COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1810, 24 July 1913, Page 10

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHAKES. A ealo of Wellington Gas shares at £16 55., cum. dividend, was the only transaction recorded 111 investment sharos yesterday. The quotations were as under:—

SHEEP AND FROZEN MEAT. The number of sheep ill New Zealand oil April 30 of cach of the Dast ten years, tocether with the exports of mutton and lamb carcasses, are sot forth in tho tabic appended;— No. of Per No. of ■ carcasses cent, of Yoar. sheep. exported. exports. ' 1904 18,280,806 4,493,840 24.60 1905 19,130,875 3.825,091 20.C0 1906 20,108,471 3.635,336 16.C8. . 1907 20,983,772 4.440.882 21.16 1908 22,449,053 ' 4,647,863 20.70 1909 23,480,707 4.809,804 20.48 1910 24,269,620 5.135,757 21.11 1911 23,996,126 5.688,002 23.70 1912 23,750,153 4.953,902 21.28 1913 23,661,151 . 5.315,217 22.47 It will be seen from the above that the (locks increased steadily up to 1910, and then decreased cach year. The exports havo fluctuated greatly, but if wo take the killings for local consumption, it is clear that fully 25 pec cent, of our flock 9 eocs into the market as food. Whether tins percentage is' excessive or not remains lo be seen, for the statistics so far are not sufficiently conclusive for anyone to express an opinion.

N.Z. STATISTICS. During the year ended March 31, 1913. the Inspection of Machinery Department inspected 7011 boilers, aud the fees for theso inspections amounted to £7969. Tho Inspection of Machinery Department during the year ended March 31, 1913. inspected 587 new boilers of 6649 horse-power, and of these 356 boilers of 3<37£ h.p. were manufactured in New Zealand. Tho Inspection of Machinery Department inspected during tho year ended March 31. 1913, 1531 gas enirines. 2794 oil engines, and 3802 \itta and motors, and 58 steam machinery. Of Clio 7011 boilers insDectcd' by the Inspection of Machinery Department during the year endod March 31. 1913, 5164 were stationary, and 1847 portable. During tho twelve months ended March, 31, 1913, an area of 55,140 acres, in fiftynine reserves, were set aside under tho Scenery Prciorvation Act. for scenic, historic, and thermal snrines purposes. Tlio net area reserved to March 31, 1913, was 211,562, contained in 318 seperato reservations. According to the Defence Report, the fitrencth of the New Zealand forces 011 April 30, 1913, comprised 23.919 Territorial.?. 24,770 Senior Cadets, and 5373 members of rifle clubs. The number of sheep in the Dominion 011 April 30, 1913, was 23.661.151, and thero was exported during tho year to tint (kite z, 133,226 carcasses of mutton, 3,181,991 ear- | cass.es of lamb, and 20.133cwt. legs olid 1 pieces mutton.

GENERAL lION'KY STIIIXUKNCi'. Monc.v continues scarce and dear everywhere. remarks the "Slatidt" of ;lune 7. Tho phenomenon in not eon/ined to Kuronc. *.[t i«s general in America and at tho Antipodes. It is, oE course, the result partlv of the hoarding of such large sums in some of the greatest of European countries; partly of the new issue?, which have continued lor so unusually long a time, and arc, going on 011 So fast a scale: and partly to the exceedingly pood trade, which in its turn U the result partlv of the immense new issues which-are supplying loss developed countries with a purchasing power to which they have not been accustomcd; partly to tho immense production of gold; aud parity to the natural tendency. for the rate of increase in trado to augment as tho growth continues. Wore it not for the political disturbances through which Europe has L'one. this year would have seen the greatest, trade tho world has ever yet experienced iii its history/ Even with all the disturbances and anxieties, the manner in which trade has kept up, and even continued to improve, is a matter for suprisc as well as for congratulation. There i.s no sign yet that anywhere in (lie British Empire the growth is ev'eu .slackening, while iu romc directions the prospects are as bright as ever; Much, of course, will depend upon the monsoons. In a very short time now thev ought to brtfik, and if they are satisfactory they will continue the series of good seasons in the tropical countries, and couisetjueutly will prolong the demand for mouey.

