COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1304, 6 December 1911, Page 10

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHAKES. . There were no transactions in investment shares yesterday. The buying and selliue quotations were as under,—

AUCKLAND ELECTRIC TRAJtWAVS. ■Tho report--of the Auckland Electric Tramways Company, Ltd.. for the year to June 30 last, states that tho total revenue for the year was £212,624. The truffle receipts, .which amounted to £210,1(7. (Oiow an increase of £22.837 over the previous year. After deducting j.ll expenses charge'able to revenue, including X 16.877 for. debenture and other interest, the rental nnd percentage of profits payable to the Auckland. City Council .amounting.to £4718, and setting uside £SO,COO to the depreciation account, there is a surplus of £43,574, making, with £6073, the balance brought forward, a tofal of £4?M7. which the directors recommend slioiild be appropriated as follows:—To. reserve account. £15,CC0; dividend on preference shares for the year (already paid), £30C<); a dividend on the .ordinary sharo3 at the rate of 7 per cent per annum in reape-Jt of which an interim dividend for the half-year en-ded December 31, 1910, at the rate of 6 per cent.. per annum was paid in May last, £24,5C0; to be carried forward, £7147. Subsequent to June 30 last an issue of £50,K0 iu six. per cent, prefer-ence-shares lias hecn innde. These sharc3

were ottered to the existing shareholders al par, and the whole, of them have beer taken up.

CKAPv MEAT COMPANY. Th'p annual report of the Gear Jtcat Preserving and Freezing Company for the year ended November 30 shows that, including the amount brought forward, and after mailing allowance for depreciation and .payment of interim dividend, there remains a balance of £15/67- 0s 3d., which tho .directors recommend for appropriation as follows:—In 'payment of-a .dividend of

10 per rant, for J-he year endeu , November 3C, less interim dividend of 5 per cent, paid in .Jane. ■ £«C 3; to be. carried :forward' to nor.t year's account,.£lo,Bß7 Cβ.-3d.: tot.il, £1-5.487 Or. 3.d Owing to the satisfactory rosnlt of operatir/ns in connccUon with

the company's Insurance resotre.- tho directors recomreend the payment of a bonus of 5 per cent, on the iiald-ut> capital but of that account. The members of tho board express their d-cep recret α-t the ilontJi of Mr. James Gear, which took placo in April last. A rcsoiuMon setting forth their r.»nse 0! a'Doreciation . of . Hie valuable services'■rendered''by him to the comnany and tho ment trade in general has b{"?n placed on record.

The retiring direetom are-Messrs. J). and 11. D. Bell, who, being eliSil.'lo. offer themselves for re-election. The Jiiditors, Meters. E.'T. liadham .and E. ,• J' unl - al «> offer themsehti! for reelection.

Pie Kcw Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency fiomppny. Lt<l-., Palrncrston North, report :-At our fortnightly em'.c at Himita.ncri. on Ifonrt.ay, vre again bad a good yarding of cott.le and a small entry of s .;eip. A good sale resulted, and yerv Uttlo was turned o-it unsold. Shc<!D- Fiit eivc» shorn. Us. M.: woolly ewe hogacK food, 165 7d. Cattle: tcarlines. small 30s. to FJI 10s.; yeariinu steorc £Z 6s to £2 14j. 6d.; veariiner Jnrwv ero-i !i.»i'fer»' £4 2«. hi.; IS-mnnths heifers c.i & • 2yea; heifers. £A; 18-nnnth steers. £3 14s"fd.. sonncini heifers, £5 ss.- lieifn'-q in milt fA 17s. 6d. tj fS/stor* .Jn?»!Vl7" to k Us.: forward cows, £4 to £4 75.: fat and forward cows, £4 16;. Gd. to £5 25..; fet, cows. H 5;. to-Jl6i-fX)t7s and - cnlvns, £4 lis. to £a 75".; bulls, £2 7s. 6d. to £4 7s. 6d.

