COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1075, 14 March 1911, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHARES. No transactions in investment shares were recorded yesterday, aud ouotations were unchanged. They were as follow:Buyers Sclera ■ £s. d. £3. d. National Bank — 6 2 0 National Mortgage 3 4 0 — Well. Investment Oil 0 — Well;- Trust , arid Loan... 712 6 - Foilding Gas — 12 0 Paltnorston North Gas — 9 0 0 Wellington Gas !£10) ...... — 19 1 0 Clrristcluirch Meat 15 15 0 - Gear Meat (£ll 3 4 0 — Meat Export (525. 6d.) ... 'i 1 ( .— , Kaiapoi Woollen S 2 6 — Well. Woollen 4 0 0 - •Westnort Co:il 18 3 — Loyland-O'Brien 16 3 16 9 Manning and Co 4 10 6 4 12 a Miraniar, Ltd — 0 2 6 N.Z. Con. Dental 12 6 13 6 N.Z. Portland Cement ... 1U t — Sharland's ordinary — 14 6 Taranaki Petroleum — 0 14 3 Ward and Co 4 18 0 — NEW ZEALAND DKTJG COMPANY. The balance-sheet of the New Zealand Drug Company for the year ended February 23 shows that the net profit for the year was £18,221 3s. lCd. The sum of £6591 Bs. 10d. was broucht forward from tho mevious year, makinc a total of £24.812 12s. 3d. Tho dividend for the year at the rate of 7 per cent, per annum absorbs £14,(00. There is written off factory plant £500. off Burnside plant £SCO, off Westficld plant £500; added to reserve fund £2184 13s. 5d., which will make this fund £33.000. and to carry forward the balance of £7127 19s. 3d. The. dividend is payablo on the shareholdings on the register of' March 9. NEW NON-MEDICAL POLICT. In most schemes of life assurance, without medical examination, tho risk is assumed by instalments, tho comnany being liable for, say, one-third of tho amount at first, two-thirds in three years, and the whole in, five years. The plan ia fairly enough BUited to the needs of a man with family responsibilities, who requires protection, aud yet, for some reason, shrinks from tho catechism and tho stethoscope of tho doctor. The new plan is rather aaaDwd to the case of the younz men whose matrimonial views have not yet been focused from the general to the particular. Ho pays a moderate premium, a fair proportion of which is returned should he die within the first five years, and. should he survive to tho end of that p:riod. he has, for continuance of the same premium, the option of a whole life policy for £1000. the premiums ceasine at 60; or ono for £813, payable at 60 or earlier death: or a. pure endowment assurance of £ICOO payable to himself at age 58. Should ho choose the last method, and die before attaining the fixed age, a return. of all the premiums paid is guaranteed, while, if he should wish to surrender the policy at any time after tho preliminary five years, all Hie premiums except the first, are returned with compound interest at something short of 3 per cent. CORONATION RISKS AT LLOYD'S. Towards tho end of January a large number of insurances were effected at Lloyd's, in connection with the Coronation, and also the forthcoming 2'cstlval of Empire at the Crystal Palace. Thirty cuineas per cent, was charged to pay a claim in the event of the Coronation not taking place on June 22. Other policies were issued indemnifying the assured aeainst tho postponement of the ceremony at rates varying according to the time limit arranged, but the minimum premium demanded by underwriters was 10 euincas per cent, to pay a total loss should tho Coronation not take place durinc 1911. A certain amount of business has been diverted from Lloyd's entirely because many would-bo clients consider the rates too high, but underwriters justify their present attitude by reason of the very substantial losses which they suffered by the postponement, thrbush the late Kinir's illness, of tho last Coronation. With regard to the Festival of Empire at the Crystal Palace, most of tlie insurances are for tho nrotaction of the promoters against the failure of the enterprise through any national have been content with the moderate rate of 6 guineas per rent, to pay a claim in the event of the Festival not being held at the time appointed.

NOTES.

Official statistics showing the auantity and value of minerals produced in Tasmania dnrintr 1910 have been issucii by tho Jlineu Department of the State mentioned Of sold. ( i lc output was J7,o<a fine m valued at £157,J70; silver-lead oro represented 51,226 tons, worth £247.576: blj s ; ter copper, 8193 tons. .£555,822; Conner and copper ore, 671 tons, £13,150: tiu ore 57C1 tons, £399,393: coal, E2.445 toil' £46.609; wolfram, 67.35 tons. £7260; and nismntli, 10.70 tons. £W1; the acEre-ritc valuo beinp; set down at £1.432.193. as compared with £1.574,995 in 1909. Reductions are shown in all minerals except wolfram nnd bismuth, uold havi=n fallen off by 773001. and cornier by 4'.5 tons. From statistics furnished by the sunerintendent. of cas liehtini; tu the f!la=cmv Corporation, it appears that tho number of inrnnde.-ccnt cas mantles used per annum in lipchtimr the Gtreet , ; of the citv i= 200.CC0. About 9J mantles are UFcd nerstreet das larap every year, and Hid nuantity of cap consumed per mantle ICCO cubic feet. About one cwt, of a,sh is recovered each year from t.bo mantles used in street lichtintr. and is returned to the manufacturers to be utilised in the makinc of new inanllcs. Canada,, it appears, htis a. l.id-r mlimr Cobalt is said to have been the fcono of Mrs. F. H. Flower's first experience after which, aeeordinc to one of the Now Yn-k journal?, she entered the School cr at Columbia. She was formorlv u, new York music teacher, with a, jtudio at Car-

