COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1808, 22 July 1913, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHARES. There were no transactions in investment shares yesterday. The quotations wero as under:— Buyers. Sellers. £ s. d. £ s. d. Metropolitan Building ... — 12 7 6 N.Z. Loan, Mercantile 010 4 — N.Z. and Elver Plate 2 0 0 — Well. Investment 0 11 10 0 12 0 Well. Trust find Loan ... 7 1 0 — Napier Gas (£10) 16 0 0 — Well. Gas (£10) 16 3 9 - Oliristchurch Meat 15 3 6 — Gear Meat (£4) : 12 7 6 - Gear Meat (£1) 3 4 0 — Meat- ExpoTt (525. 6d.) ...... 3 0 0 3 5 0 N.Z. Shipping 16 0 0 — Hikurangi Coal 012 6 015 0 Westport Coal 1-7 6 Rhn.rland's preference ... — 119 W.F.O.A. (£5) - 7 2 6 W.F.C.A. (£1) - 10 3 NEW ZEALAND STATISTICS. The report of the Now Zealand Public Service Superannuation Board .shows that on-December 31, 1912, there were 10,027 contributors, of whom 8873 were males and 1154 females.. Tho aggregate annual salary is returned at £1,666,231 2e. lid., and the annual contributions to the fund £109,840 Is. lid. During tho year 1912 tlio Now Zealand Public Service Superannuation- Board granted in pensions and retiring allowances £9095 Ids./ the largest retiring allowance granted being £521 145., and tho smallest £8 ss. per annum, while tho average was £97 13a. 6d. Tho total income of the Now Zealand Public Servicer Superannuation Board in 1912 was £146,990, of which £23,000 was a contribution / from the Consolidated Fund. Tho pensions paid to contributors and dependants of jjeceaeed contributors amounted to £50,780 12s. 3d. For the year ended March 31, 1913, tho Public Trust Offlco had under its administration- funds amounting to £5,604,643, of which wills and trust estates accounted for £1,619,600, initwtato estates £211,494, mental patients' estates £180,856, superannuation and Civil. Service .funds .£988,178, and Government and local bodies' sink-' ing funds £2,3C0.603, besides other smaller amounts. For the year ended March 31, 1913, the Public Trust Ofllco had £4.574,821 invested in mortgages of real estate, and £762,598 in stocks, bonds, and debentures. The value of the properties ncnuired by foreclosure is set down at £6851. During the year ended June 30, 1913, Now Zealand's net production of wool for export was 528,779 bales, or a net weight of 169,843,8141b. Of this quantity 286,151 bales or 54 pec cent, of tho total was marketed in Now Zealand. / •, Of .the- 286,151 bales of wool sold at the sales in New Zealand during the year ended Juno 30, 1913, 285,804 bales were greasy and 347 etourcd, and tho total valuo was £4,0K,879, equal to £14 per bale, and on this basis tlio total production for export works out "at £7,402,906. Thirty-three firms were engaged in tho wool-celling business in New Zealand during tho year ended Juno 3d, '1913, and of the 286,151 bales sold at the local sales, Messrs. Dalgetv and Co., Ltd., were responsible for 68,832 bales, the next highest boirrn the Now Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company with 31,108 bales. Of the wool bought at the Now Zealand sales during the season ended June 30, 1913, and ((mounting to 286,151 bales, 198,624 bales 'went to the United Kingdom, tho Continent of Europe took 46,691 bales, the United States 21,000 bales, and Now Zealand woollen mills 19,836 bales. During 1912 Now Zealand imported machines and machinery to the value of £1,203,706, of. which electric accounted for £308,163, gas and- oil £179,841, agricultural £158,825, dairy £66,440, printing £40,813, mining £33.913, refrigerating £5085, and dredging £4479. '

SHORTAGE OF SHIPPING. Despite the fact that the shipping tonnage afloat, haa increased substantially since the opening of the current year, the demand for freight is still in cxccss of tho supply. The prosperity of the shipping industry lias, therefore, continued, possibly tho earning capacity of the regillar lines has expanded in an. oven greator degree than lias that of tramp tonnage. This is owing to the moro stable nature of tho business of the former, which moreover is conducted over rogular routes to scheduled -time and with less Tapid fluctuations in freight rates than in tho case of tho tramp vessel. It is estimated on a general baas that tho improvement which occurred during tho first fivo months of 1913 represented 15. per cent, ontho business done in the corresponding term in 1912, and there appear to be gold grounds for the hope that those better results may Inpt until the cmd of December next. -As a matter of fact, the volume of trade during the term mentioned advanced beyond tho record level, which existed at the close of 1912, whilst it is understood that expenses were very little hishor. This latter feature is due in great measure to Ihe absence of industrial troubles, and shipowners in England are of opinion that the outlook a.s regards labour does not disclose any occasion for anxiety, although, as to that., there is no knowing what a day may bring forth. Only recently an impasse was threatened in the construction branch of tho industry, but a development in that direction would not necessarily have an adverse effect upon tho ocoan transport trade. On, tho contrary, by the delay catv-el In the delivery of nmv tonnage, it would be moro likely to operate to the advantage of owners with vessels Th service, who would not have to meet the intrusion of competitors as eoon as expected.

