COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1711, 31 March 1913, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

o INVESTMENT SHARES. - The sales recorded on Saturda*'* were: National Hank (rights) at IS*.; Gear Meat, (£4), at £12 6i.; and Gear. Meat (£1). at £3 The quotations were as under:— Buyers. Sellers. £e. d. • £?- d. National Bank (rights)... — 019 0 Bank Nuw Zealand '.. 11 5 0 N,K. Loan and Mercantile 0 9 9 „ "7 . ; N.Z. and Kiver Plate — .<.lO Well. Investment 010 6 — Christehurch Gas 7 5 0 —■ FciUting ({as — 1 0 0 Napier Gas (£10) - .5 ? Napier Gas (£5) — ' 10 0 Well. Gas (pref.) ,1 0 0 10 9 Union Steam - 5 2? Krtlapoi Woollen (ord.) ... — h l b Taupiri Coal 13 6 West-port Coal 17 0 LoyiamtfO'Brien — ' % f Totara — • 2 6 o. Mamiiug Co. 5 18 0 ■ N.Z. Drug (riffhts) — .030 N. 55. Portland Cement 0 17 0 -- Shnrland's ordinary 10 6 1 1 0 W.F.C.A. (£5) | - 7 5 0 TRADE ACTIVITY AND LIFE INSURANCE.

lieccntly there have been collected with great care certain statistics relating to the ratio of life insurance business to, the volume of trade activity, and tho results shewn,; in addition to bcincr very interesting, are rather surprising. For it would appear that the insurance companies do best when trade is moderately active, and that when money, is being earned freely among the industrial classes the demand fir protection acainst the results of sickness or death tends to decline. Of course it must, be borne in mind that it would be unwise to draw too definite a conclusion from the figures which have been presented, for ".the reason thnt the basis upon which they are drawn up may conceivably render it necessary, in founding any conclusion upon the results they show, to allow for tlio fact that the increase in the spending ■ capacity of the masses brings about an automatic reduction in tho ratio of the money expended in ■ normal years in respect of insurance premiums. What' can be stated with fcer taintv is, however, that in .the average household ' tho proportion of income expended 011 insurance does not keep strictlv in accord with Income, ancA this, of course, can be readily understood, for wages fluctuate, while a policy is a fixed contract; moreover, in most oases, so Ions: as the f wage-earner is siifiiciently protected in the matter of insurance, there are few so nrovident as to increase the- amount of their policies as their income 'advance'. Durinj; 1912, which was. -of course, i..period of booming trade, the insurance offices did oxtremely well, even thoutrh it may be tho case that their nrcmium revenue bore; a smaller ratio to the capacity of their clients than was the case in previous-years when trade w~as less active. : The matter is one of very considerate interest, and miirht be pursued' with advantage by those who study the fiue3tion of tho maintenance of a scientific ratio between the amount of insurance premium and the income of tho average wage-earlier.'

MEAT MAKKET EE-PORT. Gilbert Anderson and Co (Ifelsop, Eliott and Co., agents), writing under date February 21, i renort as follows:— Cold bright, seasonable weather ha:; nided the consumption of most meat, and although the arrivals of iambs between now and March 6 amount to over 250.000 from New Zealand alone, future prices axo being maintained at their hirh level. Homo-grown Beef.—Scotcli, 6?d., 7.W.; English, 6.1 d.. 63d.: Irish, 6d., 6'd. Alutton— Bcotch, 8(1.; English. 7(1.. 7?d.; Irish'. 7d„ 7M.; Seotch tegs, 8M„ 9}d.; English tegs. 73d., B?d., .Lambs—English <now~ r e.".-' sons),-lid.,-Is. o>d.: Irish, 6d„ 73d. Pork. 7Jd.., 8(1.; veal, B l d,, 9}d. Chilled Beef—Phort supplies and favourable weather li«.ve risen prices to fores, 33(1.; and hinds. 53d. ' Frozen Beef.—Prices fihow onlv a.' S"'oll rise. New Zealand fores, 3?d.: Hinds. JM.t Australian emns, 3 3-iM. ; hinds, 3 9-16 d.; PHte fores, 3/d.: hinds. 311-16(1.. Frozen 'Metton. —The deirond at present is li?fs tin. nthe supply, and prices coiit'P'?<j to weaken. New Zea!»™j-3 ore 4 9-J*d.j oriliriDT'v, 4 3-Bd.t ewe<s, 3 7 r1.: M-fiO, '33d.; 50-70; 4d.; ewes, 3 9-16 d.;. Plate*' 4Jd. - Frozen Lnrn'>3.— p'ur Felon's can 1)0 cuotni •!».t 7(1 : best North Islnnds, ft 7-16 d.; ord'pary. 65(1.. ami w.<s. lian ? , best 5»d.: fai*. -5 3-3 d .; inferior."sjd. Advice of Monthly Frozen Moat Shipments. ir «. T , Fr , oz en Chilled Mutton. Lamb., beef. beef. January, 1912...' 6M.Cfo tnjm Ist If/) 145 sfn January; 1913... 776fC0 417,850 207,910 198K0 shipments during Fehrnn.rv. igis (t. O Now Zoo,land... MFO 2 c 6.bfo 10C00 Australia 109.EC0 09.ff0 9'(]oo : River. Plato ... .114,250 14.0C0. 97,C00 v, , 407.750 3(i9.510 316 99 VO February, 1912 625,123 <{8,C30 ,129,£00 148,K0 Customs duties eolteeted at the port if Is lid °" Ealurllay a —onnted to £1512

