COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1433, 7 May 1912, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHAKES. There were no transactions in in vestment pharos yoi/Jcrday. The buying and coiling flotations were as under:— Buyer.'. Seller?. £ 55. d. £ s. d. flank New Zealand 11 9 0 — National Bank — 6 2 0 l>'iutablc Building 10 0 0 —■ N.Z. and Biver Plate 2 0 0 -- Well. Deposit — 0 7 8 Christehurch Gas 8 17 6 — National Insurance 1 !9 6 — Chrtetclmrch Meat 15 2 6 -- WVit J-'xport (525. 6d.) — 3 0 0 Union Steam ..... 2 7 6 — Taupiri Coal 110 116 Ley land-O'Brien — 1 8 6 Taringamutu Totara — 2 3 5 G. M. Banks, Ltd — .0 19 5 Golden l?ay Cement — 1 4 § N.H. Con. Dental 10 0 •— Sharland's ordinary — 14 9 DEAR TOBACCO. 1 In view of tlie advancing tendency of i tobacco priccs in America. tobacco manufacturers in Great Britain a,ro fhowmg increased anxiety as to their supply of raw material. This has been reflected m larger buying, with the result that, prices i are firmly maintained at the highest point recently recorded. It is now beyond dispute that the r.ew crop of American tobacco is s>liort. partly because of the trying climatic conditions during its growth and alfo because of the success of the Erovrera' combinations t to restrict planting. The growers' associations arc holding together much better thon was expected, and mav now be said to dominate the position. The Supremo Court's decision ordering the dissolution of the American Tobacco Company and of its agreement with the Imperial Tobacco Company (of Great Britain and Ireland), Limited, has only tended to accentuate the stringency hy re-establishing, to a moderate extent at least, free competition at the buying points. The outlook for the independent manufacturers of Great Britain (a steadily dwindling band, by j the way) in the event of a further appreciable advance in leaf is anything but encouraging. The Imperial Tobacco Company combines such exceptional advantages in the way of capital and organisation that it appears to be beyond the influence of ordinary commercial fluctuations. At any rate, a large proDortion of it* output is of such a character a* admits of the payment of n somewhat hiirher nrice for raw material if necessary, while it lias also a very large stock, estimated at two years' supply, of raw matsrial. bought at a lower level.

HIGH .PPJCE OF TIN. In spite of the coal strike, and its disastrous effect on the tin plate industry, the price of tin has been well maintained, thanks to the firm crip kept on stock? by the "bull" syndicate. Whether holders will be able to support • the steady increase in the production of Nigeria, in face of the shrinkage in the consumption ill Great Britain, remains to be seen. but. so far there are no eigna of weakness in t-)je market. Tt is now ?npgcsted that the growth of the tin plate output in the United State" will afford an outlet for tho raw metnl that has hithorto been used in tho Welsh manufactories. The American tin deliveries in February were abnocniallv heavy, beintr 4o?o tons, or at the rate of 52.500 tons per antrum, which is not far short of 50 per cent, of the svhole world's consumption. America 15 now conS'lminp ouite 15.0C0 tons more per annum than twelve years apo. Consumption in other countries has varied a good deal from vea.r to year, hut it has not increased much on balance. «o far. at any ; rato. a.« this refers to the supplies inI eluded in the itsual statiftics. Stafisticot j prospects in fin are eotUfaetory enough, I purront from all sources heinp I remarkably well -absorbed. Ai lone tho stock remains practically locked up it is i>'*emaUirc» lo look for much fa!! in price. The syndicate is anparerHTv irp.nr<ferrin£; a portion of its stock to New York.

A GETiJfAX SIIIPPIXO CO. The accounts of the fierman-Aiiftrali.in Steamship Company for Hi 1 show thrit cr-,:s CiiniiiiCo amounted to £556,222, against A',56155 for the previous year, and £190,denil is raised from 9 to 11 nor colli.; nml absorbs ®t and other appropriation-* include. £222,706 for depreciation, £4819 ns addition to reserves, and fcsi4 for diroctori-' fees. Tho report, state? that in nearly all the Idealities visiied ay tho company s steamers the movement of merchandise was hrisk. thouelt in some ensw it, van verv irresniar, extra steamer-. hemfr sometimes necessary, while in other ra=es the boats eoulil not aiwavs fill up. The dp. vc'onment of Australia has made further procr"'"--. mainly to the nxtended W stnetion of railways and til" successful endeavours n\ade t/i increase the; iimvcr of nreduclioii i" ''to land, and swell ihe iabonrinp pnoiilntion. T'.icht new steamers wre added to the fleet Inst year, and nino more are i" course of construction, two of which are to he At tho pud of 1911 the company had -!3 o<iean ■learners, of 159.797 tons cross, in active operation. The company lino a share capital of /SCC.CfO. four ycr ceni. nrinviiy lean ftVIKO, sli-tmory reserve .575.%1. repairing fund .650.000. and insurance a"i'oimil tm.SM- 'i'he steamers stand at £1,737.757. CUSTOMS DCTIKS. OnVueins revemie collected at the port, of Wcllineton j-Mtefdar Kiuuimlod to X 2754

