COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1195, 2 August 1911, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SEAEES. Sales of investment shares recorded yesterday - were:—Christchnrch Meat at £16, and 'i'aranaki Petroleum at 17s. The buying and selling quotations were as under:— Euycrs. , tellers. £ s. d. £ s. d. National Ban!: 518 D - National Mortgage 3 10 0 — ' N.'i. Loan and Mercantile 0 17 0 0 18 0 N.H. and Diver Plate 2 0 6 — Well. Trust and Loan ... - 7 11 0 Christchitrch Gas 9 17 6 — Napier Gas 25 0 0 — Well. Oas (£lO 19 0 0 - Well. Gas (new issue) -» 3 5 0 Meat Export.(£s) — 6 8 6 Meat Export (£4) — 5 6 0 Meat Export (525. 6d.) ... - 3 5 0 K.-.iapoi Woollen (pref.)... 5 5 0 — Well. Woollen 10rd..) - 4 0 0 Uikuraugi Ccal - 019 3 Taupiri Coal — 1 a u Westport Coal - 19 6 Lcylaiid-O'Brieii 18 3 - XX. Drug ■ 2 9 6 — N.Z. Paper Mills - 119 Sharland's ordinary — 15 0 Shnrland's preference ... — 15 0 Taranaki Petroleum 0 16 9 C 17 0 Tarinsaniutu Totara 'i t> J 1 » 0 KINK FINANCE.

Financing a fad is a very risky thing. 5,3 rink promoters in Great Britain have recently realised. Within a year and a half tuero were floated 350 rink companies, capitalised for over X2.5C0.CC0 in shares, and a considerable sum i 2 debentures, and sprinkled through the metropolis and tho provinces. Over three-Quarters of this investment has perished.. Eighty ventures, which absorbed about £750,C00 have been wound up, and 28 more (representing £355.C 00) are in the hands of receivers. One London enterprise, capitalised at £100,000, lest -EIS.CCO in its first and only year, for which its prospectus had prophesied a profit or .C6S.CCO. The sport and the boom collapsed with equal suddenness. Ticscuc or resurrection has, in places, been attempted by installing in the luckless rink the more popular and profitable moviugpicturo show. But this means elbowing tardily into a field already pre-empted. In fact, however clearly the kinematograpli seems now to meet a dramatic need, it remains to be seen if it al'o may not yet bo tho victim of changing fancy. The bicycle once 6eemcd just as firmly fixed in favour. A twin danger, in fact, menaces the speculator in.fads. Even if hi 3 initial judgment is correct, it appears to be inevitable that, in the enthusiasm of promotion, the thing is overdone, and that the public fancy is bound to prove fickle. TEADE IN ALLEN STREET. Fruit.—The Taluno arrived in Auckland on Friday last, July 28. with the usual monthly shipment of Island oranges and bananas, only a portion of the Wellington consignment came forward by the Monowni, and the balance will now have to wait in Auckland for the Hnuroto, which is not duo to arrive in Wellington until Monday next. The Warrimoo from Sydney is due to-day with further shipments of New South Wales fruit. The Ulimaroa has on board a shipment of apples and pears from Tasmania, and the fruit should reach a good market. Butter—Prime bulk pastry butter is in Eood demand, and supplies are short of requirements; tho current value is Is. 2d. per lb. Eggs.—Fresh eggs are selling at Is. 2d. ,o Is. 3d. per dozen, according to brand. Bacon and hams meet with fair business; sides Ed., rolls 83d., hams 9d. per lb. Lard, in bulk, is quoted at Bd., and in pats at B}d. Margarine ha? good inquiry at SJd. per lb. for Australian manufacture. Cheese.—Best factory is quoted at 61d., loaf 6ld. per lb. Poultry,—Hens, 3s. to 4s. per pair; cockerels, 3s. 6d. to '55.-. ducks, 4s. 6d. to 6r.; turkey gobblers, 3d. to 9d. per )b„ live weight; hens, 6d. to 7d. per lb. Onions.—No prime onions arc coming forward; best samples of Victorian are selling at £5 to £5 10s. per ton.

