COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1380, 5 March 1912, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHAEEB. Soles of investment shares recorded yesterday were: Lcyland-O'Bricn Timber at 295. 3d., and Golden Bay Cement at 245. 6d. The buying and selling quotations were as under:— ■ Buyers. Sellers. £ s. d. £ s. d. National Bank — 5 15 6 Well. Gas (£10) 18 0 0 S.B. Insurance ..' 3 14 0 — Meat Export (£4) - 5 0 0 Meat Export (525. 6d.) ... - 219 0 N.Z. Shipping • - 15 0 0 Union Steam 2 0, 6 - Well. Woollen (ord.) — 3 15 0 Well. Woollen (pref.) - 2 19 0 Taupiri Coal 110 — Wcslport Coal 17 0 17 6 Taringamutu Totara 26 6 ,269 C. M. Banks, Ltd - 0 19 6 Donaghv Hope and Twine — 12 6 Golden Bay Cement 14 3 14 9 Manning and Co — 4 11 6 N.Z. Con. Dental - 12 0 Sharland's preference ... — 14 6 Ward and Co - 5 4 3 W.F.C.A. (£5) - .750 W.F.C.A. (£1) - 18 6

METROPOLITAN PERMANENT BUILDING AND INVESTMENT SOCIETY. ANNUAL REPORT OP DIRECTORS. 1 The twenty-first aunuat report of tho directors of the Metropolitan Permanent Building and Investment Society is as fol-lows-.—Tho directors herewith present tho report and balance-sheet for the year ended February 15, 1912. It, is with very great regret that the directors have to record tho death, of Mr. Fred. W. Hales, who was elected to the hoard on February 20, 1911, to fill tho vacancy caused by the death of Mr. Li ttlejolm. Mr. George Mee has been elected by the directors to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Mr. Hales. The directors "recommend, that the usual dividend at the rate of seven per cent, per annum be paid, and that a further sum of £750 be added to the reserve fund, whicn will then stand at £6250. The directors consider it advisable to invest, th? reserve fund in liquid securities; they have, therefore, purchased liivercargill Borough debentures to the value of £6C30. It will be your duty to elect two directors in pioce of Messrs. Mackay and Mee, who retire in accordance with the rules, but are eligible, and offer themselves for re-elec-I tiou. In terms of Rule 13, it will be the dntv of this meeting to elect two auditors. The' profits for tho year (including a balance of £316 15s. Sd. brought forward from last year) amount to £5306 1 10 Less expenses account 580 4 5 • Leaving a net profit of 4305 17 5 Less interim divideh'd and amount credited "E" shares at per. cent, for six months ending August, 1911 1913 14 5 Leaving a balance of 2387 3 0 Which it is proposed to appropriate as follows:— To credit-holders "B" investment shares at 3J per cent, for siv. months ending February 15, 1912...£848 19 B To payment of dividend at 3J per cent. for six months end- ' inir February 15. 1912, to holders of , "A" £10 shares ...1050 0 0 ' To reserve fund 750 0 0 2548 19 8 To carry forward to next year £238 3 4 The dividend on, "A" shares will be payable on March 19. WELLINGTON WOOL SALE. The clearing sale of the season will he held at 2 p.m. to-day in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall. About 3752 bales will be olTcrcd. At the corresponding sale last, year. 2953 bales were offered, and, in March* 1910. 2595 hales. The catalogues of the several brokers for to-day's sale are as under;— Ba.leF. Dalgcty and Co 1334 ft.7i. Loan and Mercantile, Ltd. 691 Murrav, Itoberts and Co 630 Levin "and Co 6CO Abraham and Williams 437 U.F.C.A. and W.F.C.A 60

The market prospects aro not viewed with any degree of optimism, becau-se the wool to be oll'ercd is mostly of an inferior character, and mainly because of the coal strike in Great Britain. Latest private advices indicate that there lias been a fall in Bradford tops, crossbred counts in particular 'joint; a farthing lower. It is expected that to-day's sales will show a fall as compared with tlie February talcs.

