COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1082, 22 March 1911, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

.INVESTMENT SHARES.■ Transactions recorded in investment shares yesterday were FeildiiiK Gas 225., Now Zealand Consolidate:! Dental 22?. 6d., and Tnringamtitu Tatjra 435. 3d. The buying and selling quotations were as under:— llu.vcrs. Sellers £ s. d. £ 9. d. Rational' Banks 5 19 6 6 2 0 Metropolitan U IV 6 - Well. Investment 0 11 0 0 11 6 Foildihg Gas 119 - Well. Gas (£6 155.) 13 15 0 - Jf.Z. Insurance 4 4 0 — South British 3 11 3 — Gear Meat (205.) 3 5 0 — Meat Export (£5) 6 7 6 — Meat Export (£4) 5 4 0 - Jfeat Export (525. 6d.) ... 3 1 0 — New Zealand Shipping ... — 13 15 0 Union Steam 1 17 9 — Kaiapoi Woollen 5 4 0 - Well. Woollen (ord.) 4 10 4 4 0 Well. Woollen (pref.) ... 217 6 - Taupiri Coal 113 — Wcstport :Coal 19 3 110-O Westport-Stockton ■— 0 5 6 Ijcyland-O'Brien 16 3 17 0 Jlirainar, Ltd - 0 2 6 N.Z. Consolidated Dental 12 6 13 6 N.Z. Drug .;...'.....: - 2 9 6 N.Z. Paper Mills 13 0. 140 Sharland's ordinary — 14 0 Taringamutu Totara .... - 2R 9 Ward and Co 4 18 0 5 0 0 Whitcombe and Tombs ... 6 6 0 - , CONTINENTAL WOOL TRADE. Advices from German woollen centres early last month were to the effect that though spinners both of worsted and corded yarns, had reduced prices, little new business was coming forward. Makers of suitings and dress goods wero complaining of the falling off in demand, and the almost complete cessation of the export trade. M the same time it was believed that, business- would , improve ac soon as the position in the wool market became more clearly defined. Continental trade appears to have improved from the fact that, at- the current London wool laics, Continental buyers are operating freely. ELECTBICHT AND WEAVING. . An interesting development of the application of electricity to tho textile trade is announced. Messrs. Frcars,.Lord, and Brat.her arc building a new weaving ehed at Darcy Lever, which is to bo electrically equipped throughout, on the individual drive system, each loom having its independent .motor. Full tests lasting over many weeks were carried out with tho loom motors of two firms, and the order for 519J h.p. and 1752 h.p. high efficiency loom motors was placed with Siemens Brothers' Dynamo Works, Limited. Three-phase current at a. periodicity of 50 cycles and a pressure of 200 volts will bo supplied by the Lancashire Electric Power Company, who will provide a, sub-station for the purpose of transforming their extra high-ten-sion supply down to tho required pressure. This is tho first individual loom drive of any size in Great Britain, though the system is extensively adopted on the Continent, where a single firm have supplied over 13,000 motors for the purpose. It is claimed that the individual driving, of looms gives a, very considerably increased .output and a much better quality of cloth, and that the bigger and more complicated the loom the better are the comparative results shown. Other advantages claimed are that through the absence of all shafting and helting the light is much better, whilst in the construction of tho shed a large amount of money can be Eared. Customs duties collected at the port of Wellington yesterday amounted to £5982 19s. Id. TEADE IN ALLEN STREET. Fruit.—The consignment of pears which came over in the cool chamber of the Ulimaroa, realised Us. to 13s. For Now Zealand-grown pears tho market is cssier, prime dessert realise 6s. to Bs. according to quality, cooking pears realise-ss. to fc. Mbssina lemons nro in tShort .supply, the current value Vliifilig ISsI''■ to ; 165." ! per halfcase. Pineapples are in moderate request at Bs. to 9s. A consignment of South Australian grapes which came to hand last Friday sold at 12s. to 135.-per case. Island oranges, prime repacked, arc selling at 7s. to Es. The market is heavily supplied with cooking varieties of apples, and low rates h'avo to be accepted to quit; prime dessert I apples .realise ss. to Bs., according to quality. Very little Cape gooseberries are coming, prime sound are worth 4d. to ad. per lb.; peaches have advanced fully 50 per ceut., primo quality now realising 3s. 6d. to 4s. 6d. Tomatoes continue in heavy supply, and prices are extremely low—ls. to Is. 6d. per half-ease. Potatoes.—A large proportion of southern 'consignments is arriving in a wormy condition and prime quality is difficult to obtain,. Tho market range 3 from £3 to £5 according to quality. Onions.—Extremely, low rates, arc being realised, current quotations being 4s. to te. 6d. per cwt. Prime small pickling onions are selling at Id. per lb. . Butter 13 in excellent request at 9'd. to lCd. per lb. for prime bulk. Eggo.—Fresh, eggs arc dull of sale at Is. sd. to. Is. 6d. per dozen. Beeswax is in fair request at Is. 7d. to 16". - Bd. per lb. Hamvand Bacon—Good business.doing at last rates. .Fungus.