COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1720, 10 April 1913, Page 10

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHAKES.'. A sale ot Westport Coal shares at 275. 6d. v.a? the only transaction nvorded yesterday. The quotation'} were an under:— Uuycr.% .Sellers, i) s. d. £e, d. ; Bank Nct: Zealand ...... 11 7 6 — National Hank (old) 5 0 0 Notional Bank (new) ...... <1 1? 0 — Equitable Building — 9 10 0 Loan and Jlnrtantile 0 10 0 — N.Z. and Itiver P1a10...... — 2 0 6 Well. Trust and Loan ... — 7 2 6 Cliristchurcli Oas 7 7 6 — W'e'l. Clas (pref.) 1 0 3 1 0 9 i N.Z. Insurance 5 0 0 5 1 6 Ohristduirch Meat' 15 7 0 — ; Meat Export • (525. Gd.) ... — 3 0 0 Kaiapoi Woli™ (ord.) ... — 5 2 6 Mosgiel. Woollen, ■— 3 12 0 Taupiri Coal '... 13 6 _ .Tarinjriunntn Totara, — , 25 0 NX Cell. Dental 10 6 NX l>ruar - '0 0 C Mtiirhnds ordinal'" 1 I 0 110 V/.F.0.A. (£5) - '/50. I'rsinluio-

WAGES/ DUItIXG ILLNESS. The llradford Chamber of Trade has issued to all retail associations an agreement for signature by shop assistants. The central idea is that by signing it assistants would relievo their employers of legal liability during "abscnce due to sickncss or any other ca-use." Tho natural result was considerable excitement anions ,the Shop assistants who would be affected b.v the proposed arrangement. The London "(irocgr" stated in ti, rccent issue that the action of tho Chamber of Trade was tho outcome of their having received advico to tho effcot that, in the absence of such an agreement, employers were legally liable for full wages during absence due to sickness—this notwithstanding the provision made for employed persons by tho Actional Health Insurance Act and tlio Workmen's Compensation Act—until they had formally terminated the engagement by giving the customary notice, and that it would bo a most, unpleasant thing to have to give notice ito a. sick or disabled person. Tile shop assistants, however, objected to the agreement, and, upon advice from headquarters of tho Shop Assistant's Union, were resisting it. The question was also discussed at a. meeting of tho Drapers' Chamber of Trade. Members of the chamber expressed tho opinion that employers, in view of the Insurance Act. should be relieved from the liability, and it was decided to circularise retail drapers, suggesting that when engaging an assistant the employer should ask him or her to sign a. form agreeing that, "in tho event of my being away from business by reason of illness, no salary shall bo duo or payable to mo during such absence." BRITISH AND FOEEIGX SHIPPING. Statistical tables published by Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping show that during 1912 the total addition of steam tonage was 1,416,549 giws, and of sailing tonnage 16,810 grow— in all, 1/33,359 tons gross. Of the tonnage added to the Register over 95} per cent, consists of new vessels, practically all built in the United Kingdom. _ The largest item among, the other additions to tho Itegister arc those of vessels bought from foreign countries for tho United- Kingdom, namely, 27,332 tons. The gross deduction of steam tonnage from the Register amounts to 995,077 tons, ajid of sailing tonnage 99,999 tons; or, in all, 1.095,076 ton»3. Of tho steam tonnago noarly 31.7 per cent., and nearly 36.7 per cent, of the sailing tonnago included i [ .i tnese figures have been removed on account of loss, breaking up, dismantling, etc. On the whole, during the year tho number of steamers on tho Official' Register of tho United Kingdom increased by 129, and the tonnage by 421,472 tons, while tho number of sailing vessels decreased bv 323 and tho tonnage by 63,109 tons. The total number of vessels on the Register has therefore, decreased by 194, and the total tonnage increased by 338,283 tons during tho year. Tho vessels on the Register of tho United Kingdom on December 31 last numbered, approximately, 1V578, of 19,146,742 tons. , < PRODUCTS EXPORTED. The values of the principal products exported during tile past month, compared with the figures for March of last year, show as under:—

