COMMERCIAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 108, 31 January 1919, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS

INVESTMENT SHAKES. Yesterday's 'quotations for investment shares were as follow:— ■ Buyera. Sellers. . . . ■£8. d. £s. d. Nationnl Bunk 610 0 612 6 Bk. N.Z. (£3 6a. Bd. pd.) 13 7 6 - Equitable Building* (cum) : 9 .7 * - N.'Z. Loan & Alcrc. (pref.) 63 0 0 N.Z. and Kiver Plate 1 19 0 - Well. Trust und Loan ... 5 16 ■ 0 — Well. Deposit - ..189 New Zealand Insurance 11 4 0 — 8.8. 7 0 0 7 5 0 Uuddart-ParkeV(ord.) ... - 20 0 ■Westport Coal 111 6 • — Leylaud-O'Jirion Timber .17 0 - Wilson's N.Z. I'ortlanri . Cement , , 014 6 — Customs duties collected at the port of Wellington yesterday amounted •to £SWO 16s. 1(M. COMPANIES KEGISTEBBD. The following companies have (vide the "Mercantile Gazette") been registered:— Whnganui Carrying 00., Ltd.. registered as a private company January 25, 1919. Offlee, io Si. Mill Street, Wanganui. Capital, £1500. divided into 1500 ehares of £1 each. SubßTibere: VViingnniii-rfydncy Holm, i Francis Kobert Henderson, Uharlcs llobert ! George Olianeris, and James Blair it'iNeil, | 3/5 snares each. Objects: To carry on the ■business of general carriers and forwarding agents and wood, coal, and produce merchants. i'yie and Co., Ltd., registered as a private, company January 28, 1919. Office, Norwich \Jiiion Chambers, 111 Customhouse j Quay, Wellington. Capital. £500. divided ] into 500' shares of £1 each. Uubscribers: Christopher Kume I'yfc, Wellington.- 490 ] Bharee; Frederick William Oonnoil, lipper llutt 10 shiiree. Object's: To carry on business as produce merchante, general merchants, auctioneers, etc. THE 1 , . AND O. COMPANY. Additional New Zealand interest is lent to the annual report of vim l'eninnulav and Oriental Company now that the llniou Hteiim Ship Company of New Zealand is Identified with it.- it refcre to the- difficulty of cloning sonic accounts owing to losses of some pa-,iera by enemy action. Tho report further Btatee: "In view of the grave uncertainties of the future of shipping the directors feel confident that the proprietors will concur with them in tho policy of building up the company s reserves." Atter making . this provision, there is a credit balance on the years recounts, including £92,712 brought forward from last year, ot £UVAZI. The proposal is to pay a 5 per cent, dividend on ■tho preferred stock, nud 12 per cent, and a 6 per cent, bonus on the doferred stock (free of income tax). The dividends will absorb £727.000. leaving £91,727 to be carried forward to uoU yuar. The. whole of the licet of the company not retained on Admiralty charter reinainß (September 30) under requisition by the Ministry of Shipping at Blue Book rates, the earnings being for account of the Government. In reference io losses by enemy action, it is stated that two of the company s vessi'la, which were in tho service ot the Admiralty as armed cruiseru, have btran lost and a number of stcamovs belonging to allied companies have aloo been sunk by enemy action. The agreed valuo of all tneee ships has been recovered by _ the amount placd in national war bonds; but unless tue coei of shipbuilding falls very materially (tho report continues) it will bo impossible to replace the. vessels which have been lost for anything 11kb the amounts recovered." PBODUCE PBICEB IN MELBOTJENE, Although representation has been made to the Government by flour millers for per mission to amend tho prices of bran and Dollard, the authorities have (states tho Melbourne "Argus") slated that they have no intention of lifting the fixed bran, so long as price-fiilng continued to be the policy of the Government. Despite tho large quantity of wheat which has been gristed owing to Imperial contracts, the shortage of bran for general requirements has been conspicuous for some months. This etate of affairs has been created by the artificially low prices fixed by the Government, with the result that the output has been absorbed almost immediately, more especially as at £b per ton"tho rate ie M per ton lower than best chaff, which is a ridiculoue position. Some country mills aro still working ou British contracts, but these will bo completed at an early date, when the supp y of bran and pollard will be particularly acute. Tho principal sufferers .through the reduced production will be dairy larmert. The Government's reason for a refusal to allow tho requested amendment in prices because price-lixing continues to be its policy is little short of farcical. The millers have already made it known to the au horities that if bran and pollard prices were raised Hour would bo reduced in pro. portion. . , AUSTKALIAN ™CTUIC SUPPIiT COM-Australian-Ncw Zealand Cable Association. London January 27. The Melbourne Electric Supply Company's balance-Bheet shows a credit ol £H849, after writin E off £3408 capital exnenditure, £14,001) invested in the gold bond fssue, £20,000 reserved for income and excess profits taxes, nnd placine £15,CC0 to have created a bonds redemption account with i«CO Ijpm . «? credit balance and £10,000 from the dividend equalisation, account, carrying forward £14.849. Tho directors have applied to the Treasury for sernussion to iiaue 2e,(!CO new preference shares of £5 each, bearing interest at.tht rate of 7 per cent, per annum; also 11,419 consolidated ordiU T r h y e "Adelaide Electric Supply Company reports a credit balance ui iM.MS, after having placed £7500 to meet income ana excess prUts taxation, ani carrying lorward £16,941. ATJ9TKALIAN PKODUOE PItIOBS. By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright . jltcc. January 30, 10.20 p.m.) Sydneyi January 30. Oats. Algerian fwciing. a". «« 6». M- P«f bushel; milling, sa. oil.; 't'a»n»nian, o=. M. Ee, Bs. M, » , '' £16 to £18 per ton. Ouioub, .UJ to £11. AUClalde, January 30. Oats 4s. 4d. to 48. 6d. per bushel.