COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1236, 19 September 1911, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHARES. Tho soles of investment share? recorded yosterday wero Metropolitan Permanent Ituild'iii? at £12 65., Christchurcb Meat at £15 lCs., and Wellington Gas (rights), at 4d. The buying and selling quotations were as uudcr:liuyen Sellers. £ 3 d. 2 s. d. Well. Investment 0 11 9 — W'oll. Trr.it and Loan ... 7 9 0 — Auckland Cfas 3 8 0 — Christ-church Gas — 9 15 0 Napier Gas 1Z 5 0 — Well. Gas (rights) 0 0 3 0 0 6 Oliristchurch Meat, — 15 11 0 Meat Export (£5) 6 4 0 — TJniou Steam — 2 10 Well. Woollen (ord.) ... — 4 0 u Leyland O'Brien 1 B 9 — N.Z. I'aper Mille — 113 Sharland's ordinary — 14 8 Taranaki Petroleum — 0 18 0 AUSTRALASIAN WOOL EXPORTS. Tho exports o£ wool from Australasia for the two months, July and August, as compiled by Da'.gcty and Co., Ltd., compare as under with the exports for tho corresponding months oi 19101— • 1911. 1910. Bales. Bales. Victoria 12,170 9.007 N.S. Wales 55,796 47,130 Queensland 35,955 33,285 S. Australia 521 427 W. Australia 1,932 2,569 New Zealand 18,812 18,428 125,234 110,846 There has thus been an increasa of 14,383 bales, towards which the Commonwealth contributed 14,004 bales and New Zealand 384 bales. CHEAP GAS AND HIGH PROFITS. The biggest gas company in the world is the Gas Light and Coke Company of London, which has a capital of .£26,467,000. In the twelve months to June 30, its income was £4,659,572, inclnding, in addition to sales of gas, coke .£605,093, grease £42,945, tar, etc., £122,508, and ammoniacal liciuor £215,829. The expenditure, including £32,546 copartnership bonus, was £3,272,708, leaving a net profit of £1,385,364. A good deal of tho capital carries 3, and 4 per cent, interest, but the ordinary stock of £15,141,545 received £4 14s. per cent. That appears small, but in 1899 the stock which was carrying high dividends was converted into new stock at £250 new for each £ICO old, and the standard dividend reduced to 4 per cent. It no-.- gets 4.7 per cent, under the sliding scale, or equal to 113 per cent, on tho old bads. The sliding scale permitted an advance of J per cent, in the dividend for every Id. reduction in the price of gas. A further reduction was made this year, which will add to tho dividend. In 1901 the company charged 3s. sd. per 10C0, and now tho prico is 2s. 7d., and it is thought that 2s. 6d. per 1000 is ahead, as after paying the dividends the balance carried forward was £699,350, or £156,980 more than that brought into the account on July 1, 1910. Customs duties collcctod at the port of Wellington yesterday • amounted to £1639 Is. Bd. LONDON" MARKETS. By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright London, September 17. The hemp market is steady; October-De-cember shipment, £20. •Tute—October shipment. £18 10s. Cotton.—September October shipment-, 6.24 d. Copra—Pair business has been done. South Sea, in bags, £25 10s. METAL MARKETS. By TelegTaph—Press Association—Copyright London, September 17. Coppor.-On the spot-. £54 55.; three months', £56; electrolytic, £57 7s. 6d. Tin—On the spot, £IE3 lCs.; farce months, £178. Lead, £14 14s. 3d. Bar silver is quoted at 24 3-16 d. per ounce. WHEAT AND FLOUR. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright London, September 17. The wheat and (lour afloat for the United Kingdom totals 2.245.CC0 quarters; for the Continent., J,9«,C<!O quarters; Atlantic shipments, 220,C00 quarters; Pacific. 15.CC0. Tho total shipmonts to Europe during tho week amounted to I', 150,000 quarters, including 87.000 from Argentina. 213.CC0 Russian, 360.0C0 from Danubian districts, 60.CC0 from India, and 50,5C0 from Australasia. man commissioner's oable. The Commerce and Tourists' Division of the Department of Agriculture, Commerce, and Tourists has received the following cablegram from the High Commissioner for New Zealand, dated London, September 16. (Note-Quotations, unless otherwise spccificd, arc average market prices on spoil:— Mutton.—The market is firm. There has been more inclination to purchase mutton during tho past week. Canterbury 4'd., North Island 33d., River Plate 3Jd. per lb. La.mb—The market is quiet, but holders are firm. Supplies will be moderate. Canterbury s'd., other than Canterbury SJd., River Plate 4Jd. per lb. River Plato shipments have increased ICO per cent, on last year. Beef—The market is quiet but firm. New Zealand hinds 3Jd., fores 2M.

Butter.—The market i-s very firm. Stocks at present in store are reported to --xbe small, and the demand has been stimulated. Australian 1225., Danish 1335.. Siberian 119s. per cwt. Cheese.— I The ma.rket is very firm and shows signs of strength. Expect a good demand.' The s.s. Tonga,riro's shipment of cheese arrived in good condition. New Zealand 695., Canadian 695. per cwt.

Hemp.—The'market is very quiet. Prices have advanced since cabling yon, nominally ss. per ton. The output from Manila for the week was 21,000 bales.

Wool—The market is a shado weaker for merino, and quiet, with no alteration in prices for crossbred". 36's low crossbred?, is. 13d.; <!o's, low crossbreds. Is. lid.; 44's, medium crossbreds, Is. 2Jd.; 50's, lialfbreds. Is. 6d.; 56' a, quarterbreds, Is. 9d.j 60'.s, merinos, 2s. ljd.