COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1252, 7 October 1911, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

investment; shakes. Sales of investment ehares recorded yesterday were:—Christchurch Gas, £9 12s. 6d • N.Z. Shipping, £11; and Kaiapoi Woollen, preference/ £5 7s. 6d. The buying and selling quotations were as under :- ■■ ■ ■■ Buyer 3. Sellers. £s.d. £a.d. National Bank - 6 2 3 Hank New Zealand 12 0 0, - Well. Trust and Loan ... 7 10 0' - Feilding Gas 116 \ z . °, Gisborne Gas — 3 16 Napier Gas ; 12 5 0 — Well. Gμ (£10) ■■ 18 15 0 19 0 0 Well. Gas (rights) - 0 0 4 Union Steam '. — 2 9 3 Well. Woollen (pref.) - .300 Taupiri Coal ..- - 12 0 Westport Coal- 18 9 -. Loyland O'Brien 1 8 9 — N.Z. Paper Mills 10 0 10 9 Sharland's ordinary — 14 6 Taranaki Petroleum. , — 0 IB 0 HALSWELL QUABRIES. Among the' companies ' recently registered (according to the list furnished by the "Mercantile Gazette") is the Halswell Ouarriee, Ltd., which was registered on September 28 with a capital of £20,M0, in 20.M0 shares of £1 each. Subscribers :— Christchurch: S. h. P. Freo, 35C0; J. A. Brown 500; N; Oates, SCO; P. A. Herman, 10CO- G. Gould, 500; K. M. Jlacdonald, 600; J Talbot, 20C0: W. Wood. 250; H. Wood, 250; R. Allen, 1000; G. Clifford, 35C0; P. L. Hallenstein, ICM. Wellington: A. Maguire, 2500; U. Gilmer, 2500. Objects; To acquire and take ovor, a3 a. goirtß concern, the business of quarry proportion now carried on by the Halswell Quarry 00. ARGENTINE PRODUCE HOMEWARD. Tho Commerce and Tourists Division of the Department of Agriculture, Commerce and Tourists, has received tho following cablcgra/i from Buonos Ayrcs, dated October s:—The following shipments of produce were dispatched from the Argentine to the United Kingdom ports during September, 1911' (compared with September, mo)i - '•:: • 1911. 19.0. Frozen mutton (carcasses) 189,000 139,859 Frozen lamb (carcasses)... 39,000 1-1,276 Butter • -Nil Nil LLOYD'S AND THE STRIKE. i Lloyd's underwriters did a large anil,' on the whole, profitable business in connection with tho industrial turmoil in England. A large number of commercial firms secured protection againet poEsible losses "occasioned by strikes, riots, or other civil commotion." Almost every department of trade was represented amongst the applicants for policies, tho demand'for which grew incessant as the railway trouble became seriously imminent. For a time It appeared probable that the famous institute might be "hit"; but tho irrangemont of a. truce between the Government and the Labour leadere put a different complexion on the outiool:, and a. day or two later the underwriters were able to look into their books with' the happy consciousness that every penny taken in tho form of premium in retfpect of striko risk, could bo regarded o9 an earned profits Aβ to the precise nature of tho risks accepted, incendiarism was ovidcntly uppermost in the mind of the public. Merchants who possessed pcrishablo goods in courso of transit were, however, able to obtain protection, at a price, against non-delivery within a given time, a class of business which would not have been accepted on any condition but for the fact that the Government announced its intention of kcopig the lines open for food supplies. At ' Liverpool, intending passengers by tho well-known shipping lines took out policies loss arising from tho failuro of tho vessels to sail within a few hours of the. advertised time; but here, again, no claim arose, and tho premium paid went in tho underwriter's pocket. A small croup of Lloyd's members havo netted joveral thousand pounds aplec« aa the re-

