LIVE STOCK SALES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 773, 23 March 1910, Page 10

LIVE STOCK SALES.

Messrs. Abraham and Williams, Ltd., report lis follows:—At Mr. AV. H. Crowthcr's clearing sale of dairy stock held at Shannon on Monday, the cows were a very good lot, and though only few in number, they sold very well. Prices ranged from .£5 10sl to .£lO, averaging all through the respectablo price of £1 10s. Gd.; weanor heifers, made',£2 os. Gd.; bulls,' '2s. fid. to &Vss.j baconers, .£2; sows in pig, £'2 55.; Berkshire boar, 295. Sundries, etc., sold at good prices. COMMERCIAL ITEMS. INVESTMENT SHARES. Sales of Gisborne Gas at JC2 Us, 9d. and Westport Coal at .£G ss. were reported yesterday. Bank of Now Zealand, buyers £0 lis. fid. j National Bank, buyers '£& 4s. Gd.; Wellington Investment, buyers lis., sellers lis. 3d.; Wellington Trust' mid Loan, sellers £1 -Is.; Feilding Gas, buyers £1 Is. fid.; Gisborne Gas, buyers ,C 2 lis. 9d.; Wellington Gas, £6 15s. paid, buyers ,£l3 10s., sellers .£l3 12s. 6(1.; Gear Meat, AY paid, buyers £2 135.; Wellington Meat Export. .£2 12s.' Gd. paid, sellers £2 lfis.; New Zealand' Shipping, buyers £7 17s. 6i\.; Wellington Woollen, buyers £3 25.; Westport. Oral, buyers .EG 45.. sellers .£G 7s. 6d.; Westport-Stockton, sellers 7s, 9d.; Loylaiul-o'Brien Timber, buyers £1 is. 3d: New Zealand Consolidated Dental, buyer's £1 25.; New Zealand Drug, buyers .£2 75.; New Zealand Portland Cement, buyers £2; New Zealand Paper Mills, buyers £\ 25., sellers £\ 2s. Gd.; Sharlarid's preference, buyers £1 25.; Taranaki Petroleum, buyers Bs., sellers 9s. 3d.; Ward and Co., brewery shares, sellers JCS.. ■ ,

I NATIONAL MORTGAGE. At the annual meeting of shareholders of. Ilio National Mortgage and Agency Company of New Zealand, ■ held in Lon ; (ion on February 0, the 'chairman, Mr. Lindsay Eric .Smith, said there was an increase of about ..£55,000 in the debentures of tho company, against which there was a reduction' of debts to sundry creditors of ,£158,000 and in bills payable of .£70,000, and an increase in investments of c£m;000. Debts''owing to tho company showed- n diminution of ,£'260,000; of this being accounted for by a reduction' in the advances on wool and produce, which in the previous year stood at an abnormal figure. There was also a large reduction in current accounts. The twelve months under review had been prosperous ones for the Dominion, and the company had shared in this general prosperity. There had been improvements in. values in almost every direction, and the exports from New Zealand during the year had exceeded the imports by upwards pf 3J millions sterling. Tlip Dominion, in fact, was, the directors thought, hack in the position it held in 190G-7, which .was the most prosperous season New Zealand had. ever known. Other items of prqduce continued to be exported in. large quantities. In the circumstances the directors felt justified in proposing an extra Gd. a share dividend. This,, of course, was exceptional, and they would Kave no hesitation .in returning to 'the usual 10 per cent, should they consider it advisable. The prospects for the .'.coming year were encouraging. • ■ ■ " CAPITAL IN 1009. According to statistics compiled by "The Investors' Guardian," the total number of companies • registered in the United Kingdom last year was the biggest on. record, though the amount of capital involved was not so large as in the boom period a decade and. a half ago. ~ln England there were 5534 registrations, with a capital of £132,423,400, as against 4639, with a capital of. ,£96,828,700 lin 1908; in Scotland tho registrations numbered 451, against 292, with a" capital of .£8,213.600, as compared with .£5,990,800; and :in Ireland there were 126 registrations, with a capital of .£1,167,000,, as ■against 113, with a capital of .£1,538,300. The feature of the year was the numerous rubber flotations, the total capital of which amounted to .£13,730,000, as against .£2,131,500, raising the aggregate for the last four years'to the remarkable figure of In English registrations, the chief trend, apart from rubber, was. towards ~ finance, bunking and investment concerns,. and there wa3 also a noticeable revival in mining and exploration . propositions. . Engineering and hardware, land and building, oil and. shipping .concerns, were likewise more numerous: There were three companies with a capital "of two of over, , and seven with a capital of between one and! two millions.