EXPOKTB OF PRODUCK. Acrorrtinfr to n rctiini just tho values of the exports of products from New Zealand (lurinc the first half of the current month, compared with the figures for tho corresponding period of last year, show as under:— 1913. 1912. Kutter 17.933 9,7*4 oiieOaO '.554 13,579 . Beef 17,246 22.769 Mutton, carcasses ... 76.498 65,134 ilutton— Lef?s aud pieces 1.244 112 Tomb 191.078 118,304 Wheat 51 5,755 Oalti • 21.450 Potatoes 263 2,515 Hemp 31.025 5,677 Kahbjts 4.673 625 Tow 1,356 1.298 Kauri gum 36,933 17,505 Grain and pulse 4.589 2,715 Hops 659 10 ] [ides '. 18.9-11 19,968 .' 67,145 23,164 Tallow 49,326 32,085 Timber' 11.980 D 3.132 • Wool 167,326 1C0,872 Gold 105.379 70.138 802,021 579,571 COMMONWEALTH IMPORTS. By Telezraph—Pieso Association—Copyright Melbourne, July 23. The imports into the Commonwealth for the half-year ended June 30 were of the value of a. decrease of £555.921. and tho vaiuo of the exports £30,088,347. a dsoreoso of £3,204,171 compared with the previous ctyrcspoiidintr haj^vear. FINANCIAL CABLEGRAMS. I London, July 22. ! Yesterday's closing quotations were as follow:— Bank of Australasia, buyers £115, eellers £117. Bank of New South V.'alec?, buyers £37, sellers £<0. BauJ; of Victoria, bu3*ers £4, sellers £4 lCd. Union Bank of Australia, buyers £52, sellers £54. National Bank of Australasia, buyers £5 5s criers 15^ National Bank of New Zealand, buyers £4 73. 6d., sellers £5 2s. 6dt Bank of New Zealaud, buyers £10, sdlera £11. . N.Z. Loan and llercantilo Agency 4 per cent, debentures, £94 10s. City of Melbourne, 4 per cent, deben* tures, £98. Melbourne Harbour Trust, 4 per cent, debenture, £96. Mclbourno Tramway Trust. 4J per cent debentures, £100. Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works, 4 per cent, debentures, £95. Australian Mercantile debentures, £90 Balgety and Co., 4 per cent, debentures. £91. • Dalgety and Co.'s shares, buyers £6, sellers £6 10s. Melbourne Gas Co 'a debentures, £99. City of Sydney, £99. Goldsbrough, Mort and Oo.'s debentures. £96 10b.

METAL MARKETS. (Eec, July 25, 11.40 p.m.). London, July 23. Copper—On cpot, £64 55.: three months. £64 3s. 9d; Electrolytic. £66 17s. 6d Tin-On spot, £185 10s.; three months, £185 15s. • Leadr-£2O 7s. 6d. • WHEAT. (Rec. July 23. 11.40 p.m). Londo.n, July 23. .Tlie American visible supply of wheat

Buyers. Sellers. £ s. d. £ s. (1. Bank of J<ow Zealand ... — 10 17 6 Union Baaik — 57 0 0 National Bank 5 0 0 — Metropolitan Building ... —. . 12 7 6 N.Z. and River Plate 2 0 0 . — Well. Investment 0 U 10 0 12 0 Woll. Trust and Loan ... 7 10 — Ohristehureli Gas — 711 6 Napier Gas (£5) 8 0 0 — Well. Gas (£10) 16 4 0 — Cliristchurch Moat 15 3 6 — Gear Meat (£4) 12 7 6 — Gear Meat (£1) 3 4 0 — Meat Export (£4) — 5 0 0 Moat Export (52s. 6d.) 3 0 0 — N.Z. Shipping — 16 7 6 Union Steam 2 2 9 -2 4 0 Well. Woollen, (ord.) 3 13 6 3 14 0 HikuraiiEi Coal — 015 0 Westnort Coal 17 6 — * LeylaiuWBrien — 15 6 Golden Bay Cement — 10 0 Sharland's prcl'eronce ... — 119 Ward and Co 5 2 6 W.F.C.A. (£5) - 726 W.F.C.A. (£1) _ i i1