COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1558, 30 September 1912, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHARES. A salo of Wellington Woollen ordinary at £5 U<. was the only transaction recorded on .Saturday. The buying and selling Quotations were as uudcr:— Buyers. Eeller3 £s. d. ' £s. d. National Bank 6 16 — National Jlortgago 318 6 — i XZ. Loan and Mercantile 0 9 0 0 9 3 I UhrrAchuroh Gas 710 v 0 - I'ahnerston X. Gas 9 0 0 — Well. Gas (£lOl ■■ - 18 2 6 Gear Meat (£1) 3 4 0 — Meat Export (525. 6d.) - .310 Weil. Woollen (ord.l 3 14 0 — Well. Woollen (prof.) - 2 IS 0 Wcstport Coal ■ — 18 3 Taringamutu Totara — . 26 0 Golden Boy Cement 1 CO 0 — N.Z. Con. Dental - .12 0 N.Z. Paper Mills - 12 0 W.F.C.A - 7 10 0 THE MEAT INDUSTRY. The scientific development of the moat industiy is touched upon by Mr. London J[. Douglas. KIi.S.E., who' writes tus under to tha "Financial Times" (London):—The progress made during recent years in the development of the meat industry and bacon-curing has given rise to new and interesting conditions. Hitherto it has been com idotcd sufficient in many countries to conform to the traditional practice in the handling of meats and bacon, but, with the spread of technical knowledge, it has be- ! come evident that lire economic value of ! Hie products from these industries might ho greatly enhanced. The manlier of doing I this is by paying, attention to the follow- . ing:—!l) The promotion of swine husbandry ! and Ihe economic production of beef cattle j and mutton sheep. (2) The design, con."traction, and equipment of abattoirs and bacon factories. (3) The handling of meat?. K) The proper curing cf bacon and cognate, products. (5) Tha utilisation of the byproducts in abattoirs and bacon factories, and tho production of fertiliser. (6) The manufacture of subsidiary products of the moat, industries, not only for food purpose;, hut for use in connection with the art;; and ncjences. (7) The preservation of meat?, in different forms, by curing, preserving in tins, glasses, moulds, otc. (8) Tho .manufacture of lard' and lard compound-:, a.ud the preparation of fat in various forms. (S) The production of the finer product, sneh as meat jollies for invalids, nieatcxtrr.c.ts, serum, Klyrorsne,panercat.in, pepsin, thyroids, powdered beef, gelatine, etc. Tho whole technology of the subject is embraced within these- various divisions, and its extent may be estimated when it. te considered that there aTe some 200 different product; derived from cattle, sheep, and pigs. These factr, have appeal to many who are interested in the higher branches of agriculture which include the production of food productK from live stock. In new countries, wore the main developments uf ■n.:rricultilro arc likely to he in ranching and the cultivation of swine, husbandry, the tendency is to consider what food will lie necessary so as to produce early rutitanrlty in food animate and to regulate the whole system of agriculture accordingly. In Europe generally the demand for mc,it Oiul meat products in greater now than ever before, and the fact is patent that many of the older t'ountries whoso frontiers are at. present clorod to meat imports fi'nra abroad, will bo compelled to abandon this exclusive policy, fo a.s to bring chem meat and meat products within tho reach of nl! classes. It is the opportunity of new countries f.u.ch as the British colonies, pome of the countries of South America.'more especially of Brazil, and many others situated under the Equator. These vast fields of grazing and pastoral lnndis in sub-tropical countries which have hitherto lain neglected are waiting far capital and energy from tits old world so r.n to translate, their agrl- ■; cultural n»il pastoral,possibilities into untold wealth. 'V-";.;- ( AMERICAN FOODSTUFFS. In its latest circular on financial affairs, the National City Bauk of Now York calls attention to tho rapidity with which the exportable Gurplus of foodstuffs from the United States is diminishing. It points out that while the population of the country increased by 21 per cent, between the la«t twoiccnsus.es, tile aggregate acreage of all rereal crops increased by only 3.5 per cent. The actual yield in 1909 was but 1.6 per cent, greater than iu 1899. As a natural consequence, the average value of all farms in tho United State:; advanced hy 108 per ' tent, between 1930 and 1910, exclusive of ■ buildings. "The situation," continues the circular, "has its grave features, for while the change which lias come over tho position of the farmer, and particularly of the farm owner, is a very agreeable one for him, and perhaps for the present generation t-ives only just recompense for hardships in the past, v.e cannot look'upon the relatively diminishing (supplies with other than apprehension. The only possible source of relief is by raising the produc- ! tivencss of tho laud, through more intelli- ' gent and fccleiilifu; culture." For eome , years past students of economics have isi sued similar warnings to. the American . people, but it looks as if it would need , the stimulus of imported food to awaken ■' them Uj a souse of their responsibilities. ■ Taking wheat alone, tho yield per acre - ha.3 steadily dwindled from 15.4 bushels to - 12.5 bushels, ar.d with the Tapid Increase it. - the population it is only a question ■of i a few years before consumption will have overtaken production. 'The percentage of l domestic wheat oxported in tho form of grain or of (lour has decreased from 25.71 }] in 1908 to 10.91 in 1911. Some attempt re 1 about to be made to reclaim waste lands, 5 but such work must be done on a large f scab if the hrr-t results axe to be obtained. It is estimated that bj drainage 75.000.0C0 acres of wet ground in the United States could he made fertile.

