COMMERCIAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2133, 27 April 1914, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS

INVESTMENT BRIBES. The sales of investment Bhares recorded on -Saturday were: Christchurch Gas at £7, Wellington Gas at £16 U. M.. and Westpbrt-Stockton Cojl at Is, 3d. The auotations were as under:— ' ■ . Buyers. Scliore. £ s. d. £■». a. Bank N.Z (£6 13a. 4d.).., 16 2 b - Equitable Building :.'. 90 0 — Metropolitan Building .... — 12 fl 0 Well'ngton Investment... — .0 11 3 Well. Trust and Loan ... 77 0 .'« , Christchurch Gas 6 18 6 7 2 6 Gisborne Gas .;.: — \ J » Well. Ga3 (£10) 16 5 0 16 8 0 Weil. Gae (pref.) 019 6 ..-. N.Z. Insurance ....i — 626 Gear Meat'.'(£« 14 7 6 - -Union Stoam (ord.) 15 0 15 6 Union Steam (prof.) 10b — Kaiapol Woollen (ord.) ..560' • — Kaiapoi Woollen (pref.)... 5 S'l — Well. Woollen (ord,) 4 16- — Well. Woollen (pref.) 3 0 0 ' — Leyland-O'Brien — 13 3 Golden Bay Cement 0 18 0 — Sherlaoid's (ord.) : 1 2 0 — Saarland's preference .... 12 0- — W.F.C.A. (£1) ?..._'■;,'• *• •. ! .I';' 6 0 LONDON WOOL SAt/ES. The London wool sales—April-May series —begin to-morrow, the'total Quantity ti be offerod being 188.CCO balee. According to latest advices, morino descriptions are expected to advance, with, no change 'in crossbreds. The position can be appreciated from a comparison of tho quotations for tops "now and lust prior to tho "opening of the March sales. The table below gives tho figures :— -

Feb. 27. April 24. Tops- (t. d. ' 64's i 291- ' 304 Super 60'b 28} . 291 Common> 60'e 275 29 sS's 23 23J 50V , 205 21 ■■ 46's 171 171 40'3 16 -16J .All counts eicept fqrty-siies have advanced and it- is obvious that the ra>v manorial must also advance. Crossbred wools , may not bob a higher, level of prices, but they are certain to bo exceedingly flrin.

THE WAR AND THE MONEY MARKET. The Americans have, in declaring war on Mexico, undertaken a verv big tasK, and ono that may bo very • costly. The silver market is bound to immediately feel the effects oJ the situation, because Mexico is the main sburco of supply of the white melal. The price of eiiver is bound- to rise, and this will beneficially affect Canada, and to some. extent' Australia, end New Zealand. But tho war may also advereely influence the money market. It is not unlikely that' the- DBitod States will be obliged to place at least '250,000 men in the field and" maintain them in tho theatre of war for a considerable tlmo. If this happens, tho cost will; of course, run into many millions, which the United States Government , will bo obliged to borrow. If gold.is'wanted, thon London will bo exploited, so that there is a plain.probability of. the money market being , affected

BREAKDOWN IN BKAWO. Tho economic breakdown in Brazil -is cauniuff copsiderablo anxiety in European financial circles, and Franco especially is concarned at tho severe .decline- in Brazil ian socurihies. Two years ago the country was enjoying groat, prosperity; cropn wtrii Eoqd,- and realising profitable price?, while capital was flowinc in freely. The Balkan war, however, caused investors to hold on to their money, and Brazil,-like other conntries, suffered from monetary stringency. To add to hor troubles came a heavy fall in the prico'of rubber, and a ffruat shrinkage in- the value of coffee, theso two products beins the chief sources of Brazil's prosperity. The foreign trado returns show that in 1913 exports of rubber fell. from £16,000.000 to £10.000,000, while those of coffee dropped by nearly £6,0C0,CC0. and the total contraction for the year amounted to £Ie,COO,CCO. ... The . full effect of this contraction , of retcniie wa3 not realised in time to adiust tho imports -to , the altered, conditions. ' Brazil continued to buy goods abroad , for 'public delivery, arid also to spend money on public worlie of all kinds and descriptions, in'the-ex-pectation that loans would be practicable at ,an «arly dale. According -to the "Brazilian Review" the obligations of (.he country for Intercet. dividends and trado balance last, year were ' about £25,000,(101). The problem to bo solved Is how to meet current liabilities without- entirely deplctins tho reserves of gold, vrhic'i form the foundation for the paper currency. The "Statist" siisgostij that the sale of tho Government's Central Railway and' o£Lloyd's Brazlliero Steamship companies to curopean capitalists rauld. bo tar'towards mectluK tho difficulties of the poe'tion. Latit, year Brazil borrowed in f/ondon JE2I.CCO.OCO. and thUB provided for tho liabilities of 1913,biit so far thie year her borrowings in that centre have amounted to only £5,562,000. Further assistance -by way of loans will bo reanired if a- crels is to bo avoided. • . ■

ALLEN STREET MARKETS. .. With tho approach of the cold weather supplica of both fruit and vegetables have fallen away during the week at thclo'cal fruit markets, and prices now show an-up-ward tendency for cood lines: The shipment of Island fruit duo on Thursday will not arrive until Friday morning; and so far no values can be' reported. Potatoes have firmed considerably for forward and present delivery, but onions remain unchanged. Supplies of both fresh and preserved eggs are ehort, and prices arc very Urm. : Approximate values arc:—Grapes, choice Urge. Is. 3d.; others. 6(1.. 10(1. lib.; Capo gooseberries, 6d. lb.; walnuts, ■ 6d.i 7d. lb;. oranges, ss. case; bananas, 6r. £d., Is. 6d. ca.se; pineapples, 10s.. 14s. 6d. case; Medina lemons, 13s. 6d. caee; tomatoes, choice round, 6s. 6i1., 9s. half-case; rough, 4s. 6d. to 6s. halt-case; seconds, Is. 6d. to Jβ. half-case. Apples.-Cox's Oranje, 7s. to 10s.; Winter Jlajcstin. 3s. 9(1. to 4s. 5d.; Jonathans, 4s. to 6s. 9(1.; Jlunroe's Favourite?, fe. 2d., 4e. t<l.; AJfi-efitoiis. 4s. 6d.. Os.; London Pippin, 33. fid., 4s. 6d.; Northern Spy, 3?. 6d., 3s. 10d.; Kiiiß Da.vid. 4s. 9d.. ss. 6d.'; Charles. Eoss, 55., fc.; Kpp's Soedling, .V. fid.-, 3s. 9a.. all at per case. Pears.-Winter Cole, 4s. 6d to ss. 6rt.; Winter Nelit) ss. 6(1. to 6s. 9(1.; Bcurre Bose, 4s. to Xβ. 6d.; Beiirre Clairsmiu. <?. 9(1., 5=.; Ticar or WinliOeld. (s.. £.=. 3d.; Bprpamot, 35., 3=. 9(1.: Magnet. 45.. te. 9d.. all at per case; Lbufeo Don d'Jersey, 4». 6(1.. ss. Peaches. 4s. 63.. ss. lialf-tatc; fliunces, Zβ., 3s. 6d. case; rockmelons, 35., i≤. 6d. case. ycselablce.-OabbflKC, choice eavoye, is.,

55.; oth'ers, 25., 4e. saplr; carrot/3, 2s. 6ri.. 3s. 6d. K»ck; oauliflower. choice, 75.. Bs. sack; othore, 25., ss. sack; beetroot. 2s. 6d.. 4s. Jti. eack; French beans, .%.. 7s. rttrt Back: screen peas, lfo, 15s. three-quarter sack; parsnips, ■ is., 6s. suck; pumpkins. 4s. 9ti., -7s. suck; vegetable marrows, 25,. 2s. 6d. sack!-pickling onions, 6s. case: artichokes, fe. 6(1.. ss. case; celery. Is. to 2s. 6d. dozen; lettuce. 6(1. per case; potatoes, choice Canterbury, £5. £5 10s. ton; local. £3' 10s., £4; onions, £6; fresh eggs, m. dozen; preserved, . Is. 6tl.

OAMATIU MARKETS. .' (By Tcleeraph.—Presß Association! Oamaru, April 25. A eood deal of wheat lias been on offer during the week, and sales were, effected early In.the week' at the following prices, all net on -trucks at country stations :— Velvet 3s. iojd. to'3js. Hid.'; Bed Chaff/33: 3d. to 3s. 9JQ.; Tuscan, 3. Bd. to Sβ. Bid.; Marshall's White, Is. Bd. to-*i- Bid. To-uny, however, the prices advanced in sympathy with the rise In the Old Country from Id. to id, per bushel: A prime line of Hoseberry oats sold at 2s. 10d.- net. A Grade Gertons. have sold at from Is. 9Jd. to Iβ. lOd.,.and B Grade at-.ls. Bd. net; Cocksfoot, seed has sold at from 4d. to 4Jd., mostly 'with ■ delivery at■ store, and oateheaf, chaff has been disposed at £oe.to 555.-' net oh trucks. ■ ■ Growers' are nsltine from. £4 10b. , to £9 for potatoes, but, as these prices are much above .the basis on which merchants, can do business,' they cannot buy.at,.these-flsjurra. .

