COMMERCIAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2675, 22 January 1916, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS

INVESTMENT SHARES. .Plenty of buying orders, but no business," was the feature of-the investment market yesterday. The quotations were as follow:^ ' Buyers, Boilers. £ s. d. £ s. d. National Bank 5 0 0 — Bk. N.S.W 39 10 0 — Uk. N.Z. (£3 6s. Bd.) 10 5 0 - Bk.'H.Z. (£6 13s. 4d.) 16 0 0 : N'.Z; and lliver Plate 2 0 . 0 — - Well. .Invest. T.' and A. ... — - 0110 Napier Gob (£5) ............ — 9 0 0 Well. ;<Jas (£10)" 16 0 0 - > National Insurance 2-6 3 — 1 N.Z. 'Insuranco 6 5 0 6 6 0 S.. British Insurance 4 15 0 — V ■Standard Insurance 115 0 ~ ' Gear., Meat. (£1) . 4 0 0 4 4 0 N.Z. Shipping Cord.) 17 10 0 IS 0 0 Union. Steam (ord.) 15 0 15 6 Union Steam (pref.) 10 3 — Well. Woollen (ord.) ..;... 5 10 —. Well. Woollen (pref ; 3 7.<6>.. Westport. Coal 1 7: 3 ' 1 8 0' N:Z.: -Drng — 2 5 0 ■Ward end Co.: ;.. — 6 0 0 . fCrown Brewery 114 0 —. -. - jCum div. - Customs duty collected at the port of Wellington 1 yesterday, amounted to £2449 46." 4d. ' • CHINESE SHIPPING. For the successful' strangling of the activities of the übiqnitious German shipowner in tho East, Chinese shipping companies have much causfe for gratitude to the Allied, ileet6. From recently compiled consular reports it appears that the ChinaSiain Steamship Company was, prior to the war, in extremely precarious circumstances owing ■ to the determined competition offered-by • the North German Lloyd Orient. Line, which used , every device of rate-cutting, etc., to oust its weaker native competitor from the field,-and to secure for itself that monopoly which is so dear to' the : German heart". The outbreak of hostilities effectually put a stop to this manoeuvring, and with tho hurried and ignofinious withdrawal' 'of the' German mercantile. marlue from: those waters, us, well as elsewhere, the native company suddenly found itself in a, fair way to prosperity, with its vessels working on full rates : and at high pressure. Tho China •Navigation Company also has benefited by Germany's discomfiture, as it has taken up the services of the North German Lloyd Orient Line to Singapore and Bangkok.

Altogether, as far as Swatow is concerned. German shipping shows a decreaeo of 154 vessel, afferewting 160,000 tons, as compared with 1913, while four steamers of that nationality still hide themselves within the safe precincts of the port. KODAK, IjIMITED. Kodak (Australasia), Limited, during the year ended September 30, 1915, cleared profits of £48,376, and dividends' to a total of £24,750 have been paid, which is at tho ■rate of 12£ per cent, per annum, on tho average of the paid-up capital. Considering that the magnitude of the operations and assets of the company mhde It desirable that its permanent paid-up capital should be increased, the board resolved to issue an additional 30,000 shares at par, and this was done in April last. At the same time a distribution to shareholders wn-s made of £30,000 from accumulated profits by tho declaration of a. special dividend," which afforded them the means of paying for their new shares in cash. The paid-up capital of the company is now £180,000. The accumulated undistributed income of the company on September 30, 1914, was £75,833. This was diminished to £45,833 9s. 9d. by the dividend referred to. Dividends for tho past year having been taken from the year's profits, there now remains at credit of profit and loss for the year £23,626, the whole of which it is proI posed to transfer to the reserves, as a large I will be required to provide for ex-1 I tension of buildings and plant. WHOLESALE PRODUCE PRICES. Messrs. Laery and Co., Ltd., Allen Street, report wholesale prices as follows:—Fowls' wheat, prime, 6s. 7d. to 6s. 9d.;. barley, ss. ud.; Cape barley, ss. 9d.; partridge peas, 6s. 3d.; maize, feed, 6s. 3d.; white feed, ss. 9a.; oateii6heaf chaff, £6 ss. to. £6 10e.'; hay, £4 10s. to £7; flour, in sacks, £14 10s,; oatmeal, £20; b*an, £6; pollard, £10; rice pollard, £7 10s.; onions, £6 to £6 10s.; potatoes, £7 to £7 .10s.; bacon, sides lid., Tolls Is., hams lid., shoulders 83d.; cheese, medium, Bid.; linseed nuts,- £13 10s. SOUTHERN MARKETS.

