COMMERCIAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17464, 5 November 1918, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

CUSTOMS RETDRNS. CFih Uhited press Association*.) W f?l iT »TKG3X>N, November 4. Tho Customs collected in the dominion far October amounted to £333,696 and the exciao beer duty to £21,329. The figures for OctotKsr, 1917, were £278,054 and £23,652 respectively* ? > • 'mi . s GRAIK AXTO PRODUCE SALES. Mcssro Donald Reid and Co. report: — Oala: Very few o&ts of- any kind clto now ofering locally. In the absence of stocks there is little business to report, and late quotations are nominally unchanged. Seed lines, 6s to 63 3d; prime milling, 5s 6d to £3 8d; good to best feed, 5s 3d to 5s 6d; inferior to medium, 4s 9d to 5s Id per bushel, eEtra. Wheat: Only small quantities offering; both milling and fowl wheat find ready buyers. Potatoes: The maiket is supplied chiefly with northern consignments. Some freshly-picked lota oommond ready sale fit ..full rates, but tliose in indifferent condition are not in favour Best table potatoes, £13 to £14; good, £11 10s to £12 10s, S- 1 " 8 P° r teA (sacksincluded"); vjliali: Snippers hod more opportunity <rf securing space for coastal orders last week, and a fair quantity of prime chaff found an outlet in that direction. The local demand is steady for beat quality, but' lower grades are neglected. Best oaten sheaf, £8 10s to £8 12s 6d; medium to good, £7 15s to £8 6s; light and discoloured, £5 10s to £6 10s per ton (bags extra).

Messrs Mgerty and Co. report:—Oaig: Very few lines have been offering of late and business an this account has beki re- , stricted. All consignments have been readily quitted on arrival at quotations. Seed lnies, up to 6s-, milling, 5s 6d to 5s 9d; good to best feed, 5s 3d to 5s 6d; light and inferior, from 4a 6dl per bushel (sacks extra). Wheat: Outside of a ferw odd lines from outlying districts, which axe readily. taken by millora at Government rates, there is nothing fresh to report.' Fowl wheat is very scarce, and meets ready Bale on arrival. Potatoes: , . Consignments of late have been very light ~ quantity coming forward being unequal ; to the demand, and the market in oonsequenoo has firmed. A quantity of Australism tubers, just lunded, are meeting* ready sale. New season's potatoes -are • their appearance in Auckland in larger quantities. Best local-grown old seasons, £13 to £14; otheans, from £10 per ton (sacks in). Chaff: Increased quantities have been coming forward during the past week, the bulk of . which is being shipped. Good, bright, heavy chaff is still saleable at later rates. Medium quality is -not meeting with the same demand, ' . jus la more difficult to quit at late values. Choice, bright, heavy black oaten sheaf, to £3 12s 6d; beet white oaten sheaf, £8 5s to £8 10s; fair to good, £7 5s to £7 17s 6dmedium quality, £8 to £7 per ton (sacks citra).

"VALUABLE p. AND O. STOCK.

HUMOURS OF AMALGAMATION. Far kbw trmo there have been rumours of amalgamations, absorptions, etc., in connection with various shipping companies, with vho result that the prices of their shares have been forced up on the Stock Exchange, and people have been playing the*" timehonoured game of blind hookey to their hearts'—but not necessarily their pockets'— content (says Fairplay of September 5). For rnstaiioo, the P. and O. stock, which stood at B*6 two months Ego, has touched 430 on the strength of rumours, some of whioh arc really amusing, though none mcro so than the canard to which the Liverpool Courier the other day gave currency, and which emanated, it is said, from New York, and whioh positively asserted that "the Canadian Pacific is negotiating for the purchase of the P. and O. Company." Considering that, on a eaJe or a winding-up, the deferred stock of the P. and O. Company £32,000,000—<ari-d that the Canadian Pacific, in any event, would only be interested ia trades to and from Canada, to which ports the P. and O. does not trade, the parentage of the rumour may bo regarded with a good deal of innocent scepticism.

MOSG-lEL WOOLLEN FACTORY CO.

The forty-fifth annual balance sheet states that the profit and. loss acoount shows a balanco (including the amount oarricd for- ; word) of £17,772 19s 7d, after writing off £5000 for depreciation, £1718 15s lid cost of , replacements during the yeaT, malting provision for new wool store, £3000, adding £4000 to reserve fund, and providing a sum to meet tho Income tax, whioh is payable during the cmrent year. The directors recommend that o dividend of 7 per orait. bo paid, and a bonus of 8 per cent,., which will absorb £83-15 15a, leaving £9427 4s 7d to be carried forward to oredit of profit and loss for the current year. The retiring directcer is IVTv W. Shcanan, who offers himself for re-eleo-tioa. TSve auditors (Messrs Peter Barr and Crawford), &1&0 oSac for r©elootioa.

PROPERTY SALES,

Mwssa Park, Reynolds (Ltd.) sold at ouct!<m yeaterd&y a five-roomed house with 19 polos of land, situated in Chambers street, North-Bast Valley. Tho property, which owned by Mr "W. J. Hutton, was sold 'or £566. A ae<iside cottage at Karitarre, the proI*!i of ilr E. "W. Taylor, waa eold at atiiilon by the Perpetual Trasrtoes, Estate, «iU Agency Company for £193.