. ARGENTINE MEAT TRADE. The ."Review of the JJiver Plate,", in Riving a summary of'the meat .freezing industry for 1909, - quotes ' approxiniato figures showing the exports for the year, as compared .with the ,'three years preceding. The shipments .of mutton and lamb totalled 2,723,000 carcasses, as against 3,265,879 in 1908,' 2,785,739 in 1907, and 2,833,031 in 1906. Of frozen beef there ware l,510,(iOO quarters exported last year, compared with 1,503,101 in 1908. ■ 1,327,360 in 1907,' and 1,5G3,068 in 1906. In this line.of produce, returns. show.,that the frozen beef oxport trade' is about holding its own, but-when ,thc figures showing the exports of chilled beef are looked at it will be seen that there was a great expansion. For 1909 tLo number of quarters of dulled' beef '■. exported was 1,063,000, as against- 789,348 ..quarters in the preceding year, 439,613 in 1907, and 455,459 iu 1906. An increase 0f"35. per cent, in one year, is noteworthy, .-but it is explained-that this is in.a largo measure' due-, to" the entry'-into the country of.tho-.North American' Bdef. Trust. The trust ' is largely interested in this particular lino of trade. ' As to the condition of the flocks and herds, a special official investigation was'mado in August last, and as a consequence of it the Government was enabled to declare that in the opinion of the best, expert veterr inary advice foot and mouth diseases not only did-not exist at tlvat time, but had virtually disappeared from the Republic. .There were, however, disastrous losses amongst cattle and sheep as' a , consequence of the prolonged drought. The actual figures had not been ascertained, but one of the national territories gave its losses in sheep alone at over a million head.

Customs revenue collected at Wellington yesterday amounted to ,£1586 3s; ' ' TRADE- IN ALLEN STREET;' The market has been fairly active; during the past week, and good business has been done in most lines. : Fowl, .wheat is, offering more ''freely. .'from ; south,' and' fair 'business is- bsinij done, as buyers , consider that lvalues have reached bedrock. Peas.—The' high rates ruling in the Home markets has affected prices locally. Fair parcels are' bciug shipped to London. • ;.; Oats.—Some heavy sales are reported to have lioen made in the south for April-May-June, delivery. Business has' been soniewhat' active in the local market. . . Barley.—There has been a strong, demand for Cape barley for fowing, .and stocks locally are almost depleted. .There is practically no business doing iii feed barky. Onions. —Prices continue to rule extremely low, and the consumption, in consequence, is on a-,large .scale. ' ■ PotStoi-s.—The market during the earlier part of the week was short of supplies, but this has been-remedied by shipments from Marlbdrough and other southern ports. Maize is meeting with better demand, but there is no alteration in the quotations. ' . . •. . Fl6ut is quoted at JBIO per ton f.o.b. southern ports., The Atlas brand is quoted at .£lO los. 6d. ex store Wellington, less the usual discounts. Oatmeal. —The quotation for one of the leading brands on the market has bsen . advanced .£1 per ton, but ■ for • other brands the price is still j>lo per ton f.0.b.. South Island Rorts. Rolled Oats.—The colder weather has stimulated the demand for this line, and fair business is passing. Bran is slightly weaker, and at current rates is regarded as good buying, as prices are likely to firm as soon as ■the weather beconies colder. Baled hay is offering more freely, and prices arc slightly, weaker. Business is restricted. Grass Seed. — Ryegrass seed has advanced in the southern markets, and some larger parcels have changed hands. Other seeds , art without alteration in value. »», . '.. Bacon and Hams.—Hams have advanced a halfpenny per lb., but sides and rolls are unchauffed. Fresh Eggs.—Supplies are slightly in excess of the demand; fresh eggs are worth Is. id. to Is. 5d., and preserved Is.: 2d. per. dozen. "■■','- : . - ■ Poultry'.—Turkeys are still in siort supply, and extreme rates are easily obtained.- Ducks and fowls are in plenti-ful-supply, and are selling at low prices. A Bananas are in short supply, and the arket will Us quite bare when the Fiji boat arrives on March 31. Messina Lemons—Stocks are low,' arid values rule from 13s.' to lls. per half-case. Grapes.—Fairly Heavy shipments nrb being received ycekly from both Sydney' and Adelaide. Prices' ; so far havo not' been encouraging to growers. Peaches.—The demand has improved considerably, and ■ higher rates are' now ruling. .-..,..■• ■.-,'• Apples.—Choice dessert apples are in fair demand, but cooking varieties aro slow of'sale, and values are x depressed. Pears.—The popular variety on the market now is the "Maria Louise," which meets with good competition, Other varieties range from 55.. to 7s. Gd. Vegetables.—The inavkrf is heavily .supplied, nnd prices generally are low. The fruit markets will be closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday. OCEAN, ACCIDENT AND GUARANTEE CORPORATION. The manager of the. Ocean Accident and Guarantee Corporation, Ltd., has received cable information from London which states that at the thirty-ninth annual meeting held in London, the income for the year 1909 was reported as .C1,53G,121; balance of credit profit and loss, ■£835,056; reserves, .£1,823,958; invested funds, .£2,103,564; total assets, .£2,552,796. JANUARY IMPORTS FROM BRITAIN. The following is a return of the principal lines of goods of British manufacture exported to New Zealand during the

