COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1230, 12 September 1911, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

[ INVESTMENT SHAKES. No transactions were recorded in investI ment shares yesterday. The buying and selling quotations woro as tinder:— Buyers. Sellers. £ s d. £ s. d. National Bank 6 0 0 — Equitable Building — 9 17 6 N.Z. Loan and Mercantile — 017 9 N.Z. and River Plate 2 0 6 — Well. Investment 0 12 0 0 12 6 Feilding Gas 12 3 12 9 Well. Gas (£10) - 19 0 0 Well. Gas (rights) 0 0 3 — N.Z. Insurance 4 11 6 — Union Steam — 2.16 Well. Steam Ferry — 0 18 0 Well. Woollen (prof.) 2 18 0 . - Taupiri Coal 114 — Leyland-O'Brien ...; 18 6 — Manning and Co — 4 10 N.Z. Con. Dontal — 13 3 N.Z. Paper Mills' — 1 1 3 Sharland's ordinary — 14 9 Taranaki Petroleum — 0 18 6 Tariiigamutu Totara, — 2 6 0 Ward and Co — 5 1. ,0 RISE IN TALLOW. Since the middle of July there has been a sharp advance in the prices of tallow, as the following will show :— Mutton. Beef. Fine. Medium. Fine. Medium. Per Per Per Per cwt. cwt. cwt. cwt. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. July 12 36 0 32 6 33 0 32 0 July 19 36 0 32 6 33 0 32 0 July 26 36 0 32 6 33 0 31 6 Aug. 2 35 6 32 6 33 0 31 6 Aug. 25 36 6 33 6 34 0 32 6 Aug. 30 ...; 37 6 34 6 34 9 32 6 Sept, ,6 33 9 35 6 34 9 33 6 Fino mutton tallow lias risen by 2s. 9d. por cwt., and medium by 3s. Pine beef tallow is higher by Is. 9d., and medium by Is. 6d.

OIL FUEL.According to the "Manchester GnarAdmiralty have ordered one destroyer to bo fitted with Diesel oil engines. The vessel is being built by Messrs. TliornyCl'oft, and will have both oil engines and st-carn turbines. The latter will ouly be used for high speeds. For cruising, the oil engines will be worked; and oil fuel being used both for internal-combustion engines and for boilers, it is anticipated that the radius of action of the destroyer at cruising speed will be doubled. The power of these oil engines is not stated, but it cannot bo vory great, and as destroyer engines are a. snecial typo, it is not to ,bc expected that the experience gained in this ease will enable the Admiralty finally to settle the oil-engine problem, as it afTccts the Navy. It will, however, provide a certain amount.of useful experience, especially as regards the problem of'combustion of various oils and the efficiency as compared with existing types of steam plant.

EItPLOyKRS' LIABILITY INSURANCE. According to tho "Manchester Guardian" there is general dissatisfaction among insurance companies, with the results of employers' liability insurance, and it. would not bo surprising if before long an attempt wero made to rate these risks on a system rather more scientific than that which prevails at present. The method of classification now' adopted is to all intents and purposes based solely on the occupation, followed by tho workman. and the conditions uudcr which he follows his occupation are virtually ignored. The companies do not make a general practice of inspecting tho premises where tho work is carried on, and few or no questions are asked with regard to hazardous features or conditions in individual premises or the precautions taken against accidents. This is,.of course, very different from tho practice in rcsucct of fire insurance, where the tariffs applying to many manufacturing processes profess to take into account the hazardous features existing in premises where the work is carried on, and also to make somo' allowance for appliances which minimise the risk. In oilier words, the tariffs embody an'attempt to assess each individual rick on its merits, and although the result is not always satisfactory tho principlo is sound. It is obvious that the practico cannot bo followed to the same extent in employers' liability insurance, hut it seems inevitable tiiat sooner or later the present method will bo modified. .

