COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1063, 28 February 1911, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

IXVESTMENT SIIARF.S. : A* sale of Auckland Tramway ordinary shares at 245. 6d. was tho only transition in investment fharcs recorded yesterday. The buying and -selling cuotatlona wero as under:— Buyers. Boilers £s.d. £s.d. Bank or Xcw'Zealand... 11 0 0 - National Bank 6 0 0 . — National llorteago 3 3 6 '350 Well. Investment 0 11 0 0 11 6 Well. Deposit — 0 8 0 Fcilding Gas ...: 116 12 0 Gear Meat (£1) 3 3 0. — N.Z. Shipping 11 0 0 - Union Steam 117 o 117 9 Well. Woollen (ord.) 3 18 0 4 00 Well. Woollen (pref.) 2 16 0 - Tuupiri Coal 110 -- Loyland-O'BricU ■ — 17 0 Miramar. Ltd - 0 2 6 N.Z. Con. Dental — 13 6 N.Z. Paper Mills 1 3.0 14 0 Ta'ranaki • Petroleum 012 6' ■0 13 3 Taringamutu Totara — 2 8 0 Well. Ojiera House 6 6 0 .— , POINTS ABOUT THE MEAT TRADE. MeE3rs. W. Wcddd and Co.'s "Review of tho-Froien Meat Trado for 1910". (the twenty-third year of issue).. has tho following:— Importations of froien and chilled meats into tho United Kingdom attaintd Sn unprecedented total, the acarectate deliveries weighing no less than 610.970 tons, an increase of 73,714 tons,.or, 15 per cent, over tho total for 1909, which, in its turn, liad exceeded its predecessor by 46,280 tons, or 10 per cont'. ' ' • Despite the enormous growth in supplies, the prices realised avcraeed all . round very much more than in 1909. which" was a year of modcrato values, and-almost as much as in 1908, whktt was a year of reduced supplies-and Meli prices. .- ,--.. Ono noteworthy feature of tho past year was tho rapid ripenine of pnbllo opinion in Bomo of tho most important countries on tho Continont of Europe in' favour. of tho freer admission of froien meat, in order to relievo tho growlnit scarcity .and dcarnes3 of thoir domestic supplies. . Austria and Italy Uavo already proerosscd 6omo considerable . way in., this direction. ' Switzerland is preparing ■to follow in their steps. Portueal has :ust removed its import duty on meat. -, Germany has not yet decided to make any deflnito tnove, but the tTcnd of ovonf<there also is in the direction of .removing or mitigating tho cxisting restrictionu upon importations. The total 6Upply of beef available from all sources for consumption in tho United Kingdom during 1910 was 1.209,208 toes, and of mutton and lamb (04.212 tone, representing 59.71b. of. tho former and J9 81b. of tho latter per head of population. Thc3o quantities wcro composed.of homegrofrn meat to the extent of 61.8 por cent., frozen meats 24.9 per cent., chilled beef 8.8 per cent., with 4.5 per cent, of forbien livo cnttlo and eheep and fresh killed meat.' -.•■■• : • .- - Tho , most striking increase in arrivals was , from Australia, via:—52.529 tons. , beyond tho 1909 total; whilo Now Zealand contributed 10.231 tons tnoro than in 19C9. Thoro was a. decreaeo of 9061 ton 3 in froien moats, but an incrcajo of 44,206 tons In chilled beef . from- South America.

Tho only how source of supply was Vcnosueln, which forwarded Eovoral shinments of frozen beef, and ono parcel of chilled- bcof, tho ageregato weight of which was'Bss tons. Thoro was a revival in thotrado in pork from Australia and New Zealand, tho import amounting to 547tone. Frozen rabbits bulked on tho markets to tho extent of 30,168 tons. ■■, • Tho total, receipts of frozen mutton were 7.652,977 carcasses, as compared with 5.915,455 carcasses in 19C9, an increase of i; 637,522 carcasses, or 27.7 per cent. Australia's increase-was, 1.396.C07. carcasses, alongside which the addition of 121.516. carcasscß from Now Zealand, and 119,999 carcasses from all Squth American sources appcaro insignificant. ,■■■■■■ Tho imports of lamb nstercßatod- 5.428.C67 carcasECs, as oompared with 5,151,697 caronsses ia 1909.. Tho'net increase 0f'276.370 carcaesea wan made un of 144,963 additional from Auetralia, and 250,855 additional from New Zealand, loss a reduction of 119.14S from South America. . . '

Tho total importations of frozen beef reached 2.366,331 ■ quarters—a net increase of: 2:9,530 after : deductine 105,244 quarters from South America. Tho increase was 257,654 ouartcrs irom Australia, and 46.720 lrom Kow Zcalaud. • •

It has beon an crcoptlonal year so far as too execution of,contracts Js concerned; claims,for quality and eiort weight bcincr few and far between. This is partly accounted for by tho eeneral Improvement in pradiuK, and partly by tho fact that durinir tho creator'part of the year sudplies moved Into consumption so quickly that buyers orten had not timo to examines the quality of their deliveries. 1 Tho total output, of the 55 freezing works in Australasia and 11 works in South America last year is estimated ' approxi-' matolyat 602.699 tons. «*■ eompai'ed with 501,371't0ne in 1509, nnd 429.616 tons in 19C8. fvto now freozing works havo been erected in Zealand durinc tho past year. In South America tho works at Venezuela were completed and commenced operations, whllo.a third works is:'being erected in Patagonia.

