COMMERCIAL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 466, 26 March 1909, Page 8

COMMERCIAL.

: TltG SHAIiE SL-LRKET. A fair business was'.again'reported yesterday, and it,is evident that'some of. the Slanawatu Railway money has teen, reinvested in shares. Sales of National Banks at .£5 3a. 6&, Meat Export U'2 12s. 6d paid) at JE3 Is., Westport Coal at ,£6 45., and Westport-Stockton Coal at Bs. 9d. wore reported. The market lacked animation, and thero were very few quotations. National Banksj buyers X 5 35.,* Wellington Investment, buyers lis.; Wellington' Trust and Loan, at ,£G 195., sellers £7 2s. 6d.; Wellington Deposit, sellers 95.; Wellington Gas, .£lO paid, buyers .£l7; now issue, sellers .£1 2s. Gd. premiuhi; Gear Meat, =£1 paid, buyers ,£2 10s.; Wellington Meat Export, £2 12s. 6d. paid, tellers ,;JE3 Is. Gd.; Westport. Coal, sellers £6 55.; Kauri Timber, 15s. paid, sellers lJs. lt)d.; Leyland-O'Brien Timber, sellers .£1 2s. Gd.;' New Zealand Portland Cement, sellers 155.; , Taranaki Petroleum, buyers 75., sellers Bs. ■ THE MINING MAEKET. . Sales-of Waihi at X 9 Is. and Waitangi at 3s. OJd.', 3i' Id., and 3s. 2d. were reported. |Tho quotations were as underj:— V "J Buyers. Sellers., Sales. • £s. d. £s. d. £s. d. Waihi ... ... ... 9 0 6 9 1 6 9 1 0 Talisman 2 3 9 2 4 0 — Waitangi ■ ... ... 0 3 1 0 3 3 0 3 2 Big River 2 2 0 — — - Con. Goldfiolds ... 013 fi — — The Customs Tevenne collected at Wellington yesterday amounted to .£3319 Is. 7d. NELSON BROTHERS, LTD. ' ■ The Teport of, Nelson Brothers, Ltd., for tl\e year ended September 30; last,' presented .at. the meeting of shareholders in.London on February 16, states . that. the . year's trading,' including, brought forward, has resulted in a profit .of .£25,095. Interim dividends absorbed .£13,629, and there is left a sum of The directors now recommend the ■transfer from reserve account of .£IO,OOO, and 'the payment of a final , dividend on the ordinary. shares of i per cent.' (making 7 per cent, for the'.year); free of Income tax, carrying forward :,£3591. The serious decline in the geu-i eral trade of the country during the past year, as indicated. by,.the' official-returns, has had its', effect upon tho meat industry,_ depressed markets and decreased consumption giving evidence of tho strain upon the working classes. •The company has maintained the volume of its business, ,but the cost of stock in New Zealand has been out of proportion' to-the prices that could be obtained hero, and profits have in coneequence been, materially affected. Wool and skins-suffered a severe declino in value in'the earlier part of the year, but a welcome recovery subsequently, took, place,, and . there, is now a feeling of more confidence in tho' future. The .whole of the debenture stock outstanding at July 1 was paid off at 10 per cent, premium. The balance of profit'on the freehold land sold by the company (amounting to '.£12,068; after deduction of the debenturo premium) has been placed to reserve account, • which stands at i£B2,oGß,.after transferring ,£IO,OOO to profit and loss account. Tho directors record w}th deep regret the death of Mr. Frederick Nelson, who had rendered valuable assistance to the comi pany (from its inception. Mr. H. M. Nelson has been appointed to a seat on the board, sub- •, ject to confirmation at. the' general meeting.

! FEUIT AXD PRODUCE REPORT. ■ Messrs. Griffiths and Co., ltd., report quota- , tions o,t their fruit and produce sales yesterday as • follow Potatoes,' - choice ss, to 55." 3d., prime 4s. to ,4s. 9d.; onions, local, 6s. cwt.; cabbages, 9d. to Is. 6d. sack;, cauliflowers, 9d. io Is. M.; peas, choice, sk, ss. 6d. part sacks; l>eans, 9d. to Is. part sacks; tomatoes, choice Hutt :Is. 3d, to-, Is. 7d.y primef ls. to Is.-Bd/; letttice, Is. case; plums, 3s. to 3s. 6d. half-case: .peaches, choice eating 3s. to 45., prime '2s to •35., cooking .Is. 6d.,t0 2s. -3d.; apples, ■ choico eating 7s. to 7s. 6d., prime 6s. to 6s. 6d„ cook- , ing 4s. ta 5s 3d; pear, choice eating 7s. 6d. to Bs. fid., prime eating 6s. 6d. to 75., cooking 5s to 65.; eggs, fresh, Is. Gd„ Us. 7d. dozen; fowls, 3s. to 3s. 6d. pair; ducks, 4s. io ss. pair; celery, ' od. to Is. dozen;,red. cabbage, Is. 6d. to 2s. 6d. sack; turnips,_ls.,sack; beetroot, 25.,t0 3s; sack! carrots,. Is. _ 6d, to 2S. sack.. There was little animation in the. market -yesterday, although a largo .quantity of consignments were cleared oat on a dragging sale.

