COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1853, 12 September 1913, Page 10

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHARES. Investment shares were quiet yesterday, and thero wore no transactions recorded Tho quotations were as under:— Buyers. Sellers.

AMERICAN WOOL DUTIES. The Underwood Bill, having passed, raw wool is now on tho free list of the American tariff. Schedule K hue been the principal bono of contention throughout the I campaign, and the reductions involved iu thig schedule 011 tops, yarns, blankets, dress goods, .clothing, etc, are very substantial. In their "Wool Review" recently issued, Messrs. Dalgety and Co., Ltd., give voluminous details regarding tho Amencan tariff, and tho wool industry of tho United States. Under the Payne-Aldrich tariff of 1909, which is now displaced by the Underwood tariff, the duty 011 Claes I wool, that is, most ofl tho wools aa producod in Australia was ssd. per lb., and 6d. per lb. upon Class 11, composed of londwools, such as Lincolns, Lcicester6, ctc., and, on a percentage basis tho duties collected during recent years havo ranged from 46 to 56 per cent, on fine wools, and 47 to 60 per ceut. on lougwools, whilst on carpet or Class 111 wools it has ranged from 36 to 44 per cent. These enormously high 'duties have brought about artificial prices for wool, but have not auccceded in fostering Itfie etock-Taiaing industry; and though they have, perhaps, saved the flocks from extinction, it has been at the cost of dour meat and dear and inferior clothing for tho masses. Pure wool clothing has been out of tho reach of at least 80 per cent, of the population, aud the recourse to tho substitution of cotton, shoddy, and such inferior textiles hag been enormous. THE AMERICAN DEMAND. Although the United Kingdom heads the list as regards the quantity of wool manufactured, the United States of America is the greatest wool-consuming country in tho world, and tho strength of tho demand from that great country has, consequently, a most important bearing upon the market for tho staple product of Australia, an influence which mu6t necessarily bo very much greater in tho future than in the .past.- Dalgety and Co. furnish the following Übble, giving tho quantity of wool used for manufacturing purposes, which shows the relative importance of the United States and some other countries

The gross imports of Class I wools into Boston, New York, and Philadelphia ,in 1910 totalled 106,713,7501b., in 1911, 36,222,609, and in .1912, 60,510,5451b. The countries from which these wools wore obtained were as under:—

