COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1480, 1 July 1912, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

IXVESTMENT SHARES The sales of investment shares recorded on Saturday were .Meat Export. 525. 6d. paid, at £3, and Domighy Hope and Twine, 255. The buying and wUiim violations were ;is under:— liuyers. Scllcre. £ s. d. £ s. A. National Hank 6 3 0 6 5 0 N.Z. and River Plate 2 0 6 2 0 9 ftWell. Investment - 0 11 6 Well. Trust and Loan ... 7 12 6 - Chrislc.hurch lias 8 17 6 - Foildin; lias - 116 Uokitil;:i (las - 515 0 Well. Has (£10; 18 5 0 Wnll. Gas (|iri>r.) 10 0 — Christchurch Meat 15 0 0 Jluit Export (£5) — . 6 6 0 Meat Export .(oils. Crt.j 2 19 0 - Mositiel Woollen -- 3 7 6 Well. Woollen - 3 ,8 0 Hiklu-aiiKi Coil ./. 0 18 6 - Wes-tport Coal 17 6 licyl'ind-O'llriiMi •- 18 0 Taringamutu Totara 2 6 0 2 7 6 Uorcaehy Hope and Tivine 14 9 Colden flay Cement - 12 6 X.7,. Paper Mills - 12 0 Sharlund's ordinary - 13 3 The course of sales during the iiast month was as under:— Bank New Zealand, £11 13s. National Dank. £6 Cs. 6d. Daliruty and Cd., £6 9s. 6d. Kqititnblc Buildiuj. £10. Metropolitan Buildiiiß. £12 10s. National Mortgage. £4 Is. 9d.. £4 2s. •N.Z. and liiver Plate, 40s. 7Jd., 40s. 6d., 40s. 9d. Wellington Ilivestment, 11s. 6d., lie. 6d. Wellington Trust niid Loan, £i 12s. 6d.. £7 12s. fid., £7 125..6 d., £7 12s. 6d., £7 12=. 6d.. £7 12s. 6i1., £7 12s. 6d. Chrtetchurch Gas, £9. £9. £9. l'almersum North lias, £9. Xal-ional Insurance. 38=. 9d., 395., 395. 3d., 395., 395., 395. Cli.risU-lHireli Meat. £14 17s. 6d., £15. Meat Export (S2s. 6:1.), 60s. Mossicl AVoollon, 675. 6d. Wellingtou Woollen (ordinary), 685., 675. 6d. lliUiirangi Coal. 18s. 9d. WestpDi-t Coal, 28.-:. Ooldsn ii.iy Cement. Z.M.. 235. Don.i?liy Hope and Twine. 255., 25«. Manning oiul Co.. £4 Ss. £d.. £4 2s. 6d. K.S!. DruK. 515., 515.. 51?. N. 7,. Consolidated Dent.il. 20s. N.Z. Paper Mills. 21s. 9d. K.Z. Portland Cement.. 255. 6d. Shnrland's ordiniry, 235., 2!s. Ward and Co., £5. W.F.C.A., £7 ss'. AUSTRALIA AND CANADA. I

Acconlinc t<i .Sydney files, further steps an> lieiii;: taken by the Sydney Cliamhir of Commerce to nre. ; s forward 111? question of ]>I(K.in; the trade heUcen AustinHα and Canadj on a satisfactory b'ifls. A letter from -oven merchants iivtorcstod iu the ti-ailu v.vie blely fcu'warded to the Sydney Chamber of Commerce, statins thit, in order to place Australia on a. biuiness nn-rity witli -N'<mv Zc ilnnri. to which nn;?!l of ths trade with Canada has he™ transferred, steps ehanlil at ones bo taken to induce the Federal Government to establish a reciprocal treaty will] Caridn and to sulv:quciitly renew the subsidy to steamship comjKinies; and the merchants concorned, therefore, request that a deputation from Hie Chamber of Commerce to the Federal Prciuior should orrinuod at an c.iri.v date. In s-uppm-t of this reoura.. it is pointed .out that Canadian importations of frw.l products are inrrci.-in , ;, the total for tl>3 lUril yoir end«l March 31 licinc £1,500,000 includim: tbo following dntiihlo itora-i :-Frozon and fresh meats, X217.0G0: bacon'and V-un?. XI7O.CCO: dried fruits, irrcn fruit? (including cim>!cs>. and emned fruit.-, XMMOO; beef failed, meat estracu. poultry anil gnnip. dried and smoked meats, .EM.GM; cannril meits, .£37,K0: nnd Imttor, .E65.0M. piirinz tl!« Milfescjuriit fiscal year, ended March 31, 1912. butter imports Rrcatiy iiure'.i : -i'd, and New Zealand alone esnnrt-d butter to Canada to the v.iliK! of £140,000 from last November to April. The following fiKiirt? show the small povcenlnio of food products shipped to O.tKUia froin Aiir-Lralia:— 1919. 1910. 1911. & & £ Butter 16.nr0 27.C00 9.800 Frown meat .... 19.000 23.751) 3MCO Canned meats ... 2.391 5.533 7.593 Onions 3.19-5 2.757 . 