WOOL REVIEW. The "Wool Review" issued by the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co.. Ltd., for tlie season, 1910-11, is decidedly interesting. Referring to the past season the "Review" says"Before tho cea-son opened it was thought by many interested that a. considerable increase in production of wool would be forwarded from Australasia, but official figures now available disclose the fact that the total increase of exports is only 34,107 bales, includfnan increase in export 3 from Queensland of 42,630 bales, and a decrease in shipment from New Zealand of 19,566 bales. .New Zealand produced 93.372 bales, of which 211,934 bales wore sold locally. The Wellington sales were again woll supported by growers, but the total offered fell short of the provious year's figures, due in a measure to the lighter condition of the wool. Those farmers -who again took advantage of tho local sales have every reason to congratulate themselves, as it has been demonstrated by price? obtained in London that little or nothing was pained hv shipping; in fact, in the London sales of January an« March prices were decidedly lower than those obtained in New Zealand. "As to the future prospects," says the "Review," "wo do not expect to see much change in values. Trade at Home is good, and the strikes onpear to be about settled. America i-i still holding off the wool market, doubtless awaiting a'settlement of the suggested alteration in their wool tariff. As before shown, the supply of raw wool is not excessive, and it i • expected that the market will show a re* 1 covery before our new season opens."

Customs duties collected at the port of Wellington yesterday amounted to £3758 14s. sd. HIGH COIIMISSIONEE'S CABLE. 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, September9:—(Note.—Unless otherwise specified, Quotations arc average market prices on spot.) Mutton.—'The market, is somewhat steadier, and the demand is ecttin; better. Supplies will be moderated. Canterbury <d. per lh.. Jfort.il Island 32d. Lamb.—The market is weaker, thoueh not act, nally lower. Canterbury s}rl., other than Canterbury sd. per lb. Argentina, <!}d. per lb.' Beef—The market. lias advanced. Stocks of New Zealand beef on hand are light. N.Z. hinds. 3Jd.: fores. 2}d. per lb. Butter—Tho market is firm, and there is-a good demand. Knnplies are likely to fall off. Australian. 120=.: Danish, 1325.: Siberian. 116s. per owt. Chccs-".—The market remains firm. Kunplies of Entrlish cheese wi-U ho short on account of the dry weather; New Zealand •cheese. 66.-. per cv.t. Hemp.—The mnrket is lifeless. Quotations are nominal. N.Z. Erood fair spot, nor ton, £19 IGs.; fair grade. .£lB 55.: fair current Manila, £20; forward shipment;— N.Z. cood fair, per ton. . C .2G: fair grade, £18 IDs.; fair current Manila. £20 ss. The nutmit from Manila for the week was 25.000 bales. Stocks of New Zealand hemp, 916 tons. '

Mutton and Lamb.—River Plate shipments received August, 1911:— Mutton. Lamb. Carcassc?. Carcasscs. London 18,711 5,746 Liverpool 172.00 116,427 Hull 14,199 I.CtO Ncwca.ctlo 10,984 — Southampton 33,470 4,957 Cardiff 5,943 SCO Ireland 2.C00 — 257,717 128,666 August, 1910 265,537 34,881 FROZEN MEAT. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright London, September 10. The Frozen Meat Trade Association's Smithfield market Quotations for the undermentioned classes of frozen meat aro based on actual sales of not less than one hundred carcasses of mutton or lamb, or twenty-flvo quarters of beet of fair average quality. The quotations are not for selected lines, but for parcels fairly representative of the bulk of tho shipments now on the market. Tho oricea svl-.ich follow are on an avcraee a farthing per lb. more than the value ei ship this difference representing an average cost in expenses, handling, conveyance, and tolling the meat:— * Sept-. 2. Sept. 9. Mutton— d. d. Canterbury, light — 4i Canterbury, medium 45 4J Canterbury, liftavy — 3j Southland 313-16 35 North Island, best 313-16 o 11-16 North Island, ordinary 311-15 311-16 Australian, light 3.5 3.3 Australian, heavy 35 3 5-16 River Plate, light 3j 33 River Plate, heavy 3 9-16 3 9-16 New Zealand ewes 3 3-16 3 3-16 Australian cwos 35 3 5-16 Kiver Plato cwos 3J 3i Lamb :— Canterbury, light 65 65 Canterbury, medium 55 55 Canterbury, heavy 5 415-16 Southland . sfs . North Island, selected ... 5J 51 North Island, ordinary. 51-16 51-16 Ausiralian, best • .— — Australian, fair — — Australian inferior — — River Plate, first 43 45 River Plato, second — — Beef:— New Zealand, ox fores ... 2j 24 New Zealand, ox hinds ... 3J 33 Australian, ox fores 25 24 Australian, ox hinds 3 5-16 3i River Plate, ox fores ... 25 H River Plato, ox hinfls ... 3J 33 Hiver Plate, chilled fores 25 . 2* Eiver Plate, chilled hinds 31 3J