COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1018, 6 January 1911, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

•ORIENT STEAM NAVIGATION COM-' 1 ' PAN*. . The report* of'the Orient Steam Navigation Company, Ltd., for tho year ended June 30. Jast-states that in tho company niado an .ircuo of £750,000 four and a half per cent.-ftrst mortsajjo debentures, redeeming simultaneously the £113,100 debenture 6tocU then existing. The year's trading, including the balance brought forward, • shows a gross profit of £297.778 and a net profit, after deducting general charges, interest and depreciation, of £119,386. From this prbiit .has. to be deducted the cum of -£10,174, dividend for tho year paid on the preferred share?, leaving a balance of £109,212. Out of this balanco and tho balance standing to the credit of deferred shareholders' , reserve account the directors recommend that a dividend at the rate •of 5 per cent, for the year be paid upon the deferred'' shares, and . that. £30.000 bo ap-plied-towards .payment of -the expense and diccount on the debenture usue. and that £50,000 be- carried to general reserve account.- This will leave a balance of £26,257 to be carried forward. The Orient Fteamer has been sold at a pricc. substantially erceedm?- the amount- ? v t 'which she Btood in the books of the company, and the surplus -has been carried to tho credit ox depreciation account. The mail service has been . successfully maintained throughout tho year, all the sailings being by the company's steamers. Since i ? ebruary,'l9lo, the new mail contract with the Australian Commonwealth has been-in'force. The rp.muauv ; liar. under..construction with. John Brown -and Co., Ltd.. a new steamer fitted with a combination of turbine and. reciprocating engines, and. of aDproximatoly 13,000 tons gross, register. She is- to bo named "Orama." . arid* delivery under tho contract i 3 due in September next.

'.N.Z. GOLD. OUTPUT. -The following iteurtis furnished by the Mjries Pepartmeitf-?how tho Quantity-sod value of 'noltl exported--from the several "portr. of -New Zealand during the monthp of December,.' 19C9 and 1910, and for tho past two years':—. * , December, 1910. December, 1909. • • . 02. £ Oz. £ Auckland • .... 20.094 80.241 24.379 95,099 Grcymoutb 4,149 16,345 9,005 .34.3C4 Duncdiri 11/62 46.700 9,366 37,527 Invercargill. . 1,804 .. .7,215 : . 2,545 . 10,134 ■ . . 37,509 £150,501 , <5,295 £177,0*4 Tliere is a decroaso of 77860z., valued at £26,563. • . ! Tho''exports for the past ye.ar totalled 473,2850z., bf'*the value of' £1*896,318, as compared with * £06,3710z.,'. -valued at £2,0C6,900 in 1909. .The exports. of. gold for a period of ten years show as under: -1910 47M85 ;. 1.8&318 . . 1909......v 506,371 - ; 2.CC6.906 • -• 1908 .....v.. .. 506,42 V " :.2;0C4,925" • 1937,..; 508,208 ' ••• 2,0? V,490 ; 1906 563,843- . ' 2.270.9C4 * • : , 1905...520,486 -' ; ! -2,093,936 - 1 -1904 • 520,320 ! 2,087,501 1903- 533,314 • 2-.037.fi31 ... ItfZ-. .... 506,045 ' 1,951,433 t; ' 1901455.561 : 1,753,783 The''silver exported during: the* month of December consisted of - 196,7360z„ valued at *£19,703,• --as' comparc/1 ..with -156,5870 z.i valued at £15 ? 643. in December, 1909, thus showing .a.'.gaiu -of 40,1<90z.,-'of/-the valuo of £4060. The. .exports of-tho'white metal during the'-past three years compare as under:— . . < ' • •" • oz. • £ 1910 1,711,233 171,562 1909 ........ 1,813.830 . 180,872 ' 1908 ....1,751,336 r. , ' .' 175,337 Both • metals- exhibits chrinkages*. and ret there has been some activity' in mining speculation. • * ■ ( ' . NOTES.- ; All ..interim-dividend of 3 ,per cent, for tho half year endod-December 31, 1910, has boon declared by the , Wellington Investment, Trustee and Agency Company, and the dividend warrauts are obtainable at tho office of. tho company. . • The accounts of fourteen Australian Trustee Cpmpanies are published in the "Insurance, and Banking Record." They ha.vo a. combined paid-up capital of £404,422, and reserve fusds £290,555,- and earned in the past year net-profits to-the amount of £65,453. of. which £33,365 was distributed in dividends!. ' Consequently £32,078 remained to be added to. unserves. It is estimated : that they administer' estates to the valuo of • between £(2,000,CC0 and £44,000,000. •During the mopth of November last the capital applications in Great Britain t0ta11ed'£24.668,300, ta11ed'£24.668,300, ana this'in fipite of dear mouev. For the corre?nouding month of 1909. tho total was £21,599,700.:. ;In .view of tlje. burdens Protection imposes on-the consumer by the marked increase in the cor,t of living, and on all forms, of industry by the enhancement of the price of rav.* matorials, a. Tree-trade League has just been, founded in Parle. ' Lloyd's is applying for a new Act of the Imperial Parliament to cxtqid its powers so that they "shall include the carrying on the business of insurance of every description, including guarantee business by members of the society." The Bui will contain clauses to provide for the transfer to the fiocicty of their capital stock now held by trustees; to enable the - .eocietv and ■ the committee, by themselves or jointly with other persons j to furnish security by members of the society; to guarantee tho payment of claims on policies underwritten by members; and to guarantee the duo , performance by anv guarantor of any contractor' by which ho guarantees : the .payment of any such claims, and for such jiurpoce to pledge the -capital .stock and corporate or other funds of the soeicty. Customs revenue- collected, at. the port of Wellington yesterday amounted to £2657 125.. sd. , . .