CANTERBURY PRODUCE MARKETS. 'By Telegraph.—Press Association.) rm,„ „ , Oamaru, March 30. T! o resumption of business after the holidays has seen some aetivitv in t.he grain marljct. Wheat has been offering pretty freely, and has met with a rood demand particularly, velvet, which fs a shade firmer. The prevailing rate is 3, 9d. net at country stations, but. some small' lots have been secured at 3s. 8»d. Tusca haa been fold at 3s. 6Sd. a.nd'3s. 7d n™ Pod chaff Ims commanded 3s. 7?d. net and Marshall* white chaff at 3s."SJd. Oat! have hardened in price. "A." Cartons 2 t'i!' S ' id-net at country stations and thoso scarcely 111 to "A" grade -t 2s' For good "13" Grade Is. 11' d ]nVt;„ rVT m A !^V lar, '3 arc o'inted at 25.. ;md Black Tartarian.* a <. u. IM. I'Vn-lv t, i;,„ week potatoes were s«!d a'. « V I t they have weakened sir.ee. and £l jk,. now the highest offer coini;. There is no a (rrcat- denwnd. owing to outside orders being restricted. • mll!,lu e

FROZEN MEAT. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Rec. March 30, 5.5 p.m.) _ _ London, March 29 The, Incorporated Society of Meat'lmnm-i ers Smithfield market quotations for tho undermentioned clneess of frozen meat arc based on actual sales of not less than 0110 hundred carcasses of mutton or lamb or twenty-five'quarters of beef of fair aver--age quality. Tho quotations are not for selected lines, but, Tor parcels fairly reoreGenial,ivc of the bulk of the shipments Son on tho market. The prices which follow are on the average a farthing per lb., more than the values ex. slup. this difference representing the average cost in expense handling, conveyance, and eclling tho meat:— , r Mar. 15.'Mar. 29. Mutton— . d. d Canterbury, light 43 43 Canterbury, medium 4J 4s Canterbury, heavy 4A 41 . Southland * '• North Island, best 4j North Island, ordinary... 41-16 4' Australian, light - •" Australian, heavy * ! • lUver Piatt, light • » River Plate, heavy 3 15-16 3 15-16 Now Zealand ewes 3J 3? Australian ewes 3 9-16 35 River Plato ewes 33 3j LambCanterbury, light 63-8 63-8 Canterbury, medium 6 3-8 6 3-8 Canterbury, heavy 6J 61 ■Southland • it North Island, ordinary... 5," f, North Island, selected ... 6;, 63.16 Australian, best :... 5 9-16 5; Australian, fair 53-8 5.1 Australian, inferior' 5A sin River Plate, first " - Itivcr Plate. Eccond • • ' BeefNew Zealand, 01 fores ... 33-16 33-8 New Zealand, ox hinds ... 33 31 Australian, ox fores 3j 3) Australian, ox hind.t 3J 33.3 River Plate, frozen fores 3*l-16 3 River Plate, frozen hinds 33-8 3 5-tfi River Plate, chilled fores 33 31 River Plate, chilled hinds 5 43 "None offering. Rabbits are quiet and unchanged, oend nig new arrivals. SILVER. , London, March 28. liar silver is quoted at 26 9-lGd. per 07 standard.