COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1604, 22 November 1912, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

■V —: - . INVESTMENT SHARES " . The rales recorded yesterday were: Ohristchurch Gas, £8; Wellington Gas, third issue, £14 12s. 6d.; arid N.Z. Drug, at £2 9s. 9d.. The quotations were as under :— Buyers. Sellers : £s. d. l£s. d. Equitable Building - 9 16 (I Metropolitan .:.. — 12 10 0 Well. Trust and Loan ... 7 0 0 -•- 7 7 6 Auckland Gas .'. — 3 4 0 FeUding Gas- .;.... ■ — 10 6 Well. Gas (£10) ;......... 16 0 0 '-'.•■ Well. Gas (Bocond issue) — 16 0 0 Well. Gas pref.) 10 0 10 8 S.B. Insurance ...'.......'— 3 14 0 Gear Jloat (£4) - 12 17 6 Meat Export (525. 6d.) — 2 19 6 N.Z. Shipping .;..... 14 0 0 -. Union-■ Steam :.......... .2 10 6 211 0 Weil. Woollen (ord.) ...... 2 17 0 218 0 Hikurangi Coal 0 18 0 Taiipiri Coal ..; ;.... 1-19 .12 0 Lcyland-O'Brien l \ .'..;..„ — 18 3 TaringamutU T-otara'• '. 2 6 0 — Golden Bay Cement -. — -«.-« v uil >lu3 Bharland's ordinaryS°.....!v-—.-;,-t..11 -2-6 I : MEAT FOR. GERMAN!. The prospects for frozen ' meat in , Ger-. many a-rc not as bright as one could wish, bat they arc not hopelessly bad. The German Government has boon compelled to relax the 'prohibition against fresli moat • being imported-into the country. With respect to'frozen moat it is stated in a noto accompanying the tariff charges that the importation of frozen mutton is' technically possible under tho existing inspection regulations, while'the refunding of duty to tho . municipalities' supplying meat should render tho importation of mutton on a, con-, siderable scale .economically possible-;. The system of. inspection insists that frozen carcasses shall contain the internal "organs, as'by these means disease is more easily detected. It is well known that to ensure perfect refrigeration, it is necessary for tho heart, liver,- and lights to be removed from a carcass. The Agent-General for Victoria is suggesting ' that the Prussian- Government -might follow, tho example of the United States of America and accept tho certificate of the country of origin as to the whoiesomeness of the meat. Tho agrarian party in Germany is very powerful, and all the papers which are more or less dependent upon agrarian circles of readers, have warned tho public that frozen moat is tough in consistency, insipid in flavour, deficient in. nutriment, and swarming with deleterious microbes. If frozen moat is to find a market in Germany it must be in spito. of the German Government, and now that Eome concessions have been wrung from the Government -tho agitation ie bound to .continue, and perhaps ultimately succeed. Last year there was slaughtered for food in Germany 8} million cattle, moro than half being calves undei : three months old, 191 million pigs, and 21 million sheep, and of the latter half a million were consumed in Berlin.. With cheap frozen mutton the consumption would certainly increase. THE WHALING INDUSTRY. • To Norwegian enterprise is duo the revival of tho'whaling industry iu.Austra-. r lasian waters, .and Norwegian enterprise i« responsible for the ■' greater part of tho whaling industry of the world. A British Consular report states that tho world's whaling fleet at tho end of 1911 is given a>3 about 196 vessels, used for whale-catch-ing paro and simple, 47 vessels used as floating boiling establishments, and 26 transport vessels., Of .this total of 269 vessels 158 ships,. representing about 150.CC0 tbn3, were managed from Norway, and were mainly' distributed in the Spitsbergen, North Shetland, South Georgia, South Shetland, West African, and Australian waters. At tho turn of the year 33 whaling vessels were under construction for delivery to Larvili, Tonsbcrg, and Sandofjord owners. The Norwegian whaling shipowners then-numbered-32, tho largest of them managing several A large undertaking has been formed to work a German method for tho refinement of whale oil for use in the manufacture of soap and margarine. It has secured a site at Frcdrikstod, where plenty of electric power is available. THE BUTTER MARKET. The serious declino that has taken place in the butter market .in causing consternation among those interested, in tho dairy trade. During the last few years tho average level of prices has been higher than was- formerly the case, while twelve months ago the market was exceptionally high, in consequence' of tho European drought of 1911. But where butter is over the shilling level, tho consumption of margarine and mixtures is stimulated, substitutes playing an important part when prices rule high. During tho last few weeks other influences of a more direct character have been at work. For ono tiling, tho 1912 summer in Eurocc has been a wet one,' in marked contrast to the exceptionally dry summer of last year, nji'd tho autumn has been favourable to butter production on tho Continent. In tho second place, the prospect of a falling off in Australasian supplies as compared J with the. last two seasons led to a certain amount of speculation with a viewto supplying the gap. and it is estimated that over -20.K0 tons of Siberian buttor are held in store in various .ways.. With favourable autumn wonther, the situation was thus becoming a little top-heavy, and the spasm of tight money in England and on the Continent caused by the Balkan War, has precipitated tho fall in the mar-, hot, many smaller holders being forced to realise. Under these circumstances the principal buyers in Lonabrt have been obliged to hold off, while in some instances those who had purchased in Australia decided to resell at this end instead of having the butter shipped to Loudon on their account. At the moment it is difficult to see what is to check tho downward trend of values, for it is asserted that European supplies with stored buVers arc. sufficient to meet demand, and tho now make of colonial butter is going into cold store. It is pleasing to note that consumers in Wellington are to have tlm benefit of the fall in values, for the price hn.? boon reduced from Is. 2d. to Is. Id. per lb. for best factory brands. Customs duties collected at the port nf Wellington yesterday amounted to .£2495 Us. BA. . . .

