COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1634, 28 December 1912, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

GEKIfAN SHIPBUILDING BOOM. Acoording to information received by the "Frankfurter Zeitiing," the following 19 steamers/ aggregating 270,C00 gross registered tons, were building on October 1 for tho Hamburg-America, Line, vis., 3 express ■ passenger steamers, oach' of 50,000 gross Tegißtorod tons, for the HaanburgNew York service, of which one, the Imporator, has been launched from the Hamburg yards of tho Vulcan works, while the two others are still on tho stocks at the yards of Messrs. Blohm and Yobs; 2 motor 'freight steamers of 4500 and 3SOO gross registered tons, respectively; two passenger and freight steamers' of about. 55C0 gross registered -tons .each, and two similar vessels of about 5000 gross registered tons each; one 19,000 tons passenger and freight steamer, for the Panama service; and two 18,000-ton passenger and freight steamers for the La Plata' service; one excursion steamer of about 1900 gross registered tons for the Heligoland servico; also six freight steamers, vis., two each of 7000 tons, 5800 tons, and 3500 tons. The North German Lloyd has. informed the "Frankfurter Zeitung" that since tho beginning of the year it has ordered 11 steamers, aggregating 108,000 gross registered tons, viz., four passenger and freight steamers, each of 8500 gross registered tons, six freight stcamors of-6500 gross registered tons each, and one passenger and freight steamer of 35,000 gross registered tons. At the beginning of the year there,were building for tho company. four twAnrscrew steamers, each of 8500 tons, and two freight steamers, each of 11,000 tons, i The Hansa Company, of Bremen, has ordered Bix freight steamers of 9000- tons eaoh, while tho HamburgSouth Amerioan Steamship Company ordered two triple-screw passenger and freight steamers. In addition four vessels aggregating 25,990 tons, havo - been placed in service since tho rboginnine of the present yeaT. The • ships under construction for the German-Australian S.S. Company comprise four steamers, eaoh of 12 000 tons carrying capacity, and four, steamers, each of 9500 tons carrying capa/ city aud three 6teamers, eaoh of £000 tons, carrying capacity. The Argo Company, l of Bremen, ordored three freight steamers, each of 4500 lons, also one of 2359 toas. as well as three smaller vessels for its line to English ports, whale the Roland Line- has ordered ono freight steamer of 11000 tons, • also three similar steamers, each of 10,500 tons, and,the firm of I,aeisz, of Hamburg,. two steaimera of SCOD tons each. ,

FOREIGN TIIADK OP ARGENTINA. . According to official statistics received at the Board of Trade and published In tho "Board. of Trade Journal," the vnJuo of imports of mcrcha.nd.iee into Argentina durin" the first six months of the current year "was about £36,673,000, as compared with £35,772,500 in the corresponding period of 1911. Exports arc valued at about £48 9<2,0C.f1, ;' ais. compared / with £39,507,500' Commenting upon tho3o figures the British Legation at Buenos Ayres exproseea the view that they show a very satisfactory all-round expansion, especially when talcing into consideration how bad busiucEs l:as been. It is true that the' expansion in the imports la not very great, goods whioh enter free, such i,s railway irateriai and seeds, declining hv about £1.600,000, but those which are taxed increased by about £2.500,000. Although only 42,165 entered the MUDt,rv SLS compared with 56,825. for. tho alx months ended June, 1911, tlWffO tflfi boaft,

a oonfrftaablo expansion in the importn* tion of agricultural imurhinoH, tlio value of which increased by £156,000. It ini\y no of interest, to uate that. in tx>mjm-r.Jf*on witli tho corresponding: period of 19W. Imports of merclmndteo Iwtvo hun'twod throefold and oxports twofold. Tho Oufltomu rw» iv>lpt6, which allow a toUi-l of X 5,190,000 for tho half-yon r, an of £245,000 ovor tho corresponding six month* of J9ll, would eoojji to imlioivte that tho Arjreniino ooiisvDiior is us capable iib ever of paylitic largo duties on the luxuries and own on tho necessities of life. Tho 1 negation uddtt that, 111 viow of t.heee flgnren, It is <!iln* cult to givo. credence to the rumours of impending orisos and aluini>s whioh have boon- currant for some time. On the contrary, it looks art if t)u) ccomumo pw* gross of Argentina, with good harvunts Hi \rie\T 'tiiL-d the prospwt of ft sufficient Mip* ply of labour, would continue unchecked.

