COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1027, 17 January 1911, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHABE3. ' . . No transactions in investment shares were recorded yesterday, and there wore no changes in'prices. - ■ Buyers ' Sellers. ■ £ s. d. £ s-d. National Bank 5 13 6 5 15 0 Bank N.Z. .. - 1014 0 Wellington Investment .... 0 11 0 — Well: Trust and Loan ... 7 11 0 . — Christcliurch Gas 9 15 0 — Wellington Gas (£10) 19 2 ' — . Wellington Gas (£6 155.) . 13 15 0 - ■ Gear Meat (£1) 3 I.fi — ■Meat Export (525. 6d.) .... — 3 -3. 0 tJnion', Steam — 117-3 K&iapoi Wppllen 5 0 0 — Well. Woollen lord.) 5 15 0 , — Taupiri Coal 10 6 ' "— .D.1.0. Preference: — 13 6 Leyland-O'Brien 1..7 0 — Manning and Co 4 4 0 1 — . Miramar, Ltd. — , -0 2 6 N.Z. Con. Dental 12 6 — Ward and Co. ... — 55 0 i LONDON WOOL SALES. The first of tho series of wool sales lor 1911 will begin at Coleman Street this evening, ' and unfortunately there are indications that values will decline. The tono of tho Bradford top market last week was unsatisfactory, and most counts were lower. Coarse crossbreds 40'g declined Jd. per lb., and 46's wero lower by 3d. per lb. Comparing the quotations for these two counts for a series of years, we tret tho following 40's 46's d. d. January 12,1911 13 145 January 13, 1910 145 . 17 January 14, 1909 121 135 January 10,1908 13 \ 143 .January 11, 1907 12 ,13i The quotations are better than they wero in 1909, but much less than the prices ruling twelve months ago. At .tho clceo of tho November-December sales the quojar tions were 40's, 14d. to 145 d.; and <6's, 15Jdto 15Jd.. but these prices were for 1911 delivery. Tho estimated values of New Zealand wool- at the close or.the last sales were, according to.the High Commissioners cable, as under':— ' " . Super merino 13d. to 15Sd, - Medium merino 10id. to 12* d.. , * Inferior merino 7jd. ro lOd. Fine crossbreds 13Jd. to 16d. Medium crossbreda lid. to 13d. . Coarso crossbreds ; to 10id. The variations that may be recorded at. the sales .to-day will :bo' based'upon the above pricee. 0 : THE HEMP MABKET. Tho hemp ( marUet is ■ deplorably weak, and the latest cabled cuotation of £20 7s. 6d, can scarcely: leave; any margin for the muler. The quotations "'for January-March shipment for-five.yearn are appended:— ■ January-March, 1911 £jo 7 6 Jauuary-Marcli, 1910 £57 0 0 January-March, 1909 £24 15 0 January-Mnrch, 19C8 .; £27 10 0 January-March, 1907 £3615 0 The present, price is the lowest for many ycare, and. is slightly -more than half the price it was. in 1907. It is difficult to see ¥L i„v/°„- rms i^ out , an improvement. -tile lii?h prices that ruled for a number Up i to other countries to develop different binds of fibre, f i L S!,. Particular has been widely ahhYl'J V?" aro now- availablo to. the. market, in other words thj> tn C ? rda - feo and othor fibres', are lUri ' P ' requirements, if not in'excess Tho Nc^Ze-!Hnrt COnS j quently eone downw^mm

' assurance foe .bachelors. snend man do " Dot wan t to spend much on .life. assurance. ,Ho wants t? bo sure that what ho does spend will reach tL -i^ TC l tmcnt G^ould to fliianv L mid^lß lifo; and; IS ;■ 1 /"I 3 t! ; at should ho come to !&*♦ .Jt a j of a houso it. .would, bs.both Vnmi 1 i- 4 0slra ' 3 le. : that lie should;make soino provision for -those dependent on'him If this bo postponed until. the need haa arisen, the premium , for tho. advanced age 15 heavy, and: thus the duty is'often left undone or most •lnadcqu'atoly'fnlMlcd.'Tho Legal, and General in its Bachelor . policy is tho first cffico to really put in practical snapo aicontract which lias unusual .merits, a ? m ? ro ? r less meets .every ono of these requirements, ;As a cample case.' a mail', of, say, twonty-five, who wishes *to provide for lunjself,,when he reaches sixty-five;-ana-who marries at forty: His total premium for. £ICCO is only £17 14s. 2d., and if lie should/survive until the sclectcd aeo he receives not only the. £1000, but also al? bonuses declared ,by the society. Arrived at Torty, he marries, and forthwith, without. a fresh, medical .examination, the policy becomes an ordinary endowment assurance at,the premium of a "for arrc it entry," l<s. 2d. having to be added tp tho yearly premium, which secures in ca&o of ' death not only.the. original £ICCO put also all .bonuses to date. Of theso privileges- havo to bo paid for somenow, and the ofllco is safeguarded by the provision that in event of death while unmarries and before attainment of the selected ago, only. the. premiums which have tiros' P nr ° rcturned - t0 tho representar