NKW ZEALAND SHIPPIITG CO. ' (Bi Tclecranh.-Press AfEociation.i Christchuroh, December 0 The annual meeting of the New Zealand Shipping Compa-ny was held to-day, Mr. n. l>. Jfurray Aynsloy presiding. In moving approval of the report, and balancesheet issued, by the London directors, the chairman eaid that the accoimts showed tho- satisfactory profit of £55.K9 lfe. 7d., which was, however, £1345 83. 2d. less than last year's profit. The Homeward camings nf iho company's steamers' showed a. considerable decrease as compared with the figures for tho year ended June 50. 1910; and was chiefly attributed to the failing-oil in the export of frozen moat, anil the low rs-Ksfi of freight on to,!. Tho outward enrniiigs, however,-had fully made up for, Hie lojs Homeward. After dealing with other aspects of tho company's business, tho chairroan drew attention to the increase in working expenses, and said that hn feared that the company's expenses this year would be greatly in excels of. previous years, owing to tho fact that tho cost of coal, wages of seamen, wages of dock lab-■ ourers m LwJon, and of labour on this side w«o still rising. Kir Gforee Clifford Peconded the motion, nnd sum that the. chief feature that was noticeable 111 the conduct of the company's msiness was the ertr.-ordinar}- expansion of ts outward trade, but. an expansion of mis. fan as n-01l .is beinir a source of trratincntion. sounded a note of They all know that when nn individual or a. countrv borrowed morn than the in-rti'-'rtual or the eouist.ry could afford a reaction mutt oone. ?nd tho individual or tho country h.-.il u nay tho-T»>ir.tltv .tfterl'arrtfl of forced economy. JIo did not Imow Una and downs in thnf, Hnd of srospcritv arid he thoiiTht they should ,-.et with more r-iutym than whm freights were offering less freely. The motion was agreed

?fe"rs. R de C. irnTct, IT. P. Miin-av and Hon. Fd"-*.rd Richardson, C.At.G.. were re-cloctofl dirortorn. A ti;oUoii the directors to ronnider the -advisabilitv of' craDting a. to th« stnff- !«,.« dl W n s «od. ami the c'-iMriTi.rn pa-id. th? director." had not lost el Tr, j i "",^ it -'"- b "t- in ity m-esent, unenttled condihon of the labour market,, ].h«v could rif>t. -n-ifioiit coupiderim;. t-hn ■inloTests of snarelmlders. grant a, bonus Tt. r.-n.= _sucr''<>.stfld that the irn.f.t<<r shouW I'n. left, in tho hands of the directors, ond .(■his f-oitrso was adopted, the motion beiDg .withdrawn.

Customs duty collected at the port of Wellington yesterday amounted to £2619 ss.

TRADE DT ALLEN STEEET. Onions.—The first of tho new season's Australian grown came to hand last week, the samples opening up in excellent condition; to-day's value is 12s. to 13s. per cwt. Old potatoes have very poor inquiry, and tho quotations range from 4Cb. to ste. per ton, eacks in.

Kew potatoes are in good demand at 6s. to 7s. per owt.

Hiccflour is rather dull of sale at £5 10s. per ton.

Bran and pollaxd are without alteration in value.

Flour.-JTcw Zealand is offering at £9 55 , . 65.. ox store.

Rolled oats meet with steady demand at 9s. 6d. to 10s. per dozen 41b. bac=. Oatmeal is selling at £15 to £15 lCs. per ton.

Oats arc in good demand. "A" Grodo Cartons, Js. Bd. to 3s. 9d. per bnehel; "B" Or.-.dc. a halfpenny less.

Powis' v;hcat, finds ready sale at ts. 4d. to 4s. 6d. per bushel.

Jlaizc.—Sood varictleo arc quoted at ss. 3d. to fe. 6d., with feed at 3s. lid. to 4s. per bushel.

Cnne barley is dull of salo at 3s. 6d. nor bushel.

Fowls' barley lias nioderalo inqairy at 3s. 3d. to 3s. 4d.

Haled straw is in good demand at £3 lCs. per ton.

Clover hay is selHr.? Nt £5 (o £5 10s. per ton, a.nd is in good dcin.-md. llama and baeon.—llams -are in cxecllcat demand at 9}(1.: tides, Id.; rolls, 9}d. per FreMi cess have advanced, and are now quoted at lOScl. to lid. per dozen. Butter.—Prime milled is in strong demand at lOd. to IOJd, per lb. ■

j factory, ir.-odium size. 6 : <l. I 10-.if, 7.1(1.