5,190 Dried fruits 1,?26 613 543 Tlio diminution in dried fruits is dun to the fact tint Australia had rrartically no surplus for cxpivt in 1910 and 1911. The drrreiro in butter is due t<i the e.-tablish-nim'. of a ri'cipnvity tariff b;lv;<?pn Canada, and New Xr.il.ind. nnd a'so to the fact that X'.-w Zealand mbr-idises the Ca.na'Jian-Aii.'.traliaTi lino of fleimers. Sow Zealand has a.n adva.ntisc of id. per lb. upon butter, a-nd advantages upon other linw. The Canadian duties under the ordinary or general friff nnd tbo reciprocal tariff with Circat Britain and New Zealand compare its follows:— General Preferential, d. d. Jtotter, per lb 2 15 Trozcn melt, per lb. ... 1J 1 Canned meats, percent 2Ti 17J Onions, per cent 30 15 , BRITISH. SHIPPING. The ship.pins industry of Grcit Britain did exceedingly well in 1911, nnd considering tho tone 'period of depression throuch which it passed prior to Uiat year, it was time that the tide of prosperity should turn in ita favour. The improvement commenced with a steady rise in freights in all parts of the world, and at the end of 1911 the level wa.s considerably higher than for some years past. In- some respects working expenses increased, and labour troubles affected the carninK capacity of all transport services. The advance in gross receipts, however, was eo pronounced that the various shipping companies had no difficulty in incetinK these extra, cloinre and in still showing a- gratifying increase in profits. The figures of a dozen representative companies for 1911 have been summarised, and after deducting debenture interest, depreciation and all other charees on revenue, th» net profit is £818,200, in round numbers, ngainsl £667.300 in 1910. The advance on the year is over 23' per cent., and, with two exceptions, in which more liberal provision lias been made for •depreciation, every company has contributed to the larger total. The return to shareholders naturally reflects the improved position, the average dividend being at the ,ratc of 7.44 per rent, on the ordinary shares, a?, against 4.42 per cent, in 1910. The pro-speet-s for the current year are very encpuriisrinK. ami ui!ile=3 some unforeseen adverse faelors develop, the prollts should admit of distributions on capitnl quite ettuil to, if not creater, than Uγ 1911. The world's trade is active, and the demand for tommgo is still iu excess of Ihe supply, the intiTi-uptioii of transport by sea due to strikes having caused a congestion of traffii' which should tiirttre a umintennuce of existing rau-s> ut freiu'lit. SUN" IN'SURAXCE OFFICK. The accounts or tin- Sun lu.'iii-uucc Office for 1911 show net lire premiums to have liiHMi £1,485,244, afrainst £1.471.156 for the previous ye.lr, and £789.619. against X 654.711, the ratio bein» 53.16 per cent., agnin.'l 44-50 per rent. After dednetini; exwnsen and commission. tli2 umlerwritinß surplus is .G132.K7. a!:aillit Im«» est amounts to £07,9ti5, and, (ilttr vi-servinss 40 par itp.:. of ihj iireiiiiunij for liabiliti<"! limliT iMirreiit policies, the sum of .€194.58-1 i- carried tu nrolH and lu-s ac-i-:ii;iit. Tliv a«"d'.nt acriiiu: .shows net ],iTiiihnn< XC7TO. agriiiist. £6C!7 fur the previous vcar; and. niter i-u-diiing imcrest j;272. tlr.-ri- is a liahinci' of £721 r.n- Irinifer In iii-iilil and hi". Kmpl jyeiV lial.Mity H.-IMIMt sIIOW- III!) ll'.lMl'illlMS £82.332. ' :t tr iin - f £ii).'!t6, and. after cn-ililiiir inli'i'j i-t £3918, tile iiHMiihl show-.-- n debit. Inlauci- "f KUVt. llnrgl-iry and ircueial aicouul >liok- net |ir:-iniiims GlCJi.i. :ic-iin -t £12,787. and. im-luding iiilnit.l £352. there i« ii crcdil balance of C2'B9. The Inhnr-s ill credit oi profit nnd !o>.s ■ic.-ount. iiirludins £342.105 brought forward. U C;63.8C7. Thn dlvMsnd . ;«i' the ynr i? 12«. iii>v ■haw, whlob nbsorbi fW,(/«. nnd the Jalmicc, £413,20.7, it carricfl forward.

