COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1010, 28 December 1910, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

PRODUCTS OF PETEOLEHM. In reference to the- war of prices in tho refined products of petroleum it is rcDortcd that further developments, unfavourable : from the' producer's point of view, are impenciins iti' connection with paraffin Last year the.tacit understanding between American and European producors for the maintenance of prices . fall through owinE to tho keener competition of Galicina producers, wUo have only entered the market- within tho past few year;. Prices fell heavily all round, and it is now reported that (Salicia is aboit to make a further material addition ■ to its output by thn adoption ofi waxi producing plant at the Government re> finery. As SGQ.CCO tons, of oil are annually handled at this refmpry to provide fuel for tho State railways, and the oil is fairly rich in wax, this threatened addition ■ to tho production, which, is .already beyond tho absorbing capacity of con- • sumers, is viewed with alarm. It is fur- , ther stated on cood authority that a company ie - being formed in Houmania with, the assistance of Italian and Austronunsirian interests to work extensive dc- ■ posits of ozokerite. The Standard Oil Company, will find further cause for dissatisfaction in this increase of the output of wax, se it is already a very large

producer, althoueii American oil yields no moro ■ thau IS nor-cent., which is -much' below Iho yield :nf Galician'aiHl'Scottirh oil. Last .year, • however, it exported no fewer than 00,550 tons, of which wao-toiis were for Great Britain. Galicia, although, tho youncrcst of .ill the producers, is taking a. prominent por-ition in the iuduKtry. its exports during tho last, fivo years having increased by over ?.3,oKHoi!s. Tho tot.il production of the Scottish companies, is between 20.C0D and 25.0C0 tors per annum, so that a, fall of Jd. psr pound in tho prices, such as tool; place last yenr. moans s. difference of £160,000 in earnings. Somo time aco timber was sent Homo from Tasmania, in order to tost its Qualities, for jiapcr-maMng. and reports lately received arc to the effect that it turned out ■ excellent pulp, and that the naner mado from it is good. Owiuc to the condition of tho wood the pulp did not bleach very well, but there is now no fc.ir that marketable woodpulp can bo mado from Mua gum timbpr. In consequence a crnnpan'y is bcinsi promoted for the manufacture _. of puper from blue ciun in Tasmania, and application is bcinc; rcado for the concession of. a- large area of timberKrowins land lor tho purpose. • BANK OF ENGLAND EETTJKN. By Teleiraph-Proßs Association-Copyrish'. London, December 23. The Bank of England return issued for the wc-ek_ended Wednesday, December 21, is as under:— Issue Department N0te163U6... f31.276.0Ca Gov. debt ... £11,015.000 Other securities ... 7.43J,rpa Gold _. 31.6-27,030 £50,276,003 ( i50,276,CM . BiNEXG DEPARTITESI. Proprietors' Govfc. ecouricapitol i1i.553,000 tics £15,903,000 Public do- Other securi- ■ posits ... 10,640,000 tics 28.0C5.000: ■posits ... 38.23-2,000 JToto3 ... 21,63-2 COO Rest, 7-day and other . Coin... „ 1.035.C0Q bills s.gIO.COO £00.635,003 ' ■ £56,035,CC0 (The laading items or the Bank ,of Eng.

