COMMERCIAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2123, 15 April 1914, Page 10

COMMERCIAL ITEMS

' . - TIIE BEEF TKUST. . The enormous ■ resources and the sreat turnover of the five ercat meat-packing companies of the United States make them very formidable competitors in the trade, and" sives them the power to dictate to producers when and where they secure the upper hand, liast year, according to "Wail Stret Journal," the turnover' and profits of these concerns were as under:— Gross Net turnover, profit. £ £ £ Swift and Co. ... !O.OCO,CCO 1.890.CC0 800,000 Armour.and Co. 70.000,CC0 1,230,0.9 '-810.0(10 Morris and Co. 35.0C0.0C0 3M.CCO 315,(C0 Ciidahy. and ..Co. .21,000,009' 270,CC0 102,010 Sulzberger and S4n3 25.000.0C0 420,CC0 255.C00 ' • -231,000,000 4,210,CC0 2,292,CC0 Swift and Co. have a capital of .£15,300,000 arid a reserve of JE6.7CO.CCO; Armour and Co., a capital of J54.100.00C and a Teservo of £17;0C0,C00 j Morris, end Co., a. capital "of £600,C00 and-a reserve of £3,350,000) Cudahy and'Co.,-a capital ;of £2.450,000 and a reserve of £1,120,000;' and Sulzberger and Sons,' a. capital of £6,200,000 and a reserve of £1:100,000. ' Taken together, the capital Js 1 £28,650,800, aadl tlie .'reserve fund's £31,270,000, -or- practically £60,000,000 together. The net profits • were 143 per cent. .on . the capital, but-only- 7 per coint.. on, the total funds, neither of which are excessive. For sohie timo there. was a combine of these five .concerns., under,, the'-title of the National-Packing "Company, but the ;Shermdn'li&iv dissblved'H.* The companies have done a bigger business'since.

•'" ILIVE STOOK Iff, AMEIUCA'. -;'' r A bulletin recently issued by the Department' of .Agriculture at Washington contains , interesting statistics regarding live stock in the United Status over a period, whioh help to explain the dearness of meat in that countrv; Taking 1910, the year when meat values first became acute, Oβ o- basis of comparison, tho figures bbow a- decline of 13 per cent, in the number of beef cattle, and of 5 per cent, in sheep, while milch cows have .remained about' stationary, and hogs have increased by,only 1.3 per cent. Compared with 1900, the shrinkage has been much, heavier, amounting to 29 per cent, in beef cattle, to 19 per cent, in sheep, and to 6 per cent, in nogs, but milch cows snow a. I gain of 21 per cent. All this time, of course, the population has been increasing, both by natural growth and by immigration, 6O that the decreases shown in the numbers of meat-producinj animals alone have not been the true measures of the relative shrinkage per capita.. It' is estimated in the bulletin that the total production of edible meat in 19C0 was 245.51b. per head ot population, as ogalnet 212.31b. in 1909, while that for 1914 is set down at only 1691b. per capita. Between 1900 and 1914 the population of the United States increased £9.3 per cent., which accounts In o, great measure for the t>er capita contraction in the meat production. In the circumstances, it is not surprising to learn from tho bulletin that the consumption of meat decreased 7 per cent, from 1900 to 1909, and 24.9 per cent, from «»( to 1914. • . ■ " . MEAT IN FRAKOE. Figures which have been compiled by the Marseillea Chamber of Commerce dealing with the consumption of moat in Franco, should interest colonial exporters. •The , statistics indicate that with tie diminishing of flocks In France, tho price of meat has risen about 3 per cent., and that in the district represented by the chamber the consumption per head has gradually decreased. In 1883. tho quantity per head was 10241b. per 'annum: in.1892 the total'had , fallen back to 1011b.; by 1697 it had receded to 1001b,, and In the succeeding dacade it further declined to 8841b. per head. In 1911 the rate of consumption was'set down 03 851b. per inhabitant, and it is estimated that to-aay the people of Marseilles eat 331b. per head less iw--U than they consumed 30 years ago., Until last year the , district porsessed only two refrigerating'chambers, but a third has been erected and two more are beinir built. The quantity of meat' stored in these chambers in 1912 was 238 tons, of which about 131 tons was Tcceived from Australia-. Last year tho total importation of "foreign" moat was 417 tons, and ■of that aggregate Australia supplied , 265 tons. Argentina 136 ton?, and s[«dagascar 15 tons. Most of this meat, however, was subsequently sent on to Switzerland, whore It was consumed.

