, second 4 4i Beef- "'' , New Zealand, ox fores ... 3 3 New Zealand, ox hinds ... 33 35 Australian, ox fores 3 3 Australian, ox hinds S3 33 River I'latc, ox fores ... 3'■ • 215-16 ■ River Plate,- ox hinds ... 3? 33 River Plate, chiliad fores 3S 3} River Plate, chilled hinds 4J 43 Rabbit 3 are very firm. Enplish arc scarce. Best new season's Sydney arc quoted at 135., ex store, Victorian 16s. 6d. A further advance is probable. Hares are vainly offered at 15d. WHEAT. By Telecrarb—Press Association—Copyright (lkc. February 4, 5.15 p.m.) London, February 3. Two Australian cargoes sold at 375. 4jd. and 375. 7!<d. respectively.