COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1070, 8 March 1911, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

IXVESTMENT SIUEES. Nothing of importance is happening in respect to investment shares except that Sharland's ordinary and preference shares have advanced slightly. The balancesheet of this company is due shortly as the year closed on February 28 and, judging by the demand for the shares, it is likely that iho usual dividend will be forthcoming, The sales vnmxfad yeater-

day wore:—New Zealand Insurance at 83s. mid 83s. 3d., and. Tariiiganiiitu Totara. at <Bs. The buying and selling quotations were as under:— Buyers. Sellers £ s. d. £ s.d. Hank of N.Z 11 2 0 — National Lank — 6 2 0 Metropolitan Building ... 12 0 0 — Wellington Investment ... DUO 0 11 6 Christchureh Gas — 10 0 0 Feilding Gas - 12 0 N.Z. Insurance - 4 5 0 Christchureh Meat 15 12 6 — Gear Meat (£ll 3 .1 0 — Meat Export (£5) 6 5 0 - Meat Export (£4) 5 3 6 - Meat Expert (525. 6d.) ... 3 1 0 - Union Steam 1 17 6 — Wellington Woollen 319 0 4 0 0 Wellington Woollen 217 6 3 2 6 Taupiri Coal 113 119 Westport Coal - 19 0 Lcyland-O'Bricn - 17 0 Manning and Co 4 10 6 — Miramar, Ltd - 0 2 6 N.Z. Paper Mills - 14 0 Sharland's ordinary 14 0 — Sliarland's preference ... 1 4 0 — Taranahi Petroleum .... 0 14 6 0 15 6 Tariugamutu Totara. - 2 8 6 NATIONAL MORTGAGE. A profit of. £38,505 was netted by the National Mortgage and Agency Company of New Zealand, during the year ended Septenber 30 last, as.against £38,141 for the preceding 12 months. This was after paying a bonus of 10 per cent, to the staff, and making full provision for bad and doubtful debts, and depreciation of plant, etc. The dividend for the year was 35., and the bonus Is. £d. per share, or a. total distribution at the rate of Hi per cent. A sum-of £15,000 is added to the reserve, ■ and. £9848 is carried forward. Liabilities to shareholders, including reserve £150,000, and profit and loss £39,848, is £389,848, and to the public £805,738, of which £545,887 is on account of the debenture debt. Assets include properties, plant, and goods in hand, £115,183: loans, mortgages, and current accounts, £810,202; and cash and investments, £270,202. WELLINGTON DEPOSIT CO. The private meeting of shareholders of the Wellington Deposit and Mortgage Company held on Monday last was without result. The formalities were found to bo not strictly correct, and, consequently, another meeting is to be held, and the question at issue will be decided by votesproxies to be admitted. JANUARY WOOL SALES. Writing with respect to the London wool sales held in January the special correspondent of an Austialian paper says:— The appearance in the catalogues of a considerable number of New Zealand greasy crossbred flocks, of a growth and condition deoidedly above the average of the new season, has stimulated some of the United States representatives to activity. But the buying has not by any means been general in that section, only two or three taking a share in it, and there has been nothing in the way of bidding prices up against each other, nor even., for the matter of that, any overtopping the Y/orkshirc trade. In the crossbred department tho condition of the Home trade buying is very much the reverse of that which prevails in the merino section. Due in a measure, no doubt, to the character of the wools-coming to the hammer, the buying of crossbred description is mainly done by spinners. At the present time tho majority of the wools coming forward belong to graded flocks, and there is comparatively few of the small farmers' parcels containing different qualities to be met with. One firm of Yorkshire dealers, who it is understood is under contract to deliver large quantities of casings to an American mill, i 3 buying on the most extensive scale. Crossbred slipe or pu'.'.ed wool, though in small supply, is not much rim upon, and eclls irregularly. On the other hand, scoured of this description, which is oven scarcer, is Rreatly in request, chiefly for Scotland, and occasionally" reaches figures in excess of the extremely stiff rates which prevailed in the November-December scries. NEW ZEALAND EXPOETS. Tho values of the principal products exported from Now Zealand tiurinz tho month as shown in Leaflet No. 107, issued by tho Department of Agriculture. Commerce, and Tourists, are as under:— Feb., 1911. Feb.. 1910.' £ £ Butter 308,428 242,880 Cheese 152.171 192,594 iiecf 31,810 22,596 Mutton 109.C01 89,046 ■ Legs and pieces .... 4,616 3,512 Lamb ■.: 224.455 161,983 ■ Wheat ..' 