COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1976, 5 February 1914, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INYESTJEENt BHAEES. A fair number of sake ff-ere mafte in investment shares yesterday, the buslnwE oono being as under:— - ; - ■ JUank Kew Healaui (figHs}, £5 3s. fid., £5 3s. 6d., £5 3s. 6d., £5 &)'. id., £5 Ss. 6d.. Ohrietchurcb Gas (£i), £6 12s. 6d, Crown iirewery, £1 16s. Whitcombe and 'i'ombs, £6 13b. 6d. (cum riffhte).. The quot-ationa were ns follow:— liiiyers Seller* . . £ i. d. ' £ s. d. Bank New Zealand 13 0 0 ' - Bank N.Z. (rights) ;. - — 6 4 0 Nationnl Bank. .5 6 0 - . Kational Mortgage 4 15 — N.Z. and Kiver Plate 2 0 S ■ . — Well. Deposit ;, 0 6 0 Chriskhurcli Gas (£5! ... 6'tl 6 6 13 0 Ohristchurch Gas (£2) ... 2 IS i — Wellington Gas (£lw - 1815 0 Well. Gas (preference) ... 0 19 6 — Gear Meat (£4) la 12 6 Gear Meat, (£t) 11 I! Meat Kxport 1535. 6iJ.) ... J 2 6 — Union Steam (pref.) ...... 019 U . — Mosgiel Woollen 3 12 0 —-• Well. Woollen lord.} (1,1 - Taupiri Cool 116 — Westport-Stockton ■ • — 0 4 1) lieyland-O'Brien 13 6 — Taringamutu Totara. 2 5 0 — 0. M. Banks, Ltd. ~...,....1 13 - Crown/ Brewery 1 15 0 118 i Golden Bay Cement 0 17 0 0 18 0 Word and Co. 5 0 0 - W.P.O.A. (£1) - , I ' 0 WELLINGTON , WOOL SALES.. The wool sale will bo held in thfe Concert Chamber of the Town Hall to-morrow,, beginning at 9 a.m. The corrected tttfuttte give tho following as the totals to be offered by tho several brokers:— • ■ ■ Bales. Dalgcty and Co 6,833 Levtu and Co , 4.??0 Murray, Roberts; and C 0.... 3,530 N.Z. Loon and Msreaatile... 2,623. , Abraham and Willianjs ... 2,161 • 'United Farmers ••. K4. W., and G. Turotmll and Co. 305. ... ■ ■ ~20,601 , ■ It is anticipated that the sale will be a very eatisfaotory one. provided -t-hat groweva are rea-sonaMe in iixing reserves, but unfortunately there is a disposition, to., fix 'tho prices at a j>enn.y or 60 abavo tho brokers' valuation*. The buyers <tfo limited in their price*, end although- most of them can buy up to apd abovp London parity, the' growcre stoir » dispesiSien to go beyond that. If tsto reserves are too high the sales will be e, failure. ' ;. ' - BANKING PBOITTS.. I According to returns compiled by the "Insurance! and BanfciiJg Reserd," the net prollts of tho Auwatoian • banks . have been doubled in the p<ist,,tfin year? 5 while., as compared with , 1899,. , they have been trebled. The returns -for ,, ttto -diseado" show as under:— ?f«t ■ ■ . . profits. '.' Dmdanas. ~-•-■ . .- ■ £''• £ 1903 1,622j586 596.740 1904 : :... 1,735,058 1.055,6561905 1.7-00.651 1.e«5 1906 1,771,382 1.109.-045 . 1907 MM.717 1.265/117 1903 2.423,568 USKSfo 1909 ifin.ilt 1,«5,6J5 . 1910 2.5.12.348 1,527,507 1911 2,759,932. 1,66-4,394 ' 1912 2.954,914 . 1,713,453 19J3 3 212,676 1,Y90-J2l The dividends in 1913 jvtre the highest on record, but tho paid-up- capital wa-a also increased. • AUSTRALASIAN SHUPPINU COMBINE. Tho "Shipping Goretto" lca,tne on goad authority that an, amalgamation of important steamship interests in tho Australasian trade is in process of being oom ; pleted. The "following well-known enterprises, providing regular eervkes to tho Commonwealth, -propose, it is understood, to consolidate tijeir brtsinesseS under tie etylo and title of the eomiMonweiltli Bt«am Navigation Company:—Messrs. William Milburn and Cp., London; ilessrs, Tyser and Co:, London; and Air. T. B. Edyden, Liverpool. Meeara. WSlliam Miltern end Co. own a fleet of 10 steamers, known as the Port Line. The Tyscr-i-lne ces-siate of eight steamers. Mr. Hoyden's fleet consists mainly of the IwiFa Line, and also includes three other -vessels- Hesars. William Milburn and Co.'a ships are exclusively engaged in- the Auetralfan trede. -The Tyier Line vessels are, more- concerned in the trade with New Zealand. Mr. Beyden's ships go to Now Z6a!and and Außtia' lia,'and-are also largely- engaged in trade with the; Far East. The eoinbiaed fl«et» appear to be as follows:— Gross ' Owners. Steamer 3. tonnase. W. Milburn and Co. ... 