COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1375, 28 February 1912, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHARES. There were no transactions in investment shares yesterday. The buying and selling quotations were ns under:— Buyers. Sellers. £ s. d. £ s. d. National Bank 5 14 0 ' — Christchurch Uas — 9 5 0 Napier Gas (£5) - 12 0 0 Well. Gas (third issue) ... — 12 10 0 Well. Gas (pref. Bs.) 0 8 0 - Meat Export (£4) — 5 0 0 Jr;:lt Export (525. 6d.) ... — 219 0 N.Z. Shipping - 15 0 0 Kaiapoi Woollen "5 10 0 515 0 Well. Woollen (pref.) — 3 0 0 Taupiri Coal 110 — Westport Coal 17 0 17 6 Taringamutu Totara '— 2 8 0 C. M. Banks. Ltd - 10 0 Crown Brewery — 2 10 Donaghy's Hope and Twine — 12 6 D.I.C. preference 13 0 — Golden Bay Cement 14 3 14 6 N.Z. Con. Dental — 12 0 Sharland's preference — 14 6 Ward and Co 6 3 0 6 4 3

SHIPBUILDING IN 1911. Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping recently issued tho annual summary of shipbuilding at Home and abroad for the year 1911. It includes tho particulars of vessels of 100 tons gross and upwards, and takes account only of vessels that were launched in that year, whether completed or still under construction. During 1911, exclusive of warships, 772 vessels of 1,803.844 tons gross (namely. 7CO 6teamers of 1.782,908 tons, and 72 sailing vessels of 20,936 tons) were launched in the United Kingdom. Tho sailing ship tonnage was composed almost entirely of barges and similar craft. Tho warships launched at both Government and private yards amounted to 511, of 230,786 tons displacement: the total output therefore of the United Kingdom for the year was 822 vessels of 2,034.630 tons. The outnut of mercantile tonnage in the United Kingdom during last year shows ai increase of 660,675 tons on that of tho previous ycor. It is th 3 highest total ever recorded by Lloyd's, with the exception of that for the year 1906, when it reached 1,628.343 tons. The tonnage of war vssscls for 1911 also constitutes a record, being 96.141 tons more than in 1910. Practically the whole of the tonnage launched had been built of steel, whilst nearly, 99 per cent, was composed of steam tonnage. Of th,3 total outnut, 77.6 per cent., or 1.399.770 tons (1.389.956 steam tons. and 9.814 sailing tons) were built for registration in the United Kingdom. Steam tonnage of tho United Kingdom .increased by about 650,000 tons, whilst the sailing tonna;o decreased by about 139.000 tons. Tho amount of tonnage launched for abroad durine last year was 404,074 tons, forming over 22 1-3 per cent, of the total on tout, as compared with 19* per cent, in 1909. The number of large steamers launched in the United Kingdom during 1911 greatly exceeded the average of recent years. The returns for 1911 show that 53 vessels of 6,000 tons aifd above were launched. Of these, 17 were over 10,000 each, the largest being the White Star steamer Titanic, of 45.300 tons, the Cunord steamer Lnconia. of 18,150 tons, and eight vessels of over 11.0 CO tons each. Of tho vessels launched in tho United Kingdom 26 werj capable of a speed of 16 knots and above.

TRADE IN ALLEN STEEET. Cheese is in good request; medium, 63d., loaf 7id. to 71d. Mutter— Prime milled in bulk is in excellent demand at lid. to lljd. Fresh Eggs.—Supplies aro about equal to the demand, and tho current quotation is Is. 4d. per dozen; fresh limed, Is. Id. Hams and bacon meet with a steady demand: hams 9d., side 3 9d„ rolls S3d., shoulders 73d. , 1 Maize is In moderate request at 4s. 6d. to 4s. Bd. per bushel. Clover hay, hand pressed, has very good inquiry at £5 10s. to £6 per ton. Baled straw is selling ot 60s. to 70s. per ton. Fsed barley is dull of sale at 3s. 3d. per bushel. Cape Barley.—Fairly heavy shipments have been made to Australia, and this has tended to harden the market, tho prcs;nt quotation being 3s. 9d. par bushel. Chaff.—A good demand is being experienced for primo oaten sheaf chaff at £4 10s. to £5 per ton, sacks in. . Oats.—New season's- 'Duns.rflre selling at Zs. lid.; feed Algerian, Zs. lid. to 35.; shortfeed Duns, 3s. to 3s. 3d. Oatmeal is dull of sale at £14 10s. per ton. Oatina in 41b. bugs is quoted at 10s. per dozsn, and rolled oats at Bs. 6d. per dozen. Flour—Best known brands aro selling at £9 6s. 6d. for Eacks, ci store, less the usual discount. Bran is in 6teady demand at £5 15s. per ton. Pollard.—Owing to a fall in values in Australia, shipments are now coming forward from Sydney, and realising £7 10s. to £7 15s. per ton. Potatoes.—Southern potatoes arc now reaching this market, and best grades are soiling at Is. 6d. to ss. per cwt.; others, 3s. 6d. to 4.5. 3d. according to sample. Onions.—The market is steady at 10s. 6d. to lis. for best Auckland-grown. Poultry.—Hens are in plentiful supply and are selling at 2s. 6d. per pair; young roosters, 3s. to 45.; ducks, 4s. to ss. Vegetables.—Cabbages continue a, drug in tho market, and consignments cannot bo recommended. Green peas are selling at profitable prices. A fair demand exists for carrots and parsnips; prices for marrows and pumnkins are somewhat low. Fruit.—The.Hauroto. duo from Fiji' this week, is bringing only a light shipment, and excellent prices should bo realised. During the past week heavy supplies of peaches, plums, pears and apples have reached tho market, and low prices have had to be accepted to prevent a congestion in the stores. Tho first of the new season's Island oranges from Rarotonga should reach here to-morrow. \

Customs duties collected at ths port, of Wellington yesterday amounted v to £6619 Bs. ■ Bd.

GRAIN MARKET. (By Telegraph—Presii Association.! Christchurch, February 27. Matters in the local wheat market are still fairly quiet. A fair amount of business has been done at 3s. 4d. to 3s. 4Jd. at country stations. The market is firm, but the hulk of the business will come on in a few weeks' time when threshing is general. The samples to hand are chiefly stook-threshed or have been in stack for not inoro than a fortnight, and all show signs of softness and rather poor condition. The oat market has rased again somewhat suddenly. The fact that Australia has closed down probably accounts for this, and values have fallen off a penny or twopence per bushel. Practically nothing over Is. lid. is being given, exojpt for lots to cover orders already booked.

PETROLEUM REPORT. New Plymouth, February 27. The Taranaki Petroleum Company s No. 5 bore continued to erupt oil and mud till an early hour yesterday morning. By 6 a.m. it had cleared itself. Then oil, with a. small ouantity of mineral water (always associated with a successful petroleum bore), came away in steady fashion. Careful tests were made, and it was estimated that the bore was producing oil at tho rate of about 75 barrels a day, more than doublo the quantity that came away before drilling was resumed a few days ago. It is not expected that this big flow will continue, although at midnight thoro was not the slightest diminution in the flow. The work of excavating another underground tank has commenced. No. 2 bore is still producing seventy barrels a week, this being tho twenty-sixth month of production. No. 3 maintains its flow of 40 barrels a week.

DREDGING. Reefton, Feburary 27. Rcofton Dredging—Pactolus, 330z. for 132 hourß. SILVER. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright London, February 26. Bar silver Is quoted at 26 15-16 d. per ounce standard.