land .return afford the following com' , parison:— ■ ■ This woo!;. Last week. Lastycnr Hullion ... .... :U'.S-27,C03 31.86!'.C0D. Z9.IW.Kf) Ucsarvc 2>,C70,C0t) 7a.-V».(UO •.2,7n3.100 Note circulation •JS.iill.ix.u iii'.ro.i.COJ Cii.; a !,QOO Public Deposits 43.572.00J H.EOB.UW b.T:Ki.WO Other Danosits 35.i3-2O>J ll.iS'iWJ 40A86.UX) Proportion or resci-VG to liabilities ... • 46.35 b'.CO 4J.83 ■ GOVEKNJIEST SECURITIES. The following arc the latest quotation! for Government fccurittes. with n comparison of tlioso ruling last wepk:- '. T~ "^iuionT ■« ( compd l eel ! Pries. witli I last wee!;. °-i% Imperial Consols ?b "i i'i Cnchanged 4 ~N.5.W.1333Jau.-July 103 0 0 Uncl-.nneetl 35 ~X.S.W.WIB.Mar.-Sep. 07 17 6 UnchcnMd 3 ,',N.5.\V.1335Aii1.-Oct. S5 0 0 »3.GS.hishcr i „ Vic. 1020Jan.-Jnly Jol 10 0 Unchanged 3s „ Vie. ICBI-tiJau.-July us 7 d Unebaniotl 5 ..Vjc.lftS-iOJan.-July 6.5 10 0 Unchanged 3i ~S.A. IOIOJan.-July O.i 10 0 Unclianscd 3 . ~S.A. MBJan.-July MlO 0 Uucbant'ed i ~QTdIOIS-2lJan.-July 20i 2 0 UncljanSetl 34 ~l!'rdl?2t3aiau . -July 07 la 0 Unciiancea 3 34 7 6 Unchani'od i ~N.Z.I92DMay-Sov. 10310 0 Unchanged 3i ~N.Z. IOMJan.-Jnly 9i ; ( llnchansoa 3 ~N.Z. 19-lr,Anni-Oct-. 6.H lO 0 Unchanged 34,,W.A.10aW031ay-Xov 67 0 0 lCs.hi;her 3 \V.A,iais-SsMay-Xov 83 10 0 Unchanged 35., Tas. iWOJan.-July Iβ 0 0 Uncbrmgotl i ~Ttts.lftJ3-<oJan.-July S3 0 0 Unchanned BANK BATES OF DISCOUNT. The Dank of England rate has been lowered from 'A per cent, to 3 per cent. On January 6 the bank rate was reduced from 45 to 4 per cent., on January 20 to Zh per cent., and on February 10 to 3 per cent., was on March 17 raised ascain to 4 per cent., hut on June 9 lowered to 3 per cent. On September 23 it was again advanced t0.4 per cent., and on .October 20 to 5 per ~cnt. But on December 1 it was lowered Ko 45 per cent. The Banl; of France rato was reducfd from 3J to .3 per cent, on January 23, 1908, and remains at tho latter figure. The Imperial Bank of Germany on January 21 lowered its rato from 5 to 4i per cent.', and on February 10 to 4 ner cent. But on September 26 it was raised to 5 per cent.

MAItKET RATES OF DISCOUNT. The following nro the market rates for r best three mouths' bills:London Paris Berlin „ rato. rato. rate. ,) percent, percent, percent. „ This week 33 % 43 n Last week 37-16 2j « \ Last year 33 Zl Q Short, loan , ; aro quoted at. 31! per cent., as against 23 per rent, in the previous week, and 43 per cent, at the corresponding dato last year. COLONIAL AND OTHER PKODTJCE. Butter.—The butter market continues to be dull. Choicest Australian ie quoted at 935. to IGOs.. and occasionally at 102.-. pnr cwt.. with secondary qualities .at 90. - to 965., and uusaltsd at 102s. to 104s. Pr,.. cwt. New Zealand is quoted at- 101s. to lOCS, per cwt.. a. drsn of 2s. per cwt. «u . the week; and secondary qualitips at Ms. t.o 100s. per cwt. Danish ie duoted at H4s. to 116s. per cwt. 1 Cheese.—The chce?.i\ markit is steady, 1 and prices aro uncharged, which last v;ec!; I were 57e. per cwt. for coloured, and s;s. r to 665. for white ma lies. 1 Sugar.—German 'beet, 88doij. is Es. lid. 1 per cwt., a drop of 2d. on the wc:U: flvst--1 nark granulated, 10s. lid. per cwt.. also 1 2d. cheaper. i Wheat.—Tho markets are inactive, but 1 the tone is fairly firm. Holders arc not, I however, pressinz sales, 355. 9d % is asked I January shipments, nnd 355. for Janunry--1 February parcels. There is but a. quiet I trade on "spot" prices at 375. ■' Flour.—The flour martot is dull. Aβ?. trn.linn brands, ex store, are sellint; .it?6s. O^ts—There is a Rt»ady biiFincss doinj ! in Lα Plato, n.-its. Febmary-Harch shipments aro sellir.;; at 2,15. bkadfoud tops. The' market is slow, quotations beintr— . For ffi's. 14d. per lb.: 46's, 15Jd.: 50's, 19d.; i E6's,' 22d.; common 60's, 25d.'; super 60's. , 26d.; 64's, 26Jd. [ METAL IIABKETS. , ' Copper—On the spot, £55 15s. per ton; thro 3 months'. £57 10s. per ton. Tin.—On ths spot, £173 7s. 6d. per ton; ■ three months'. £174 ss. per ton. Pig-iron.—Middlcsbro', No. 3, <9a. lid. uer ton. ' ... Spelter—Tho quotation is £24 per ton. WHEAT AFLOAT. By Telegrapb-ProEs Association-Copyright., London, December 26. ; The wheat afloat for' tho United Kingdom totals 2,«0,000 quarters; for tho Continent, 1,770.000.

