COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1671, 11 February 1913, Page 10

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHARES. There were no transactions in invest, ment, shares yesterday. The buying anil selling auotations wore as under:— Buyers. . Holism. .: £ s. d. £ a. d. Bank . New Zealand ...... : -r ' 11 5 0 National Bank — 6 10 N.Z. Loaii and Mercantile. (103.) 0 9 2 N.Z. and River Date 2 0 6 Well. Trurt and Loan ... — 7 4 0 Christchurch Gag — 8 0 0 Well. Gas (pref.) — 10 3 K. 3. Shipping 14*10 0 - Union Steam 2 7 0 — Weil. Woollen (ord.) — 315 6 Hikurangi Coal — 0 17 6 N.Z. Drug . 2 9 5 2 10 0 Ward .ana Co 4 14 0 4 16.6 W.F.O.A. - ,7 2 6 PRODUCE EXPORTS. The value ol tho principal products exported lefit month aggregated £2,826,257,' aa agamst £2,490,165 in January, 1912. The exports for the twelve months ended January 31 last, compared with the figures lor tho previous year, show as under:— 1912-13. 1911-12. Butter 2,161,200 1,689,108 Ghees© 1,693,780 1,160,151 Beef 324,774 280,299 Mutton, carcasses 1,533,125 1,104,588 Legs and pieces 64,693 39,637 Lamb ' 1,932,727 ; 1,633,352 Wheat 95,734 i 211,537 Oats 409,035 9,«6 Potatoes 150,694 ' 6,251 Itenjp 383,155 / 290,948 Rabbits 61,666 ' 79.689. Tow 31,9:3 23,810. Kauri gum 406,975 387,334 . Grain anu pxilee 172,855 1C0,379 . nops 21,442 10,993 Hides ' 218,399 . 165,084 Skins 827,933 704,972 (Hallow 683,717 690,693 Timber 478,167 459,179 Wool I. 7,364,368 6,138,444 Gold 1,325,590 1,764,912 £20,391,843 £17,008,471 Customs duties collected at tho port ol Wellington yesterday amounted to £2792 lis.

AUSTRALASIAN BANK PROFITS. The total amount of the net profits earned by tho bank of tho Commonwealth and tho Dominion, says the last number of tho "Australasian Insurance and Banking Record," established a record, being £2,954,914,. as against £2,759,932 reported in 1911, tho next highest reported. Aa in previous years, the profits have accruod from tho development of producing industrial and trading businoss throughout the Commonwealth, and not from undue pressure upon the clientele. That tho bank parlours have not been carried away by a prosperity that may prove to be largely of a temporary character is shown by the fact that while the profits reported in 1912 exceed thoso reported In 1911 by £194.932, tho dividends distributed show an increaso of only £49,069. Moreover, out of a total of £2,954,914 tho amount distributed is only £1.713,453. over £1,2C0,0C0 brine applied to strengthen the position of tho banks and to enable them to meet unfavourable conditions possible in tho future. Tho courso of tho net profit account for

tho last 14 years is shown by - the figures which constitute tho following table:— Not Profits Declared. £ £ }'}2 2,954,914 1905 1,700,651 1911 2,759,932 1934 1,705.063 1910 2,512,348 1903 1,612,686 2,479,414 1902 1,579,499 "SJ 2,423,668 1901 1,506,305 2,352,717 1900 1,304,441 1,771,382 1699 .... 903,050 HIGH COMMISSIONER'S CABLEGRAM, The Department of Agriculture, Industries, and Oommorce has recoived tho following cablegram from the lligh Commissioner for New Zealand, dated London, February 8. Quotations, unless otherwise ! specified, are average market prices on ; spot:- 1 1 Mutton.—Tho market is quiet, but hold* ers or© firm, on account of uncertainty rc&ardinj: the 'butchers' strike. Canterbury, 43d. per Jb.; North Island, 43d. Iximb.—There is a cood demand for primc\ quality. The market is firm. Canterbury, this season's, 7d. per lb.; other than Canterbury,- 6id. • Boef.—There has been no alteration in the market since last week. New Zealand fores, 3fld. per lb.; liinds, 3 3-Bd. Butter.—The market is firmer. Prospects aje uncertain. Choicest New Zealand, per cwt., 1165.; Australian, 1095.; Argentine, 108s.; Banish, 1295.; Siberian, 110s. . Cheese.—Tho market is firm, with more inquiry. The average price for the week for finest New Zealand cheese, per cwt., is 60s. 6d.