1913. 1912. ' Butter iEMCB 239*964 CHsess 208,350 219,848 Beef 26,799 32,583 Mutton— Carcasses '104,279 171,995 Less, and piece 3... 1,135 9,532 Lamb .-. 129,217 295,193 • Wheat 88 417 Oats 1,193 22,492 Potatoes i. 501 ,484 Hemp 91,183 35.764 Tow 7,154 2,764 Kauri gum 33,903 20,221 Grain and pulse ... 6,743 10,697 * Hons 330 260 Hides 20.638 13,513 Skins 62,371 51,956 Tallow 43,106 5D.442 Timber 39,529 39.830 Wool 1,448,417 1,120,178 Gold 116,756 127,044

?,527,987 2,465,077 The total value of -the exports for the twelve months euded March 31 last was £20,560,109, as azaiiiist £17,604,870. NEW COMPANY. In the list of campanies registered published in the "Mercantile fl-asettc" this week, there appears the following:— Canterbury PubHshins Co., Ltd. (The).— Registered April 4. Office— Christchurcli. Capital, ±.75,000, into 75.C00 shares of £1 each. Subscribers—l). D. Macfarlane. W. O. Jamiestm-, J. J. Dougall, J. I. Rods, H. D. Aekland, A. 11. Turnbull, J. Steven60H, 200 shares each. Objects: To start,' acquire, print, publish, or deal with l'ews.papers, magazines,. and carry on the business as printers and publishers. Tho capital of J. B. M'Ewan and Co., Ltd., Wellington, has been increased from •■620,000 to £W,OCO by tho issue of 10.CC0 ordinary shares of £1 cach, and 10,000 preference shares of £1 each. PROPERTY SALE. ■ Acting under instructions of tho mort(racce, a 6oven-roomed house in Daniel Street, situated on> land having a frontase of 34ft. with a breadth of 141 ft., was offered for Kilo by Messrs. Harcourt and Co. at public auction yesterday. Tho property was eold to Mr. Watt at £710. OUSTOMS REVENUE. Tho Customs duties collected at tho port of. Wellington yesterday amounted to £3033 10s. 7d. • , FINANOIAL CABLEGRAMS, By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright London, April 8. Yesterday s closing quotations wcro aa follow:— Bank of Australasia, buyers £111, sellers £115. Bank of New-South Wales, buyers £38, sellers £40. Bank of Victoria, buyers £4 2s. 6d., sell, ers £4 12s. '6d. Union Bank of Australia, buyers'" £56. sellers £58. National Bank of Australasia, buyers £5. sellers £5 10s. National Bank of New Zealand", buyers £4 10s„ sellers £5. ox rights. Bank of Neiv Zealand, buyers £11, sellers £12. N;Z. Loan and Agency .4 per cent. - debentures, £93 10s.. City of' Melbourne, 4 'per cent, debentures. £93. . Melbourne Harbour Trust, 4, per cent, debentures, £9?. Melbouino Tramway' Trust, 4J per cent, debentures, £100. ■ , ■ Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Worl;e, 4 per cent, debentures, £95. Australian Mercantile debentures', £91 10s. and. Co., 4 per cent, debentures, "D'algety and Co.'s shares, buyers £6, sellers- £6 10s. 3 ' Melbourne Gas Co.'s debentures, £99. RIVER PLATE MEAT. ' . London, April 8. „. n "' CT shipments of ''mutton total 1(0,250 carcasses, lamb , 27.CC0 carcn.w. frozen beef. 159,750 quarters! nml chiiled beef 163,500 quarters. , THE METAL MARKETS. (Rec. April .9, '10.30. b-e;)- • ' . „ London. April 9. Oopcer.-On spot. £68 13s. 9d.: three months, £63 6s. 3d. Lead, £17 17s. 6d.