8,951 1,676 Oats 565 S.CCI Potatoes 417 173 Ilemp 30,181 60,270 Babbits 1,642 . — Tow .2,237 . 3,673 • Kauri gum 33,504 26,150 Grain and pulse : 1,638 2,<68 . Hops 191 1,701 Hides , , 13,021 . 15,076 Skins ' 56,621 ; 57,508 I Tallow 41,828 59.871 Timber .; 36,255' 29.9C9 Wool 1,181.672 1,830,656 Gold 1P6.939 1<6.235 2,346,744 2,962,778 ' For the' montli there is a decrease of £616,034. . Customs duties collected at tho port of Wellington yesterday amounted to £1924 ss. TEADE IN ALLEN STREET. Onions are coming in more freely, and arc realising lower rates than potatoes; pickling onions arc in short supply. Potatoes.—Tho bulk of the supplies reaching the market aro coming from Oamaru and Canterbury, those from Oamaru are of rather excellent quality. Pollard.—Shipments continue to como Erom Australia, while local supplies aro still very scarce. . Bran—Heavy stocks are available,. current prices being £4 ss. to £4 10s. Flour.—Best brands are quoted at £8 per ton f.o.b. s,outh, less the usual dis:ount. Oatmeal.—The demand is Btcady, and prices are unchanged. Maize.—Consumption is increasing, and jood sales are being made. Oats are in good demand, and the mariet continues firm. Fowls' barley meets with very little demand. Malting Barley.—The Maitai, from San Francisco landed about ZO.COO cental bags, :ho quality, however, was poor in the cx;reme. Cheese.—Loaf in good demand; medium ;ontinues at 6d. per lb. for 40's. Butter.—Prime bulk is in exceedingly ihort supply, and immediate consignments ire recommended. Hams and Bacon—A fair trade is doing ,n these products. Eggs.—Tho supply of fresh eggs is moT* :han equal to the demand, the current luotatiqus are Is. sd. to Is. Bd. per dozen; preserved, Is. 3d. . Vegetables.—Cabbages are in good denand, choice samples realising ss. to 75.; ;reen peas are fetching 9s. to 11s. per ialf sack, m,arrow3 2s. to 3s. per sack, md pumpkins ss. to 6s. Fruit.-The Maitai brought about 3CCO lackages bananas and <C 0 cases oranges :rom the Cook Islands, but unfortunately ;lie Navua from Fiji arrived the following lay with .1 consignment of banana,", and ,hcso two heavy shipments spoiled the )anan.a market. Oranges, however, realised he extremely satisfactory prices of Bs. to ,os. Heavy consignments of outdoor irapes are arriving almost daily from Auckland, sound fruit realising 3s. to 4s. 3er box of about 141b. Tho market has idvanced for choice dessert pears, and up .0 12s. was obtained p.t auction yesterday, booking apples meet with better demand, lncl i'P to ss. 3d. has been obtained for mine green. Dessert • apples are also in r ood demand at to 95., according to iuality. Stewing peaches are in heavy iunolie?. and realise from 2s. to 3s. per lalf-casc. Choice dessert peaches are sellng at 4s. 6d. to ss. 6d. Lemons are in iscecdingly short supply, tho first arrivals ■ealising extreme rates. Auckland-grown lassion fruit is now available, and the narket is well supplied. WELLINGTON MARKETS. Messrs. Laery and Co., Ltd., Wellington, •eport wholesale prices ruling on the narkcts:—Whbat, fowl. 3s. lid. to 45.; feed >ats, 2.1. 9d. to 35.; Dun oat?, 2s. 10d. to i=.; send oats, 2s. lCd. to 35.; Algerian >at?. 2s. lCd. to 3s.;' ryecorn, 3s. lCd. iitshel; maize, 3?. 3d. to 3s. 4r1.; crushed lialt, 75.; fowl barley, 35.; Cape barley eed, 3s. 3d.; flour. New Zealand, £8 15s. id. lo £9 ss. 6(1.; pen?, split, £13; partridge reap, ss. 3d. per bushel; boncdust, £5 155.; superphosphates, £5 to £5 55.; basic flag. C 4 10?.; pollard, .£7 to £7 lCs.; bran, £4 05. to £1 15*.: pear! barley, 155.; chaff oatensheaf). £4 15s. to Si 5=.; potatoes, S'ew Zealand. £4 15s. to £5 lCs. per ton; nolasscs fodder, £5 10s.: bacon (factory), iides 7id.. hams 61d., rolls B>d.: butter, irimo hulk, M. to 9Jd. Poultry: Hen?, 2s. id. to 35.: ducks. 3s. to 4s. pair: turkeys, ;obblers 18s. to 205., hen? 10«. to 145.; fresh •α-gs, Is. 6d. io Is. 8rl.; cheese, 53d. !b.: loaf, ijd. to 7r".. !b.: Akaroi. machine-drer-sed •ocksfoot, !l»d. lb.; farmers' dreffed cocks:oot. 91d. lb.; ryegrass. 4s. 33. lo 4s. 9d.. lushcl; Italian ryegrass. s=. huMiel; white •lover. 109s. owt.: New Zealand cow grass, Us.; Chewings fescue. 7d. lb. LONDON WOOL.SALES. By Tclecrapu-Prcs? Association-Cosyright. (Eec. March 7. 9.50 p.m.) London, March 7. The wool for tho forthcoming London >alcs totals 232.500 bales. A total of 477.0C0 jales arrived here, out of this quantity 161,500 bales were forwarded direct to the manufacturers, leaving 232,500 bales, as itated above, including the quantity held >ver from last sales, available for the :omiDg serießi I