Customs revenue collected at the port- of 19s lid yestorday amounted to £2310 HETALS. By Tclcjrraph—Press Association-CopyrieM. T . . London, January 15. imports for tho past, month totalled 16,637 tons, including 6246 from Australia. The exports amounted to 4170 tons. Silver-Ear 'silver is quoted at 25d. per ounce standard. \ WHEAT AND 'FLOTJE. By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright. London, January' 15. The wheat and flour afloat for the United Kingdom totals 2,235,000 quartersfor tho Continent, 1.755,000 ouarters; Atlantic shipments, 60,000; Pacific shipments, 95,C00. Tho total shipments to Europe during tho week amounted to 1,010,000 quarters including 28,000 from Argentine. 3C5;0C0 lius! sian, 246,000 Danubian, 111,000 Indian, and 85,C00 Australasian. LEATHER AND HIDES. By TolcEraph-Press Association-Copyright London, January 15. . ■ Leather is in insignificant supply. Basils have declined by a farthing. Best Wellington, 193 d. Hides are neglectcd. HIGH. COMMISSIONER'S CABLE. Tho Commerce and Tourists Division ot tho Department of Agriculture, Commcrco and Tourists have received the following cablegram from the High Commissioner, dated London, January 14 (nuotations unless otherwise specified arc average market prices -on spot) ~ Mutton.—The market is ouict, but holders are firm; supply of Canterbury is practically exhausted. Nominally Canterbury, 4gd.; North Island, 4£d. per lb. Lamb—The market shows signs of weakness. This season's Canterbury, Sd.-per lb.; other than Canterbury, 53d. per lb. Beef.—Tho market is quiet with an improved domand. New Zealand hinds, 3Jd.; New Zealand fores, 2iiti. per lb. Butter.—Tho market is firm, and has advanced on account of speculative buying. Choicest Now Zealand butter is 110s. per cwt.; Australian,. 1045.; Danish. 1165.; Argentine, 106 a. •

Checso.—Tho market is firm with hardening tendency. The demand is Kettinjj better, and prospects «ro favourable. Whits, 575.; coloured, 58s. 6d. Hemp.—The market is dull, and likely to continue dull. New Zealand, cood. fair spot per t0n,.£20 55.; fair grade, £19 155.; fair current Manila, £IS; forward shipment, about tbo same. The output from Manila for tho week was 19,CCD bales. Wool.—The market is a shade weaker: buyers aro holding back:—36's, low crossbreds, la. Id.; 40's, low crossbrcas, Is. 12d.; 44's, medium crossbreds, Is. 2ad.; 50's, haifbreds, Is. 61d.: sG's. quarter-breds, Is 9£d.; 60's, merinos, 2s. lid. FROZEN MEAT. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. • London, January 15. The Frozen Meat Trado Association's Smithfield market quotations for the undermentioned- classes of frozen meat aro based on actual sales of'not less than one hundred carcasses of mutton or lamb, and twenty-five quarters of beef of fair averagjo quality. - The quotation? arc not for selected Hues, but for parcels fairly representative of the bulk of tho shipments now on tho market. The prices which follow aro on an average a, farthing per lb. more than the value ex ship, this difference representing an • average cost in expenses, handling, conveyance, ana .selling the meat:— Jan 7 Jan. 14. ilatton— d. d. Canterbury, light — — Canterbury, medium — — Canterbury, heavy — — Southland — — North Island, best —4} North Island, ordinary ... <5 4 5-16 Australian, light 31-16 3J Australian • heavy — 31-16 River Plate, light 3J- 3& River Plate, heavy .33 33 Lamb—. • . Canterbury, light — , —. . Canterbury,-medium ' — — Canterbury,'.heavy • t- : Southland — — North Island, selected... — — North Island, ordinary!.. . — Australian,'best;...; .5, -.<3 . Australian, fair 42-. 41 . Australian, inferior 4jJ 4 7 River Plate .... 48 . 41 • Beef—' New Zealand, ox fores 23 •• 2? New Zealand, ox hinds ...' 3J ■ 3J • Australian; ox fores - 211-16 211-16 Australian, ox hinds ...... 31 3J River Plate/ox fores '...... 23 . 23 : River Plate, ox hind 3 ... 3 7-16 3 7-16 ■■ Rabbits.—The market is dull; • and prices a,ro unchanged.