COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1817, 1 August 1913, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHARES. Tlio sales recorded yesterday were: National. Bank at £5 25.; Union Bank, rights, £5 17s.' 6d.; and Wellington Trust and Loan at £7 Is. 6d. The quotations wore as under:— Buyers. Scllere. £ 6. d. £ s. d. Bank New Zealand — 10 12 fi National Bank 5 1 0 5 2 6 N.Z. Loan And Merc 0 10 4 — N.Z. and River Plate 2 0 .0 — 'Wellington Investment ... ~ 011 8 Well. Trust and Loan 7 10 — Christoliurch Gas •. 7 6 6 7 7 6 Wellington Ga.s (£10) 16 5.0 Wellington Gas (prcf.) — 10 0 OhrisU'hurch Moat 15 3 6 — Gear Meat (£4) 12 8 0 — Gear Meat (£1) o 4 0 — Meat Export (525. 6d.) 3 10 — N.Z. Shipping — 16 5 0 Taupiri Coal 110 — Westport Coal 17 9 18 3 Leyland-O'Brien — 14 6 Gulden Bay Cement — 10 0 Manning and Co 4 3 6 — Rharland'e preference — 119 Ward and Co 5 3 0 - W.F.C.A. (5) - 7 2 6 W.I\C.A. (£1) - 18 3 The course of fates during t-ho past month was as uuaer:— National Bank, £5 3s. 6d., £5 35., £5 35., £5 3«. 6d.. £5 3?. 6(1. £5 2s. Union Bank (rights), £5 155., £5 155., £5 17s. 6d. N.Z. Loan and Mercantile, lCs. 10d., 10s. 4}d. Wellington Investment, lis. ICd., 12?. Wellington Trust and Loan, £7 Is., £7 Is., £7 Is., £7 Is. 6d. Wellington Gas (£10). £16 ss. N.Z. Insurance, £5 45.. £5 ss, 6d. Union Steam, 43e. 9d., 435. 9d. Wellington Woollen, ordinary, £3 12s. 6d., £3 13s. 6d., £3 13s. 6d. Taupiri Coal, 21s. 6d.. 21s. 6d, Westport Coal, 275. 6d, Le.vUvnd-O'Brien, 255. N.Z. Drug, 455. Sharland'a preference, 21s. 9d. LAND TRANSACTIONS. . The Return .T1.3„0f the Land Transfer and -Deeds Registration Office, shows the area transferred during the financial year ended March 31, 1915, and the value of eamc. The arcii3 transferred during cach of the past live years were as under:—

The area, transferred during last year is larger than in any previous year recorded .above, and under both headings. Taking country lands alone, the areas transferred in each district during each of the past three years are Appended:—

AuehUwul district is apparently cnjoyinir a land boom, but then it must bo admitted that land values in that district are exceptionally loy when compared with the va.luP9 in other localities. In the tnblo below the total areas of town, suburban, and country lands transferred in cnch district, tho total value of such lands, and the 'iiverajre price per acre in each district i 3 fiiven

Land n.ppears to bo very dear in' (ho Wei' linjrton and Tanmnki districts, and very elieap in the Auckland district.

X.SS. OILKIKLDS, LTD. By TtJesraph- -Press association- Copyright London, July 30. Mr. Justice Neville lias ordered the compulsory winding-up of tho Xew Zealand jilfields, Ltd. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) * Cisborne, July 31. The director.? and manager of t.lie New Zealand Oil Fields. Ltd.. state that they are completely surprised at the new.-: that Mr. Justice Neville lias ordered the compulsory winding-up of the company. Furthvr, they lyiow of nn litigation to necessitate such an order. The company v.as formed on April 7, of 1310, for the purpose of developing the oil concessions in New Zealand. and to acquire <4 collections extending over a total axea of 147.900 acre*-, or about 230 square minis, wtuatccl mas' Gisbornc and the lvast Coast districts. The capital was £IVO.CVJ. divided in 1) 2.K0.000 shares or 2s. porii. of which one million were issued. Boring operations commenced at Totangi (Xsratupa), and after sinking a well about 500 feet deep, operations were discontinued pending the arrival of rotary drilling plant. On the arrival of tliirt machinery it was decided to continue the ono well at Waihircre, owinj to transportation facilities to that site Ileitis so much easier. The plant did good work, having reached o. depth of 1387 feci, with good oil iandi gas "showings." Owing, however, to the lapwclded casing being unsuitable for tho nature of tho country, it was decided io- close down pending the arrival of special rotary easing from America, which is on order.