By Telegraph--Pretw Association. Christchurch, January 21. Several lines of new wheat, ranging from very thin to medium quality milling have Been offered, and sales made at. ss. to ss. 3d. for fowl xheat. A fairly largo line changed hands at se. 4d. at country station, said to bo for milling purposes. Millers generally arc not operating. TWy have plenty of old wheat in hand, and state that they are not prepared to offer over ss. at country stations for new wheat. New. oats. are offering—mostly very light. Some business has been dono as tha market is bare of etdCtos. Sales were mode at equivalent to 3s .3d. to 3s. 4d. for Gartons and 3s. sd. to 3s. 6d. for Buns, at country stations. For new oatsheaf cliaft £5 at country stations is offerod. The business doing is purely local, as Blenheim can supply chaff for shipment at a lower rate. LONDON WOOL SALES. Br Telegraph—Presc Association—Copyright (Etc. January 21, 7.40 p.m.) ■ London, January 20. There is a very keen 6ale. and prices are harder all rouaH. 1 Messrs. Murray, Roberts, and Co., Ltd., have received the following cablegram from their London agents, dated January 19:— "Fine crossbred advanced 5 per cent.; coarse crossbred advanced 10 per cent." Messrs. W. and G. Turnbnll and Co., Ltd., report having, received the following cable message from their London agents, under date- January 20;—"Greasies advanced Id. to lid.".

YIOTOttIAN PRODUCE MARKET. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright

Melbourne, January 21. Wheat, ss. 31d.; flour, £12 10s.: bran, £4 10s.: pollard, £6 10s.: oats, milling 2s. 4tl. to 2s. 4id.. feed 2s. 3Jd. to 2fl. 4d.; maize, red, 6s. 6d.; potatoes, £12 to £12 155.; onions, £2 to £2 10s.

BANK OF .ENGLAND RETURN. (Kec. January 21, 7.M p.m.) London, January 20. The . Bank of England return issued for the week ended Wednesday, January. 19, is a 6 under:— ■ ■ -Issue Department. Note Issue £69,385,000 Gov. dobt ... f 11,015,000 Other securities ... ... -7.484,000 Gold ... ... 60,936,000 . £69,385,000 . f09,385,000 Bad king Department. Proprietors' Gov. securicapital £14,563,000 ties £33,830,000 Public de- Other secuvipoßits ... 69,474,000 ties,.. ... 109,725,000 Other de- - posits ... 100,782,000 Notes.:. - 35,475,000" Best, 7-day ■ i and other . bills ... 3,463,000 .. Coin. ....... 233.000 £178,272,000 , £178,272,000 The leading items of the Bank' of Eng: .land return afford tho following, comparison:— This week Last week Lastyear Bullion ... ... 60,936.000 51,010,000 69.745,000 Resorvo. ... 36.708.C00 35,413,000 63.603.000 Note Circulation 33.910.000 34,338,000 35,467,000 Public Deposits : 60,474.000 63.653.0C0 37.655.000 Other Deposits 100,782,000 104,076,000 126.2tf5.000 Proportion of reservo to liabilities ' • 22.28 23.46 32.74 GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. The following are the latest quotations for Colonial Government securities in comparison with those ruling last week:—

