COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1821, 6 August 1913, Page 10

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHARES. Sales of investment • chares recorded ' yesterday were:—Christchureh Gas, at £7 2a. 6d.; and SharlanU's' preference, at 21s. 6d. Tho Quotations .vrcrc as under:— Buyers. fiellere. £ b. d. £ s. d National Bank 5 2 3 — Metropolitan Building ... — ' 12 6 6 N.Z. Loan and Merc. ...... 0 10 4 — N.Z. and River Plate ..2 0 0 — Wellington Investment ... — 011 ? Wellington Gas-tiy.Q}.r.w...-15.15 0.-. 16.0; 0. National Insurance .;2 >6.3 - . . — S.U. Insurance 310 6 316 6 : Uhristchurch Moat 15 3 6 — Gear Meat (£4) 12 8 0 — 1 Gear Meat (£1) 3 4,6 — Meat Export (525. 6d:> 3- 2 6 -• • New Zealand Shippicff —1515 0 16 2 6 Well. Woollen' (ord.) 3 13 0 — ' Golden Day Cement — 1 0 0 Sharland'e preference .... — 119 Ward and Oo : 5 3 0 -- W.F.aA. (£5) - -726 W.F.C.A. (£1) — 1 '8 3 ' . "'WOOL. SAILERS. ■ ' The resolution of the Bradford Chamber of Commerce- urging tho shipping companies to provide sailing vessels to carry Australasian wool is jutt what-might have been expeetod during the present period of monetary stringency. Some years ago a' food d-c-e.l of Australasian wools way sent y eaileir, and deliveries were, thus spread over a'pericd. This saved storage.charges, and monetary charges, and was convenient to the trade. Now the bulk of the wool is rushed off in steamers, and buyers <ito forced to take delivery, of a big quantity of wool for which they have no immediate use. Consequently storage accommodation has to b<? provided and bank ac-. commodation arranged, so that the wool can be paid for. But'whetto in serving the convenience of Bradford, the shipping companies will be studying their own intcrcrtß and the interests of growers is quite another matter. SCARCITY OF GOLD. According to a cable message published yestorday morning the Bank of Franco is converting iter goLd reserves into twentyfranc pieces.- In the rniddlo of June tlicf Bank of France held in gold coin and bullion £132,537,000, and silver to. the value of £24,854,100, but against this- huge metal reserve there were noto3 in circulation to the athounit of £220.016,CC0. The bank is evidently minting- a' number of gold bara to nioet the demand for gctfd. coins. The scarcity of gold currency is no doubt due to hoairdiug, wMoh has been a marked feature of the Continent, recently, owing to tho fear of a big' European war. The return to the'usual channels of etich-hidden funds will be a very gradual proccs3, and the hoard-era in'the outlying portions of. the various empires'will be slower in- recovering confidence than tho people in the great citios. •■ It is not likely < that ignorant peasants, who are not familiar with business or well informed regardug thc § rela- ! tons bet-ween the great Powers, will be easily reassured. BRITISH COAL TRADE. • At the conclusion of the coal strike in : Great "Britain last year, it wae contended many people that whatever might happen to the Home trade as a result of the aonccssbra of the miners' demands,, the export business must suffer. It was argued that the restriction of output . and the highor cost of production entailed by the now agreement inuet inevitablv lead to a loss of custom an the world's markets. Events, however, have to a largo extent proved that theso fears were unfounded. In an official report recently published giving details of shipments of coal abroad for 1911 and 1.912, it. is shown that the export of coal from the United Kincrdom la«t year was only 155.1C0 tona smaller than that, of 1911. in finite of the inteiruiption emitfod by the strike. In effect, therefore, the cool owners have' succeeded in passing on to their foreign customers, at all evente, the whole of tho. extra cost entailed in mining under tl!<° conditions imposed «fter th* pettlement of- t.h«? strike, and perhaps a little over. Had it not bor.. liowavt. for the industrial activity both at Home and abroad, it is possible t.hfl.t, a di Cerent result might, have been experienced'. TRADE IN ALLEN STREET. Fruit.