COMMERCIAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2398, 2 March 1915, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS

INVESTMENT SHARES. In Khe investment, market yesterday a sale of' Manning and. Co.'b shares at £5 was reported. The quotations wero as follow:— • Buyers. Seller*. . £ B - d. £ s <L National Bank .. 5 8 6 '. — Bank'.New Zealand (old). 10 12 6 — :Loan• and.Merctle. (ord.) 82'0 0 — Wn.-Int. T. and A 0 11..* — Wn. Trust Loan, Ltd. ... 7 5 0 Wellington Gas (£10) ...... 16 0 6 - TSnioE Steam :(ord.) 13d — Union Steam (pref.) ...... — '•' — Hosgiel Woollen :. 315 0 : Well. Woollen (pref.)...... 3.2 6 . - ■ We'stport-StocWon — 0 5 3 Taringamntu - 2 2 0 Ward and . Co. 515 0 — W.F.C.A. (£5) ; - 6 5 0 STANDARD INSURANCE COMPANY. (By Telegraph—Press. Association.) Dunedin, March 1. The annual meeting of shareholders in the Standard Insurance Company was held to-day, Mr. W. F. Edmond, chairman of directors, presiding. In moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet,: the chairman 6aid the business 'of lie oompany was increasing in a satisfactory manner. The premium income showed the substantial increase of £11,392 over the figures; for tie previous year, the amount received beins £112,055 lis; lid. The revenue from investments was £10,075 12s. 2d., sufficient to pay the present annual dividend. The loss ratio was nearly 6 per cent, higher than in the previous year. ' This was chiefly duo -to the abnormal .fire loss ratio in Australia. The directors reoomtnended the payment of a dividend of 8 per cent, for tho half-year. .. .. . , • The report and balanoe-sheet wore adopted. 1 . Mr: W. Patrick and Mr. 0. Holdsworth were re-elected directors. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S CABLED MAS- .. /. KET REPORT. . The Department of Agriculture, Industries, and Commerce, has received the following. cablegram from .the High. Commissioner'for New Zealand, dated London, February 28, 1915. (Note-Quotations, unless otherwise specified, are average market prices on spot.) ; Meat.—The market,, is firm,, with an upward tendency for all' descriptions, owing "to'the short supply at tie market in consequence of the: delay in discharging. Mutton—There is a fair demand. North Island, per 1b.,'55d.; ordinary, quality, 53d..; .ewes, 5 1 7-16 d; -. . Lamb.—Thore- is a good demand for oil lamb. . Other. than ■ Canterbury, 73d., for best quality; second grade, 7 3-Bd. Beef.—A good demand continues. Hindquarters,' pur lb., 6 9-164.; tor«rjaortas, 6 l-16d,; chilled hindquarters, 7id.; foreouarters, 61d. •

Butter.—Tho. market is steady and prioes are .firmer' at the'cloße.' Danish, per uwU, 130e.- to -565.J Now Zealand, a good'demand ®hd: market. steadier, 128s. to 3.305.; exceptional; 1325.; unsalted 1325. 'to 1346.; Australian 1265. to 1305.; Siberian, 1225. ,to 124b.; Argentine, 1265. to '30s. Cbeesel—The'market is.6teady. Canadian, white and coloured, rpar cwt., 89s. to 925.; New Zealand, a good domand and market firmer; white and. coloured, 870. to 895.; English, market remains firm, 945. to 100s.; Australian, white and coloured, 855.-• to 875.; United States, 82s. to 85s.