HIGH COJIMISSfONKIi'S CAWiK» MAJiKKT lilil'OKT. The Penai'tineut of AirricoUnre, C.iui-Ti.r,-e and Tourists, has received toe foli ,v, ; ii-,r ."ihleirram from tin; Until Coiiinnssiiver fill' Nov Zealand, boiiilon, dated if'iv •! 1912. (Quoi:itions. u.jU'ris oVaerwiro sneeilied, are average inarkot prices on market is iiuiet. but steady, liltrht-woiirbi-H runlinuj) Bt'iirce, auu con.maud iireiuiiim nriees. Canteriiiiry ai<. not iiuot.ed ollicinlly. the prices are iuio.it He So last week. viz.- : Cant.erbii.r.v, ■I d hit lb.; Xortb Inland ill? it-wcurUs, heivv.wciijht.s, 3{d. per lb. "'r'amh.-'l'hc market is very Drm. J hero i« ■! treneral and active demand. hlimliients are now clearlnK as soon as the> arrive, t'ntui'e prospecls are Kood. (i.intcrhury. Sid.: other than Canterbury, ami.. ,V 'ileef.-Tlieinarki't is Itrm: a Rood domam!. X.Z. hinds, 4,1 d.; N. 7.. foree, M. per '' iiutter.—The market is soniewhat steadier. Choicest New Zealand butter, .o-day. Is hos. per cwt.; Austraiian,. 1065.: Argentina, 1055.: Danish, llia.i f-iberian. l(:6s. Chet«c.—The market is oiiiet. but ratlier steadier. Sew Zealand white, 69*.; colon red, per cwt. . Ilenip.—The market is firmer. 'I here is more demand. .Spot: N.%. rrood fair prade, pel- lon, X 2! 155.: fair irradc, £20 10s. ; forward sliimnciil, at same price, tair eiirlent Manila, spot, per ton, £22; forward siiinment .£22 10s. per ton. I tie oVii.pu-„ from Manila, for the week was 2G.00° bales Wheat.—The market is acine, noti.ithslauii « advices of heavy shipments. Nominal values, X.Z. lonsberrjed wheat, ej prnnary. quarter oi %6ib.. ?Bs.; shoitOa'-" —Tb'"- innrkot is weaker, aud tendency'downward, in anticipation of heavy market is firmer nominally. I\* peas, partridire, per SCllb., 37e. Beans.—The market is r.teaay, wl.-h a moderate iiKiuiry. ! ] 1 ' I ' !a ",V '' f.a.o. (old crop), per 50411)., J9j. . M'lttou and Lamb.—River Plate shipments received durinir the month of April, 2912, aro as follow:— Jluttou. lAmb. London JS'rnn fdverpooi -01,-344 54, CM Hull »s■« w, fi Xc-wcasilc !'-cn Southampton '.^O Cardiff ?,o!6 - Plymouth ;.055 -*> Ireland I,3'S ?,17.5W1 68.44? April, 1911 4M.845 66.702 Hops.—The market remains film. FF.O7.FIX MEAT QUOTATIONS. Gy Tclejraph-Press Association— Copyrlgh' (IToc. April 29, 0.45 a.m.) London, May 5. Tho Incorporated Society of Meat .Importers' Suiithfield market quotations lor the undermentioned classes of frozen meat are based on actual sales of not Ices than one hundred carcasses of mutton or lsm», or twcntv-fivo quarters of beef of fair averasic quality. The quotations are not Bc'cctod liiies, hut for parcels fairiy representative of the bulk of the shipments now on the market. Tile prices which follow aro on an averaKO a farthing per lb. more then the value er ship, this difference representing ail average cost in expenses, handling, conveyance, and soiling the meat:— , , e , April 27. May 4. Mutton- d - d - Canterbury, fight Canterbury, medium — — Canterbury, heavy Southland — — North Island, best Morth Island, ordinary... — 3i Australian, light — Aiustralian, heavy 3 5-id cis-i5 River Plate, Ugh" -- ~ Biver Pla-to, heavy ib v New Zealand ewes d Australian ewes 3? oH iliver Plate ewes 3 3-15 3 3-ib Lamb— Canterbury, light. 62 5j Canterbury, mcoiura siMt tj Canterbury» heavy 5$ ui Southland — ~ North Island, sclecfccd... 53 oJ North Island, ordinary ... 5 /-lb Australian, Australian, fair o Australian, infenor % 5 KiVer Plate, first 5 4 Iliver Plate, sccond 4i 5 Beo?— Nciv Zealand, ox ... 3} 31 New Zealand, ox hinds... 4} Australian, or, fares 3 3 Australian, ox hinds ... 4 4 Hiviir Plate, ox fores ... oj 3* Hiver-Plate, ox hinds ... 4 4 Iliver Plate, chided fores 3j 3j Kiver Plate, chilled hinds 4J 5