COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1363, 14 February 1912, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHARES. The sales recorded yesterday were' National Bank, £5 155.: Golden Bay lament. 245. 3d. and 245. 6d. The buying and selling quotations wore as under:— Buyers. Sellers. £ s. d. £ s. d. National Bank 514 6 515 6 National Mortgage 3 15 0 — Well. Investment 0 11 3 — Well. Trust and Loan ... 7 11 6 7 13 0 Gisborne Gas • 2 17 0 2 19 0 S.B. Insurance — 3 12 0 Gear Meat (£4) - 13 2 6 Union Steam 119 0 Well. Woollen (ord.) — 3 17 6 Hikurangi' Coal 0 18 0 — Taupiri Coal — 113 Leyland-O'Brien — 1 9 G Taringamutu Totara 2 3 0 2 6 0 C. M. Banks, Ltd - 10 0 Golden Bay Cement 14 0 14 6 N.Z. Con. Dental - 12 0 WELLINGTON WOOL SALES. .The woo! sale for February was held in tne Concert Chamber of the Town Hall, and as was anticipated, values were lower, tue better elates being a farthing lower, and inferior, log-stained, and seedy being fully a halfpenny lower. There was a good attendance, ind bidding wao spirited. The following are the reports of tho selling brokers:—

Dalgety and Company report—More wool was expected for this sale, but we anticipate the balance of the 1911-12 clip will all be to hand shortly, when offerings af the next sale on March 5 will be a good deal biggor than i.- usually the case, owing to the season being a rather extended one. The bulk of our offerings to-day consisted of seedy, heavy-conditioned, log-stained, and coarse to medium woole, and for this class of wool, although competition was keen, prices showed a further dec'ine on the January sale of fully Id. to }tl. We bad in our catalogue a few clips of bright. light-conuitioned, Romney croffbreds and these, together with good halfbred wools, wore firm at January rates. As is usual at this period of the .wa-son. there was a considerable amount of lambs' wool, the bulk of which was, however, dull and lc-staiii-ed, and carrying a fair amount of seed, out for all bright, clean lots Vie competition and prices were satisfactory. The following comparison of prices ruling as compared with our eale on January, 1912, will be interesting:— Jan. 11. Feb. 13. „ . d. d. d. d. Merino 9 93 8 85 Rnper halfbred 12* Medium halfbred 9< 10J ' 9» 101 Super crossbred 11 11$ Medium crossbred 8! 9k' 81 91 Inferior and coarse crossbred 7 73 6k 7i First lambs 93 10} 91 1(T Second iambs 83 8" 63 inferior lambs (not ouotod) 7 7j J'i'pes 75 8 61 7k Bellies : 6 7* 65 7J Stained pieces and locks 4 51 4 5 Crutohing.s 55 (it 45 5i Dead 7 73 7 71 Some of the highest priced wools in our catalogue were on account of the following cHonts:-0:i account of Mr. F. Meenkin (Clarcville). a line of Itomnev crossbred realised lfid.: Mr. D. L..Youne*r (Fcildingi, fine crossbred lambs, lCd.; Mr. C. A. J. (Kiwitea), first lambs. IM.; Mr. W. F. Conway (Blenheim), first halfbred ewes 93d., first halfbred hoggets 9kd:. Mnnson's Estate (Stonway), first, lambs." 9}d.: Mi- V. Caoev (Rlenhnim). halfbred. 9kd.: Mr. 11. \. Lambert (Kai'toke, Wangannii, lambs. 95d.; Messrs. Skerman nnd l'odevin (Otakil, lambs, 9Jd.: Mr. 11. Pa-af (Wnikanae), crossbred ewes. 9d.; Mrs. E. Bray (Colvton), ororsbred ewes and hoggets. 9\d.: Mr. J Thomson fTJlikul, lambs. 9id.; Messrs. F. If. White (Tane, Pa-hiatua), crossbred eves, ltd.: lnrabs, 91d.: Mr. H. V. Hammond (Kiri Kiri. super crossbred. 9d.; Mr TT. P. 01n.ro (Waituna West), lambs. 9.U1.: Mr. J. Saunders (Ma,rtinborough), crossbred hoggets 9d., lambs, 9d.

TRADE IN ALLEN STREET. Vegetables.—Swedes have put in an appearance on the market, and meet with a fair demand. White turnips arc in heavy supply, and arc realising low prices. Table carrots, in sacks, 'are in iair request. There is a good demand for choice quality cauliflowers, but the supply is restricted. Some excellent samples - of French beans are reaching tho market, and the demand continues good. Cabbages arc in full supply, and are cheap. Poultry.—Hens are in plentiful supply, and realise 2s. 6d. to 3s. a pair; young roosters, 3s. 6d. to 4s. 6d.; ducks, 4s. to ss. Onions.—Some excellent samples are coming forward from the Auckland district, and prices range from 9s. 6d. to 103., according to quality.

Potatoes are soiling at £4 to £5 per ton, according to sample.

Pollard is in exceedingly short supply, and is selling at £7 15s. per ton. Bran is without change at £5 15s. per ton.

