COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1904, 12 November 1913, Page 4

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

, INVESTMENT SHARES. Nothing was doing in investment shares yesterday. Tho Quotations wero as -under:— , |

THE STRIKE RISK. 'The underwriter's, under instructions, have imposed, a special premium of ss. per cent, because of tho strike risk, and it is not cxpected that the rate will go any ■higher. Taken, altogether, tho underwriters have suffered very little. There has been no incendiarism, looting, or damage of property, and this is attributed to the excellent order maintained by the augmented : police force in tho city. Business peoplo have also taken,- precautions, ana most of the premises in tho City area, have been guarded at night. Some are inclined to relax this precaution, but it would bo -unwi£>e to give tho criminal Eeetion of tho mob rulers any opportunity. ANTWERP- EXCHANGE. Antworp has hitherto borno tho reputation of being an absolutely open market for international securities, owing to tho fact that Belgium was practically, free from stamp duties. A good deal of French arbitrage business was transferred to Belgium when France imposed heavy taxation in regard to transactions of this character. Legislation, however, has • recently been, passed requiring. 1 per cent, stamp duty to be paid on tho face value of all foreign securities negotiated in Belgium, and if the coupon sheets attached cover mora than 20 years an, extra i per cent: is to bo paid for every further period of fivo years. The basic principle of tho new law, states tho "Frankfurter Zeitung," is the «rcvcntion of Belgian investment in. foreign securities, and .thus divert local capital into Belgian Government stocks. For a'long timo past tho finances of the country have been conducted in a hand-to-mouth fashion by means of shortterm notes, b.ut'a funding operation ivill bo necessary sooner or later.. Tho .new law has created consternation in. ' Belgian banking and 6tock exchange circles at tlie prospcct of losing a largo quantity of good-business. Many companies, too, in Belgium have close relations with Canada and Argentina, whore they advance money profitably on the security of land. Tho high rates of interest obtainable in tho countries mentioned aro very remunerative to tho lenders, who finance by means of mortgage bonds placed in Belgium. It is hoped that tho Government will rescind tho obnoxious legislation, but nicajiwhilo business will probably be diverted.

TRADE IN ALLEN STREET. Tho Fruit Exchange in Allen Street received a gTeat deal of attention yesterday and tho day befoTo both from strikcra and the. police, but nothing of any conscquenco happoned. The 'maTkots wero well guarded on Monday evening, and 'on Tuesday morning when the Exchange), opened for business there was a posse of police in attendance. The fruit ex Willochra w*is offered at auction, and although many regular buyers refrained from operating, still a, good deal of the fruit changed hands. One firm alone cleared out 400 oases..

Fruit— Somo splendid samples o£ C«liforninn apples and pears tamo to hand, ex Willoelira. There were aiEo eomo Washinsrton navel oranges in the Willochra's consiKiimeut, tho whole of wlrich was safely carted to tlic markets. Bananas from tho Cook Islands are now in pood supply. and orders from country stationsalonir tho railway can be promptly executed at moderate prices. "No Sydney fruit rail !?o available till? week, t,o.ris« mippl.ic.-i of uooscljerrj.es uo coialnc lu from uic Kult district.

New potatoes have advanced, and <ir« now realising 7s. per cental. Tire bulk of ■the supplies aro coming from Auckland Old potatoes are exceedingly dull of sole, and sound table potatoes m-o bow nuotcd at .£5 par ton.

Vegetables— At yesterday's eales cabbages advanced fully 100 per cent,, «ncl other lines showed increases. A strong demand exists for caTrots and cauliflowers, and satisfactory prices arc being realised foe rhubarb, supplies of which. are coming mainly from t.he Otaki and llutt districts. Green peas arc in exceedingly light eunply, and realism" extreme rates.'

Onions.—Tho market is almost bare of supplies. Tho Willochra's consignment has come to liand just in time, but nrices ore likely to rule high.

Flour is now Tuling at £14 per ton. Fowl's wheat is in fair supply, end ia quoted at 4s. to ss. per bushel, according to quality.

Maize is Belling at 4s. 9d. to 6s. per bushel.

Bran.—Good stocks are held, and the current value is £4 15s. to £5 per ton.

Pollard.—Stocks are exceedingly light, and to-day's quotation is £6 ifis. per ton. Oatmeal.—Stocks are light. V/-r:l'-Uno\ni brands aro quoted at £13 to £13 Ife. per ton. ,

Rolled oats.—Thistle brand in' 451b. bare, 10s. fid. per dozen; • croamoata-, Ms. 64.

Chaff.— I The market is steady and Drm. chaff is quoted at £6 10s. to £7 per ton.

Eggs.—Fresh eggs are. in good supply, and aro quoted at Is. 2d, to Is. 3d. per dozen.. , .

Butter has poor inquiry. Primo milled, in, bulk. 9d. to lOd. per lb. Prussian Blue peas are slow of Bale at ss. 6d. per Ijrjjiel. In the Absence peas the market for these should Improve. Partridge peas meet with little demand at 4e. 6d. to 4s. 9d. per bushel.

Poultry.—Hens, 3s. 6d. to 4s. 69, ft pair; heavy'table birds, up to fos cockerels, 4s. 6d. to ss. 6d.; Indian Bonner dneks, fe. to ss. 6d.; Pekin and Aylesbury, 6-S. to 75.; turkey gobblers, la. par It). live weight; hens, 9d. to lOd. / CUSTOMS EETENTJB. Customs duties collected at the port of Wellington yesterday amounted to £2565 16s. 9d. ' WESTPORT COAX, COMPANY, (By Telegraph—Press Assoeiation.) Duncdln, November 11. The' Westport Coal Company's annual report shows a profit of £44,043, to which is added £10,347 brought forward. After paying an interim dividend there is an available balance of £34,391 out of which a shilling dividend has been declared absolving £20,000, The sum of £2000 is appropriated .for the employers' provident fund, £2000, to reserve, .and £10,391 carried forward as an insurance fand, which has been fortunate in escaping losses for eojne yeajs« The directors pay therefrom a bonus of sixpence per ehare. '

MELBOURNE WOOL SALES. 'By Telegraph—Press Association—OoßjTigfbt (Rcc. November U, 11,31 p.m.). - Melhourno, November IV, At the wool sales, to-day all the better classes wero in 6trone dsmaiid at lato .rates. RIVER PLATE MEAT. London, November 10. River Plate shipments ot mutton total 150,500 carcaflies, lamb 26 t 500 carcasses, frozen beef 54,500 quarters, chilled 277,5® quarters. •' •

Buyers. Scllors. £ 6. d. £ b. (I. National Bank — 5 8 0 Equitable Building 8 15 0 — Wellington Investment ... — 011 9 Well. Trust and Loan. ... 7 5 .0 . r~ Christ-church Gas — 7 0 0 Wellington Gas (£10) 16 12 6 — Well. Gas (preference) ...10 0 . — ■ Gear Meat (£4) 13 0 0 — Gear Meat (£1) 3 9 0 — Union Steam (ord.) 3 4 3 — Well. - Woollen (ord.) — 4 10