I This company was floated in London about three years ago, when the oil boom was very pronounced, with a capital of £200,C00 in 2s. shares, to bore for oil in tho Poverty Bay districts. The company did not meet with much success, for apparently all the capital was exhausted, for the directors convened an extraordinary eeneral nice-tins, which was held on June 30. when a resolution was submitted to increase the canital to £250,000 bi- the creation of 5C0.0C0 profitsharing priority shares of 2s. each, entitled to cumulative 10 per cent, preferential dividends. It is obvious that this scheme of the directors did not meet with sufficient response, and the company lias now been forced into liquidation. Thus'the first NewZealand oil venture to secure English capital ends in a fiasco, which is rather a bad advertisement for tho oil industry of tho Dominion. LONDON MARKETS. Tho New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Ltd., have received the following cablegram from their Lojidon house, under date July 30:—Tallow: We quote present, spot values for tho following descriptions :—Good, mutton, 38s. 3d. per cwt.; good beef, 365. per cwt.; mixed, 343. per cwt. Tlio market is firm. Wheat: Wo have sold an Australian cargo at 375. e.i.f. The market i® steady owing to fine weather. Buyers are holding off, and the market is not likely to improve at present. Oats: Wo quote Gartons 235.. Sparrowbills 22a. The demand is restricted. THE QUININE MARKET. ' By Telegraph—Press Association- -Copyright . (Sydney "Sun" Special.) London, July 30. Negotiations between Europen makers of quinine and growers in Java arc expected to double the present price of quinine. TALLOW SALES. London, July 30. At the tallow sales. 2077 casks were offered, and 1685 sold. Prices roalisod-Mutton: Fine, 395. 3d.; medium. 355. 6d. Beef: Fine. 375. 6d.; medium, 355. SILVER. London, July 30. Bar silver is quoted at 27 o-Bd. per ounce standard. LINSEED OIL AND TURPENTINE. London, July 30. Haw linseed oil, spot pines, £25 15b. per toil. Turpentine is quoted at 275. 9d. AUSTRALIAN PRODUCE'MARKETS. (Dec. July 31. 9.30 p.m.) Sydney, July 31. Wheat, 3s. 7id.. 3s. Bd. Jlour, £8 15s. Oats, Algerian feeding. 2s. <fd„ 2s. 6d.; millins;. 2s. led.. 35.; Sparrow-Mi's. 35.. is. Id.: Giants, 3s. 2d., 03. 3d. Maize, 3s. 6d., 3s. 7d. Barley. Cape malting. 3s. 3d.. 3s. 9d. Tiran and pollard,. £4 5?. < Pollard, Tasmanians. £7 10s., £8. . Onions. Victorian, £7 15s'. £8: Japanese, £8, £8 10s. But.ter, selected. 1165.: secondary, 1125., 114s. Cheese, 7d. Bacon. B*d. Adclaldo, July 31. Wheat, 3s. Bd., 3s. Bid. l'lour. £8, £8 ss. Brail and pollard, Is. HIDES. (lice. July 31, 9.30 p.m.! Melbourne, July 31. Hides.—.Fair supplies: Eood competition: pricbs fair.

Town ami suburban Country March 31, acres. acres. 1909 6000 1,925.218 1910 5623 1,457,395 1911 7394 1.958.7C9 1912 7298 2,391X04 1913 7471 2,516,821

1911. 1912. 1913. District. Acres. Acre?. Acres. Auckland 517.074 804,003 1,038.644 Taranuki , 96.021 156.646 . 89.652 Wellington 338,474 361,235 309,484 HnwhcV; liny ... 260,821 195,235 255.716 Poverty Bay ... 112.484 95,957 1C0.35! Nelson 32.7E6 78.767 67.421 Marlborough ... 54,311 £4.156 65,983 Canterbury 236,771 279,223 294.258 Otap-o 116,618 120,348 106.836 Southland 161,055 193,489 180.667 Wcstland 5,294 24,935 7,859 1.95B.709 2,391,004 2,516,821

Total Avcraec value, per acre. District. Acre". £ ' £.«. d. Auckland 1,041.096 4.231,219 4 1 3 Taranalti 93,048 1,Ml,115 12 2 4 Wellington 311,292 3,268,027 10 0 8 llawkc's Hay ... 255.910 1,655,709 '680 Poverty Bay ... 1C0.681 63.1.491 6 6 0 Nelson 67.546 223,242 3 7 7 .Mnrllioroujh ... £6.013 225,977 3 8 8 Canterbury .... 295,045 3,064,438 12 8 5 Otasn ......' 107,374 1,167,893 10 1 9 Southland 181.342 1.112,776 6 2 9 Wcstland 7,875 44,776 5 13 9 2,524,292 17,325,730 6 16 10