INSURANCE AMALGAMATION. K provisional agreement hap been entered Into between the Lonflon and Lancashire Fire Insurance Company and the. National Boiler and General Insurance Company, under which the former acciuiree control of tho "National Boiler" as a, jroinEt concerh. The intention is to continue the "Notional Boiler" at 3, separatecomimny. as "hitherto, and it is anticipated th-aVthe baoMnr afforded by tlie London and -Lancashire will result in e. development of tho buelnese. The National Boiler ana .Otneral Insurance Company is a well-known Lancashire concern, esla-bliehed just over fifty years atro. and tho company has hart e. Dronneroite career. It has a. mipeoriped capital of £150,000 in £10 shares, and £52.500. or £3 10s. per share, is paid up.

TRADE IN" ALLEN STREET. : Fruit.—The Navua-, arrived Inst Thursday afternoon with a shipment of Fijijjananaa. The lato arrival of the steamer incohvehlenced the market. The bannnas which were landed in bad to eood condition were pnt up to auction oit Thursday, and tho salo was continued on Saturday, and finished yesterday. Tho due here on April 24. is brineinc consignments of Cook Island oranges a'fld bananas. Tho mo.rk<st ia well ■ supplied with pears. A (rood demand exists for choice coloured dessert apples, tho most popular variety beiner Cox's Oranee Pinnin. Stone fruits aiionow off the market. Jf operate" supplies of Daselon fruit aro comtnu from the Auckland district. From tlio Hutt daily supplies of tomatoes are reacbtne: the market. ~ • ' Vegetables.—Choiro aualitv cabliftecs ana caulinowers are in demand; pumpkins and marrows lmve declined In value; turnips are realising moderate prices; carrots and parsnips are in fair demand. Ontone.-Suppllcj are Bomewhat lighter but shipments arc expected this week from the south; the current cmoUtion is • £5 to £6 pev ton; picklinn onions rulo at 3d. to Ud. Tier lb. ~ ; Potatoes.-Consignments can be recommended. Prime aualltv table potatoes aro selllns at £<! 10s. to £5 per ton. Flour.—The price ex store Wellington continues at £11 per ton. ' ■ Fowls" wheat has advanoed Zd.. per bushel, and ia now cuotcd at 4s. 7d. to • Fowl's' "barley i 3 extremely dull of saU at'2s.'lo4. hiiilic- • . ■. .. Capo barley suitable for .seed is rullnc at 3s. to 3s. Id. per bushel . ' Maize Is slow of salo at 4a. 9d. to «s. lOrt. per bushel. . ; . • '.-,. Bron.-Pairly heavy .supmies ore .held, tno WellinEton quotation bclne .£« ss. to £4 10s. per bushel. Pollard is in better supply. Australian and New Zealand beinc Quoted at £6 10s. to £6 15s. per ton. • .. Plit meal Is In moderate demand »t £5 5s per'ton. nnd bar'ey p)e,il m £5 155.., • Oatmeal in. 251b. b.ies ia" fmoted at £12 to £12 JOsii' in 71b. baes. at £13; and in 2001b. 3i ßoTl'ed a 'bals.-Thistl« brand, In 411b. bats, and Oreaniota. in .41b. baei. are sclluiE at 105. n#r"dA»»n. , -.- ■ , . . Chaff.—Prime oaten abeaf is in good- de-