' • Hemp.—The market ie not quit© 60 firm. There is less demand, but holders are not anxious'to- sell. • New Zealand, good-fair erode, per'.ton, £31; fair grade, £29; fair ourrent Manila, £35. Forward shipments are selling at tie samo prices. The output from Manila for the week was 30,000 bales. Wool.-Tho market is strong; all stocks are advancing. Americojis are buying merinos froeiy. Estimated vaules:-Mne crossbreds, all grades, 151 d. to 17|d. Mr lb.; medium all graces, 14*0. to 16id ; coarse crossbreds, ail grades, l3Jd. to t Jsid.; superior merinos, 13Jd. to 15d.; medium merinos,, to 13d. j inferior merinos, 9d. to" 10id. . . i • Wheat.—The marked is slightly weaker, •with less" demand for forward delivery owin? to the prospect of the Dardanelles bombardment releasing Russian supphea. The <?pot market is quiet, but steady. Canadian, spot, Quarter, 645., April or May shipment 63a;; American, spot Ms,,, A pril or ' May shipment 63a.; Argentine, February to .April shipment, 625. Offts.-The market is Quiet, and prices are slightly weaker, because the Government are not buying. I*ew Zealand oats (Sparrowbils), per Quarter of 2481b., 555. 6d., nominal quotation. . FROZEN MEAT. 1 By. Telegraph—Frees Association—Copyright ' London, February 27. The Incorporated Society of Meat Importers' SmirtMeld market quotations, for the undermentioned classes of frozen moat are based on Actual sales of not less than one hundred carcaescs of mutton or jamb, twinty-fivo quarters of beef, of fair average quality. The quotations are not fnr sSected lines, but for parcels fairly ™roSntetive of the bulk of the ehip™™ts now on the market. The priccs which follow are on the average a farth.w lb. more than the values ex ship, Jhfs difference representing the average iost fn expense, handling, conveyance, 6 Ailrtraltan Mutton.-Li|ht, 5'3-Bd. : modbrjnd3 ' 74 '' JaSTfiid.; iaJterlM. «>«-

'Australian Beef.—Foros, 6 1-M.; hinds, 6 Argentine Beef— Chilled fores, 63d.; hinds, j W- . Other moats unchanged. ... RABBITS. I Rabbits arc in strong .demand «A full prices. AUCKLAND WOOL. SALE. (Bj Telegraph—Press Assoclatlon-l . , Auckland, March 1. A-proportion of clean, bright lines- of wool caused-keen .competition at. the third wool sales of the ueason held to-day, when 10,097 bales were offered. The wool ■ comprised chiefly back-country clips, and the prices' realised, compared frith those obtained at the corresponding sale of last 'year, wero. as follow, tho figures for last year being in parenthesesFino half bred merino, none offering (lOd. to 10id.); fine crossbred, lid. to 13d. (10} d. to ltd.); Shropshire and Romney, lid. to 13d. UOJd. to Ud.),; medium crossbred, 10d. to 12d. 9jd. ■to Mild.); coarse crossbred and Lincolns, 9Jd.' to lljd. (9id. to 93d.); first pieces. 9d. to lid.-(fid. to 7d.); locie, sd. to 6Jd. (4d. to 5d.); lambe,.superior, I'd. to 121 d (lOd. to ■ll}d.); lambs, medium, 93d. to Ud. (no offerings); lambs, seedy, 6id. to Sjd. {Eld. to Bd.) ' ■ : ' ■ LONDON WOOL SALES. By Telerraph—Press Association—Oopyriehi . . London,, February 27. At the wool'sales there was a fair seleotion. Merino priccs were maintained. Prices . realised Mount View, top price 16jd., average lojd. There were catalogued 40,191" beles, and ,sold 38,841. . Dalgety and Company, Limited, hare received the following cablegram from their London office under date February 27.— "The wool sales aro very animated and • prices , are hardening. For- good shaft-y merinos, compared with the -January sales, prices are 10 per cent, doajer for greasy and 15 per cent, to 20 per cenjt. for best scoured. ..Medium and coarse crossbreds are on the average 10 per cent, dearer. We. quote 64'e, tops, costing 2e. 5d." ■ : WHEAT AND FLOTJB. London, February' 27. The wheat and flour afloat for the United Kingdom totals 2,315,000 quarters; for. the Continent, -3,060,000 quarters. Atlantic' shipments,. 655,000 quarters; Pacific, 14,000 quarters. The total quantity for Europe is 120,000 quarters, including .from India 22,000 quarters, and from Argentine 364,000 quarters. '- \ -. ■ WHEAT. London, February 27. Wheat.—The market is slow owing to tha wet weather and American favourable reports of the winter crop. . Chicago - Stay . options, 146. cents; 151 cents; July .options, 1201 cents, 123 cents. ■ Customs duty collected at the port of Wellington yesterday amounted to £2443 0s- 3d. '.