Hemp.—Tho market is quieter. Speculators only are in the market. Spot: New Zealand, Rood fair grade, per ton, £34; *fl,',r crrade, .£3l 10s.; fair current Manila, £33 10s. Forward shipment: New Zealand, Rood fair Brads, £34 10s.; fair grade, £32; fair current Manila, £34 10s. • Wool.—Tho market remains firm. Hops.—The market prospects are favourable; a much better demand. LIVERPOOL MARKET REPORT. Messrs. O. and R. Munro send tho'following Liverpool 'market report, dated January 2:— Frozen Beef. River Plate—Heavy supplies arriving with regularity, trade slow, though prices SP? t l i „ r , l , y B , t€ ??y- Bes t grades of forest JM to' 2001b., 3 l-Bd. per lb.; hinds, 3id. per lb. lho mildness of the weather is greatly against the beef trade, and colder weather would have a marked effect on the demand and prices. Australian.—There aro etill largo quantities in store here, and sellers require to accept substantially lower prices in order to effect sales. Best ox crops are not worth more than 23d. to 3d. per lb.; hinds difficult to sell, even at a concession of Id. per lb. off tho current prices for Plate hlndis. New Zealand.—Nothingj doing on tho spot, and no forward sales reported. Frozen Mutton. River Plate.—ln short supply, demand good, and prices firm. Heavy wethers selling freely at 4 J-Bd. to 41d. per lb. Australian.—Shipments are arriving fairly freely, and appear to go into consumption rapidly. F.a.a. wethers. 30 to £01b„ are selling at 4Jd. per lb., and Sydney ewes, same weights, 4Jd. per lb. The prospects of the market are/ good for the next three months as supplies of home-crown and fresh mutton bto light, and the demand lias to be met almost entirely with frozen mutton. \ ' ■ Frozen Lambs. v ■ ' Australian.—Moderate shipments continue to arrive. The demand is weak and limited, but holders are firm and will not sell, unlees at their own price. To-day's prices range from sjd. to 55d. per lb., according" to quality and weights. . New Zealand.—This market is quite bareof supplies, and with nothing on the water thero will not bo much business done for some ,weeks to come. , -Chilled .Beef. , ; River Plate.—Trade s'ow arid disappointing. Mild weather is disastrous to 6ellors for two reasons. Tho demand is restricted thereby, and chilled beef rapidly loses its appearance, in mild weather. To-day's prices: Best foros 31d„ hinds 41d. per lb. All pnees quoted herein linlesß otherwise mentioned are ex store Liverpool, the c.l r cauivalent being Id. per lb. less; Oold storage: rates are 10s. per ton per month of 28 days, and 2s. 6d. por ton per week' subsequently.

STOCK EXCHANGE QUOTATIONS. (By Telegraph.—Press • Association.) ,■ , Dunodln, February 10. Stock' ''ExohttUffo Quotations:—Dredging stocks: Manuherikia, sellers7s.; Olrjg,'buyers Is.; Sailor's Bend, leclfcra fe. Mining stockß: Roxburgh Amalgamated, eellcrs 35.; Kurunui Caledonian, sellors Is. Id.; May Queen, buyers 4d.; New Sylvia, buyers 943., sellers la.-'2d.; N.Z. Crown, sellCM' Is. 4d.; Old Hauraki, eellcrs 9d.: Waitangi, huyors 6d.; Talisman Consolidated, buyers £1 19s. 3d.; Waihi, buyers £1 13s. 9d., eellers £1" 143. 6d. Investment stocks,!. Nationilißank,-, buyers £6 Is., sellers £6 25,; N.Z. Insuranco, buyers £4 19s. fid.: Standard Insurance, £1 12s. 3d.; N.Z. Shipping Co., -buyers £la 2s. 6d.; Union S.B. Co.. buyers £2 7h. 9d., sellers £2 Es. 9d.; N.Z. Coal and Oil, buyers sa. Id.; Empire Buildings, sellers £1 25.; D.1.0. (prcf.j, sellers £1 35.; Jlilburn Lime and Content (£1), buyeTs £1 15s.'; New Zealand Drug Co. (£2), buyeivi £2 9s. 6d., sellers £2 10s.; N.Z. Portland Cement, sellers £1 Os. 6d.; Wright, Stephenson and Co., buyora £5 125.. 6d. ' LONDON MARKETS.' / By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright' , London, February 9. Copper.—American 6tocks - total 123,193,000 lb. .; Copra—There is a fair business doing. South Sea, la bags, February-March elilp■ment, £27 15s. per ton. Jute.—Native first-marks, FebruaryMarch shipment, £26 10s; per ton. N.Z. Hemp.—The market is dull. Tho spot quotation is £34 10s. per ton. Rubber—Fine hard Para rubber is quoted at 4s. 3d. per lb. - Kauri Gum.—The . quantity In stock is 147 cases. ' . WHEAT MARKET. London,. Fehruary 9. Tho wheat market is Bnn. Thero Is great activity .for cargoes, principally due to' the drought ana the unfavourable crop outlook in India. Soven cargora of Australian sold, prices ranging from 38s. to 383. Gd. A parcel of 14.500 quartos of February realised 375. lOJtl.; two cargoes'of 17,500 quarters of February, 375. 9d.; steamer,cargo in January, 38a. 7!d.' , WHEAT AND FLOUR AFLOAT. London, February 9. Shipments of wheat and flour afloat for Europe on February 8, compared with a year ago, were:— Feb. 8. Feb. 9. ■ 1913. ,1912. Quarters. Quarters. , United Kingdom 2,900,000 2,540,000 Continent 2,400,000 925,000 • ' 5,300,000 3,465,000 , The wheat shipped from tho Atlantic and Pacific Coasts of North America during the past week and for tho corresponding week of last year • is estimated by "Bradstreet'e" to bo:—, Atlantic Coast .... 348,000 200,0110 Paciflo. Coast 30,000 25.000 378,000 225,C00 Tho total shipments to Europe from all exporting countries during tho week ,amounted to 1,660,000 quarter?, including 185,000 from Australasia, as against 840,G00 quarters, including 125.CC0 from Australasia for tho corresponding week of last year.

ADVANCE IN FLOUR. (Reo. February 10, 9.25 p.m.) Sydney, February 10. Hour has advanced 55., to £8,155.