COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1506, 31 July 1912, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

IN'TESTJIEXT SHAEBS. . There were no transactions in investment shares yesterday. The buying and selling quotations were as under:— Buyers. Sellers. £ s. d. £ s. d. Metropolitan Building ... 12 8 0 — N.Z. Loan and Mercantile 0 9 0 — N'.Z and River Plate 1 19 9 — Well. Investment 0 11 9 — Well. Trust and Loan ... 7 15 0 — I'eilding Gas 10 6 — Hokitilta Gas — 5 15 0 Mosgiel Woollen — 3 8 0 Well. Woollen (ord.) 3 10 0 — Well. Woollen (prcf.) — 2 18 3 Taringamutu Totara — 2 8 3 Donaghy Hope u-nd Twine 14 9 — Golden Bay Cemont — 110 NATIONAL BANK OF N'F,W ZEALAND. The report of the National Bank of New Zealand, Ltd., for the year ended Jtarcli 51 Ijrt. states that the net profits, after providing for bad and doubtful debts, and including £20,004 brought forward from the previous year, amounts to £140.763. The interim dividend at t!je rate of 12 per cent, per milium, paid in January last, absorbed £30,C00. The sum of £15,C00 has been placcd to promises account, £5000 to reserve for depreciation of investments, and £6500 e»-i ih'opriated to pay a bonus to tho staff, leaving now available for distribution £84,263. The directors propose to pay a dividend at the rate of 12 per cent, per annum for the half-year ended March 31 last, and a bonus of 1 per cent., to place to reserve fund (which will then stand at £5C0,0C01 £20,cfi0,'and to officers pension and gratuity funds £3COO, leaving to be carried f fv.ard The directors being of opinion that it is desj'rablc to increase the authorised capital of the. bank from £1,7'5,ODO to £3,C0,C00., nil extraordinary general meeting will be held after the conclusion of the annual general meeting for the purpose of considering and, if .'bought fit of passing the necessary resolution lo effect ■inch increase.' TRADE IX AMjEJ? STItEKT. Errs—Supplies are now plentiful, anil the market has declined <M. per dozen the current quotation being Is. 6d. for fresh and Is. 3d. for preserved. BuHer.-The market is well supplied. For prime milled in bulk, irom lid. to IDii is being obtained; second duality, 9d. 'tn lOd. Margnrinc in 281b. tins. Scotch manufacture. Bd. to Bjd. per lb. Lard, factory mnde, in bulk, ha* good inquiry at Bd. per Hi. wTmMXfik m * m sii ' l

Hay meets with ready solo at £5 to £5 ?-'i Pf,!' 1011 f°'' prime rye and clover. Uinll.—lleavy supplies are available; I' 1' " 1 , 1? oaten sheaf chaff is selling at £5 to £5 ICit. per ton, with medium quality at U to £4 10.;., sacks in. l'ecd barley is (lull oi sale at is. Od. per bushel.

Cape barley is extremely flow of sale n per bushel. Oats.—The market is slightly onsier. Seed Algerian, 3s. j.j. ( 0 3 S . 5d.; short feed, 2s. ,8d to fe.; dull-, 2s. 9d. to 3s. Oatmeal.— Fair bU'-iness is doing at £13 10s. to £14.

Itolleil oats, in <lb. bags, are quoted at 9s. per dozen, and oatina at 9s. 6d. Jlaizc is in moderate demand at ss. 3d. to ss. 4d. per bushel. Onions are in light supply, and consignments are recommended, the current value is 12s. to Ms. per cwt., according to qualify.

Pollard.—Fair -sales a.re being made at £7 ss. to £7 10s. per ton. llice meal is in good demand at. £5 15s. per ton, with rice flour ruling at £6. Hran meets with fair sale at £5 JCs. to £6. lotatoes.—A good demand exists for prime table potatoes at £6 !ss. to £7 ner ton. Seed varieties are ruling at £6 to £9 10s., according to variety. Split peas arc in fair demand at 17s. per owt. Prussian bine pens are selling at 6s. 9d. to 7s. per, bushel. Partridge peas have good inquiry at Ss. 9d. to 4s. Whole linEced is quoted at 17s. 6d. to 16s. per cwt. Lim:eed meal is bringincr 225. per cwt. Crushed linseed cake, 14s. per cwt. Linseed nuK 13s. 6d. per cwt. Fruit.—The Ulimaroa is due from Sydney to-day, bringing a light shipment of mandarines, Seville oranges, lemons, passion fruit, and pineapples. The Monowai, with transhipments ex Talune, from tho Cook Islands, • readied port 031 Tuesday with oranges and a small lot of bananas. Choice dessert pears which have been held in cool chambers, are.in strong demand, nnd extreme rn.tes are I»efng obtained. Dessert anples are weak, whilst cooking varieties liave good inquiry. Vegetables.—All excellent demand exists for parsnips, and celery is selling at extreme prices, ('onsiirnments of celery am recommended. Cnuliflowers have nil v.inert! slightly, but cabbages continue a drug in the market. O'tonu duties collected at the nnrt ot Wellington yesterday, amounted to £3140 Is. BUTTER AND ' CHEESE. ' (By Telegraph.—Press Association.! Dunodin, July 30. ■ Mr. ,T. A. Scott, secretary of tho South Island Dairy Association, lias received cable advice from London that some firms which were among the largest buyers of Now Zealand chcese last. season arc now offering forward outputs of oliecsc from the Dominion at bis. and upwards. Mr. Scott oonsiders this is an attempt to frighten buyers and depress the market. Tho firms referred to are stated to have made sales at 615., but Jfr. Scott advises factories to sit tight till the end of September. He considers the prospects during tho incoming season for good butter and cheese arc excellent, GRAIN AND PRODUCE. Chrlstchurcli, July 20. ■ The continued wet weather has a depressing effect upon the market. Merchants still report that there is no business passing in grain. Some wheat has been i offered, but it failed to find buyers. Oats are also dull of sale. Chaff in store is firmer, but there ite no business . doing with growers, as delivery could not be given while the wet weather lasts. The potato market is in a somewhat dull s'«vtc. The many shipments to Auckland, amounting to 12.0C0 sacks from the south,' duri'ng the past week, has eased off the demand from that ciuarter. For lots that can be certified to as being fit for shipment to Australia up to £5 is being eiven, and for ordinary samples £4 10s. to £4 15s. is being oifered. thouch few are selline, owing to tho difficulty of delivery. LONDON WOOL SALES. By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright London, July 29. At the wool rales, a moderate selection of crossbreds of fair quality was offered. The withdrawals were mostly of scoured wools. Prices were maintained. For merinos, prices were unchanged. AUSTRALIAN GASLIGHT CO. Sydney, July 30. Tho Australiau Gaslight Company has declared, a dividend of 9j>. por share. POLLARD. (Rcc. July 30 . 9.55 p.m.) Sydnoy, July 30. Pollard has advanced 6s. a ton in price.