negic Hall, but ill-health enniiiellcd her lo seek an open-air life. Jfrt. Kluivcr i:i now stated to have sis claims in the PorcuniiiQ camp, Ontario's latest golriilehi. Oil Hi? View York Stock ExclwiiKo Inst year 166.300,000 shale; wore sold, hhuuinir a eU'CiTMiB of 23 per rent., while thv liumlii sold ropri!2?iH3(l A'128,750,0C0, a dem:i.c of 52 per cent. The greatest number of shrires sold was 233.662,848 in 19C6. and (hero is kd doubt the Xuw York Stock Kxchamte v.-ns gloomy n:id depressed. Indeed, in most directions in Amcnna, (lie Inline ;i year was a disappointment. Foods were ncii; securities fell, and so did mercantile .■mil finnncial prospects. There were any imiunt of demands for higher wages, and plenty of strikes. Condi'.bns in Anieritn. have largely accounted far th? check u> expansion in metal prices. Customs duties collected at the nort. of Wellington yesterday amounted to .€7160 Is. 6d. FKOZEN JIEAT. . Uj , 'fe!<!2r=Dh— Press Ass-jciation-Copyrlgni. London, Manch 12. The Frozen Meat Trado Association's Kmithneld market, quotations for the undermentioned classes of frozen meat arc based on actual sales of not Ics3 than one hundred carcasses of mutton or lamb, or twenty-five quarters of beef of fair average quality. Tho quotations are not for selected lines, but for parcels fairly representative of the bulk of the shipments now on the market. The. arices which follow are on an o.verace a f.irthiiiFT per II). more than the value ex ship, this difference representing an average cost in cxpcn=es. handling, conveyance, and selling tho meat;— Mutton :— Mar. 4. Mar. 11 • d. d. Canterbury, light — — Canterbury, medium — — Canterbury, heavy — — Southland — - North Island, best U M North Island, ordinary... 3 9-16 3S Australian, light 215-16 21 Australian, heavy 25 23 Hivcr Plate, light 3i 31 Kiver Flate, heavy 3i 2J Lamb: — Canterbury, light 53 5J Canterbury.' medium 5S 53 Canterbury, heavy 5J 5J North Island, selected ... 45 43 North Island, ordinary... 4} 4S Australian,' best 4i 4 Australian, fair 3J 23 Australian, inferior 38 3J Kiver Plate 315-16 32 Bccf:Ncw Zealand..ox fores ... 3i 3 New Zealand, ox hinds... 3J 33 Australian, ox fores 28 2i( Australian, ox hinds 38 3$ Kiver Plate, ox fores 215 3 Kiver Plate, ox hinds ... 33 33 Babbits are very dull of sale. Best largo Sydney, ex store, 155., young 125.; Victorians, about Is. less. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S CABLE. Tho Commerce and Tourists Division of. the Department, of Agriculture, Commerce and Tourists has received the following cablegram from the Hi'ih Commissioner lor i\cw Zealand, dated uondon, ilarch 11, 1911. (Note.—Uuotations,' unless otherwise specified, arc average, market urices on spot.!:— •-■ ■ . ...... Mutton.—The market is weak and stocU; are accumulating. Canterbury. 3Jd.: Norm island, 6'li.i Australian, 23d.; Eiver Plate, id. per lb. Lamb—The market is dull, with a downward tendency. Canterbury, sid.; other than Canterbury, Avstraiian, . 3jd. per lb. Beef.—The market is firm. New Zealand hinds, 33d.; fores. 31d. per lb. I'ork.—sid. per lb. Butter—The market is quiet, with tendency in favour of buyers. Choicest New Zealand butter to-day is K6s.: Australian, 1025.; Danish. 118s. ner cwt. Cheese.—Tho market is firm, with a hardening tendency. White, 535. 6d.; coloured, o9j. per cwt. Hemp.—The market ie steady; there is not much demand, but prices are firm. New Zealand good fair on snot rer ton, £20; . fair grade. £19 55.; fair current Manila, £19 10s.; forward sbimnent New Zealand good fair. £20 7s. 6d.: fair srrade, £19 10s.; fiir current Manila, £20. The output from .Manila , for the week was 32,000 bales. Stock New Zealand hemp. 458 tons. : Cocksfoot Seed.—There is a better demand, and-stocks on hand-are light. Bright clean New Zealand.seed, weighing 171b. per bushel, 75e. per cwt ' ' ■ Wheat.—The market is quiet and small business doing. New Zealand long-berried wheat ex granary per quarter of 4961b., 335.; short-berried, 325. Oats.—The market is firm, with moro innuiry. New Zealand oats, short snarrowbillc. <?x granary, ner quarter 3841b.. 19s. 6d.: Danish, per quarter 3201b., 17s. Beans.—The market is dull and very little' businers doing. New Zealand beans f.a.q. (old crop), nor 5041b., 355. Peas.—The market, ft ouiet with a, tendency in favour of buyers. New Zealand (partridge?), per 5041b., 445. Wool.—The market remains firm. Mutton and Lamb.—Shipments of Eivcr Plato mutton and lamb received during February, 1911:Mutton. Lamb. Carcasses. Carcasses. London 75,555 15 978 Liverpool 174,831 30.C40 . Hull 14,417 ' 2.140 ; Cardiff 12.336 ; l.« 0 Southampton : :' 9.738 ■ ■ 4,189 ': Newcastle. 7,935 • 1,000 294,873 "■ 54.747 " February, .1910 .... 239,931 18,222 Increase for Feb.' 1911 54,942 ■ 36,525