*UiirgariiM> is dull of sale a;. B}d. I ; ruit..--Thc Maitai is due from Sail Francisco this week, and is briiißing of Washington naval orar.sscs, also Cuiifcrnian applps, anil I-annnas ami pineapples from the Gioli Islands, which will TOi'li a. b.ire market. Tbe Xnvna, from Fiji, i:- dun on .Monday nest with a. large consignment of bananas, intended lor tho Christmas and New rear trade. Oi.lv lifclit shipments'! of Xew .South Wales Rrowh friiiu are "due to-day. Supplies of red curra.i).t.s are now coming forward, also Kentish cherries, and these nre realising satisfactory prices. Vi'gctal)lc3.-C'ahbages have improved in value, and ore now fetching 6s. to Bs. p-r sac.li. Oreen peas are romin.l7 in freely, and jirices range from o>. t. o 6s. per 'rami liug. Cauliflowers are in fair demand at os. to us.

Poultry-is in excellent demand, and ghippers are advised to ust. on the market early, and so avoid the fflut which usually takes place just bi f oro Christmas. The current quotations are-.lfens, 3a. to 45.; cocKTcif--, as. to 55.; ducks, Sβ. to 6s.6.«. £ii. to Vs. 6(1. por pair. Turkey goblilnrsi Ed. to 9d per Jb.,. live weight; bens, 6d. to

•LOXDON" WOOL S.VLES. tlf TelejrraDh—l'ress Apsociaticn—Copyright London, December 4. At the wool sales there was strong competition, at recent rates. The competition was general.

The Bank of New Zealand has received tho following cable advice from its London office, dated December 4:-"Cum?nl prices for Aortb Island farmers' lots, in good condition; coarse' crossbreds, K-K's cuality, Bid. to m. por lb.; medium crossbred 44«s. (inality,: 9id. to lCd.; fine crossbred. 50 s nualrty, IOJd. to lljd. Current prices for south Island farmers' lots (Canterbury style), in average condition; inferior merino, common. 60-64's Quality, BJd. to 9d.; superior merino, super, 60-64's qualitv, 12jd .to Hid.; half or quartcrbred,' 36'5 quality. ICid. to Hid. Americans are buying freely.

Messrs. Abraham and VTilliams, Ltd have received the following cablegram from London, under date December 4:—The sales progress with keen competition from a largo attendance of buyers. Americana are operating moderately. The market is very firm, a.nd prospects are good. As compared with the clo-.ir.s rates of List cones, merinos, fine, medium, and coar-e crossbreds show an advance of from par to 5 per cent.

Messrs. Murray, Roberts and Co., Ltd havo received the following cablegram from their London friends, .Messrs. Sanderson, Murray ,-tnd Co., dated December 4 — "Compared with, the closing rates of last London . sales,-crossbred has advanced 5 por cent.; market .strong."

CANTEEBGRI' GRAIN MARKET. 'By Teleerapb.-Prese Association.) Chrlstchurch, December 5. Business in the grain and produce markets is practically at a standstill. There is very little grain of any kind offering, and there is practically no inquiry. Millers are evidently well stocked up with wheat for the present, and are not anxious to make purchases.. There arc no .oats in-tho market, and the demand for chaff U very weak. The potato market is now "practically clo.-ed for the season, only small odd lots being offered, and can only find a sale as required.

Buyers. Sellers £ ». (1. £ s. d. Well. Trust and Loan ... 7 10 0 — ChriEtahurch Gas 9 10 0 — Gisbome Giw — 3 0 0 W'oll. Gas (£10) 18 7 6 - Well. Gas (£8) 15 10 D - We]]. Gas (£6) - 9 0 0 Well. Oas !pref.) 0 J 0 - National Insurance 1 18 6 — Well. Woollen (pref.) - 3 0 0 Jnkuraugi Coal — 10 0 N.Z. Powell Process Co. ... — ■ 18 6 TaringamuMi Totnra — 2 9 9 Golden Bay Cement 116 — N.Z. Con. Dental - 12 9 N.Z. Drug 2 7 6 - iV.Z. Paper Hills 0 19 6 - Ward and Co. 5 0 0 —