COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1700, 17 March 1913, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHARES'. The sales recorded on Saturday were — National Ua.uk rights, two sales at £1 eachN.Z. Loon and Mercantile, 10s.; and Moat Export (525. 6d.) at £3. The quotations were as under:—

M.L.C. REPORT. The twenty-Gixtli annual report of the Mutual Life and Citizens' Assurance Co Ltd., has l)oon issued. The accounts for the twelve months show continued prosperity, the funds at Decemlier 31 being £8,209.353, ail increase of £532,892 on l,h° year. The average rate of interest earned was £1 12s. 3d. per cent., na compared with £4 ICe. 3d. per cent, earned by the ordinary branch, and £4 7s. Bd. per cent, bv tlio industrial branch in 1911. The assets total £8,324.521, of which 45.50 per cent, is invented in Government stocks and similar high-class securities, mortgages representing 43.12 per cent. Twelve months, ago the proportions were 48.57 per cent." and 38.76 per cent, respectively. In the ordinary branch the new policies issued were 12,573 in number, assuring the sum, of £2,517,200 ■ producing an annual income of £77.922. The expense rate in 'this branch was 12.15 per cent, of the premiums, as against 12.6 tier cent, in 1911. In the industrial branch the proportion was 42.95. as compared with ''3 7 in the preceding year. At the close of the year, excluding reassurances, there were 376,480 policies in force, assuring £30,473 JOfl' yielding on annual premium income of I

£1,069,369. The company has now been in existence 26 years, and the report stales that the term just closed was the most successful in its history. Since the company oomenced business the sum of £3,743,366 has been paid to policy-holders or their beneficiaries. CUSTOMS. Customs dutieß collected at the port of Wellington on Saturday totalled £1625 19s. lid., the amount for the week being £12,424 14s. 9d. The returned for each of the past eight weeks, compared with thb figures for the corresponding period of the previous year, show as under:— 1913. 1912.

158,292 144,004 The beer duty collected for the past week totalled £218 10s., as Against £209 for the corresponding week of last year. OAMARU MARKETS. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Oamaru, Mar»:h Ift. The rains of the past week have compelled a cessation of threshing, and the offerings of wheat have not been so great as in the previous two weeks. Velvet still holds first place in the demand, and most of tlio transactions have been at 3s. Bd. net at country stations, but with shorter railago 3s. 84d. and 3s. BJd. have been given. Mixed lines sell at 3s. Bd. net at handy stations. Red chaff at 3s. 7id., less commission; and solid straw Tuscan at 3s. 6Jd. and 3s. 7d. net, according to railage distance. There have been a good many transactions in oate. A grade Cartons have sold at from 2a. to 2s. OJd. net at country stations. For B grade, the ruling prices are from Is. .lid. to Is. ll£d. net; Algerians at Is. lOd. net at .country stations. Small lines of malting barley have changed hands at 3s. 8d: to 3s. 9d., less commission, at country stations. At the beginning of the week £5 ss. was paid for potatoes, but nt the end they were selling at £5, owing to outside inquiry being weaker* , LONDON WOOL SALES. By T«le'grai>h—Press Association—Copyright London, March 14. There was a. good sale at the wool 60lcs. Merinos are unchanged. Shabby sorts are irregular. There was strong competition for crossbreds. (Rec. March 16, 5.5 p.m.)

London, March 15. The following are tlie prices realised at the wool salos for the fleece portions of the clips name:—To Puru, top price lid., average price 103 d.: Waewacpa, 12d. and llgd.: Olrig, 12d. and lljd.; Tangisau, lid. and 10td.; Gleside, 12Jd. and lljd.; Otairi, 14d. and 113 d. FROZEN MEAT. (Eec. March 16, 5.5 p.m.) London, March 15. The Incorporated Society ot Moat Importers' Smithfleld market quotations for the undermentioned clatees of frozen, meat are based on actual sales of. not less than one hundred carcasses of mutton or lamb. or twenty-five quarters of beef of fair average quality. Tho quotations are nut for selected lines, but for parcels fairly representative of tho bulk of the shipments now on tho market. The prices which follow are on the average a farthing per lb. more than the values ex ship, this diffcrcnco representing the average cost in expense, handling, conveyance, and nclling tho meat