i AUCKLAND .WOOL SALES. EXPECTED ENTRY OF 7500 BALES, tliy Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) Auckland, January 5. On Wednesday next the second wool sale of the season will be held in Auckland. The wool, to bo offered is already coming in freely, and the catalogues are expected to total up to about 7500 balec, as against. 6900 at the last December sale, and ar. against 64C0 bales offered at the January sales last year. It is expected that tho prices will, in sympathy with the results of the Wellington Bales on Tuesday, nhow a. decline, though there is no telling what a week may bring forth. THE JIETAL MARKETS, fly Tolesrraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Rec! January 5, 10.30 p.m.) London, January 5. Copper—On spot, .£56 155.: three months, £57 lis. 3d.: electrolytic, £59. • Tin.—On spot-, £180 its.; three months, •£179 12s. 6d. . V WHEAT. By Teleirrapli—Press Association—Copyright. London, January "4. Two Australian wheat cargoes 6old at 365. 3d. per auarter. (Sec. January 5,.,10.30 p.m.) London, January 5. • Wheat.—An Australian cargo has been sold at 365,' 3d. •TIN "MARKET. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright, . London, January 4.. The tin market is strong'on an "active "bear" covering. The price on. 6pot 'is £179 7s. 6d.; three months',• il78«-15s. ;• stocks, 17,910 tons; on the spot, 8905 tons; afloat, 3617. • . • • TALLOW SALES.,. • By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright. ... .London, January 4. • At the tallow' sales .1029 casks wero offered and'6ol sold. .'Prices realised:—Jtufcton', fine, -379.. fid;; medium, 355. 6d. Beef, fine, 575. 6d.;' medium, • 35e. ; : AUSTRALIAN PRODUCE MARKETS, i By Association— Copyright. (Rec. ! January -5, •10.50 p.m.) _ •Sydney, : January 5. # » : 'Flour ' is - quoted at £9;-' the* market is dull. Wheats—Loudon v&tkncss is reflected locally, ,and there % is .practically, no business. doing; buyers , are. offering • 3s. . 7id. to 3s. Bd., and.holders are wanting.3s^BJd; to 3s. Bid. Bran, £4 ss. Pollard,'£4. Pels, £5-to £5 6?; 'Oats,' Taenianian, 2s. 7d.; giants, 2s. 9d.; Algerian milling', 2s.'to 2s. oJd.\ ,Barley, English: malting. 3s. to ic. '3d'.;. Cape, 2s. -5d.; seed; 2s, '-Maize, 25.. M, Bran and pollard, £4. Onions, £3 to *£3 ss. Potatoes, £3 to £5.55. Adelaide, Jonuary 5. ,- Wheat, -35.. Bd. ..Flour, • £8. Bran and pollard,. Hid. Oats, Algerian, 25.. Old. Potatoes, £7.* Onions, £4 to'£s. 1 Barley, Cape,. foedins, 35.; seed, 3s. -2d. llaite, 2s. 7cl to 25.. Bd. Onions,- 3s. 10d., potatoes, £5. Butter,' 90s. . Bacon, 7»d. to Ed. Cheese, 6d. , Melbourne, January 5. ■ Wheat.—Plenty .is offering from-.the country oh the basis of 3s. Ed.; a 1 fairly large business in doinfj. ■ Flour.—Bakers lots, £9; there is moderate'inquiry.'

' . LONDON MARKETS. "The New • Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agcncy Cdmpahy,' Limited, have received the following cablegram "from their London house, under data January 4:—Wheat .—An Australian cargo has been sold at 365. 3d. per ouartcr, c.i.f. The market i 3 firm, hut, the demand entirely speculative, owing to favourable crop, reports. . Heavy stocks are held. The outlook in India is uP.ccrtMn. We quote p°r quarter c.i.f. New Zealand wheat: Long-berried, 31s. 9d.: r.hort-berried, 31s. 3d. Oats— Gartons, 18s.; Sparrowbills, 17s. 6d.; market Arm. with a' fair demand.; Tallow—Spot market has declined 6d.' per c\vt. " • ,