Tin-: butter mahket. Private cable advices received yesterday bv local merchant indicate a. further sl'i"la fall in the value of butter. The market is reported weak owing to the coal strike, and the immediate future was declared to be uncertain. The position will be made clearer this week, for. if tlio strike continues, butter is likely to Mump. Glie-Me, ga the other hand, is firm, aiiil L]lkol7 to oonttauo •»•

SEAWKKD TOIt TAIfLK. Willi rarrickcen or Irisih mow in popular demand for medicinal purpose*, it does'net seem so ridiculous as might at first glance appeal- to suppose that freer commercial contact with China may presently introduce into our table menus varieties of spicy concoctions from seaweed. About .130 nutritive kinds of seaweed arc in d-iily consumption in the far East, and the cultivation of seaweed crops is regularly maintained. More than £120.000 worth of one preparation alone is consumed every year in China in the form of dried guine, whu-h can be liquefied into delicate jellies. In Europe, seaweed lias not been at all considerably used for food, though blancman"es salads, green vegetables, and a sort of tapioca fluid have been forms in which Scottish, Irish, and Mediterranean peasants have partaken of the substances of seaweed. In certain parts ot Japan '."aweed is subjected to careful cultivation, competing spices being anu rocks, previously planted with the weed being rank in suitable bays. As in Irelaud, where the sea moss is gathered from the "little rocks"—hence the name carrick-een-the weeds are (fathered at low tide.

PEILDING MARKET REPORT. Mc-srs. A. 11. Atkinson and Co., Ltd. at Friday's market, sold some ISO .head ot poultry and a good yarding of pigs. Jroi w<-aner= and slips there was little lnouirj, and prices were lower. Porkers and forward stores were keenly compqted tor. Poultrv sold at better values. Large consignino'uts of fruit sold at quotati'oik;. We had big entries of general auction line, ot which we ouittcd the- greater quantity at satisfactory" prices. W'c quote:—Wcanor pif's, 4s. 6d., fe., 65., 75., to Bs.; slips, ?.-,., IGs.Us.; stores, 16s. 6d., 175., 19s. 6d. to 2fa.; porkers, 31s. fid. 'to 375.; sheep dog, ICs. Poultry (all at per pair): Hens <£. ad.. 2s. 6d., 2s. 9d.. 35.. to 3s. 3d.; P 8., <s. f. to 4s. 9d.; cockerels. 25., 2s. 6d., 2s. 9d.; ducks 4=., ''a. 6d. to 4s. 9d. Produce: Potatoes, ss. to fa. cwt.; pears, Is. 9d. to 4s. 6d. ca-sc; peaches, 2s. 6d. to 3s. 6d.; plums, Is. to <». 6d.; bananas, Is. 9di, 25.; cabbage, 9d. half sack.

FEILDIXG WOOL AND HIDE SALE. Mr. Hugh Kobcrts reports :-I submitted a catalogue comprising; 63 bales and 183 bags of wool, 20C0 skins, 3CO hides, and calf and usual sundries, to a representative attendance of' buyers. The wool offering was mostlv oddments, which met with good competition at full market rates. Hides and skins were in gocd demand, and prices were firm at late rates. Wool: Fleece, medium, 7id. to 73d.: coarse. 63d.: seedy, ssd.; lambs, good, BJd. to BJd.; medium. 71d. to 7Sd.; dingy. 6>d.; seedy, 5W.; dead (bale line), 7Jd.; bags, 6Jd. to 63d.;. black, 6d. to 6'd.; locks. 3Jd. to 4Jd.; hollies and pieces, 4'3<l. to 6d.; cnitehings, £d. to Jld. Skins: medium crossbred. 6Jd. to 63d.: lambs, sd. to 61d.; dead, 4id. to 5d.; fchorts, 4Jd.: damaged skins. 2d. to 4d.; hoggets, dead 4Sd.; salted pelts and shorts, Is. 9d to 35.; crossbred, half dry, to Bs. Id.; lainbs, 2s. 7d. Hides: Ox, medium, 63d.; \b. cow, 6}d.; ox, C.8., 6Sd., 6jd.; cow. C.8., sld. to 6ijd.; cut and slippy hides, 4d. to 4?d.; calf, medium, Sd.; rough, 7Jd.: damaged, 3d. to 4Jd.; horse, 3s. to 6s. Tallow: Casks, medium, 245. to 255.; tins, Ms. 6d.; rough fat,, 16s. Horse hair, lis. 4Jd. to Is. 6Jd.

