COMMERCIAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 92, 11 January 1918, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS

INVESTMENT SHARES Yesterday's quotations for investment shares were as follo'w:— • . . Buyers. Sellers. £ s. d. £ s. d. National Bank ....;. — 5 4 6 Bank N.Z. (old) 12 2 0 - Bank N.Z. (new) 17 0 0 17 5 0 Auckland Gas (paid) ... 1 6 9 17 6 N.Z. Insurance 8 0 0 — R.B. Insurance 514 0 5 16 0 Gear Meat (£1) 415 0 . — Auckland Trams (0rd.)... 10 3 — ■Wcßtport Coal 1 1 b ■• — Wost'pbrt-Stockton 0 8 9 ' — Taringamutu Totara ... 1• 5 0 — Well. Opera House (pref.) — 5 0 0 W.F.C.A. (£5) 6 5 0. -

Customs duty colleotcd. at the port ol Wellington yesterday amounted to £10,33! 9s. 3d.

BASK CLEARINGS. The total of Use Sydney bank clearings for 1917 was jMRHS.HO, against £422,371,972 for 1916. The following in a comparison /of the clearings in Syduey and Melbourne for the past seven yt'ars:— Melbourne. Sydney. £ £ 1911 290,113,099 3*4,468,435 1912 303y462,7!|5 320321,122 ' 1913 297,256,200 348,741,175 1914 299,667,584 3«,C68,0« 1915 299,294,510 357,803,42 d 1916 357,788,383 4^2,371,972 1917 377,300,520 «1,532,930 GERMAN TRADE "DUMPS." It is /well known that during tbe -ilrst two years of the war German agonta in many neutral countries laid out millione of German capital in the purchase of huge quantities of merchandise, largely, no doubt, with tho idon. of thereby rendering such capital safe from possible confiscation at home. It, h estimated, for instance, that in tbjs way approximately 1,000,000 bales of cotton were seourcd in the United States at prices more than 50 per cent, below the quotation now current. Thc| present value of this cotton has been reckoned at £30,000,000 or thereabouts, and no great eurprise -was occasioned when tho announcement was made that the Government of Hie United States, aft«r taking a. census of supplies, had decided to "take over" the accumulation. A similar policy was adopted by Germany in Brazil in regard to coffee; in Argentina, in! relation to wool, hides, cereals, etc.; and also even in London, where, it is stated, considerable .purchases were effected of merchandise which is believed still to be held on account of tho original buyers.

AUSTRALIAN PRODUOE MARKET. By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright (R«c. January 10, 11,25 p.m.) Sydney January 10. Oats, Algerian, 3s. to 3s. Bd. pe> bushel; milling, 3s. to 3s. Id.; Tasmanian, Js. IM. to 3s. lid.; maize, ss. M.; potatoes, Tasmanian, £7 10s. to £8 per ton; onions, £10 to £10 10b. J AttCfaMe, January 10. Oats are quoted at 2s. Id. tjo 2s. 2d.