—The market has. declined, prime dry being now.worth 4Jd. per lb. ■Vegetables.—First quality cabbages are selling at 4s. to ss. 6d. per sack; French bean 3 are worth 45.. to ss. per half-sack, green peas, of prime quality packed in half sacks arc selling at 7s. to Bs. Carrots, turnips, and parsnips meet with the usual ueraand, prices being a fraction easier. Bran has advanced 15s. per ton during the weak.. ■ .Pollard continues at £6 per ton f.o.b. south. Flour.—Fairly heavy sales are beingjnad* at £8 per ton, f.o.b. south, less the usual trade discount. . . .Oatmeal has advanced in sympathy with the higher prico of oats. .Fowls' -Wheat—Prices continue steady, and a fair business is doing. ..Capo Barley.—The usual demand for antiimn sowing is being experienced. ; LONDON WOOL SALES. By Telegraph—Press Association—Oopyricht . ■ . ■ London, March 20. At the wool sales, prices for all classes were fully maintained. There was strong competition for a good selection of crossbredio. Messrs. Levin and Co., Ltd., have received the following prices, by cablegram, of wool sold at the sales now current:—JOA, Nelson, 9id.; Havenswood, Nelson, 83d.; WCfl, Feikling, Jfld.; DC over Jlarapua, Jlasterto'n, Jin.; Semi-circle over cross over WC, Alfredton, BJd.; GA over Taratahi, Carterton, 9>id.; DC over Glendhu, Hinakura, 9id.; GM, Mo'tueka, 8 7-161; FG over N, Nelson, 83d. FEOZEN MEAT. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Christchurch, March' 20. The British and New Zealand Meat Company has received tho following London cabli:— . . . Mutton—Canterbury, 33d. to 43d.; North Island, 3Jd. to 3id. "Lamb—Canterbury, £Jd. to sid.; North Island, 4gd. to 4Jd. BeefHinds 3id., fores 3d. WHEAT. . By Telegraph—Press Association-rOopyriciit 1 (Kec. March 21, 11.45 p.m.) London, March 21. ■ Wheat.—A cargo of Australian wheat has been sold at 345. 6d., and 1000 tons per steamer, March shipment, at 335. 7jd. THE METAL MARKETS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Cppyricht (Rcc. March 21, U. 45 p.m.) London, March 21. ; Copper.—On spot. £54 16s. 3d,; three months', £55 Bs. 9d. Tin.-On spot, £178 155.; three months', ' £178 ss. ; ■. - ■ ■ SILVER. ■ ■ By Telegraph—Press Association-Oopyrieht ', London, March 20. Bar silver is quoted at 24fd. per ouuco standard. BEET SUGAR. 1 By Telegraph—Press Associati-on-Copyricht London, March 20. nerr F. O. Licht, of Magdeburg, in. his ' monthly circular, state? that the produc- ' tion of beet sugar in Europe during the I first five months of the 1910-11 campaign, which began on September 1. shove an increase of 799,000 tons as compared with the previous campaign. He estimates that the 1 total amount produced during the current ■ cnjnpaign will be about 8.147.000 tons, or an i increase of 1,989,000. ' AUSTRALIAN PRODUCE MARKETS. ' By Telegraph—Press Aieociatlon-Copyrieht Sydnoy, March 21.- : Flour has advanced by 5j.. to £8 ss. a ton. ' Wheat has advanced l&.; 3s. 4»d. to it. sd. a, bushel is offered,

BEEF AND MUTTON SUPPLIES. INDICATION OF COMING SHORTAGE. (By Teloßraph.-rress Association.) , Auckland, Jlarch 21. In Auckland, as elsewhere, there seoms to be an indication of a coming shortage in beef and mutton supplies. On inquiries being made to-day it was ascertained that for freezing purposes the prospects . are that this season's-output'will fall short "f last year's by a considerable margin, owing no doubt to tha fact that last season the br.cf market was overstocked. There has in many, .districts been a wholesale s'.RUShlei' of-young, calves. The dry weather in Aiickinml during the summer is also considered to have had some effect, on the mutton trade, and supplies for freezing purposes arc beginning lo shorten. The fact that fo much new land is being settled in the Auckland .provinco also accounts lo a certain csient for the absorption of a lanrc number of shc?p wh:-?h might have otherwise been frozen for export. GRAIN AND PIiODUCK. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Christcliurch, March 21. Though the London market has underEojio iin improvement, exporters Jiro olecring a little more for wheat, as they have; been unable to obtain any quantity at 2s. Ud. at country statioi's. At handy stations they are now giving 3s. for pood line?, and 2f. lid. and 2,=. ll»d. where larger railage has to be paid. At these prices- a fair amount lias changed hands during the last few days. Oats and chaff are still firm, and the former scarce. The continued dry weather is likely to have a firming effect upon the market. Potatoes for immediate delivery are ea?ier, and there is practically no forward business doing. The news that a grub has appeared in the crops in the Oamaru district is causing some.anxiety lest itehould prove to be the Australian potato fly. Tho retail nrice of butter has advanced Id. per lb. all round.