COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1441, 16 May 1912, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

IXVKSTMKXT .SHAKES I Yesterday there wore Iwn Iraiism lions in «"vllingt.-iii fJsis I-EIO piiidi. at £15 5.-.. and one in Sharlamr? ordinary ai 235. 'I'!:? buying and telling iiunlatioiu- were as under: Hll.ve.rj, Sellers. | A. s. d. £s.il I National Hank - - 6 2 6 Well. Tnisi and In.an .... 7 12 0 Cliri.-ichiirch (ins -- 9 0 0; M'cllinKtm (Jos (£10) - 18 7 6 ! Chri.ifhurdi Meat 15 2 6 - Jle.-it Kxpon- (52-. 6(1.) .. .. ■- 3 0 0 Union Strain HI I 2 12 6 Taupiri Coal 1 1 J — U-vi;iu.l-0 iii-icn - 18 6 Taringainutu Tolara 2 7 0 2 bo ! Golden Hay Cement - i 4 » Jiaiininjt and Co - 4 l> t>; ShnrlamPs ordinary — 1 3 ■) Auckland Trams 14 0 1 5 U ■ ALMAXCE ASSURANCE CO., I/TP. The report or tlic Alliance As>surani-e Company. Limited, of liOiuloii, for lluyear 1911 states that 2172 new life policies were issued, covering the sum of £1,766,831. ."ind produe'iiic £ii),a& in premiums. incUidim,' .€1b,71l in fintrle premium:-. Total premiums amounted to i.iIS.OH. being an increase of i>30.361 ou the pi-svious year. On December il the life nssurani-j fluid amounted ■to .£6,135,932, 011 increase of £106.178. A sum of £66,824, as consideration Tor 103 new an unity bonds issued, was received, and the annuity fund at ths close 0/ the year amounted to £771,480. beins £25.917 in excess of the amount at the close of the previous year. The business of the Economic Life Assurane? Society was transferred to the company 011 July 31. The premiums, including consideration for annuities in respect of the combined life and annuity accounts for the year, amounted to £1,230,591, and the life and annuity fiinds at the closa of the year amounted to £17,754,116. The- expenses, including commission charged to the life accounts, except for the first seven months in the ease of the Economic account, have been limited to. 10 per cent, of the premiums. On the fire account the premiums for the year amounted to £1.524,223, claims £626,12?, and expenses of man.ig?racnt £<57,4«, leaving- a, surplus of £210,647. On the marine accounts the premium income amounted lo £197,914, claims amounted to £128.903, and expense: of management to £41,510. The directors recommended the payment of a dividend of 12s. per share (less income taxi. Of this amount an interim dividend of ss. per share, less income tax, was paid in Jhnuary. After pavinE the dividend, amounting to £395,500, there will remain a. balance of £108,112 to he carried forward, £16,950 in excess of the amount carried forward at, Hμ close of the previous year.

FINANCIAL POLICE. A financial police brigade has been organised by the French llovcrnment, for the purpose of inquiring into ventures whose purpose is believed to be to -dafraud the Government, private initiative in the discovery of frauds is not to be waited for. Two raids, the first of their kind, were made in one w;ek. The issue of 20,000 4 per cent, debentures of t.ho Credit Argentin pour Prels Agrioole, et Hypothecates, was made one day in Paris, and was stoppeil the following d:iv by lira police, on instructions from the Public Prosecutor, <>n the ground-that there were numerous reasons tor the presumption that the proceeds of the issue were not, to t>3 utilised for the purposes stated ia the prospectus. By telegraphic instructions to the police throughout the country, local bankers were required to hold ai! subscription.', whilst all the bonds and £16,000 th?n subscribed were impounded. The police raided the offices of the banker implicated in the iFsiie. seized the content* of the saf?, discharged the 20 clerks, and closed the office;. Two days later the police raided the head office and ten branch offices in Paris of a bnnkinir firm. Ths whole of the casli tecuritics were impounded, and the staff of 40 clerks dismissed, At the same time the managing director was arrested at his residence, and was takon to the police headquarters, where he was charged with obtaining money by false pretences, and with infringing the French company by-laws.

KEUTEE'S TELEGKAM COMPANY. LTD. The annual meeting of shareholders in Eeuter's Telegram Company, Ltd., was held yesterday, according to cablo advice received by tha company, when the directors reported that the profit earned by the company for 1911 was £35,475. A balance dividend of four shillings per eharc (at tl-.a rate of five per cent, per annum) was declared, togcttirr with a bcaua of eight 6hilling3 per share. This, in conjunction with, a capitalised bonus of £2 per share distributed in April, 1912. whereby the £8 shares wore converted into £!0 shares, makes up a totil distribution for 1911 of 35 per cent, on the old capital of £91,712, which capital was increased recently to £500,000. The company's reserve funds now stand at £132,521.

CUSTOMS DUTIKS. Customs revenue collected at the port of Wellington yesterday amounted to £1170 4s. 6i. WHEAT MARKETS. By 'Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Use. May 15, 9.15 p.m.) ■ London, May 15. Coppcr.—On suot, £72 ss. per ton, , three months'. £72 IS;. 9d.: electrolytic, £74 15s. Tin—On spot, £212 ss. per ton; threo months', £268. Lead.—lnipofts, 26,031 tons; exports, 4435 tons, DEBENTURES. London, May 14. The City of Melbourne debentures uro quoted at 99, SILVEH. London, May 14. Bar siker is quoted at 27 15-16(1. per ounce standard.