AUSTRALASIAN GOLD YIELD. The gold yield of Australasia for the first lualf of the current year ajrain shows a shrinkage. The Commonwealth output totalled 1,077,466 fin© oz., against 1,126.493 fine oz. for the first half of 1911. The New Zonland yield was 158,182 fine oz., against 184,523 fine oz. In tli© table which follows the output in each of tho States and New Zealand are given in comparative form:— 1912. ' 1913. Fine oz.' Fine oz. Victoria 228,984 217,603 N.S. "Wales 78,308 70,191 Queensland 170,354 131,218 W. Australia 627,847 - 638,365 Tasmania 18,000 17.0C0 S. Australia 3,C00 3,CCO Commonwealth ... 1,126,493 1,077,466 New Zealand 184,528 158,182 1,311,021 1,235,648 Tho figures for Tasmania an-d South Australia are estimated. » Customs duties collected at tho port of Wellington yosterday amounted to £2550 6s. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S CABLEGRAM". Tho Department of ' Agriculture, Industries, and 'Conimorcc has received the following cablegram from tho High Commissioner for New Zealand, dated London, July 19. # (Note.—Quotations, unless otherwise specified, are average market prices on spot.) Mutton.—The market is a shade weaker. Prices have declined Jd. per Jb. for lightweight Canterbury, and l-16d. for all pradaj of North Island. Canterbury, 4 5-16 d. prr Jb.: light-weight, 4 3-8(1.; North Island. 4 3-lCd. Tho market j* weak. Prices Jkiao declined. Oantwbury 2'fi. 5 U'lW.

per lb.; heavy-weight, unchanged, at 43d.; other than Canterbury, s)d. Hoef.—The market is firm. There ia no chomgo in prices. Otalled hinds, 4id. ner lb.; forea, 3{d. Butter.—The market is dulJ, and tlio demand is slow. There is do change in prices. Cheese.—Tho market is quiet for New Zealand, and trade is slow tor Oa-nodian. New ZcaJand white, per cwt., 665. 6d.; coloured, 663. 6d.; Canadian, finest white and coloured, 645. 6d. Hemp.—Tho market is quiet, but.steady. There to an increasing demand for better grades ot Manila, and for that tho market is firmer. A'ow Zealand, good fair pradc, per ton, £29 {nominal); fair, £24 155.; fair current Manila, £29 10<5. Forward ship-ment-New Zealand good fair, £29 10s.; fail*, £25; fair current Manila, £29 10s. The output from Manila for the week was 19.000 bales. Wheat—Tho market is quiot. Nominally New Zealand long-berried, ex granary, per quarter of. 4961b., 395. to 395. 6d. Tho value to-day of the new ctrop for shipment is 355. to 3is. 6d. per (matter of 48011>., c.i.f. Oats.—The market is quiet, but firm. New Zealand oats (Danish), ex cranary. per quarter or 32011)., 21b. 6d. The value today of "A" GartoM (new crop) is 235. Peas.—The market is ouiet, with a poor demand on. account of high prices. Heaps— I The market is dull, and beanrare selling very slowly. New Zealand beans, f.a.q. fcold orop). per 5041b., 38.=. 3d. Cocksfoot—The market closed firmer, with moro inquiry. ' New ZoaJnucl cocksfoot seed, woighlng 171b. per bushel, offered at 4Bs. 6d. per cwt., c.i.f., for shipment: Danish, 445.; 90 per cent, purity of growth guaranteed. LONDON MARKETS. By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright London, July 20. Oopra.—The market is very active, owing to a considerable amount of buying to cover "bear" sales. South Sea, bagged, JS in small supply, and is quoted at £29 12s. 6d. per ton. Jute.-JThe market is quiet. Native firat marks. August shipment, are selling at £26 10s. per ton. Hemp.—The market is quiet. New Zealand high point fair, July-September shipment. £26 ss. per ton. Rubber.—Pine hard Para rubber 13 quoted at 3s. 9d. per lb. Cotton.—July shipments of American middling cotton are clearing at 6.44Jd. por lb. Tin-plates—l.C. coko, 13s. 4id. per cwt.; 1.0. coke, 14s. IJd. Fencing-wire is quoted a.t £7 10s. per ton. Antimony, £8 lCs. por ton. for 50 per cont. ore. WHEAT AND FLOUR-. London, July 20. The wheat and flour afloat for the United Kingdom ia 3,050,000 quarters; for tho Continent, 1,690.000; Atlantic shiDmeuts, 325,000; Pacific, nil. The total shipments to Europe during the week were 1,025,C00 quarters, including 55.000 from Australia. Tho market .is steadier. An Australian cairgo sold at 365. 6d.