COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1365, 16 February 1912, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHARKS. ' | A sale of Golden Bay Cement shares at V.?.. 6d. was the only transaction recorded yesterday. The huyiug and selling quotalions \ver3 as under:— ■'■"Bnjera. , Rollers. £ s. d. £ s. d. X.Z. and Diver Plate (rislits) i — 0-19 Well. Trust and Loan .. ' — 712 9 Christchiirch Moat - 10 2 6 Gear Meat <£4) - 13 2 6 Union Steam 1 19 0 - Taringaimttu Totara ... 2 I 6 2 6 0 Golden Bay Cement 14 0 - N.Z. Con. Dental — ■ 12 0 Ward aJid Co> — 5' 4 6 COMPANIES REGISTERED. The registration of the following companies is recorded in the last issue of the "Mercantile Gazette" :- Zeahndia Co-op. Woodware Co., Ltd., registered February 10. Capital, £1250; divided into 1250 shares of £1 sach. Sub-scribers-.—James Euveridgc. 175 fully paidup and 200 ordinary; Mabel Bcvoridge, 700 fully paid-up and 175 ordinary. Objects: To acquire and take ovar from .fames Bcveridpre, of Wellinßton, chair-maker, n:id Mabel Keveridge (his wife) the business as a going concern, carried on by them under ths name, "Zoalaiidia Co-operative Wooriware Company."

To Kuiti Brick and Tile Company, Ltd., registered February 8. • Offlce: T3 Kuiti. Capital. £1000; divided into 1000 shares of' £1 each. Subscribers: Te Kuiti-M. W. Forsyth. 150; F. n. narrow. 150; 11. Time, 100; F. Hudson. 50; 0. 11. .Tones. 50; K. J. O'Reean, 1C0; [1.. Matthew. 150; F. H. Sims, 100; W. G. Tinkler, 150. Objects: To carry on business of manufacturers of bricks, tiles, pottery, etc. COLONIAL BOREOWING. The resort of the colonies to the London market la*! year was for a fairly substantial sum. though- not so much as in 1910. Th 3 Stale demands declined from £38,751/00 to £13.985.300. whilst / municipal requirements rose from £4.355,100 to £5,829,600. The paucity of State borrowers was remarkable, the number beiiiK only five, the smalbst since 1907. The distribution of oil colonial State and municipal loans is set forth in the following table, with corresponding details for 1910:— 1911. 1910. £ £ Canada 6,068,400 14,336,600 India ~.. 4,833,300 13,000.000 Newfoundland — 800.000 New South Wales... -■ 2.75 D.OOO New Zealand 161,400 7,368,500 Queensland 2,000,000 — South Australia ~. - 789,400 Southsrn Nigeria ... 5,000,000 - Southern Rhodesia 100.CCO - Straits Settlements — 2.750.000 West Australia ... 1,650,000 1,342,000 19,813,100 43,136 500

THE WOOL MARKET. Messrs. Windeler and Co., in thsir annual wool circular to hand by the last mail, state that, apart from the woolcomlurs' strike, there has keen little of an abnormal character actually within the industry itself to interfere with its progress. Thio period, however, has certainly been overcrowded with other events of the greatest import, national and international, whHi have on the whole tended to at least distract and in tome instances, liko the railway strikes, seriously to hamper the even tenor of its progress. Vet. in spite of the«e and the continued inactivity of so important a factor as the United States of America, there has never been any real anxtety «s to the soundness or the. business, which has been evidenced by the capabilities of consumers to absorb, at a really mute high level of value, practically tile whole of the vast quantity offered. The new year opens with a much stronger feeling of confidence than prevailed in the late autumn, when there was such a fierce attack on prices, and though business is quiet the outlook is mors hopeful. So far as statistics are concerned, supplies would app?ar to be favourable to prices especially as regards wools of crossbred grai'-e. These'are ot a comparatively lower level of values than merinos, and likely to be moderns in quality, as there will be a diminution from New Zealand. Our domestic clip, too, will be short, and though the Argentine is expected to show a further recovery from the adverss results of two years ago. it will not equal the production immediately previous to that period. Even in the case of merinos the tota , is not expected to be excessive. The more abundant supplies of cotton, whirh is,at such a much lower figure than a year ni;o, may in its turn partially ease the textile position. But, speaking generally, while we do not look for, nor desir?, nny big rise in prices, the present conditions point to a fair maintenance of values during the year, apart from international complications, strikes, or other disturbances, the possibility of which, unfortunately from rscent experiences, cannot be ignored.