suit of their recent operations, while then' colleague* in the ■ "legitimate" branch of the business have been settling eom't nasty losses.. To Dud ii precedent to the succe::3 which has attended the recent operations of the speculative section of .'the Ilooni," it is necessary to go back to the smallpox epidemic of a few years ago, when policies providing Against the dreaded disease were taken out in immense numbers. Customs revenue collected at the port. of Wellington yesterday amounted to £3102 2s. 7d. WELLINGTON MARKETS. Messrs. Laery and Co.. Ltd., Wellington, report wholesale prices ruling on the market a-a under:—Wheat. Rood wljolr fowls, fe 3d. to 4s. id. bushel; oats, good feed, 03. 6d. to 3s. 7d.; oats, seed white, 3s. 9d.; oat?, Algerian feed, os. 3d.; rye corn,3s.lod.; maize, 3s, 6d. to3s. 7d.; fowls, barley, os. 3d.; Capo. j=. 6d.: crushed malt, 7s. 6d.;-partridge peas. "Is. 6d. to 4s. 9d.j polla-rd, £6 Eβ. to-£6 10s. per ton; lsra«, £6 55.; flour, Atlas, £9 ss. 6d.; chaff, oaten sheaf. £5 15s. to £6 55.: rice flour, £5 ios. per top: rice meal. £4 15s. per ton: potatoes, 'seed, Up-to-Dat-cs, £4 per ten; onions, Californiau, £12 10s.; bonedust, £5 155.; basic slag, £4 ss. to £4 10s.: superphosDhatcs, £4 15s. to £5; oatmeal, £14 10s.; rolled oats ia 4's, 9s. 6d. dozen; cheese, medium-sized, 65d. per lb ■ loaf, 7d. tier lb.; butter, prime bulk, 10d. to Ud.; fresh eggs, lid. per dozen; honey. 56's bright, 4d. lb.; linseed nuts 13s. per cwt.: linseed cake, crushed, 13s. 6d. per cwt.; bacon, sides Bid. per lb.; bacon, rolls. 9}d. per lb.; hams. 9d. per lb.; fowls hene 3s. to 45., young roosters 3s. 6d. to 55.; duck 3, 4s. 6d. to ss. all at per pair; turkeys, gobblers, Bd. to 9d. per lb, live weight, hens 6d. to 7d. BANK OP ENGLAKD RETURN. By TeleEraph— Press Association—Copyrieht (Rec.' October 6.) London, October 5. Toe Bank of Enprland return issued for the week ended Wednesday, October i, is as under:— Issue Department Note Issae... £56,311,000 Gov.debt ... £11,015,930 ether seeuri . tios ... „. i.m.MU Gold ... ... 37.P6-2.otfJ f56.311.000 *51i.311.U> BixsniG DEPAimrexi. Proprietors' Govt. seeuri- £18,596,00 cipital <£M,553.000 ties Public do- Other securipO3its ...11,322,000 ties 23,337,000 Other ooposits ... 42,869.000 Notes „. M.000,000 Rest, 7-day mil other bills ,3.103.000 Coia ■- - 1,201,000 £71,817,003 . £71.817,103 The leading items of the Bank of England return afford\the following comparison :— TMswoek Last week. Last yew £ £ £ Bullion 3T.5G2.000 40.402.f10D , 32.910,003 Bcsen-e 27.591.000 30,046.000 24.637.1100 Note circulation ff1.6i1.003 1M.0M.000 28.176,003 Public Deposits 11&S,UM 12.171.1X1J • 7,810,U» Other Deposits 42,M0,WW i3,711.WJ 41.14d.0U0 Proportion of " ' reservo to liabilities ... 51.15 65.31 . 47.67; GOVERNMENT BEOUIUTIE3. The following are the latest quotation) tor Government lecuritics.' with' a comparison ol those ruling last week:—

BANK RATES OF DISCOUNT. The Dank of England ratu was, on December 1, 1910, lowered from 5 to 4J per cent.; on January 27 it was lowered to 4 per cent., on February 16 to 3£ per cent., and on : March 9 to 3 per cent. On September. 21 it was advanced to 4 per cent . The Uanli of Franco rate wae reduceJ from 35 to 3 per cent, on Januarv 23 19C8. and continued a,t tho latter figure until September 21, 1911 when it was raised to 3J per cent. ■ : The Imperial Bank of Germany reduced its rate from 5 to 4J per cent, on February 6, anjl on Fobruary 19 tho rate was further reduced to 4 per cent. On September 19 the rate was raised to 5 per cent. MARKET RATES OF DISCOUNT. The following are tho market rates for best three months' bills:— London Paris Berlin rate rate. rate • percent percent percent .. This week ..;, Zl 3J. II ■Last week 35 3' " 43 Last year 31-16- 25 33 Short loans are quoted at 21 per cent., as against 23 per cent. last week and 3| per cent, last year. COLONIAL AND OTEEE PRODUCE. Wheat.—The markets are inactive, and there is a total absence of fpeculation; cargoes are tending in buyers' favour; 38s. 6d. is asked for South Australian May shipment, 365. 3Jd. for October-Novemner 355. has been paid for parcele. OctoberNovember shipment. There ia a poor C"mand for Australian on spot at 365. 6d to 375. ■ New Zealand is neglected and unchanged. Flour is in fair request. Ex store is quoted at 255. to 255. 6d.: on passage 245. 6d. * Oats are firm. New. Zealand supplies are exhausted. Lα Plata, Sertcmber-Ort,ob"r shipmept, 17s. 6d.; January-February 163 Cd Beans are in good demsnd. New land are scarce at 345. 3d. to 34s 9d Peas are in large supply, and' are quoted at 395. 6d.-to 41s. ox store.