mand at £4 10s., to £4 156. per ton, , tack* in.. ■ Broken peas arc movlus off freely at 3s. 6d.: per bushel of Klb.. Shell grit for poultry Is In excellent demand at £4 10s. per ton. Egge.—New-laid eggs ar? offering at 2?. per dozen; fresh eggs at 16. lfd., and preserved, which are In good demand, at Is. sd. to Is. 6d. Butler.—Prime milled, in bulk, is in short supply, and Is rnllng at IOJd. per lb., with eood nualitv at Sjd. Poultry.—Hens, 2s. to 3s. a. pair; heavy boilers, realising 3s.' 6d. to «s.; cockerels. 3s. to 55.; Indian Runner duck 3, 3s. to 45,; heavy young Pekiri ducke. 4s. 6rl. to ss. 6d;; - turkey gobblers,- Is. per lb., live weight; hens, 10d. to lid.. Cuetoms duty collected' at tho port of Wellington yesterday amounted to £2031 !C0..11d. ■:■ ' . LONDON MARKETS. Messrs. Ddlgety and Company. Limited. Wellington, have received cabled information from their London office, under da>to of April 9, a s :follow6:-Vrozon lle:U.— Beef: Demand- for New Zealand 1.3 poor; Diver Plato meat ol good Qualify bclrin offered at low prices. Quotatlonfi:-Ox beaf~ fores. 3Jd.; livnds, 4Jd. Lamb; Demand for iiew Zealand is fair; and tho market is stiidy. ,: Quotations;—CVintwbury heavy, , 63d.; lirtt, 6Jd.; North Island heavy, 53d.; light,' s|d. Mutton: Th 6 demand for New' Zealand runs principally on light-weights. The marV.ct is quiet., end moderate businefe doing: Quotations :— Oantcrbury heavy, 4id.; li/ht, 4Jil.; North Island heavy,, 4d:; light, 43d. There- Is an improved demand for- frozen meat, but, owing to heavy supplies, prices ore trnding downwards. Tallow: SLure our Inst calile prices' dro unchanged, except.good coloured mutton, which is par to 6d. per cwt.. higher.

HIGH COMMISSIONER'S CABLE. Tho. Department of Agriculture, Industries. 1 and Commerce has received, tho following cable from the High Commissioner for New Zealand, dated London, April 9, 1914. unle&3 othenviso specified, urt> average markot pricea on spot):'— Mutton.-There' is' & dull sale for nil qualities of mutton, on account of low prices of chilled beef. Prices have declined os a result of heavy arrivals. Canterbury. 43d. per lb. for lightweights: heavy-weiehts, 4d.; North Island, ■) o-Bd. for llght-welghte. • ■ Lamb—The domand in chiefly for liirhlweiuht. There is a. dull eale for hcrh-.v carcasses of lamb. Canterbury twos, 6)d. per lb.: heavy-wciehts. 53d.: other than Canterbury,- 6d. for light-weight. Beef.—The market is varv dull. New Zealand hinds. 4 3-Ed. per lb.; fores, o8d.: chilled hinds, 43d.; fores. oW. . .Butter.r-The market ie auiet. Danish, pet pwt., 118s. to 12ft?.; New. Zealand, 104s. to lOfa.; exceptionally choice ,108s.; unsaltcd, supply limited, Ms. to 116?; Australian. 102s. to 1065.: Argentine, 102s. to 1045.; Siberian,. IGOs. to 104s. ..... Cheese.—The market ie auict but etcady. Prices for OanadWin are nominal. Canadian white. 68s. to 705.; coloured. 6fe fo 71a.; New. Zealand white. 61s. to 625.; coloured. 645. to 645.. 6d.: Australian, £os. to Hemp—The market is quiet, but steady. New Zealand: Good fair, ner-ton, £25 155.: fair £23 Block of Now Zealand hemp on hSi'd It end of March wae 12.C00 tons. Manila: Fair current. £26 ver ton. nominal qubtetion for ell posiHons. The onlyut from Manila for the week was 21.M0 bales. To-R'.—Th'o ' stock, on hand at end of M Cockßf^t.-Th'en3 n, is a, better, demand for CO i&uri Gto*'The markeU. firm, but the demeid is oi)ly Dark brown selected rescraped,- £6 to £7; dark brdwn three-quarterscralped. £4 Sβ. to £4 JM.j dark brown chips, drossy, £2 to £3 Ik.;