~ There nro now 214 eteamcrs fitted with refrigerating machinery, nnd havinit an estimated earryinc capacity of 14,225 500 carcMßOe of 56!b. each, actually tradini botween. Australasia. Bouth America, "and the United Kingdom, whilo 25 additional aSSnt" t a i9u llllbl010 mect furt ' 4er nTu°4 B: 57 cr l , trado conditions in the united. Kingdom aro so excellent ■ that an improved consumption • demaad for all k nds of food stuffs sceme to bo as«uredat least for sonio months ahead. Frozen moat of all kinds may bo oxpeeted to participate, to the full in any nuch in? provemcqt, and .as stocks ia Gtoro are moderate, oven tho heavier shipments in r.lßht should not -offor any serious barrier malntcnanno of'nrfres at a level aa satisfactory -Bs that of 1910. ■ • ■ 3

Customs dntice 'collected ■ at the port of t«. Bi S ycstcrda y amounted to £1693 :'■■■■_ CHEESE. Dj Telecraph-Preu Assoclalion-Coprrlchs. »_.. ■ London, Fobrnnrv ?a The market is dull. New Zealand white 565. to 575.i colonrcd, f&s.vto 595. HIDES. By Tolecraph-Pr«s AteoclaUon-Copyrieht _ ~. ';London, Februaiy 26^, The hides sales woro ouiet. For" basils tho d market is steady. First Wellington! ' ; ' metals; eto. . ■ BrT«l eE rapb-l.r< :s! .A..-.,..^_ rnrTrlrtt - Sllvor.-Uar silvcr'is^Suot^ 7 Sd per ounce. - .•:"■■ , Antimony.—£9. Quicksilvcr.-£lO. ■ ISTOiA II^.."? 15s - lld - FROZEN MEAT. • Cy Tcloeraph-rrcss Asiaclation-Cosrriirht. . . ■ London, February 26. t Jkm™,* ,1 Trado Association's Smithricld market onotations Jor tho undermentioned daises of Irozen meat are based on actual sales of not less than one hundred carcarees of mutton or lamb, and twenty-nvo quarters of beef of fair avcraio qunllty. The quotation? are not for selected Hues; but for parcels fairly representative of the bnlk of tho shipmc i nl i? now on tho market. Tho prices [vnlcn follow aro.on an averago a farth--2F ve l, lb - I ?" ro th:l " tho ralu «i «* ship, tills rtlirorence represontine an avcraeo cost in expenses,' handling, conveyance. ana Gelllnc tho meat:— Station- . . F f-«-^b.25. 1 Canterbury, light — _ Canterbury, medium ...» — .— >. Canterbury, heavy — — Southland — _ North Island, best (\ 4 North Island, ordinary ... 4" 33 Australian, light 3J 3 Australian, heavy 3 215.18 lUver Plate, llirht 31 3, " 1 lUvcr Plate, heavy 3J 31 Lamb— .. Canterbury, lisht 51 5J Canterbury, medium 53 51 Canterbury, heavy 51H6 — Routhlnnd ...; — — North Island, selected ... H 5 North hland. ordinary... 5* 4J Australian, best ..'. <J tt Australian, fair 4 3j Australian, inferior 39 3s Diver Plato 4316 41-16 Beef- . Now Zealand, 01 fores... 3i 3i New Zealand, ox hinds... 35 33 Australian, ox fores 21 2J Australian, ox hinds /.. 3J 3J niver Plate, ox fores J 2! River Plate, ox hinds ... 3D 33 IIIOH COMMISSIONER'S CABLE. The Commerce anil Tourists Division of tho Department of Auriculturc, Commerce, ond Tourists has received tho followine cablegram from tho llich Commissioner for New Zenland, dated London. February 25, 1911 (Note-Quotations un'cin otherwlso specified aro averace market prices on spot;):— Mutton.—The market Is oulet. Tlicro Is a Rood demnnd for nrlmo qualities, which nro scarce, but tluT& in a dull !>nlo for heavy carcasses of mutton, which are ill HrEe supply. Canterbury <d.. North Island 3{d. per lb. lluht weight. North Island Sid. per lb. heavy welghtLamh.—The market is weak, nnd there lit a dull sale for nil lamb. Canterbury 6Jd.. other than Canterbury 4Jd., Australian <d., Aigontlno ii. per lb. Becf.-Thc market Is dull, and there is no chanxo in prices, viz., N.Z. fores 3fd.. hinds 33d. per lb. , ' Butter.-Tho market li aulet, but rather

butter 1065.. Australia?, lok, Danhh lKs.' per cwt.

Chcsso.—The market la a. thado weaker. WMt» 565. 6rt., coloured supplier arc increatine, 58s. per cwt. Hemp.—The market is dull,.and very litth business doing. Lar29 Ehlnnienta arc- arriving;. jf.Z. goad fair on spot per ton fl3 55., .fair Rrado £18 15s.'. fair current Manila; f]9. I'orward shipment—N.Z. cooil fair. .£l9 ICs.. fair nrado-. £18 155.. fair current Mmila £19 10a. The output from Manila for the. week was 25.000 bales .• Cocksfoot Scod.—Tho market is quiet, but. firm. Bright clean Xow Zcalnud Eced. wmtrhing 171b. per bushel. 7<!s. per cwt. Whcat.-Tho market is woak and inactive*. New Zealand long-berried wheat on nnot ex granary, per quarter of 496!b., 335.; short-berried, 325. 6d. . ' Oato.—Tlio. market 13 steady, with an improved demand. N.Z. oats, short sparrowbills, on spot, cs "Kr.inary, per quarter of 3341b., .1,95,;. Danish, per qmrter of 3201b., 16s. 9d. . .. ( ; Beans.—Tho market is steady, but tho demand or'.v moderate. Now Zealand, f.a.q., old' crop, per sMlb.. 335. Peas.-Tho market is rather ouict. New Zealand roa3 (partridcej. per 5041b., 455.Wool.—Tho market remains firm. •