LONDON WOOL SALES. Uy TeleEraph-Press AEsociation-Copyrlcht ' London, October 5. At the. wool saloe, some , . of the prices for. clips woro:-"Toi toi," top price IOJd. • average, 9d.; "Eiverslea," top price, 12W. , average, lid. ' _ ■ ' '■■■■■; Later. There was a miscellaneous offerinc chiefly merinos, at the wool sales. There was fair competition. Prices were unchanged. ATJSTEALIAN PKODtTCE MARKETS. tly Telceraph—Press Association-Copyright Wheat, 3s. 6Jd. to ftllA.' °FloSr. r ctty brands, £8 155.;, country brands, £7 17b. 6d. Oats. Algerian feeding. 2e. 6d. to 2s. Bd. ; milling, 2s. lOd.,- Tasmanian, 2s. lCd. to is -. M- Barley, Cape, 35.; English malting, <3. 6d. to ss. Maize. 3s. 9d. to 3s lid

Bran and pollard, £5 ss. Potatoes. Tismanian:', £&. Onions, £4. Butter, selected, 1C23.; prime, 108s. to 116s. Chcese, GJcI. Bacon, 7Jd, Melbourne, October 5. Wheat, 3s. 7d. to 3s. 7Jd. Flour, £8 10s. Oate, Algerian. 2s. 5d.; heavy, 2s. 3d. liarley, Cape malting, 3s. 6d. Maize, 3s. Cd. Bran and pollard, £5. Chaff: Market easier. Oaten, dumped, 755. to 775. 6d.; | compressed, 8O5.; uncovered, 755. Potatoes,! £3 to £5. Onions, £3. ' Adolaldo, October 5. Wheat, 3s. 'ijd. Flour, ■£8 ■ ss. to £8 10s. I!ran aud pollard, £5 10;. Oale, Algeriaiii 2s. 6d. '' ' . ...... MELBOURNE HIDES MARKET.' . By Telegraph- -Press Aisociation-Copyrisht Holhoui'nc, October 5. Hides were in .average supplies. Kips were Jd. lower; otlior kinds steady.- ■ - GKAIN AND PKODUCE. ■ (By Telegraph.—Press'Association'.) , Chrlstchurch, October 6; There nas been some business done in wheat dm'iug the week, but' mostly', in small lines. These purchases havo been nladc at 3s. 6d., 3s. 6Jd., aud 3s. 7d., at country stations. There is not a large quantity of wheat on offer, aud .1 number of holders arc wailing in tho anticipation of getting--45." at -their -stations. This figure ie, however, a long way above tho present market rate, aa the sales made this week indicate. There is no change in oats or chaff, both of which are firm. There Uae been a, slight improvement in.the potato market, 325. 6d. to 355. is now being offered at country- Btations. ■ . ;TAKANAKI PETBOIiETJM. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) NOW'Plymouth, October 6. ■ Mr. C. E. Bellringer, acting-chairman of tho Taranaki Petroleum Company, yesterday received a cablegram" that the capital of the now company, to ho "formed to develop the Taranaki Petroleum Company's options and interests, will be £400,000 in £1 shares, 300,000 of which will be issued at par, two shillings being payable on application, three shillings on allotment, and a- call of five shillings in not less than three months if requirod. Shares will be offered ill Australia, New Zealand, and at' Home simultaneously. The New Zealand Loon and • Mercantile Agency Company, Ltd., have received the following cablegram from their London house, under date October 4:—Wheat: We have sold . at. 355. c.i.f." -an Australian cargo. . There is very Uttlo derannd, and the outlook is discouraging. Tallow: Wo quote present spot values for the following descriptions of tallowr—Good mutton, 37e. per cwt.;■ good beef, 345; 6d: per cwt.; mixed, 3Ze. 3d. per cwt. . Tho market is firm. •• ' ..•.'.

Variations — compa cd Pricoi with list week. £ f.i. 2i% Imperial Consols 17 10 0 lss.hishor i „>i.S.M.1933Jan.-Jury 101 0 0 Unchanged 3i „N.S.W.Uld-.<«r.-Sop. S3 10 0 Unchanged 3 ..N.S.Vv.luJiApl.-Oat. 66 0 0 Unchanged i „ Vic. 1920 Jaa.-July 10J 0 0 Unchanged 3i „Vic. 19JMi0au.-Ju]y US 0 0 Unchaneed 3 „Vic.lirJ'J-iOJan.-July bl 10 0 Unchanged 3J ,.S,A. lOWJan.-Jnly OJ 0 0 Unchanged 3 „S.A. UlU Jan.-July MJ 0 0 Unchanged 4 „Q't'dial3-i!JJan.-July 10- 0 0 Unchanged 3i„QTalUJl-30Jan.-July i6 0 0 Unchaneod 3 .,QTdIW.!-<7Jan..JuIy =ii 0 0 Unchanuod i „N.Z.192JJIay-N'ov. 102 10 0 . .». lower 3) .,N.55.19iOJan.-JuIy 9/ 0 0 Unchanged 3 ,.NXlS4,7April-Oct. t5-10-0 - Unchanged 33 „ W.A.liMMOMay-.V'OT 15 10 0 37s/d..o\ver 3 „\V.A;lWi-iaJlay-Sov W 00 : tOa.lowo 3j „ Tas. IMOJah.-July WOO Unchanged 3 ,,'i'as. hilMO Jan.-Juiy M 1J U Uuch&n8»d