DON'T NEGLECT. A COMMON CASE OF PILES. IT MAT LEAD TO SERIOUS RESULTS. When people generally .understand that nil such fata) (licenses ns fistula, ulcer of tba rectum, fissure, etc., almost invariably begin in a simple ense of piles, they will learn the wisdom of taking prompt treatment for the first appearance of this trouble. Bonn's Ointment will certainly cure every form of Piles, itching, bleeding, protruding, and blind piles, and hundreds of lives have been saved by J using this cheap, but effective, remedy right at the start, because at such times a single pot will effect a cure, while in the old, deep-seated, chronic cases several pots are sometimes necessary to cure. Here is a case:— Mr. Thomas J. Lumsden, Watchmaker, Dee Street, lnverenrgill, writes:—"l have been suffering for years with itching Piles, and this complaint is very hard to'bear, for not only is the day miserable, but the nights are sleepless. I had tried a number of remedies without success, when I saw a testimonial from a young man who had suffered the same as I was suffering and was cured by Doan's Ointment. That day I bought a 3s. pot of your ointment'. Before finishing this cno pot I was cured. I send you this on my own account, just to let other sufferers know of my cure, for which I will ever be thankful." Eight years later, Mr. Lumsden says: "I have been free of the torture of itching Piles ever since. Doan's Ointment cured me eight years ago. I can now get rest and ease, lly lasting cure means a lot to me. I hope all those who suffer with piles will benefit hy my experience and give Doan's Ointment a trial." It cannot be repeated too often that Doan's Ointment will euro Piles, it will absolutely cure in every single instance. Then don't go on suffering, get this remedy to-day. Doan's Ointment is sold by all chemists and storekeepers at 3s. per pot, or will be posted on receipt of price by Foster-M'Lellan Co., 76 Pitt Street, Sydney. But be sure you get DOAN'S.—Advt. 4. King George was promoted to the rank of general of the British Army in June, 1002.

Dr. anil Mrs. Kmllny were entertained at a garden narty in Rotoma on ■ Saturday afternoon by-Mr. and Mrs. Ghnville Hicks.Dr. and Mrs. Mickle left for their home in Christchurcb. on Monday, : after a month spent in Eotorua. Mr. and Mrs. E. Rathbone (Napier) are visitors to Auckland. Miss Nunneley has been taking part in the. tennis tournaments being, held in Blenheim this week/ Miss Tweed is the guest of Mrs. Dillon, Marlborough.: •In addition to those who .were thanked for their gifts to the children of Levin Memorial Home recently, the secretary ■.wishes, to express gratitude for their donations to Mesdamcs Williams, Luke,- West-Knowles, Heid, Onnrod, .Misses Mantell. Mr. Blake, Anonymous, the children of Mount Cook School.