*Nonc offering. Rabbits aro quiet. There is a better demand for young rabbits, but prices are unchanged. Messrs. Gilbert Anderson and Co. (Messrs. Mellsop, Eliott, and. Co., agents) report as follows under date London, February 7:— Unfavourable weather tfnd the commencement of Lent have caused a check on the demand for meat, but Home supplies being • short, best frozen mutton and lamb maintain their position. Frozen and chilled beef remain at alow price, and are about , the only articles on which retailers are making a profit. . Home-grown beef, Scotch. 6Jd. to 7d.; English, sj(d. to 6 3-Bd.; Irish, 6d. to 63d. Mutton—Scotch. 63d. to 7i?d.; English, 63d. to 7Jd.; Irish. 63d. to 7id.; Scotch leg 6, BJd. to'B3d.; English. 65»d. to 73d.: English , ewes s*d. to sid.: pork, 63d. to 73d.; veal, 6sd. to BJd. Chilled Beef.—Supplies have been heavy for some time pact, and prices are:— Fores, 3 3-Bd.; 1 hinds. 4 3-Bd. Frozen Beef.—Prices unnltered. New Zealand fores, 3W.; hinds, 3Rd.; Australian; 3 lrl6d. and 3 3-Bd.; Plate, 3d. and 3jd. ''Frozen Mutton—There is a weaker tendency. and prices generally are lower. New Zealand,' 4?d.; Australian, 4d.; ewes, 3Jd.; Plate. 4 3-Bd. v Frozen Lnmb.—Canterbury "new season" have arrived, but in very small quantities indrcd, and have reached to the retailer. Selected North Islnnd (New Zealand) are also fetching liijrli prices, but the supply is limited, the mn.ioritv of tho ewe lambs beins'of ordinary mialify. Australian bcirt. fair. 5?d.; inferior, <l?d. Some very good Australian are fetching 5 13-16 d. RTIF/EPRKINS. Messrs. James Macintosh and Company report Having received the following cablegram from their London agent 6, under date of March 14:—"Sheepskins: Crossbred full-woollcd, fine, par to 3d. decline^crossbred full-woolled, coarse. unchanged; crossbred, £d. to Jd.; woolled, fine, par to id. decline. Tho Bank of New Zealand has received the following cable advice from its London dated March 14:—"Sheepskin market: Compared with the average of last sales, all descriptions show a slight improvement."

Buyers. Selli/rs. „ , £ 6. d. £ s. d National Bank — 5 17 0 National Sank (rights) ... 0 19 o 1 n i Hank S.S. Wales <0 5 0 - iiank New Zealand 11 5 o — ' Gisbornc Gas 1 2 2 0 — Napier Gas (£5) 9 in n N.Z. Shipping 16 0 0 - Union Steam (ex-r.ights) — ? 4 i Well. Woollen (ord.) 3 11 0 — Leyland-O'Brien — 16 6 Golden Bay Cement- — 10 3 N.Z. Portland Cement ... 0 17 3 W.P.C.A. (£5) _ 7 5 0

£ £ January 25 28,191 • 23,468 February 1 13,912 12,125 February 8 22,262 24,751 February 15 14,418 11,834 February 22 26,686 11,255 March i 13,880 £3,340 March 8 26,516 10,978 March 15 12,427 26,253

Mar. 8. Mar. 15. Mutton— d. d, Canterbury, light 4j 41 Canterbury, medium 4J . 4j Canterbury, heavy 4i 4| ' Southland * * North Island, best ' 4J North Island, ordinary... 4J 4 MO Australian, light * * Australian, heavy * * River Plato, light • * River Plate, heavy 3 15-16 315-16 New Zealand ewes 311-16 35 Australian ewes 38 3 9-16 River Plato owes 1 -38 Lamb— Canterbury, light 6J 6 3-8 Canterbury, medium 6jj 6 3-8 Canterbury, heavy * 6i Southland • * North Island, ordinary...' 5g 53 North Island, selected ... 6J 6& Australian, best 5 9-16 5 9-16 Australian, fair 53-8 53-3 Australian, inferior ....... 5fl 5J River Plate, first * River Plate, second • • BeefNew Zealand, ox fores ... 3$ 3 3-16 • New Zealand, ox hinds ... 313-16 32 Australian, ox. fores , 313-16- 34 Australian, ox hinds 3J 1 3J River Plato frozen fores 3J 31-16 River Plato frozen hin-ds .3ft 33*8 River Plate, chilled forc6 3J 33 River Plate, chilled hinds* 4f 5