DEMAND FOU AIiUMINIUM. An exceptionally Ur.isk demand far aluminium is being experienced (a huroi>o. and wheu the last Knglish mail to hand left England there was a fairly general expectation that a boom was l.mnwneut. LUo low prices which prevailed during the £>'»* dicatc-free period had n oUmulating eliect on consumption, which iiiercaoed from 35,300 tons in 1909 to 47,500 tows last year. Th-e world's production during the «iin« period advanced fro in 31,100 tons to '46,(00 tons. Tho present activity J6 stated to no duo to a strong inquiry from the iron trade, which now consumes large quantities of aluminium, whilst vory considerable quantities are required also for fcno manufacture of. war equipments. The output of tho Swiss producom is always muen less daring winter t-lia.ii in summer, owing to the impassibility of obtaining a fnVl water supply for tho hydro-electric plant, and no immediate relief con be expected from that quarter. About twelve months ago the price of aluminium was £56 per ton, a-s agaisist £80 a tew woekß haolc. Notwithstanding that the International. Aluminium Syndicate hao fixed prices for tho first quarter of 1913, it la not generally •anticipated that tIiOEO vull remain unaltered for the wholo o- n-oxt year, the likelihood being/ that further advances will bo nvade. Under .the eyndicate which was. operative from 1901 to 1908 prices reached £200 per ton; but there is every reason to believe that tho present organisation intends to pursue 'a much more reasonable price policy tnan tiiat which was " adopted by its predecessor.

COMPANIES EEGISTERED. In' the list of companies registered published in the 'last keue of the ' Mercantile Gazette," there appear the following:— ' Montezuma, Ltd. KegAstered Deccniiber 20. Office, Wellington. Capital, £6000, int-o 6000 Eiares .of £1 Subscnbcrs; 1. W. Hislop, ICO; H. W. Williams. 2,50: \\. G. Morpeth, 100; 0. 0. .Ross, .100; P. K. Cook, 100; P. Holllrig'S, 100: W. E. Kemball, 200. Objects:. To carry into . effect a certain agreement between D. Lincoln, J. Peako, junr., J. Henderson, 11.. Scott, all of tika, miners, of the one part, and J.. l*. B. Stevenson, of WsUinston, as trustee. To- work, develop, sJid exploit alluvial claims, eto. Oriental Bay Kiosk,' Ltd. (The). Registered as a private company, December 21. Office, 242 Lambton Quay, Wellington. Capital, £10,000 into 10.000 ehares of £1 each. Subscribers: J. J. M'Grath, 3166; P. J. Griffin, 3166; M. J. Donnelly, C. P. Post, 502. Obpecte : To -acquire land # and erect buildings suitable for the business of restauranteurs, confectioners, etc.

' Carrara .Oeilinsr Co., Ltd. (The). Registered December 23. , Office, llevans Street, Newt-own, Wellington. Capital, £10,000, into 10,000 shares of £1 each. Suhsonbere: fl. P. Bawson, 825; A. Maguire, 350; H. Gilmer, 350; Q. W. Jfee, 1475; H. D. Mee, 250; J.- Jtee, 600; E. D. L-owden, 100; A. S. Bass; 649. Objcots: To acquire and take over as a, going concern the undertaking, etc., of the. Carrara, Ceiling Co., I/td.

NOTES. .The Kauri Timher 00., Limited, is taking steps to obtain authority by moans bf a new article of association to open branch registers,. a resolution for. which purpose will be submitted at an extraordinary meeting on December 24. No fewer than 1,846,829 tons, of merchant Shipping were buiildin? in tho yards of the United Kingdom on, September 30 last, that being the* highest total on record, comparing •• with • 1,446,317 tons on September 30 last year. On December 31, 1910, the total was 1,131,502 tens, And there were •still smaller totals in 1909 and 1908.