[ CI.'STOJIS. Customs revenue collected at, the port of Wellington on .Saturday totalled £915 lift. 6d., the tolal for the week beiiiß £21,732 12;. 3d. The return- for each of the pa.st. eight weeks, compared with the lii-'iirea for the correspondin;; periods of last year, show as under;1912. 1911. £ £ May II 10.139 8,(87 May 18 18.293 14.954 May 25 11.452 15.012 .lime i 10.2 M 15,011 •lime 8 15.564 9.164 •lime 15 !8.«9 15.570 •Time 22 8,254 9,565 ■lime 29 21,732 9,087 114.292 96,450 Tli:' Customs revenue for Mie pail, month 1->ttlleil £65,257. as agn.-tm £51,514. in June, 1S11; the revenm- for the pa-t nunrter tota!Ie:l £194.p17. against £179,627. and for the half-year i<25.914, as roiu-rirci! with £384,210 for the fir.-t half of 1911. The lioer duly for the pfi-1 week totalled £';29 13s. 6d.. as compared with £216 lfa. s(i. in the correspondini «.>ek of last. year. Tlib duty collected duriiia Hie month amoiinleil to £777 2s. Ed., aC'iinH £1100 6s. 3d., for the quarter £2985 17s. 9d., against £3206 os. 9d., and for the half-year £6346 16s. 6d., against £6868 15.-. sd. NOETH OTAOO MARKETS. (By Tolcera.ph.-rress Association.! Oamarti. June 30. The week has been an csceediugly flow one in the produce market, and it closed with no .apparent sign of activity. The nusmess done in the wheat market has been on a lower basis of values. The ruling figure for Velvet has been at about 3s. 7d. net at countrv stations. Very little business ha.= been done in oate owing to the uncertainty of the market. Cartons have been disposed of at Is. lid. and 2s. net at country stations. The market for oa.tshea.f chaff i<- weaker, and £2 12-?. 6d. to £2 15s. are the highest prices net at country stations. Stocks of potatoes held by merchants are fairly heavy, and they are not disposed to buy. Some parcels, however, have been taken at £3 10s. to £3 lie-, not. Australia, is looked lo to relieve the situation, as there are inquiries from Melbourne aud Sydney, rjid considerable ront-ignnients will go forward to these celltree in the coming ivesk. LONDON MARKETS. Messrs. Dalgety and Company, Ltd., have received oable advice from their London office, under date June 27, in regard to the following market;:— Frozen meat—The market is weak. Since our last cablegram prices for lamb arc id. per Ib. lower, mutton f.d. nc-r Hi. lower, and beef Jd. to 3d. per H>. lower. It is expected that any change in prices thit tnk?s phce will be in favour of buyers. Tallow-Since our last rablesram prices arc 3d. per cwt. higher, hut the market remain; ijniet. Wool si!?.-.—lll rcßird to Hie scries opening on .Inly 2. everything possible is bcinn done to carry out the proEiiinn.e arranged, but it is tared thai, owing to the continuation of Uia strike, it nia'y h? impossible to do so. The market, is very lirm, especially for merinos. FltO/.KX MEAT QUOTATIONS. B.? TelerraiOi-Press Association-Copyrieht ll'ec. June 30, 5.5 p.tu.l London, June 29. The Incorporated Society of Meat Importers' SmitliAeld market quotations for the undermentioned classes of frozen meat aro Based on actual sales of not lees than one hiintirL'ri carciissos of lunttoii or lamb, or twenty-live quarters of beef of fair average iiuality. The quotations arc not selected lines, but for parcels fairly representative of the bulk of the shipments now on the market. The prices which follow are on an average a. farthing per Ib. mom than the value ex ship, this difference representing an averagu cosl in expenses, handling, conveyance, and aeinng the meat:— June 22. June 29. Mutton- d. d. Canterbury, light .4 38 • 43-8 Canterburv, medium 44 4^ Canterbury, hw.vy 35 3^ Southland 311-16 35 North Island, best 311-16 33 N-orfh iFbnd, ordinary ... 3 9-16 3 9-16 Australian, light 33 33 Aiiv-trnlhn, heavy 3 3-8 31 Hiver Plate, liglr. - ltiver Plate, heavy 3} 3> New Zetland ewes 3 3-8 3 3-8 Australian ewes 3?, 3S River Plate ewes 3i 3J LambCanterbury, light 61 6 3-8 Canterbury, medium 6J 6\ Canterbury, heavy 515-16 5J Southland 6j 6J North Island, ordinary ... 6 6 North Island, selected ... 6\ 6\ Auitraliin. best 52 5J Australian, fair 51 5* Aiy'-raliin, inferior - . ■- River Plate, first 5 3-8 55 River Plate, second 5J 5 DcefXew Z'.nlnnd, ox fores ... 3J i\ New Znland, ox hinds :. 41 4j Australian, ox fores 3J 3j Aiisii-ali.iii, ox hiii'J.-! 4 4 Hivcr Plate, 01 fores i\ 35 River I'l-ite, ox bind? 4\ -1J liiver Plate, chilled fores 3i 3S River Plat?, chilled hinds 43 4| The New Zealand Loan and Merennlile Agfiny Co.. Ltd., have received the following" cibleiraiu from thoir London house under dileJuno 2C:-l'rozen meat: Thcreie fi- modcrritc iloroaiid fov mutton, the mqitiry for lamb is good, nnd the market is steady .for bc?f.