10 53.250 Tyser and Co 8 . 60.724 ; T. B. Bey-den 14 76,268 Total .-. 35 190,210 ARGENTINE SHIPMENTS. The Department of - Agrioultßre, Indu. l !- trics, and Commerce has received the {allowing cablegram from fiuenes Ayres, dated February 3:—The following- shipments of produce were from tho Argentine to the United Kingdom dur~> ins January, 1914 (compared wsta January, 1913):- ■ . -. " 191.4, IBIS. Frozen, beef, quarters 137,080 114.(500 Chilled beef, quarters 352.GC0 134.C00 Froren mutton, carcasses... 2«-.COO 165.000 Froten lamb, carcass** ... 4S.CCO sO.ttO Butter, CTtt l.ili lo.^S! ' CUSTOMS KEVESTIfi. Ciiftom.« duties collectod at the port of Wellington yesterday amounted to £2224 9s. 9d. ' ■ ' ■ FIXAXCIAL CABIiBSKAHS, Dy Telegraph—Press Aiisociatibn-Copyriglit London, February 3. Yesterday's closing quotations w*i'o follow :— Bank of Australasia, buyer} MS., aellers £123. . Bank of New South' Wales, buyers £40, .oellcrs £42. Bank of Victoria, -buyers 44. selk-re £4 Wβ. Union Bank of Australia, bnj'-crs £55, sellers £57. National Bank of Australasia, bujSTj £5 55., sellers £5 15s. National Bank t>{ New Z«alau4 buSr-erß £4 155., sellers £5 ss. Bank of Now Zealand, buyers £11 55., sellers £12 ss. N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Ageucj 4 per cent. dobfOtVes, £91. City of Melbourne, 4 per cent, debentures, £99. Melbourne Harbour. Trast, 4 per cent, debentures £96. . Melbourne Tramway Trust, 45 per wmt. debentures, £101. Melbourne and Ifotroptlitaa Beard of Works, 4 per cent. dehonMi.ros, £95. Australian Mercantile Debentures, £9j. Daleuty and Co.. t per cent, debentures £». Dalcety and Co.'s sSares, buyers £& 2? 6d., sellers £6 12e. 6d. Jlelbonrno &!is Co.'s debentures, £55, City of Sydney, £9S. Goldsbrouffh, Hort. and Co.'s debentures, £94 10s. Bank of New ZaaJand, 4 per cent, tuai" nnteed stock, £KO. BHISBASE WOOL SALES. By Teletranh—Press Aeiudsition--Oojiyrical BCisbano, Fcbniary 4. At the wool sales, competition. Wα;' keen for all classes, and. pricc3 were from fj to 7J per centum above tho Dccomber rates. DEMAND TOR SECOEITIES. ("Times"—Sydney "Sun" Special C-iiWcs.) ' Uondon, February 3,' All kinds of' Government and industrial loans are belmr srcaiir ofer lUbsexibed.

SOUTH. AUSTRALIAN LOAX. London, February 3, '.. Tbe underwriters receive dbirat 50 per cent, of 1S)<: South Australian lttfifi. It is understood the high price kept out speculative tenderers : PRICE OP BAH GOIjD. ... ' London, February 3. Owing to strong Continental demand, the price of bar sold lifts'been raised'by 2s. 6d.. to ?9s. O'd. , SILVER. Bar silver k quoted at 26£ - per ounce standard. JtM. February-Jlorch shipment, £31 Us, per toe. : BASK SUSPENDS PAYMENT. London, February 3. Tftc Bftnk of Coulon, Berthoad, and Co., Uoorgatc Street, has suspended payment Thfc liabilities are, roughly, £1,000,000. - . Tffl'EAT. : (Rec.' February 4, 10.5 p.m.) London, February 4. The wheat- market is. steady. Holders are asking Jss. 9(1. per quarter. Brood, street estimates that the visible supply of wheat East af tho Rockies is 121,718,000 bltsiele. LONDON MARKETS. (See.- February 4, 10.5 p.nO London, February '4. Copper, on ipflt, £66 7*. 6d.: three months, £66 IZs. 6d.; elcctrolj'tic, £68 ss.'- • Tin. on sgot, £184 55.; three moatb.s, £185 7s. 6d, ' ; TTOOL SALES.. Sfesfrs. W. and G. Turnbull and Co., Ud,, hq.-ve waiirtd tlie following eahlepi'U.m from their I/OHdon agents, oindor date of Fehtaary 3:—Wool: The position ol the wooi market is more sati-EfactorF, Bolter reports frdm Bra.dford aaid America. Money is easy. .