COMMERCIAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 749, 23 February 1910, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS

INVESTMENT: SHAKES. ' , ' • ;Yesterda'y was a quiet 'day, tiie transactions recorded being . Jlikuraugi Ooal at 243.,: and . Westport-iiKJckton Coal at Vs 3d. National -Bank;-buyers £6 3s. 6d„ sellel's . £6 5b.; -liank of Uetv Zealand, sellers £9 ,13s. 6d.; Wellington .Investment, sellers MS. ; 6d.; i'eilding .-Gas,-.' buyers £1' Is. (id., sellers. £1; £s.'; ■ Standard buyers £1 33.; 2d. cum, div.j Gear. Moat, £1 paid, buyer's £2'.lZa; 6d.; Wellington Meat Export; £5 paid,, buyers £6, £1 paid, buyers £4'165.;. Wellington Woollen,' buyers £3 Is.; Hikuraugi Coal, buyers £1 2s. 6d.; sellers £1 33.: 9d.; Westport Coal, buyers £6 Is.; •Wcstport-Stocktbn Coal, buyers 75.'3d.; sellers 75.v9d.; Leyland-O'Brion Timber, buyers £1 3b. 3d.; Taranaki Petroleum, sellers Bs. 9d. • Ward and C 0.,; buyers £4 135.; Wliitcombe and'' Tombs, buycrß £5.

. ; . THE TALLOW ■ MABKET. ■ . . . Reviewing the market during 19C0 Messrs. Colchester and Woolner 'say:—.'"l'ho tallow market wa3 morb active during the summer and later months than during the oarlier, part : of the year. -Exporters' to niany places competed hero for tlie article, and Australian- shipments were ■ largely bought , by them before arrival, while'the' auctions consisted mostly of imports from New Zealand. Values fluctuated within a small range" during the first nine months of the year, but. during October moved upwards about £2 per ton, and closed at tho,- highest. Home tallow was not freely ottered; in fact, during. recent years supplies appear to have steadily, decreased. Although imports were much in excess of those of the previous year, buyers' re-' ciuirements were on a still larger scale. At the dose-of the year: the stock in Loudon is reduced to one of tile lowest figures in reccnt.. years,, and since •the strike in Australia checked shipments' thence' in November there is a reduced quantity afloat to London for near arrival. With tho exception of the'cotton districts, trade generally shows signs, of -improvement; and a further, increase in, supplies from the colonies ;in the coming'year seetas likely to moot with a corresponding demand." Duj ;toUowi-'» approximate figures com-

piled by Colchester and Woolnor show thb statistics for the,past two years:—

Imports Australia

. 1909. , . .1908. . Tons. ' Tons. ........ 23,000' 20,000

19,000' 16,000 500 , 1,300 7,500 11,700 1,000 . '2,000

I Now Zealand .. North .'America South America .... ■ Other Ptoceg •.......

56,000 51,000 Tho amount taken for Home consumption (end the exports totalled 47,700 tons, as figainst 50,000. The exports, of.English talijov7 totalled 6142 tons. The'stock in London at the: end of the year amounted to 2300 tons,: against 4000, tons at the end of 1908. '• ... t. .

Customs revenue collected at "Wellington amounted ,to £5335.195. 3d.

TRADE IS ALI<F,N STREET. " • Hams and Bacon—The demand continues active, but values are without alteration.

' Cheese.—There ■ are fairly, heavy stocks on hand, and - business is quiet. ■

Fresh eggs are in good - demand; limed eggs are also in good request, and'are selling at 3d. below the current rates for fresh eggs. ■' Flour is, meeting with excellent sale. Tho high-class brands' in particular o.ro sellins; wall., > Oatmeal,—A belief is current that the f.o.b. prices will advance at ah early date, and the same remarks ' apply to rolled oats.'

Bran.—Owing to farther shipments to England supplies locally are within small compass.

/ Pollard—An increase in supplies, with a slight decline in values, is expected aB soon as the mills net into active operations,on the new, wheat!

■ -Maize.—A / moderate -business .is passing, without any alteration in, price. Oats.—Very, few, samples are comine forward from. the south, holders preferring to' await .'market developments. Foas.—Owine . to heavy shipments to" the United Kingdom, the local markets are in 6hort supply. > Onions.—Heavy shipments have come forward, hut fortunately the* low prices rnling crcatly _ stimulated . consumption. PickUng Onions.—The inquiryis: cood, and a* fair business is passing. Chaff.-—The bulk of the supplies arc now coming • .from the VTairarapa, several truck-loads reaching the market every day. . ;Straw from .the Wairarapa is still the subject•=■-of: complaint on the part of buyers. The caterpillars caused consider, able damage. , Hay.—Very little'business Is - doing. Some samples- are now coming forward from Marlborough. . .7, _Bananas.-Thp- market is extremely bare. Further 'supplies from Fiji aro due to reach here on . March 3. . . a Grapes.—Tho first shipment of South s 4 ra l iail grapes,- via Melbourne ; and the Bluff, j s expected to come on this markot on Aiarch 4.'- . • .

,s?'™ Frtrit.-Large supplies from tho Auckland district aro now'comin? forward, and quotations aro .extremely tlcs i,T' l ' he3is ,advanced in valno .Stitfdcli. -aro nor ' heavy consignments are . ahd -"are.•'now in'- light supply, and bee ?, a -slight advance-in value fuUv 40 oer - h?? 0 ' advanced Ply,,, and only .nominal rates 'ai£ iiSX. ro^ rC< and^ * 8 - 2 i pncea are beihe ho'«commtnded. oderat ; 0 'caS

, PEIOES OF METALS. • . By Assdeiation-OoDyrieht /' ' February' 22, 10.5 pi',)'. ■ ' . . London, February 22. ,Ooppcr.-On the 6pot, £59' los. • thrca ™er D ton.'■ - 7S ' M ' ! " olectrol y tic i' £62 Us.; ' . the''spot,' '£152 7?? 'firi • .months'; £163,.75:- 6d - pTr- ten - ' Lead, £13 55.;-' per .ton.- : ■ ' . _'' Association—Oopy rl»h!.'; ;. (Rcc. February-22, 10.5';p.mY ' .iLondon, rcljruary 22. " ' 3 9^ n 3(i AaBtr alian ca,rgo of wheat sold' at