. FROZEN MEAT. By TeleKraph-Press'Aeeocla'tion-CiJPJTIBht ' (Eec. April 1 26, 5.5 p.m'.l ■ '-. ' London. Aprit 25. The Incorporated Society of Meat Import er»' Smlthfleld matket'auouttons for the andetTT-ontloned clojses oJfroicn meftt ext based , on actual sale? of .not .less than one hundred carcasses of, mutton or lamb r or twentr-flve. auiutere of beef .of fair arernee quality. The, anotitlons are , not for •elected lines, but for ■ parcels fairly representative of the bulk of the shipments noir on the market. The prices which follow ere on the'average'a.'farthing per lb. more than tho values ex ehip, thU difference representing the *vor»ee cost i» exoeoee, handling, conroyance. and icllins I the meftt:— ■; • '.'■ ■ . ■ ' Apr. 18, Apr. 25. Mutton- •• - d. d: Canterbury, light 4} Jt- ■ Canterbury, medium ..;... 4 5-8- H ■ Canterbury, heavy 4 Bouthland ; North Island, best 4 3-16 " 4 North Mand. ordinary... 4U6 35 ' Auetralian, light '• 33 - 16 3 i Australian, medium ...:.. 3J. - * ' Australian, heavy 33 it Blver. Plate, light * *• Eiver Plate, neayy 315-16 31 New Zealand cives H »J Australian ewes 311-16 ij Eivcr Plate ewes 3j 3J tamb— •■!■'. .Canterbury, liirht 6} 6} ' Canterbury, medium 53 SJ, Canterbury, .heavy 5h 5u Southland 6J 510-16 North Island, selected ... 5j 5J North Island, ordinary... sfi 513-16 Australian, best 63 53-8 Australian, fair 53 53-8 Australian, Inferior 53-8 53-8 Eiver Plate, first -5} Si Klver Plate, second ...... 5} 5i l -New Zealand, ox fores ... 3} 3 3-8 Now Zealaid, ax hinds... 43-8 43-8 Australian, ox fores ... 33-8 31 Australian, ox hinds 41 4 3-15 Eiver Plate, ox fores 3J 3» Eiver Plate, o.v. hinds ... 4 7-16 4 3-8 Biver Plate, chilled force 3J 3 5-16 Eivcr Plate, chilled hifcds 4| 43 • • "None offerinc. Rabbits are dull of sole, and prices arl unchanged. ANTWERP WOOL SAIiES. Antwerp! April 24. Thore, Is a further ri6o in the price of merinos, with restricted competition. The itendency Is very firm. JUTE. London, April 25. Jute (April-May shipments), £34 7s. 64. HIDE AND SKIN BBPOBT. Messrs. Dalgety anci Co , . (Palmersotni branch) report:—At our eale last week wo offered a, fair-sized catalogue to the usual eood attendance of buyers. Competition waa fa;irly;kcen for all lots offered. Wool and eheepsklne sold on a par with, last ealo'e rale's, while hides showed a decline of id. per lb., in .sympathy' with other markets. Wool: Bough crossbred, Bd. to 83d.: seedy and inferior, 7d. to 73d.; lambe 83d. to 9d.: seedy and inferior, 7d. to 75d.;crutchin5S,7d. to7Jd.; locks aud pieces, SW. to 64.; dead, 73d. to 83d.:, black, 7d. Shepskins: Croesbred full wool, coarse, Bd. to eld.; medium to fine, 83d.; hoggeta, 7Jd. to Bd.; lambs, 73d. to 83d.! haU-woole, 7jd.. 73d. t-o Bd.; quarter-wool, 7id; to 7id,: pelts, 6|d. to 7Jd.; eeeto HA. to 5d.;. dead, sjd. to 7Jd.; crossbred, damaged and inforior,51. to 63d.; pelts and' short wool, badly damaged. 2Jd. to 4d. Butcher's ealted arid KPeen, at each': Best lines of half-wools. 53., 6s. 2d.. ss. 3d. to ss. Bd.; shorts and quarter-wool, 3s. 7d., 4fi.. 45..3d. to 4». 9d.; woolly lambs, 4s. -to fe. 7d.-. short and shorn, 2s. Id., 3s. 2d. to' 4s. 2dr, pelts. 2s. to 23. 6d. Hides: Mfht ox, Bd. to 8 J-M.; cowe. best line 3, B}d. rough and ■ inferior, 75d. to 73d.; cut and slippy, 6id. t« 7 3-Bd.; yearlinifi' 81d. to 9)d.; cut and damaged, i 6id. to lid.; bull hides, 6d.; horso hides, to 9s. each. Calfskins, Hid. to 12 J-3d.; cut and sllppv. 6Jd. to 83d.' dry. Is. eaoh. Sundries: Tallow, in tins, 235. M.; caeks. 265. 9d.; rouirh fat, 155.; hcrte bair, Is." 6d. to Iβ, 7d.; tails. Is. 6d. per dozen. oii6toms duty collected at the port of Wellington yesterday amounted to XS34 Os. 3d. ■-