'. ... : j LITE, STOCK SALES. ■ , UJessrs. Dalgety and Co.', reports as fol-lows-.—At our Palmerston sale yesterday there was a good entry- of -sheep -and >a -fair yarding' ? o? pces '^ 0 48 follow••^-Mlkdd'itwo-'i® 3 ' B i- s ;„ sma l , ]n 1 5s - to 55.'3d.; fat' bullocks, £$ 12s. 6d. to'.£6 is.; |2}-year. bul- , locks to ,£5; fat .coirs, ,£3 15s. to £i Bs.: fori *lariqI ar iq C o 0 <, w r , 2 0 i lss - 40 fat heifers, ,£3 Bs. , to A3 ,9s. 6d.; 2i-year steers, to ,£3 7s. 6d.

-. 10 New Zealand Loan and < Mercantile Agency report that, at Palmerston.NortL yesf^i ay 'j a ™ al l of sheep and cattle came forward. Competition was not keen,'.but a total- clearance was effected, .mostly under the r™S, or - T >W quotes—Sheep: Two-tooth ewes (small), Bs.- 6d.; two-tooth wethers (small), Bs.; full-mouth ewes, Bs. 6d.; 'Romnev- rams, Ign:' .to ligns. Cattle: ;Weaners, Bs. 6u.~t0 10s. 6d ■ 205.; .storj cows, 365. to i£2-ls!; -forward cows;-jE3 65.; fat cows,Jl3 17s.' to £i 2s. ; cows m calf, J2 10s.; cows in milk, 10s : bulls, JE3 ss.' :;■ ™.' , '

Messrs. Abraham and Williams, Ltd., reporton their stock sale held yesterday at-Palmerston North as follows:—We had a full yarding of all classes of stock. ...There,was a large-attendance,-and competition for sound, breeding ewes and good lambs was keen, but very little inquiryexisted for steers or grown bullocks. All other iliues sold readily, and a good clearance was made at the following quotations and Eix-tooth ewes, 12s. Gd.; two-tooth, ewes, -10s.. 4d. to .10s. 6cL;. mixed-age ewes, 7s.'i 9d. to 9s. c o'j , ( ! wes ' ® s - '° 8s- 6d.-j aged' ewes, 4s. to ss. 3d-; cull owes, 3s. to 3s. 6d.; forward lainbs,: vs. Id. >to 7s. 9d.; cull lambi 4s. 3d. to ss. 7d • two-tooth wethers, Bs. 2d. to Bs. 6d.; two-tooth Mackface ewes, 9s. Id.; Shropshire rams, £2 js. to £2 95.; Romney rams, ljgns. to lkns.; two and a half-year steers, £3 Is. to £3 4s "d.; two-year steers, £2 10s. to £2 18s.; fat cows, £3 12s. 6d. to .£4; forward cows, to .£3 55.; store cows, 35?. to' £2 165.; forward empty heifers, 365. to 55.; heifers in calf,' f? ,5 ;,. 6d - to 18s.; springing heifers, 2s. od.; fifteen-month steers, 305.; bulls, £2 ss. to *a3 10S/

STOCK EXCHANGE. , (BI TEL3QUAYU —I'ttESS ASSOCIATION.! ' ' Dunedin, March 25. btock Exchange sales to-day :-Standard InBnrance, 215.; Sailor's Bend, 12s. 3d. THE PALL IN MEAT VALUES. V (ni TKLEGfiAPH —rilEsa ASSOCIATION.) 'mi. nr, , « Napier, March 23. ■ , J-neX. u aqd D. Company cables There has been a further heavy fall in values of frozen meat all round. Stocks on hand and shipments afloat are very large. Quotations — Best Canterbury mutton, 3Jd.; Napier, Wellington, and North Island, 23d. Lamb :-First quality, 4|d.; second, 4Jd. Beef:-Hinds, 3d.; fores, 2§d. LONDON WOOL SALES. (Br TEIiEQEArH—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) , London, March 24. At the wojl auctions there were brisk sales. Prices were; fully., maintained. Waihua, 81d.: Eddmgton, Dfd. ' - THE METAL MARKETS. (BT TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION-—COPYRIGnT.) '■ ■ ; London, March 24; spot, =£56; three months, 17s. 6u. Tin—Three months, J!131 15s. Lead, ,£l3 Bs. 9d. per ton. : ; 'TALLOW AUCTIONS. |BY TELEGRAPH —PItUSS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT.) al ii, in' London, March-24. At the tallow sales 134G casks were offered and 772 sold. Inferior advanced 3d. to Gd.: other sorts .were'unchanged. . WHEAT. (BT TXLBORAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION—COrYRIGm.) London, March 24. The American visible supply of wheat east of the Kockies is estimated, at 64,188,000 bushels. BANK OF AUSTRALASIA. fBY TELEGRAPH —riIESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.) London, March 2-4. The balance-sheet of the Bank of Australasia, for the half-year ended October 12 last, shows that deposits amounted to '£15,205,068, securities to and bi115''£615,496,182: