COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1624, 16 December 1912, Page 10

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHARES. The 6ales recorded on Saturday were:— South British InHiimneo at £3 145.; Gear Meat (£4) at £12 15a. (cum dividend), and Ward anfl Co. at £5 Is. The quotations were as under:— Buyers. Sellers. £ e. d. £ s. A. Well. Trust and Loan ... — 7 10 0 FeUdlng Has — 10 6 Well. Gaa (preference) ... 1 0 0 > — N.Z. Insurance 4 13 6 — Standard Insurance — 1 12 3 Meat Export (£4) — 5 0 0 Meat Export (525. 6d.) ... - 2 18 6 N.Z. Shlppiue • 14 0 0 ■- Well. Woollen (ord.) 3 15 0 3 16 0 Well. Woollen (prcf.) - 2 17 9 Hikurangi Coal 0 18 6 0 19 6 Westport Coal 16 9 17 6 I/oyland-O'Brien 16 9 17 3 Tarinsamu'tu Totara 2 4 0 2 6 0 Golden Bay Cement — 10 9 Slmrland's ordinary — 110 W.F.C.A - 7 5 0 AMERICAN CONDITIONS. IJessra. Henry Obws and Co., of New York, in their latent weekly review to hand, rtate- that.America has tho finest harvest on reeord. No class in the country to-day. is anjoyins such general prosperity as the formers. In nearly nil sections of tho country, and for nearly every agricultural product, largo yields and high prices prevail. To such an extent is this true that a great deal of jealousy towards the. farmer is already developing, and ho is becoming more and more accused of boine tjie chief cause for the present high oost of livinc, Donbtlefis ho will rocelvs more blame than ho is entitled to, although ho it ipMx of no eitno beyond twmtofL.

the best price under free competition for '™ product that, he is able to secure—a right claimed by every' producer. In due season this condition will no doubt, correct itself; Already there is. a movement back to tie farm, and those already in the field are seeking to increase their product by better and more scientific incthodß of agriculture. This is the only true method of lowering the cost of living, namely, more product and less waste. ' Not a few products have already declined considerably in price, which should moderate the present high cost of living. Meat products, however, continue high, mainly heca.&se of actual scarcity of cattle, which will require a year or two to overcome. OLIVE OIL. Latest reports regarding the olive oil crop are made the basis for a belief that the output will be considerably leio than that recorded lost year, with the probable sequel .of a shortage of supplies for industrial purposes in the home -markets, this winter. This prospective deficiency Jed to a substantial rise in prices, the quotation in London advancing from about £40 last' spring to £52 or £53, according to mail advices just to hand. The outlook was viewod with somo dubiety. by :the trade, and in certain qiiartors it was feared that the famine rates which prevailed in 1909, consequent on tho failure of tho crop, and which touched £60 per ton, might be approximated. From Canadia como reports to the effect that tho new crop of Cretan oil will bo 6uch as to allow of little, if any, for export, this season, and should the Levant outturn • be interfered with the London market would be almost entirely dependent upon the Spani&h crop. The outbreak of hostilities in Eastern Buropo ia a factor by no means reassuring to olive oil users, and when an outbreak ,of war was first threatened, a fovr of the wideawake traders managed to secure supplies of Canadia. oil at comparatively low rates, tho holders being eager to realise. That opportunity, however, was limited both as to time and as to quantity, and for a majority of thorn engaged in the busine=i3 the task of coping with requirements for olive oil ia hound to be fraught with embarrassment for somo time to come. TEE BUTTEK MARKET. It is obvious that the Christmas demands have favourably affected the butter market. For all choicest colonial tho demand has been excellent, and prices ruled high. All New Zealand supplies appear to have been readily sold, for it is stated that supplies are practically exhausted. However, the markot closed slightly below the top prices, owing to buyers having filled their requirements. Tho Christmas buying is practically over, still a certain demand is bound to ho experienced tills week, if so prices should bo maintained. CUSTOMS. , The Customs duties ejected at the port of Wellington on Saturday totalled £759 25., the amount for the . week bcincr £12,821 lis. 6d. The returns for cadi of the past eight weeks, compared with the figures for the corresponding period of last year show as under:— 1912. 1911. £ £ October 19 ; 8.748 9 M) October 26 23,997 2U38 November 2 , 22,188 27,552 November 9 ~: 11,324 15.689 November 16 17,954 21,392 November 23 11,083 10,176 November 30 ...: 10,003 20.482 December 7 12,821 18,858 118,123 . 145,227 The beer duty collected for the week totalled £2=5 lis., as compared with £225 12-s. for the corresponding week of laist year. DTJNEDIN WOOL SALES. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Duncdln, December 14. Close on nine thousand bales have heen forwarded for the first, wool sale at Dunedin, an increase of 3600 bales for the corresponding sale last yeaT, due to the favourable weather for shearing. 'Prospects for Monday's sale ai-e good. CANTERBURY PRODUCE MARKETS. Oamaru, December. 15. There is a considerable quantity of wheat held hero, but growers are not inclined to accept the -rates offered, and millers are not inclined to buy freely. Several transactions have taken place in velvet at Is. Bd. to 3s. BJd., both net delivery in town, or less commfesion on trucks at country stations. Mixed lines of velvet and red chaff have sold at 3s. 7d. net at country stations, and Tuscan alono at 3s. 6d., less commisMon. Very few oats offered, and only a few little lots have changed hands at 2s. Did. and 2.3. Id. for A grade Gortons, and Is. lljd. and 2n. for B grade, all net on trucks at country stations. FROZEN MEAT. (' By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Hec. December 15, 5.5 p.m.) ■ _, , - London', December 14. The Incorporated Society of Meat Importers Smithfiekl -market quotations for the undermentioned classes of frozen meat are based on actual sale 3 of'not less than one hundred carcasses of mutton or lamb, or twe.'ity-fiyo quarters of hoof of fair average quality. The quotations are not for selected lme3, but for. parcels fairly reprc-' •sentative of the bulk :of the shipments now on the market.' .The prices which follow are on the average a farthing per lb. moro than tho values ox ship, this difference representing an average cost in expense, handling, conveyance, and selling the moat:— Dec. 7. Dec. 14. Mutton— d. d. ' , Canterbury, light 43 tg Canterbury, medium 43 4J - Canterbury, heavy '. *■ * Southland 411-16 43 North Island, best 411-16 4J North Island, ordinary ... 4fj 48 Australian, light 4j <J Australian, heavy 4J 4$ ' River Plate, light..... • ' River Plate, heavy 43-16 4} New Zealand, ewes 4J 4} Australian ewes 4 4J i Rivnr Mate ewes • • Lamb— ' .' . Canterbury, light * 53 Canterbury, medium ...}.. • ■ • Canterbury, heavy * • Southland 53-8 5J North Island, ordinary ... 6J 5J North Island.' selected .... 53-8 5J Australian, best • * Australian, fair .'. • * ■ Australian, inferior • « River Plate, first .'..: * • . River Plate, Eccond " * BeefNew Zealand ox forca ... 35 l\ New Zealand ox hinds ... 33 33 Australian ox fores 31-16 3J - Aiastralian ox' hinds '...;.. U 35 River Plate frozen fores 3j 3j River Plate frozen hinds 3* -311-16 River Plato chilled fores 31 31 River Plate chilled hinds 41 4jj "Nono' offering. RABBITS. Rabbits ore firm, at full late rates. . RIYEU PLATE MEAT. London, December 13. River Plato meat shipments last month were :— Mutton 224,000 carcasses L«-mb ; 91,500 carcasseß Frozen beef 154,500 quarters Chil.led beef 185,500 quarters