WELLINGTON MARKETS. Messrs. Laery and Co.. Ltd., wholesale produce merchants. Allen Street, report pricos rulinc on the Wcllincton market:— Fowls' wheat, 4s. 2d. to Is. 6d. per bushel; fowls' barley, best 3s. Cd. to 3s. 9d. [ per bushel; Cape barley seed. 3s. !/rt. per liuslicl; oats, short feed 2s. Bd. to 3s. per bushel; oats, seed Algerians 3s. Id. to 3s. 6(1. ner bushel; oats, Duds 2s, lOd. to 35.; maize, 4s. lOd. to ss. 2d. bushel; seed maize, 55.; partridge peas, 4s. to 4s. 3d. per bushel; horse beans, 4s. 2d. to 4,3.4 d. per bushel; sucroscne, £7 per ton; (lour, Atlas, brand, £9 lis. 6d. per ton; oatmeal, £13 10s. to £14 per ton; pollard, £610s. to £6155. per ton; barley meal, £6 per ton; pea meal, £6 per ton; bran, £5 ss. per ton; chaff, prime oatensheaf, £5 per ton; cbaff. medium quality . oatensheaf, £4 fe. per ton; chaff, straw, £3 15s. per ton; straw, baled, £3 ss. to £3 10s. per ton; factory bacon, shouldors, Bd. per lb.; sidep, 9id. per lb.; hams, lCd. per lb.: rolls. tOid. per lb.; factory cheese, medium sized, 7d. per lb.; factory cheese, loaf sized. 73d. per Jb.; honey bulk, in 561b. tins. 4jd. per lb.; margarine, in 281b. tins. B}d. per lb.; whole linseed, 18s. per cwt.;' linseed, ground, 205.; per cwt.; linseed, cake, 14s. per ewt.; lineced. nuts, 13s. fid. per cwt,; basic slae. £4 per ton; superphosphates, £4 15s. to £5 per ton; rolled oats,9s.6d. per dozen; rolled oats, bulk, 16b. per 100; potatoes, prime table, £12 10s. per ton; Californian onions, 16s. 6d. to 17s. 6d. case. WHEAT. Tile New. Zoaland Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., and/Reduced, have received the followinsr cablegram from their. London bouse, under date November 20:— We quote 375. 6d. c.i.f. Australian cartro. The market is very dull, owing to buyers holding off, and the outlook is discourse-, ing. Wo quote per quarter c.i.f. New Zealand ■ wheat, long-berried, 365.; short-berried, 355. 6d. - TALLOW SALES. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright London, November 20. At the tallow sales 319 casks were offered and 249 sold. .Prices were unchanged. SILYEB. .London, November 20. l!ar silver is quoted at 29d. per ounce standard. . ATJSTKALIAN TfOOL SALES. . Sydney, November 21; At the wool sales, Now Zealand wool was in demand. Bidding was exceptionally keen. Greasy realised up to 17Jd., tho record since 1910. (Eec. November 21, 1.30 a.m.) , The week's wool sales have closed with the market very strong. Greasy sold to 16{d. Scoured was hardly on the market to-day. The general trend of values throughout was in tho owners' favour. All ciualities were dearer than during the previous week. , Melbourne, November 21. Fine proasy merino sold at 191 d.—a record. ■'~' " , 'mEMOTJENE HIDES MARKET. (liee. November -21, 10.35 p.m.) Melbourne, November 21. . At the hide' sales to-day the supply was . moderate. Bidding was active, and prices firm. Calf .was dearer. : , .ATJSTKALIAN PRODTJCE MARKETS.- '' iP.ec, November 21, 10. 35 p.m.) ~ ■ Sydney, November 21.. Wheat, old, from 4s. 6£d. to 4s. 7Jd.; new, 3s. 3Sd. to 3s. 5d.. Flour,- £9 10s. Bran, £6 10s. Pollard, £7. Oats, Algerians, quotations nominal: New Zealand whites, 3s. 5d.; Giants, 3s. 6d. Maize, 4s. 4d. to 4s. 6d. Potatoes,' local, £18 to £20; New Zealand,' £18. Onions'are weaker: local, £9; Victorian, £B to £8 10s. ' Butter, selected brands, 1045.; prime, 965. to ICOs. Cheese, Bd. Bacon, BJd. / ■. Adelaide, November 21. Wheat, old, 3s. lid. Bran and pollard, Is. aid. Oats, old, 2s. 9Jd.;'ncw, 2s. to 2s. 3d.