According to "Fair Play," shipowners are- carefully studying. the statistics which have been published by Lloyd's Register, etc., with regard to the amount of tonnage uader co-instruction, and. that. which has been 'added to tire British register : this year, to eiidcavouir 'to, discover what, effect the totals may lyavo uponHhe'freisht market. Tho total tonnage under coiistructaon and on order in British ship yards alone, at the present '.time, estimated at about 2,506,000 tons gross, is a one, ' and were the amount capable of being delivered at,an early.date it "might have, a disastrous effect upon the freight market, but owing to the malingering of .tho men employed in the ship building yards, the shortage of hands a®i the .difficulty of securing delivery of marterial, great .delays are taking place in the completion of vessels, so that. tonnage is only being delivered art a. very Blow rats. If no more commissions were acccpted all the. tonnage at- present on order and under construction would H3t bo delivered until 1914.

According to a return issued recently. 444 savings banks had closed in tho United Kingdom up to November 20, 1910, and transferred their funds to.the Post Oliicc Savings Bank. No savings bank closed during the year. ended November 20, 1911. The number of depositor.!' accounts transferred wa3 297,883, the amount involved'being £8,284,330. Compensation paid to officers totalled £112,925. Tho total number of ; depositors in trust-eo savings banks at the close of the financial year was 1,849,043, the number of deposits. being 3,871,306 and the withdrawals 2,078,019. Tho average amount of'each deposit account was £28, whilst tho average Slim paid in was £3 13s.- 7d., the average sum' drawn out being'£7 Is. The total number of persons who deposited in single sums the entire amount allowed tp l>e deposited during, the year wa319,244. Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping contains returns of vessels totally lost to shipping from various causes in quarter ended June 30 lr.6t, as -reported up to October 22. Forty-eight steam vessels were lost by .collision, burning, wreckage; etc., of .a gross tonnage of 112,775, twelve belonging to the United Kingdom, with a gross tonnage of 74,706. The not tonnage of . sailing vessels lost to shipping waa 24,646, tho number of vessels involved being 49. Tho United States of America was the ohief sufferer, losing eleven vessels of a not tonnage of 4522.

As showing the abnormal profits which can bo made with vessels purchased during the depressed period throe years ago, states ''Fair Play," it may ho mentioned that a steamer 0f'2500 tons gross changed hands in 1909 for £6000, and has iust been sold for £11,500. With tho profits mado in the three years, a.nd tho amount now received, the shareholders will secure their capital back, with a profit of 300 per cent., a result which, of course, is abnormal even in these times.

In • a Consular report recently issued, dealing with 1 the trade and commerce of Belgium for the year 1911-12, Consul-Gen-eral Sir. Cecil Hertslet states . that there was a large increase in the value of horses imported from Great Britain. The, total number of horses was 32,842, valued at £423,320, an increaso of £32.518, as compared with the previous year. Sir Cecil Hcrtslet expresses regret that the information available does not enable it to bo ascertained how many of .the 32,842 horses were valuable animals and how many formed part of tho trade in worn-out horses conveyed to. Belgium for slaughter. Taking into consideration the average value of the animals, it seemed clear that a large number were of considerable value, though, adds the Consul-General, the bulk .of the animals were doubtless old horses, imported for the purpose of slaughter.

Oustoms duties collected at the port or Wellington yesterday amounted to £1425 7e. lOd.

NAPIER WOOL SALES. (By TeleKraph.—Press Association.) Naplor, December 27. Considerably over twenty-two thousand bales of wool have been catalogued lor the 'eecond ealo, on January 4. Tins establishes a rccord for Napier.

WHEAT AND OATS.

By Telegraph-Frees Association— Oopyrlsht

ffteo. December 27, 11.20 p.m.) Buenos Ayres, Dooomber 27. Tho first ofScial forecast of the luiTVCst eetdmateß the wheat yield at 640,000 tons, fl.-n/i the oats at 1,682,000 tons.