MONEY HAB.KET. The Bank of England discount rate was on January 2, 1911, reduced from 5 to 41 per cent., on January 22 it was reduced to 4 per cent., and on January 28 3 per cent. On July the rate was raised tu 4 per cent., and on July. 31 it was raised to 8 per cent., and on August 1 it was further advanced to 10 per cent. On August 6 the yate was.reduced to 6 per cent., on August 7 it was further reduccd to 5 per cent., at which rate it now stands. . The Bank of France rate is 5 per cent, as against 4 per cent, prior to the war. OPEN JUDKEI 1 BATE. The opei} market discount rate for three months bills is 5J per cent., as compared with. 5{ per cent, last week, and 44 per cent, last year. Short loans are quoted at 115-16 per cent, as against 41 per cent, last week, and 13 per cent, last year. AND OTHER PRODUCE. Wheat is lirm, owing to tho strength of the freight market.

Flour is firm and advancing. Oats arc dull. La Plata, FebruaryMarch, 335, per quarter. Peas and. beans are iirm and unchanged. Butter is (juict. Danish is unchanged. Colonial, unsalted, is firm .at full lata rates; Australian, salted, 1425. to 144s • exceptional lots, 146e.; New Zealand, 146s' Apparently there are some "bears" of New Zealand, as sales- are reported of the Kangatira's shipment expected for delivery next week at 1445. Cheese is firm and unchanged. Sugar is' lirm and unchanged. Bradford l'ops.-The market is strong, with a healthy tone. Sixty-fours, 44d • 6uper 6ixties, 43d.; common sixties, 42d.; fifty-sixes, ,38Jd. ; fifties, 33jd.; forty-sires. 25d.; forties, 27d. THE METAL MABKETS. ' Copper.—On spot, £87 15s. per ton; three months, £87 7s. 6d.; electrolytic, 116s. to 119s. Tin.-On spot, £177 ss. to £177 10s. per ton. , Pig-iron, 80s. 4d. per ton. Lead—Soft foreign, on epot, £31 10s. per ton; forward delivery, £31 ss. Silver.—Bar silver is quoted at 26 15-16 d. per ounce standard. Never has the demand for clear-headed constructive thinking in business been so -urgent as it is right now. We are living in a progressive age, and must .'take advantage of all up-to-date methods. It is in savings from waste of any description that money.is, made to-day, and by concentrating one's efforts on all details of our business wq claim to be able to produce results for our many cream suppliers. We want more cream. Can vou supply us? Further particulars, Waiiganui Fresh Food Co.—Advt.

Variation . ' • Stock • • ' . compared Price. with f. ' last "weok. £ 5, d. 25% Imperial Consols 69 0 0 Unchanged 35 „ AVar Loan 80 10 0 Unchanged 41 „ War Loan 35 0 0 6s lower 1 „N.S.W.1033Jau.-July 95 0 0 UnoUoiwed H JH.S.-W.lD30-60JIr.-8p 05 17 6 7/6Kor 3} „K.B.W. Early Curr 83 7 6 J 6htahS 3 ..N.B.V.UWSApl.-Oct 78 0 0 Unchau^d 4 „Vic. 1920Jan.-JuIy 03 16 0 Sshiiihor 3i „Vic. 1921-6 Jan.-July 91 7 6 2/6 hichcr £ "s i A' : i?«7 0Jan i" ; ! Uly I s 0 0 Unchanged 3* „S,A 1916 Jan.-July 5 0 Unchanged 3 „a,A. ldlb Jan.-July 7010 0 Unchanged J. »Q^'diaiS-34 Jan.-Jiily 95 0 0 Unchanged 34 „Q1 dl9SM7Jan.-July 1)1 5 0 Unchanged 3 v Q'l'dl9i'3-47Jan.-July 7110 0 Unchanged « Ma y- N °v- 05 1 3 Unchanged SSf'? 11 * 1 '' S3 5 0 Unchanged „i , r;4 UiOApril-Oct 76 0 0 Unchanged -A. 1915-35 JI'y-N'v b7 10 0 Unchanged ti ,}J, A. 1915-35 My-Nov b'2 0 0 Unchanged 35 Tas 1920 Jan-July 85 5 0 Unchanged 3 las HMO-IO Jan-July 76 1 3 Unchanged