COMMERCIAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2154, 21 May 1914, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS

INVESTMENT SHARER The wiles of investment shares recorded yesterday were: Wellington Gas tit £16 75., Meat Kxport (£5) <U £6 2s. 6d., ond.Leyland O'Brien (two parccls) at '235. The quotations were os follow:— Buyer?. Sellers. £ s. d. £ f. d. National Bank — 5 13 6 Equitoble Building 9 5 0 Metropolitan Building ... — 12 0 0 Well Investment. 0 11 0 — Well. Trust and Loon 7 8 6 — Auckland • Gas 1 10 0 — Ohristohurch Ga? 7 5 0 — Well. Gas. (£lO 16 6 6 16 7 6 Union Steam ford.) — 15 6 Well. Woollen (ord.j 4 6 0 Golden Bay Cement 0 19 6 — W.r.L'.A. l£l) - 16 0 ~ ntKXCH FINANCE. The competition of armaments pivinc I France n .great deal of fuianml trouble. ! iteoently \l was smnounced that the Fremrh frovernment issuing a loon for £80,000,CQfi, but the results of the issue heve not hcon -cabled; apparently Ihc lean has not been placed on the market, for it i. 3 announced that the Reporter to the Ser.ato ♦Finance (toninuttcb-fctates that France must Fecure £2>i,CGO,CCO within two months or face bankruptcy.. There may be ji pood deal of sensational exaggeration in thi?, merely to force the i?euc of a loan, or to prepare tho way for incroafcd taxation. At the early part, of last month the French Budget had not Ijeeii passed, and it was expected that the dissolution prior to the. elections would take place before tho Budget was passed. . Finance is a- pressing problem, and will come up for consideration when the debate on tho Budget is resumed, which will probably be next week. %

CAEGO BOAT COMPANIES. From n- summary of the oeeounte of nine* teen of the principal British enrgo boat companies, which has been compiled by

"Pair # Play," it appears that the year 1913 yielded in tho aggregate £61,344 more of net profits than were earned in 1912. The period covercd included, however, a portion of the very profitable term experienced until practically the middle of last year, the good resnlts.then recorded constitutin? a material pet-oft acainst tho fmbsecniont season of diminished earnings. It is elso to be noted that-in oome of the statements embodied in the compilation the results of sales of vessels are shown as profit- The total amount- of capital involved in the operations of the group is £2.908.073.' the'sross tonnag<s controlled being 550/25, of a book value of £3,949,375. Tho profit cleared was £1.352,543, as against £1,291.199 in 1912. Owners recognise the fluetruing character 'of the business by wisely setting aside large eums for depreciation, ete., during the good years. The ennronrintions on that account jn ?.912 were £791,261, and in 1913, £782.432, those allocation's representing 19.81 tier cent, on the book vfllw* of the fleet. "The dividend and bonus distributions of the companies dealt with worked out at 12.76 per cent, in 1912, and 12.95 per cent. lo.st year. It is regarded as certain that the current year's accounts will disclose result* not nearly as eatjsfaotory as tho?© analysed on this occasion: it being known that many voyagd? recently undertaken by corgo carriers have shown an actual loss'to the owners.

Customs duty eolelcted at- the port, of Wellington yesterday amounted to £5573 Is. 7d. . . •H r ESTPORT COAL COSIPAXT. 'By Tcle»jaw!i.-r'rcsfl Arsnciotion.) Dunodin, Mar 20. The directors of the West.port Coal Comnatty have derlared an interim dividend of '=. per share for the half-year ended March 31. FINANCIAL CABLEGRAMS. By Telegraph—Press Aeewiation—Cop.Tricht London, Jfoy 19. Yesterday's closing quotations were e.3 follow Bank of Auetralasia, buyers £120, sellers £128. . Bank of New South Wales, buyers £42 tCs., sellers £43 10s. Batik of Victoria, buyers £4 55.,• sellers £4 15s. Bank of Australasia, buyers £120, sellers £60. National liank of Australasia, buyers £5 sellers £6 ss. National Bank of New Zealand, buyers £5. sellers £5 10s. Bank of New Zealand, buyers £10 7?. 6d., sellers £10 17s. 6d. N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency 4 per cent., debentures, £92. City of Melbourne 4 per cent, debentures, £98. Melbourne Harbour Trust, 4 per cent, debentures, £101. Melbourne Tramway ■ Trust-, 4} per cent, debentures, £102. Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works, 4 per cent, debentures, £99. Australian Mercantile debentures. £94 10s. ' Halgety artd Co. 4 per cent, debentures, £92. Dal?etv anil Co.'s shores, buyers £6,105., sellers £7. Melbourne Gaii Co.'s debentures, £99. Cilv of Sydney. £ICO. noidsboroi'.jh, Mort. and Co.'s debentures, £% 10s. Bank of Ncnv Zealand, 4 per cent, guaranteed slock, £99. ' \'etv Zealand Loan and Mercantile stock, £90. SILVER. ! London, May 19. Bnr silver i<> quoted at 26S<1. per ounce standard. .TOTE. Hay-June, £33 10s. per ton. WHEAT. (Bee. May 20, 11.40 p.m.! London, May 20. Tlie wheat market is setcady, and business qiiiter. Tllfl METAL MARKET. (Uoc. Kay 20. 11.40 p.m.) London, May 20 Copper.—On spot. £63 55.: three months, £43 18?. 9:1.: clcct rolylic, £65 15s. Tin.—On spot, £149 tte.; three months, £151 5;