month of January, 1910, with the figures for January, 1909, shown for purposes of comparison. Compiled from tho Board of Trade returns: Month ending January 31. 1909. 1910. .C .S Beer and ale 2,801 2,H0 Spirits. 13,192 6,521 Iron and steel and manu- ' factures thereof 53,162 82;G35 Copper, wrought -' • or' manufactured 4;455 2 047 Cutlery 1,832 1,977 Hardware .'.„ 9,142 6,939 Cotton piece goods of all kinds 69,156 69,365 Woollen and worsted manufactures 50.33G 53,230 Haberdashery and. millinery 8,732 ' 8,416 Jute manufactures .„ 3,522 3,557 Linen piece goods of all , kinds 30,565 10,608 Apparel 81,461 77,825 Boote and shoes 25,328 19,092 Saddlery and harness ... 2,162 3.2G9 China and earthenware... 5,749 5,791 Writing and printing paper 8,819 . 8;34G Cement 1,805 •, 1,297 Stationery other than paper 3.16S 3,152 ---. . SILVER, • • By Teleeraph-Prosß Association-CopyriEtit. : London, • March 21. Silver is quoted at 23 15-16 d. per ounce. WHEAT AND-FLOUR, ■ -London, March 21. Tho wheat and flour afloat for the United Kingdom totals 4,090,000 quarters; for theContinent, 1,980,000 quarters; Atlantic shipments, 114,000. Tho total shipments to Europe this week amounted to 1,030,000 quarters, including 161,000 from the Argentine and Uruguay. LONDON WOOL SALES. By Telecruoh-Prcss Association-Copyrleht. (E«c. March 22, 9.35 p.m.) • London, March 22. . ..The wool, sales included the following— Ellerslie, top price,' 15d., average lijd.; Hakaterina, ldid. and 13Jd.; Pare, 11 Jd. and lOgd.' - . The April'sales will be limited to 160,000 bales. . ■ Messrs. Murray, Roberts and Co', have received the following wool market cablegram, from their London house. Messrs. Sanderson, Murray and Co., dated March 21:—London wool sales: The third series of eales, which open on April 26, 1910, will be limited to 100,000 bales, new arrivals. . . ..., .. \ ... METALS. "; By Toleuraoh-Preas Asßociatfon-CoDrrleht. (R«c. March 22, 9.35 p.m.) ' . . „" ' London, March 22. ' Copper.-Spot, .£59; three months, M 0 Is. 3d. " £1U 17s. 6d.; three months, •; RUBBER, ■ ' Prospectuses of new companies. ... , 5j Toleeraph-Press Associatlon-Copyrieliti' London.-March 21. Tho prospectuses of ten rubber companies were issued'to-day. The capital aggregates two and a half millions'.' ... Tho "Daily Telegraph" says the high price of rubber made some of tho Para cargoes so valuable, that it was difficult to find sufficient market to insure them. 1 if teen shillings per cent., was paid on batnrday; the ordinary rate is 'four shillings. The rubber boom is:being well main-' tamed, T.nd the company promoter is

catering for the public craze. Early in I'ebruiiry there was a fall in rubber shares, and "Tbo Economist" of February 5 says:—"The furious paco at which the boom had been driven for several weeks past bad prepared, not only the Stock Exchange,'but the public also, for an assured set-back, and the wonder was that tho market kept strong for so lonj. Some part of the explanation is no doubt to be found in the fact that the rise in prices lias been built unon a more genuine foundation than" most similar cases can boast. It is beyond question that the well-established rubber companies arc making enormous profits, and the price of the raw material, with tho present prospects of its maintenance, is a factor that tells powerfully in favour of the undertakings near to the producing stage." • LONDON WOOL SALES. "PRICES WELL MAINTAINED. By Telcerash—Press Association—Copyright. London, March 21. At the wool sales there was an inferior selection. Prices were well maintained. Messrs. Murray, Roberts, and Co. have received the following cablegram from .London, dated March 21:—The. third series of sales, which opens on April 26,1910, will be limited to 160,000 balesnew arrivals. Messrs. Dftlgety and Company, Limited, report having received the following cable messago from their London house, under date of March 21:—The third series of wool sales in London, which have been fixed to . open 'on 'April 26, aro limited to 160,000 bales. .' , ' SUGAE PRODUCTION. By Telesraph—Press Association—GopyrlehL London, March 21. Mr. Licht, the well-known, authority on beet sugar, states that up to the pnsent production shows a decrease of 191,000 tons. He estimates.that for the whole season' the decrease will amount to 332,000 tons. OIL COMPANIES. By Telenraph-Eress Assoclation-Copyricht. London, March 21. The prospectuses of two oil companies hare been issued. ; The capital aggregates £425,000.. PRODUCE EXPORTS; The leaflet issued by the Department of Commerce showing tho quantity and value of the principal products' passed through the Customs deals with the figures for the period from March 1 to 15, and the total value of the exports is given as while for the full month of March, ISO 9, the amount was i2,389,G52. During tho first half of the current month the exports of butter were valued at ,£172,808; cheese, .£132,603; beef, £43,537; mutton, J398,159; lamb,' hemp, kauri gum. je2S,GBO; skins, .£39,119; tallow, .£18,137; timber, .£13,092; wool, .£860,077; and gold, .£61.940.