Flour.—Standard brands are quoted at £9 ss. per ton, ex 3tore, and less tho usual discount. Rolled oats have declined 6d., and are now quoted at Bs. 6d. per dozen 41b. bags. Oaaina in 41b. ba.gs is selling at 10s. per dozen. Oatmeal is dull of 6alc at £14 10s. per ton. Oats.—Dun oats are quoted at 2s. lid., Algerian 2s. 10d., and white feed sorts at 2s. lid. to Js per bushel for new crop. Chaff.—New se'ason's oaten sheaf chaff ranges from £4 7s. 6d. to £4 Us. per ton. Oape barley has. poor inquiry at 3s. 6d. per bushel. Feed barley is quoted at 3s. 3d. per bushel. Baled straw is in heavy supply, the current quotation being 60s. to 70s. per ton. Clover hay. hand pressed, is offering at, £5 l"s. to £6 per ton. Maize is linn at 4s. sd. to 4s. 6d. a hnshel. Hams and bacon continue in very good demand. Hams are quoted at 9d. per lb.: Eidcs 9d., rolls 93d., and shoulders 73d.

Fresh eggs have experienced a further advance, and arc now selling at Is. 3d. to Is. 4d. per dozen.

Butter—Prime milled butter, in hulkis in good demand at Ild. to Hid. per lh. Cheese has advanced Id. per lb., and Is now ruling at 63d. for medium; loaf is unprocurable.

Fruit—Supplies have increased during the week, both from Hawke's Bay and Jlotuekn districts, and peaches and'plums are selling at comparatively low rat"s. A. good demand exists for dessert nnnles, and also for Yictorian-grown William pears, The market is bare of lemons. Tomatoes are coming in more freely, and prices are ruling low. N.Z. SHIPPING COMPASY. The "Financial Times" of January 4 has the following:— As will he seen from the circular which we .print below, the directors of the New Zealand Shipping Company have acquired control of the Federal Steam Navigation Company. This may be taken as explaining the advance to 18 in the price of the fully-paid £8 shares of the New Zealand Shipping Company, which movement ha 3 aroused much interest of late. The effects of the transaction are twofold, for while, in tlie first place, a considerable amount of fresh tonnage will come under the control of the New Zealand Shipping Company, thereby materially strengthening its position* in the Australasian trade, another and hardly less important factor in the situation is that a portion of the unissued capital of the company, which will be allotted in satisfaction of the purchase price, id being employed in a manner calculated to add substantially to the prosperity of that concern. The New Zealand Shipping Company has been managed on very conservative lines, and the step nowtaken by Hie directors has been the subject of prolonged deliberation; that it. will be productive of satisfactory results is hardly open to question. Appended is the circular isnuod by the New Zealand Shipping Company, signed by Mr. C. J. Cowan, joint manager:— "1 am instructed by the directors to inform you that this company has acquired a. controlling interest in the Federal Steam Navigation Company, Ltd. The purchase price for the shares acquired has hectl satisfied by the allotment of a portion of the unissued -shares of this company, credited as fully paid up. It is part of the arrangement ina-de that the above-men-tioned shares will for a period of years be held en bloc, and will not come on the market. The acquisition of the control of the Federal Company will, in the opinion of the board, be a source of strength to the business of this com-pany. .Mr. Allan Hughes, the chairman of the Federal Company, hai- joined the board of the New Zealand Shipping Company." Customs duly collected at the port of Wollington yesterjjay amounted to £&!» 6a.

CANTEIiitUKY CHAIN MARKET. IBy Tekgruph-l'ress Association.! Christchurch, February 13. The wet weather last week inieri upted threshing operations, and, consequently, affected the quantity of grain coming forward. There have, however, been a number of lots of wheat placed on the market. They have been sold at 3s. 3d. to 3s. 4d. at country stations, including a line of 10.1 M bushels at the latter figure. Tli.tc is a good demand for oats, principally for shipment to Australia nest month. The quantity offering is not equal to requirements, and all lots coming forward find ready sale at is. lOd. to 2s. at country stations. It is reported that 2s. Id. has been paid at a near station for prompt delivery. Prime malting barley is firmer, an most of the now crop is mors or less discoloured. Advices from Australia show that the crop is short there, and that high prices arc ruling. One firm of brewers is slated to have made arrangements for a shipment of 2CCO tons of barley from Blenheim. Oatsheaf chaff is dull of sale, the market for now season's chaff not having really opened vet. A sale is reported to have been made at 50s. at a country station. A fair amount of business is doing in ryegrass, and there is a considerable range m the price owing to the yaricd quality, heavy seed being very scarce. The average price is Is. 6d. to Is. 9d., and Is. lOd. to 2s. haß been paid for heavy seed, while very light has been bought at low as Is. 3d. More than the usual amount of cocksfoot has been saved this year on the plains, one farmer having ICK) eacks for sale. No Peninsula seed is yet on the market, and small lots from tho plains have changed hands at 4d. to 4*d.

SILVER. By TelecraDh—Press Association—OopyrtEht London, February 12. Bar silver is quoted at 27 13-16 d. per ounce standard.