COMPANIES REGISTERED. In the list of companies registered appearing in this week's "Mercantile Gazette," the following are recorded:— Wellington Cabinet Co., Ltd. Registered as a private company September 8. Ofllcc, Adelaide Road, Wellington. Capital, £500, into 500 shares, of £1 each. Subscribers: Wellington—G. Wigham, 100; A. J. Conibear. ICO; F. ,G. Humhprey, 1C0; A. Baker, 50; T. H.-Eimis, 100; C. H. Harris, 50. Objects: To acquire the plant, machinery, etc., and leasehold of Charles IT. Harris, and to carry on tlio business of wholesale and • rotail manufacturers of .furniture, etc. Titania, Ltd. Registered as a private company, September 9. Capital, £4480 into 64 shares of £70 earfo. Subscribers: Wellington— F. Holm. 33; C. Stewart, 22; S. Holm, 7; G. T. T. Hull, 2. Objects: To acquiro the ship Titania, tosetlier with all requisite equipment for tlio same, and to carry on the business of a shipowner. A. Broadbelt and Co., Ltd. Registered as a private company September 9. Capital, £8000, into 80 shares of £100 each. Subscribers: FeHding—A. Broadbclt, 40; Hannah Broadbclt, 20. Ohakune—E. T. Broadbelt, 20. Objects: To acquire and take over as a going concern the business of Alfred , Broadbclt a!! sawmiUer, sash and door manufacturer, etc. CUSTOMS REVENUE. Customs dwfies collected' at the E°rt of Wellington yusterdiay amounted to £2794 14s. lid. . • ( LONDON MARKETS. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Ltd., have received fAo following cablegram from their , London •house, under date September 10:4 Tallow: We quote present spot value for the following descriptions :—Fine mutton:. Tit 17s. 9d. per cwt.; good beef, £1 15?. 6d. ner owt.; imixod, £1 13s. 3d. per cwt. Tlio mutton market is inactive. Wheat: Havo sold an Australian cargo at £1 16s. 9d. c.i.f. The market is quiet but steady, owing to good harvest. The general maTltet is not likely to improve at present; AUSTRALIAN PRODUCE MARKETS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Rec. September 11, 10.15' p.m.) Sydney, September 11. .Wheat, 3s. 7Jd., 3s. Bd. Flour, £8 15s. Oats, Algerian feeding, 2b. 6d.; milling, 2s. IM'.j Knarrowbills. 3s. 2d.. 3s. 3d.; Giants, 3e. 3d. Maize, 4s. 2d. Barley, Cape malting, 3s - . 3d., 3s. Ed. Bran and pollard, £4 f«. Potatoes (Tasmanians). £6 10s., £7; New Zealand, £4. Onions, £8., £8 10s. Butter, selceted, 1125.; secondary, lC8s„ 110s. Cheese, 7d. Bacon, 9d. Adelaide, September 11. Wheat, 3s. 7d., 3s. 74d. Flour, £8, £8 2s. 6d. Bran and pollard, Is. HIDES. (Rec. September 11. 10.15 p.m.)' Melbourne, September 11. Tlio hides market reports average supplies, with Btrong competition. Prices have recovered from last week's drop. WHEAT. • (Rec. September 11, 11.20 p.m.) London, September 11. The wheat market is firm. An Australian oargo sold at 365. 6d. For a Juno shipment,- 365. 9d. was asked. COPPER. ■ (Rec. September 11, .11.20 p.m.) London, September 11. Copper ia quoted at £72 17s. 6d. SILVER. London, September 10. Bar Edlver is quoted at 27Jd. per ounce standard. TALLOW SALES. .. London, September 10. At the tenth tallow sales 1658 casks were offered, and 1341 sold. Pricos realised:— Mutton, fine. 335.; medium, 355.; beef, fine, 375. 6d.; medium, 345. 6d. -LINSEED OIL AND TURPENTINE. Raw linseed oil, spot pipes, £24 12s. 6d, per ton. Turpentine is quoted at 295. 9d. . .

i>uy<jra. Ecners. £ s. d. £ 8. d. N.Z. Loan and Mercantile (J)3.) — 0 JO 6 N.Z. Loan and Mercantile (pref,) 97 0 0 — Wellington Investment ... - 0 11 9 Well. Trust and Loan ... 7 1 6 7 2 6 Chrifitchurch Gas — 7 10 Wolliajton Ckw (£10) 15 17 6 - Standard Insuronco "7 1 lz 3 Cliristclnirch Meat 15 a u — Gt-ar Meat (£1) ,1,1/ — N.Z. Shipping 15 J ~ Union Steam 2 4 o — Wellington Woollen (ord.) -- 4 10 Welliuptou Woollen (pref.) 2 19 0 ~~ Wcebport Coal 12"? I ? 5 Wesitpoxt-Stocktcn 0 5 J 0 4 3 Totara 2 5 0 - Golden Day Cement — 1-0 0 N.Z. Portland Cement ... 0 15 0 Shavlaud's preference ... 1 1 0 ' — W.F.C.A. (£51 - 7 2 6 W.F.O.A. (£1) - 18 3.

. lb. United Kingdom 492,CCO,DCO Unitod States 480,000,000 Franco 457.OCO.OJO Germany 380.000,000 Austria-Hungary 13Z.OOO.CCO Italy 57,000,000

1912. 1911. 1910. lb. lb. lb. Alustralasia ... 39,186,399 20,470,121 6S,C94.039 Argentina , 23,049,591 14,014,295 27,231,168 Uruguay 3,125,759 715,525 8,768,627 All other 1,149,196 1,022,668 2,519.896 65,510,945 36,222,609 106,713,750