Potatoes.—The market is somewhat easier; good table potatoes now realise £4 ss. to £4 155.; an excellent demand exists for ceed potatoes. •Flour is unchanged at £8 10s. per ton f.o.b. south, less the usual trado discounts. Bran meets with moderate inquiry at £5 10s. to £5 155., ex store, Wellington. Pollard.—An excellent demand exists at £6 10s. to £7 per ton. Hicemeal has good inoniry at £5, and rice floor is sclline at .£6 per ton. Oats—The market continues firm. "A" Grade Clarions, 2s. 7(1. per bushel f.o.b. south. "A" tirade Sparrowbills, 2s. 6Jd. Fowls' wheat is in excellent demand at 4s. to 4s. Id. per bushel for wholo grain, ex store Wellington. Fowls' barley is dull of sale at 3s. to 3s. 3d. nor bushel. Gape Barley is also dull of sale at 3s. 7d. per bushel. Maize is in good demand at 3s. 3d. to 3s. sd. per bushel. Baled straw is sollim: at £3 to £3 ss. per ton. Baled hay, prime quality, is making £4 Ids. per ton; choice quality. £5 10s. Vostet.nbles.-The market is strong for almost all lines of vegetables, and particularly for cauliflowers, oabhaccs,'paiVnin=. and carrots. Celery is also in good demand at 2s. to 2s. 6d. per dozen; swedes command 2s. Gd. per ewt. I'IIOPKHTV SAt.KS. Messrs. J. li. Bethnno and C\<. report having recently sold the undermentioned city and suburban properties:— City—Courtenay Tlace, freehold section, having a, frontage of 30ft. by ,-< depth of 112 ft.. together with shop and dwelling thereon. £2700; Kpuni Street, land. 39 by 60ft., with 5-rromcd dwelling-house, nVd conveniences, £375; Itiddiford Street (elf), large section, let. on building lease at £69 per annum Kelburne. residential site, Section 51, lllock XII. .'.Oft. x K-Bru £310; Lambton Quay, land 18ft. tOin. by a, denth varying from 103 ft. to 110 ft., together with brifl'i premises of two stories. £47110; Tasnian Street, cottages of 4 renins, on section 17ft. by 6'! ft., £250: Kelburne, building site, Section 22. Block XL 41ft. by 96ft., £180; Shannon Street, section 33ft. by ICOft., with modern 6-roomcd residence, £1030: Searboro' Ten ace, laud 33 by 95ft.. with 6-roomcd dwclline. -fMH; Ellica Street, freehold section. 25fi. by 91ft,, with twostory 7-roomod dwelliiiE. £751. Suburban.—Pliminerto.u Intension, Section 23, having an area of 31.9 perclies, £60: Section 92. having an area of 39.2 perches. £35: Xorllilniul. Kaumua Iltiad. 4-rnninril dwelling on sect inn 58 by 112 ft.. £5<!3: Or.iiiKi. Konpapa Head, buildinc site, eonmining quarter-acre. £50: M.trnnui, Tuiuui Terrace, large hiiililius site, of over quarter acre. £2(10: Kilbirnie. Duncan Terrace, residential .-he. 42 by 159 ft.. £160: Lower iJutt, large building section, containim? over half-acre, ii"J: Pctone. section, conlainiiiL' 15 perches, with 6-roomed dwcllimr. £4CC; Khaudallah, l.irire section, havine an area, of Zr. 25p„ £250: Lower liutt, Kanwick, freehold sert:on. liavirsc an area of quarter-acre, £67 10s.; Kgaliaura,nga

large freehold Work of 107 acres, XSriCO: Karori. Ktunrteii Street, land <!0 hy l.i'ft., with 5-reamod dweUimr. £<20Maranui. Tnni Street. freehold see. tion, '',0 by 12P.F1.. with 5-rooinnl ruttace, £SSO: Ma ml Hiv. the I'.ir.-iil-.-. corner business site. Wft. by 165 ft., £<!CO. CUSTOMS. Customs revenue collected a! the. port, of Wellington last month totalled .€85.707 7s. 6d„ as compared with £62,835 6s. .Id. for the month of July, 1910. The lieer duty for the month amounted to ,£922 !os. 3d., as against £377 Is. 2d. for the corresponding month of list year. Customs duties collected a.t the port of Wellington yesterday amounted to £272* 6s. sd. (ili-UN AND PItODrCE. (By Telegraph-Press Association.! Christchurch, August 1. There if some innuiry locally for wheat for export, in order Ui take advantage ot the low freights now rutin-.', but anv sales that take place are between merchants, as there are no offerings on the part, of farmers. Importers are oircrijiE eo.ual to 3s. ss. to 3s. 3Jd. at country stations, and these prices do not appear to tempt growers to sell. Oats arc firmer, a? the stocks held locally are small, and further supplies from the country are not coming forward. There is not, much innuiry for chaff, and little offering, as the wet state of the paddocks is preventing cutting from gointr on. The potato market is ouiet, there being little inquiry at present. FROZEN MEAT. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Christchurch, August !. The British New Zealand Meat Company has received the following London cable-gram-.—"Mutton. Canterbury, .Vjd. to 33d.: North Canterbury, 3 5-161. to 3 9-t6d. Lamb: Canterbury. 43d. to sid.: >'orth Island. «d. to sd. Beef: Hinds. JJ.d.: fores, 2nd." WHEAT AND FLOUR. Cj Telegraph—Press Associatiou-Oopyrieht London, July 31. Tho wheat and flour afloat, for the TJrlfcd Kingdom totals 2.90fi,0C0 quarters: an 4 for the Continent, 1.465,000 'quarters. Atlantic shipments. 136,600. The total shipments to Europe during J the week amounted to I.CCO.CCO quarters, including 134,000 from Argentina, 520,000 from Russia, 100,000 from Danubian districts. 182X00 from India, and 45,0(0 from Australasia. SILVER. Bar silver is quoted at Z4ld. per ounce.