COMMERCIAL, ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1203, 11 August 1911, Page 8

COMMERCIAL, ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHAKES. Sr.les of investment shares recorded yesterday were:—National TSanU nt £6 and Taraiiaki Petroleum at 16s. 6d. The buyingand selling quotations were as under:— Buyers. Sellers. £ s. d. £ s d National Han!; 5 19 6 - N.Z. and Eivcr Plate 2 0 0 — Welliriirton Investment .... 0 11 6 - Olirbtcluirch Gas — 9 17 6 Fending Gas -- 12 6 Well, fias (,C7 10s.) - 15 u 0 S.B. Insurance -. 1 15 6 Standard Insurance 1 11 6 — Ohristnhureli Meat — ji, 2 t Jlcat Export (525. fd.) — 3 3 0 Well. Woollen lord.) — 4 0 3 Taupiri Coal 116 1 • 1 We.st.port Coal 18 9 19 3 T.oyland-O'Krien 1 8 J _ Jfanniiib' and Co — 4 6 0 N.Z. Paper .Mills — 119 Sharland's ordinary ... — 1 51) Tarannkl Petroleum .... — nl7 0 Taringamutu Totara — 2 7 6 Well. Oacra House — 7 5 0 LIFE IXSUIiANCE MONOPOLY.

A Bill has been introduced into tfce Italian Parliament with (he object of enforcing a State monopoly of life insurance. The terms of the proposed legislation are not remarkable for consideration of equitable principles, a« no iiiilemiiitv is allowed to existing companies. An "article of the Bill expressly declares that the. concerns to be expropriated will not be entitled to claim any rompensat-'on from the State. Once the Bill is passed into law, m> company," cither Italian or foreign, will be allowed to underwrite frcfb rial;* of life assurance They are bound, however, to keep exist ins engagements, v.-hcroas their clients will lie able t« cancel or maintain their contracts. Any Italian .oil izen who should attempt to evade the severe clauses of the new monopoly by insuring his lifr. through some foreign cnnn>any will be liable to heavy pecuniary penalties, and, after a provions conviction, alsn to imprisonment. The calculations of the Minirtor responsible for the Bill are said to be ail astray, and it.

is feared that the institution of national insurance will prove as disappointing to the taxpayers a-3 hn.=> already" lieeu the ease in connection with the railways monopoly. In the meantime, it is not improbable that tli'.r attempt Iα suppress the life assuraneu industry in Italy will involve the Government in international lnisumlcrMiauilings. Many foreign companies are interested in this nucstion, and whether the letter of existing treaties be infringed or not, undoubtedly the spirit of international equity is violated by the proposed Insurance Hill.

COMMONWEALTH MEAT EXPOKTS. Statistics compiled by Messrs. John Cooko antl Co.. dealing with tho meat exports from the Commonwealth for tho twelue mouths ended June 30. I?U, are of ronsiderable interest. The totals compare as under :•- 1909-10. 1910-11. Mutton carcasses 2,52Z,«6 2,280,647 Mutton, pieces 55,638 69,i»9 Lamb, carcasses 1,264.358 1.630,812 Beef, quarters =05,650 759,633 Beef, pieces 16.180 47.(05 Veal, carcasses 7.317 10,993 l'ork, carcasses 6,262 12,046 The decrease in mutton, in carcasses only, is equivalent to about 95 per cent., while lamb shows an increase of 311 per cent, anil beef an increase of over 50 per cent. Lambs shipped from Victoria- show in increase of 352,076 carcasses, -but mutton a decrease of 83,960 carcasses. New South Wales exports of mutton for the past season amounted to 1,367,750 car(sasscs and 65,950 pieces, as against 1,325,691 carcassEs and 38.588 pieces for 1909-10; lamb, 444,756 carcasses, as against 403,425 carcasses; beef. 42,203 quarters and 89£2 pieces, against 26,339 quarters and 2458 pieces; veal, C9EO carcasses agniuit 2449. and pork 5443 carcasses, as against 2698. South Australian m-ports of rauttou for 1910-11 amounted to 50.071 carcasses, against against 156,38-1 carcasses; and pork, ffl) carcasses, against nil. Queensland accounts for practically all the increase, in beef exports, the shipments from that State being 704.688 quarters and 33,282 pieces, against 461,572 quarters and 11.458 pieces for 1939-10. Exports of. mutton from Queensland amount to 507,152 carcasses and 2277 pieces, against C55.6C6 carcasses and 1050 pieces for 1909-10; lamb, 18.642 carcasses, against 22.538 carcasses; veal, 373 carcasses, against 1016 carcasses; and pork, 18C3 carcasses, against 3300 carcasses.