Customs duty collected at the port of Wellington yesterday amounted to £2464 2s. Bd/ NAPfEE WOOL SALES. [Bj 'ielegraDh-I'ress Association.) Napier, February 15. The third and last wool sa!e for this vear took place in Napier to-day, when the combined catalogue of brokers numbered about 3800 bales. TlfJ benches were fullv occupied by oversea and Dominion buyers. Iliddins was spirited throughout the rfternooii, and there was a good clearance of the catalogue under the hammer. According to expectations, the wool offered was uio'lly from the back country, and was therefore, dingy, and generally lack, liic thai lii'leht mm nlonn condition whloli oharact«riscd the wool eubioittci at pro.

viou? sales. Consequently the prices realised wire oiv n lower level, hut. Uking quality and .condition into consideration, prices bore favourable comparison. Several nice clean clips were offered, and lhc.-c reached figures quit; equal to last sales, although in some instances tficre was a drop of about Jd. per lb. Pieces, bellies, and locks sold fully up to last sales rates, and, tailing the sale as a whole, the results for growers were better than anticipated. The average prices were as follow:-

ilalfbrcd, 9d.; fin? crossbred, 9d. to 93d.; medium crossbred, Bd. to BJd.; coarse crossbred, 7d. to 73(1.; lamhs, Bd. to UM.: first piece?. 6',d. to 7Jd.; second pieces, 43d. to 6(1.; bellies, s»d. to 63d.: crutchings, sd. to sJil.; locks, 3d. to 4Jd.

STANDARD INSUItANCR CO. Dunedln, February 15. The annual report and balance-sheet of tli;: Standard Insurance Comp'iny states that the year's income, including balance brought forward, amounts to £147.181, and the expenditure to £120,731. The directors have added £10,000 to the reserve fund, and paid 8 per rent, dividend, .absorbing £3000 for the lmlf-yiar ended June 30. The directors recommend that the balance be appropriated as follows:—8 per cent, halfyearly dividend, £3030; bonus of 6d. per share, £2500; carried forward to next year, £7949.

AUSTRALIAN PRODUCE MARKETS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Roc. February 16, 0.5 a.m.) Sydney, February 15. Wheat: Shippers are offering 3s. eld.; millers are prepared to pay 3s. 10d. Flour, £8 15s. Oats, Algerian feeding, 3s. 4d. to 3s. 6d.; seeding, 3s. Bd.; Sparrowbills, 3s. sd. Barley, Cape, 4s. 3d.: English, 4s. 6d. to ss. Maize, prime, 4s. 10d. to ss. Bran, .€5 15s. Pollard, £6 ss. Onions, new Globe, £11; New Zealand, inferior quality, £9. Potatoes, Tasmanians. £7 to £9. Butter, selected brands, 1305.; prime, 118s. to 1265. Cheese, Bd. Bacon, 7Jd. Adelaide, February 15. Wheat, 3s. Bid. to 3s. 9d. Flour. £8 17s. 6d. Bran and pollard, 14d. Oats, 2s. lid. MELBOURNE HIDES MARKET. (Rec. February 16, 0.5 a.m.) Melbourne, February 15. Hidss were in fair supply at to-day's sales, and there was keen competition. Prices were very firm. WHEAT. (Rec. February 15, 10.10 p.m.) London, February 15. Wheat.—An Australian carso has been sold at 38s. 9d. per quarter. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, have received the following cablegram from their London house, under date February 14;— Vi c havs sold an Australian cargo at 38s. lid. c.i.f. There is very little demand, owing to increased supplies. Argentine market prospects: Outlook uncertain. TALLOW SALES. London, February l<. At. the tallow salas 1237 casks were offered and 923 sold. Prices were unchanged.