—Tho shipment of Island oranges repacked in Auckland reached, the market yesterday, and ro?lio?d satisfactory rates.. The Maunganui, due from Sydney to-day.' is bringing a larger shipment than usual of fruit, because there was no direct steamer last week. 1 The market is just now exceedingly bare of mandarines, lemons, oranges, passion fruit, and pineapples. The tomatoes from Fiji were not allowed tq bo landed in New Zealand, owing to pomo technical flaw in the certificate, and thev wn»re sent on to New.South Wales. Oni*v light F-hipmenit" of apples arc coming from the Nelson district, conReouentlv tho market rules high Tasminian apples are also short in supply, due no doubt to Irish prices ruling in Tasmania. Consignment of apples arc re-' co"tm«*nded. Ve?elabletf.--Nearly all elates of veg" 1 - able-* ore -'rid in good demand. Cabbages nnd rAuliflow&T* have improved In. value, parsnips have advanced sharplyTihoro i? a. fair demand for. carrot®. and a.n excellent demand for celery. Pumpkin* and marrows *»-re rea'lsini? hirh rates and sunnlio' are short of requirements. Poto+ne*—The market hnn wakened further. The WePnyton far nrime table potatoes is £4 ss. to £4 15n. pr;f ton. Scnl potatoes nre *>t hcaw sunply. £5 ss. to £5 10=.; Northfpu Star. £5 10?.; Gamekeeper, £5 If s , to £5 155.: Prince Vietorii. £6 10s.' T'arVv Vermori 4 .. £7; fleputv of H«bron a"d r T,rly Ro«e. £8 5». to £8 10s. : kidipvp. n ic<j. ' Onion.?.—Su-pnli«*s routin-un nlentiful. Far-Mier-con-ignment? of J/>.ean'»»p oni-us nre dnr- in the rc«JP5c of n. few My*. Regular xtrppfclr con?ipnrr"n,t3 of Victorian-grown ciio bfeing Tccolvod

Flour.—Fair bu-lne'os, ii 3 (loins on the basis of £9 per toil, f.o.b. south. Bran.—The market i-3 weaker by 2s. 6d. per ton, an-d the current quotation is £4 its. tit. to £5 ss. Pollard. —A moderate business is doing with. N6.v Ze*iknid and Australian description? <it £6 IC<=. to £7 per ton. Maize,—With the aavent of warmer weather, the demand has slackened; the quotations iy se. to ss. Id. per bushel. Kolled Oats.—Tliislle brand, in 4}lb. bags, are selling at 10s. per dozen, Qatimeal.—HoA brands are ruling at £15 per ton, in 261b. bags. is not mucrti bwsinea? doing. Short feed, 2s. lCd. to 3s. Id. per bushel; feed Algerian, 2s. Ed. to 2s. lid;; seed Algerian, 3s. to 3s. 3d.; heavy Duu oats, 3s. to 3s. Id.; discoloured and toft, 23. 6d. to &?. 7d. Hay.—A good demand exists for prime hanid-pros-scd rye and clover at £5 10s. to £5 159., Chaff.—The market is unsteady. Prime quality, £5 2s. 6d. to £5 7s>. 6d. per ton, sacks in. Fowls' Wheat.—Prime quality, 4s. 4d. to 4s. 6d. per bushel; medium quality, 4s. to 4s. 2d. Eggs.—Fresh have declinorl considerably, and are now ousted at 15..3d. per dozen. , Butter.—Prime in bulk, is in exeollent demand. at Is. to Is. Id. per lb.; good quality, Ild. Partridge pea* ore slow of ealo at 4s. to 4s. 6d. per bushel. Prussian blue peas- ore" quoted at se. to 5?. 6d. per bushel. Feed barley is ©low of pale at ss. to 3s. id. Oape harlev is exceedingly dull, at 3s. 3d. Poultry.—Hens, 3?. 6d. to 4s. 6d. per pair; cockerol9, 4s. to 6 5 ?.: etaw, 3s. 6d. to 4s. 6d.; Aylesbury and Pekin dt'-cks, 63. 6d. to 7s. 6d.: Indian Kiincer duels? &?. to ss. 6d.; turkey gobblors, Is. per lb. live weight; lions, 9d.. Customs duties rollccted at *he nor* af yosterday amounted to, £3264 15s. 9d. / WHEAT AND POTATO MARKET. (By Telegraph—Prees Association.) Chrlstchurch, ■August 5. The only business reported in wheat is that about lO.CCO sacks have "been shioped Homo in three recent- steamers, and it is said that this has been done by special arrangements, as the cargo was required for stiffening purposes in these vei-eel?. There is no other move in grain, unless it inn.y be among merchants, as thoro is nothing offering from the coumtry. Potatoes afe, if anything. Rtill eisiier, nnd £2 sa. at country stations Is now the outaido price at which ea.los are beins made.