COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1912, 21 November 1913, Page 4

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHATtES. Two parcels of Standard Insurance Shares changed hands at 325. 3d., and these were the only transactions in investment shares recorded yesterday. The quotations we're as under:— Buyers, -Sellers.' £ s. d. £ s. a. Bank New Zealand — 10 17 6 WoUiocton Invcst.racnt ..-. — ' 011 9 "Well. Trust and Loan .... — 7 9 0 Ohrietchu-rfch' .Oas ......... 615 0 — Standard Insnrance - 1 12 6 Gear Meat (£4) 13 ] I — Gear Meat (£l) 3 9 0 — MosgJel Woollen 3 8 6 3 10 6 " .Well. Woollen - 4 10 .Golden Bay Cement — 0 19 0 .N.Z. Con. Dental ~ 10 9 —' Whitcombc and Tombs 619 0 : — ~.,.BRITISH. SHIPBTJILDINO. ';. Lloyd's shipbuilding returns for tho quarter ended- September 30 last indicate ■continued shrinkage in. the tonnage of merchant, ships under construction. At tho close of the term there were 508' vessels of 1,987,245 tons in' course of building, the figures for the immediately preceding term having been 543 vssels and 2.C03.241 tons.c. decrease of. ,16,000 tons. Excluding warships there- were under construction in the United Kingdom on September 30 of tho current year 487 steel steamers, 4 steamers and 17 saving vessels, two of the last-mentioned being wood and composite/ and'" the" others ste'el. Of the craft on the stocks in tho United Kingdom 413, of 1,554,994 tons, were intended for classification by Lloyd's, and in. addition 115: were- being built abroad; the . totals benng~s2B vessels and 2,041:136 tons. Ownershin was divided thus:—United Kingdom. 376, of 1:551,972 tons; the colonies 23, of 20,376 tons; Holland. 10, with a tonnage of 114,080; .'.'Enesia-anil Argentina,. 13 vessels each, tho former taking 32,735 tone and tne republic 17,545. The. figures . are regarded ■as' proof that the 'shipbuilding "boom" has naaseduts zenith, and is beginning to wane. Since..the middle, of 1909,. when, the tonnage building'was given as only 750.C00; .' there .was consistent expansion until practically the end of March last, the record ■ ;for the first, tiuart.cr of 1913 showing ' .2.050,000 tone under construction; The warships being built at the end of Septem- ■ ber last included 131.480 tons' displacement, British, at Eoyal dock yards, and 206,298 • -tons in private yards, besides which ther-s - were 12 foreign warships of an aggregate displacement of 124,700 tons in hand In •the United Kingdom. In a list dealing with colonial and foreign tonnage incourso of construction, Germany takes first place with 92.vessels of 535,555 tons gross: and " the British'colonies second with 67, of 56.923 tons. Then follow the United States, with 64 vessels, of 131,800 tons; Holland, with 50, totalling 12C.730 tons; and Norway, 45. representing 41.746 tonnage.' Theshrink.ago in orders which. has occurred of late is not .in any sense disconcerting to builders;, for oven if there be a,lull in the,new .bookings'.'the yards will have plenty of work to keep them going for some time to come. BOEAX. INTERESTS CONSOLIDATED. '.'•.'.The borax interests of the world are ■now practically controlled'by a single Interest. A Eeutef'e telegram "from San Francisco states that the owner of 95 per 1 cent, of tho shares of the Pacific Coast Borax Company, ajid of considerable' holdings in- other 'borax concerns, has arranged for their transfer to an entirely 'British syndicate, under the chairmanship of Mr. E. C. Bojter, joint-managing director of.(Bdra'x Consolidated, Limited,' Eondon, for.£6Co,oCo: This represents the cul- . miuation of negotiations which have been .going on. for a.'' long time for tho closer . organisation of the industry. 'The operations of the Consolidated,' the "Financial Times" points out, extend from Asia Minor' ' to South America, but the conditions governing tho trade have, changed very ration 'of late years, and it. has become desir- • able that the principal interests should Mass under one control. This policy has now been practically achieved, and is likely to prove beneficial to all concerned. NOVEMBEE WOOL SALES. Messrs. Dalgety and Company, Limited, Wellington, hdvo, been- advised by cabio from' " their.' London office as fol- ■ lows:—Tho list of arrivals'is'closed. All Now Zealand wools have arrived in . tlmo except those per Matatua. Tho. new :arrivals amount to 143,000 bales,, of. which 40,000 balos have been forwarded, direct to manufacturers. There will be available. . for fale 140.000 bales, including 37,000 bales of old, stocks. ■'•■'■ ;;'::,.■■.:, -'.•.,' " WOELD'S'WOOL SUPPLY.' '■' '' r ("Times"—Sydney "Sun" Special Cables.) London, November 19. '.Mr. David -Murray, presiding at c, meeting of the Now Zealand and Australian Land Company, at Edinburgh, said that tho world'p supply of., wool was not increasing, and wool-wcarcrs were annually • becoming more numerous. SYDNEY WOOL SALES. ByjTelegraph—Press Association—Copyright -" ' ' Sydney, November 20. At the wool sales thero was active demand. Prices wero on a par with thoso . of last week: AUSTRALIAN PEODUCE ■ MAEKETS. (Eec. November 20. 9.25 p.m.) Sydney, November 20. Wheat, ,3s. 5d., 3s. sid. Flour; £8 10s. Oats, Algerian feeding, 2s. 4d. ( 25.. 6d,.; milling, 2sj\Bd. Snarrowbill's,,'33.' 2d.. 3s. 3d.; Giants',' 3s. 3d., 3s. 4d.;, New Zealand . : Barley,-Cape malting, 35..3d.,/3s.- 6d.<-Maize,'4s. 2d.,'fe 4d. Bran- ; ait'd -pollard, £4., 'Tasmanians, £6. 'Onions, Yictorinn, £7 10s„ £8. Butter, selected,' 1035.; secondary, 98s. Cheese, 6d. Bacon, 9d„ lOd. Adelaide, November 20. Wheat. 3s. ,6d„ 3s. 6Jd. Flour, £7. 155., £8. Bran and;pollard, lid. : .'•'' " HIDES.' '■'•- ; (Eec. November 20. 9.25 p.m.) ■ '■'■: ■ Molbourns, November. 20. The hidos market reports average sun-' plica and fair competition. Pdc#s are Jd. . lower. . • • } :''.'r,::.:Z ;.. ~ silvee. . London, November 19. Bar silver is Quoted at 27Jd. per ounce standard. LINSEED OIL AND TUEPENtInE. . Linseed oil, £22 15s. ; , Turpentine, 325,. 6d. : ' •'■'■'-"■••'• '" ;■:■ TALLOW.. '. :;; '•''.; London, November 19. 'I'At thDi.tnlloW sales.. 803 casks were offered .and ,538 sold. .Prices realised;—Mutton—Fine. 375. 3d.; medium, 345. 6d.' Beef —Fine; '355; 9t1.; medium, 345. - •