Customs duties collected at the port of Wellington yesterday amounted to £9820 3s. Bd. WHEAT. Bj TeleEraph—Press Association—OoDvrloht London, August 9. The American visible supply of wheat is estimated at 58,779,000 bushels. London, August 10. Wheat.—An Australian cargo has been sold at 345. 6d. THE METAL MARKETS. By Tclcrrap'.i■.-'!'!■■<- *■'■■■■'■■< 1 -."noyrlilit (Rcc. Aupist 10, 11.20 p.m.) London, August 10. Copper.-On spot, £56 3s. 9d.; three months', £57 2s. Cd. Tin-Cash, £194. COPPER STOCKS. By TclccraDh—l'ress Assoeiation-Copyrieht LondSn, August 9. The American copper stocks amount to 137,739,0001b. FROZEN HEAT. Br ToleeniDli— Press Asso^iation-CoDyriehl London, August 9. River Plate shipments of mutton amount to 245.750 carcasses, lamb 96.CC0, beef (frozen) 153,000 pieces, and chilled 214,500. AUSTRALIAN PRODUCE MARKETS. By Telccraph—Press Association—Copyrishi (Hoc. August 10, 0.5 a.m.) Sydney, August 10. Wheat. 3s. £d., 3s. 6£d. Flour, city brands, £3; country brands, £7 175.. 6d. Oats, Alpjeriau feeding, 2s. 3d. to 2s. 5d.; milling, 2s. 7d.; Tasmauians, 2s. 10d. to 2s. lid. Darley, English, 2s. 4d. to 2s. 6d.; Cape, 2s. 6d. to 23. Bd. Jtaizc, 2s. lCd. to 3s. Bran and pollard, £4 15s. Potatoes, Tasinmians, £8 10s.; seed, £8 to £10 Onions, £4 to £4 10s. Butter, selected, 12Cs.; prime, IOEs. to 116s. Cheese, 6id. Bacon, 5Jd. to 6d. Melbourne, August 10. ■ Wheat, 3s. 7d. Flour, town brands, £8; country. .£7 10s. to £7 12s. 6d. Oats,, Algerian feeding, 2s. Id.; millins, 2s. 2id. BarIcy, prime maltins ChcvalieT, ss. to ss. 3d.; Cape, 2s. £d. Maize, old, 2s. 7Jd.; now, 2s. 6»d. Bran and pollard, £5. Chaff-The market is firmer; oaten dumped, good, £3 15s. to £4; compressed (covered), £4 to £4 55.; (uncovered), £3 15s. to £4. Potatoes, prime, £5 to £6. Onions, £3 10s. Adolaldo, August 10. Wheat: 3s. 6Jd. is offered, but there are no sellers. Flour. £7 Its. Bran and pollard, 12Jd. Oats, Algerian, 2s. 4*d. COMMERCIAL HIDES MARKET. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Kec. August 11, 0.5 a.m.) Melbourne, August 10. Hides are in fair supplies, with a good demand, and prices are very firm. LONDON MARKETS^ The New Zealand Lc-an and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, have received the following cablegram from their London house under date August 9:-Wheat: We have sold an Australian cargo at 345. 4Jd. c.i.f. The market. is firm, but inp«tive, and crop reports are unfavourable. The outlook is uncertain for market prospects in India.