CUSTOMS. The Customs revenue collected at the nor! of Wellington on Saturday amounted tc .fiKM. 10s. Id., tho total for the week beine £15,362 4s. Id. The returns lor each ol the past eight weeks, comnared with th< figures for the corrcsoonding periods ol last year show as under:- . 1912. 1911. i>. £ ■August 10 10.479 25.136 August 17 9.114 11.592 August 24 27.261 15.965 August 31 17.218 18,156 September 7 10.446 23,406 Septemhor 14 26,133 13,455 September 21 21.558 21,591 September 23 15.363 7,592 137,571 136,893 The beer duly collected for the weol totalled £275 17s. 9d., as compared with £19i for tho corresponding week of last year. GRAIN AND PEODTJOE. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) ' Oamaru, September 29. While a little more business has bcci noticeable in the wheat market there is n< activity, and purchases are only madi where the price suits or where varietta aro wanted for mixinc. The best price paii was 3s. Bd. for 600 sacks of velvet at < country station, but other lines wer< bought at 3s. 7.< d. and 3s. 7d. net at coun try stations. Tuscan sold at 3s.' 7d., les; commission, and other lines of the sam wheat at 3s. 6d. and 3s. s}d. Bed chaf brought 3s. 6£d., reducible by brokerage It is believed there is only n limited sup ply of oats in tho district. B grade Gar tons fold at 2s. net at country stations Jlcrchants do not core to do business ii potatoes, as it is improbable there wil be further shipments to Sydney this sea son. Derwcuts sold at £6 5;-., and TJp-tc Dates <U .£6 to £6 ss. net on trucks. Thcs were small lines. LONDON WOOL SALES. By Telegraph—Press Association—Coryrigh (Rcc. September 29, 5.5 p.m.) London, September 28. Tho following are the prices realised fo the flccco portions of tho clips named :- "Thistle." top price 13d.. averago IOJd. "Howard," top 13d., .average llijd.; "Stew j art," top Hid., averago Hid. London, September 27. i There vrajs good competition at the woe , aalas for all classes. Grossbreds were fin > and merinos wore; unchanged. (By Telegraph-Special Correspondent.) i Fciiding, September 2B Mr. YAn. EeiC of Makino, has receive i word that, at the July wool sales in Loi ■ don he got If. per lb. for eight bales o ■ Jinmney laiubs wool. Mr. licit! lias workc ■ nut the charges on this shipment (indue i ing one bale of Kouincy wool), and .h : finds Hint, it cof.t only lid- Per lb. trot : Fciiding Railway Station inlo the Londo i salerooms. This covcra the whole charge: i FROZEN MEAT. ; By Telegraph—l'ress Association—Copyrich i (Rcc. September 29, 5.5 p.m.) London, September 28. ■ By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyrich i Tho Incorporated Society of Meat Impor i ers' Smithlield market uuotations for th i undermentioned classes of froson moat or JLiased on actual ealss at jw4 l&u .than on

; hundred carcasses of muttou or lamb, or i twenty-five quarters of beef of fair aver- - ago quality. The quotation's aTe not for sc- • lected lines, but for parcels fairly repre- ! scntative of the bulk of the shipments; now t on the market. The prices which follow . arc on tho average a farthing per lb. more • than the values ex ship, this difference re- > presenting an average cost in expense. I handling, conveyance, and selling the \ ' Sept. 21. Sept. 28. ' Muttou- d. d. : Canterbury, light ..; 411-16 4s 1 Canterbury, medium 4J 4S, ! Canterbury, heavy 4 9-16 4 9-16 Southland 49-16 % North Island, bo-t 4 9-16 4 9-16 ' North Idaud. ordinary ... 45 4J Australian, light —' — Australian, heavy 4), 4J Hirer Plate, light 4 3-» 4 3-8 : Diver l'iate, heavy 4 3-8 4 3-8 ) New Zealand ewes 41-16 4 1-16 ' Australian ewes 4! 4J Hirer Plate ewes -- — Lamb— Cnnterhury, light S!| 53 Canterbury, medium 55 62 Canterbury, heavy 5 3-8 51 Southland 53 5 9-16 North Islaud, ordinary 5 9-16 55 . North Island, selected ... 5J 5 9-K \ Australian, host — — Australian, fair — — Auetralian. inferior ...... — Itivcr Plate, first — — River Plato, second — — • Bee! New Zealand, ox fores ... 3S 3s , New Zealand, ox hinds ... 33 3J J Australian, ox fores 33-16 3* Australian. 02 hinds 33 33 , Rivor Plate, frozou fores 31-16 3 5 River Plate, frozen hinds 3J 33 „ Biver Plate, chiiled fores 3 3-8 3J D Biver Plate, chilled hinds 45 5 n Rabbits are firm and unchanged. Eng- " lish rabbits are scarce. 0 Tlie New Zealand Leon and Mercantile 0 Agency Company. Ltd., and reduced, have 0 received the following cablegram from 0 their London house, under date September 27:—There irs. little demand for lomb, the inquiry for beef is limited, and the market is slightly weaker for mutton. t , : 1 WHEAT AND FLOUB, e By Toiecraph—Press Association—CopyrlEhl ? (Bee. September 30, 0.35 a.m.) , London, September 29. ! The total shipments of wheat and Hour 3 afloat for the I.'niterl Kingdom is, 2.293.C00 0 quarter*, and for the Continent 2,295,000 „ quarters. ~ The wheat vhipped from the United j States during the past week is estimated t by "Broadstreets" to he:—From the At- ,.' lantic const. 432.000 quarters; from the Pa- ? cine, coast, 82,000 quarters. ' - ■ The total'shipment to European ports j, during the past week was 1.590.CC0 quarters. The quantity was made us oft follow:— ''• From the Argentine, 56.CCC quarters; Eus- . sian ports. 490.000 quarters; Dnnnbian ■■ ports, 204,000 quarter-.: India. 140,000 quart--0 era; Australasia, 23,103 Quarters. a KAURI SALES; p By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright e- London, September 27. f At the kauri sales 229 tons were offered i- and eighty sold. Pricco were slightly in I) Ecllers' favour.