• Customs duty collected at the port of WcllSngion yesterday amounted to £1193 Bs. lOd.

HIGH COMMISSIONER'S CABLEGRAM. The Department, of Agriculture, Commerce, and Tourists has received the followiiis cablegram from the High Comraiß-sion-r for New Zealand, dated March 2. (Note—Quotations, unless otherwise specified, arc average market prices on spot):— General.—The coal strike is now on, and affects the market very seriously. The market is very depressed. The second scries of colonial wool sales to bo held in London on March 5 will bo postponed. ■ , Mutton.—The market is weak. There is a dull sale for heavy carcasses. Canterbury, 4|d. per lb. (nominal); North Island, 32d. per lb. . . Limb.-The market is quiet. Canterbury, 5V,.: other than Canterbury, sd. per lb. "Beef.—The market is dull. Stocks of New Zealand beef on hand aro lielit; cannot be quoted. . Butter—The market is lifeless; a poor demand. The average price for the week for choicest Mew Zealand butter per cwt. is 1235.; Australian, 1255. t Argentine, 12;5.; Danish, 1375.;, Siberian. 1275. Checsc.-Tlic market is firm. There is a pood demand. The average price for the week for finest New Zealand cheese per cwt. is—White. 72*. 6d.: coloured, 725. Hcmp.-The market is steady, but demand only moderate. Now Zealand good fair grade, spot, per ton, £21 IPs.; fair grade. £20 10s. Forward shipment at the same price. Fair current Manila, spot, per ton, £21 IPs. Forward shipment—Fair current Manila, per ton, £22. Tho output for the week for Manila was 13.CC0 bales, Wheat.—The marlrat is firm owing to reduced supplies. Now Zealand long-bcrncd wheat, spot., ex granary, per quarter of 49611)., 38s. 6d.; shorHicrricd, ,375. 6d. Oats.—The market is steady, with a very. goDd demand. Now Zealand oats, short sparrow-bills, ex granary, spot, per quarter of 3841b., 2£s. 6d. (nominal). Beans—The markot is firm owing to reduced supplies. New Zealand beans, f.a.q. (old' crop), per 5C41b., 3Ss. (nominal). Peas—The market is quiet, with a tendency in favour of buyers. New Zealand peas, partridge, per 5041b., 38s. (nominal).

LONDON MAKKETS. By Telecraph-Prcss Assecirxinn-rnpTrlghl London, March 3. Copra.-Markct Quiet. South Sea. in bags, £24 fe. . , .. Cotton—March shipments, 6.71 d. per ID. Jute.-March-April, £24 ss. Hemp.—March-May, £21 15s. liubber. 4=. 7?d. per lb. . . Hidos.-Al tho sales there was an msigTHlicant supply, which was neglected. Basils were dull of eale. First Welhng-°Tnllow.-Stocks, £-311 casks; imports, 3521; deliveries, 3081.

METALS AND METAL GOODS. 'London, March -3. Conner— On the spot, £64 155.; three months. £65 Bs. 9d.; electrolytic, £67 ICs ; <mrmlicc-. 13,650 tons; deliveries, 52,i<3; stocks, 51,507; afloat, 5803. Tin-On the spot, £192 155.; three months, £18 q Its.-, stoclts, 15,635; on the spot, 4141; afloat. 52C4; deliveries, 3CBI. Lead, £15 13s. 3d. Bar silver. 27« d. per ounce standard. Wire netting is quoted at 57J per centum and 5 per cent. off list.