COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1758, 24 May 1913, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS.

INVESTMENT SHAKES. A eaJo of Union Steam shares at 435. (ex dividend) was tho oii-ly transaction recorded yesterday. The quotations wero as under:— „ _ „ Buyers. Sellers. £ s. d. £ i d. National Bank (old) JO® .T7 ft N.Z. Loan and Mercantile 0 10 3 0 10 9 Well. Trust and Loan ... 7 3 0 7 5 0 Ohrtotehurch Gas 7 8 6 — Wellington Gas (pref.) ... 1 0 0 — N.SS. Insurance r i ? ~~ Gear Meat (£1) 3 2 6 — Meat Expert (525. 6d.) 2 19 0 -- Union Stoam ~~ 7, ,i i Well. Woollen (pref.) ... . - 2 16 0 Westport Coal — r J S Golden Bay Cement — l . ° £ { Manning and Co 4 1 0 4 5 0 Ward and Co 4 19 0 — v COLONIAL DEPOT ON THE THAMES. A proposal is now before tho PoTt' of London Authority to establish on the Thames a colonial depot. The contention of the A-ustralian Government (writes "Fairplay") in carrying out this object is that its consignments of ineat and form produce may bo dealt with on a cooperative basis. The idea of providing up-to-date facilities for tho landing and distribution of Australian produce would be of great advantage both to tho colonial producer ahd the British consumer. It is understood that thl6 is one of the Questions being attended to by Mr. W. A. Watt, tho Premier of Victoria, who visited the Tilbury Doclcs. and thoroughly inspected their facilities.

Customs duties collectcd at the port of Wellington yesterday amounted to £3017 53. 4d. ' BANK OF ENGLAND RETURNS. By Telesranh—Press Aesociation-Copj'Tißht (Ecc. May 23, 8,10 p.m.) London, May 23. The Bank of England return issued for tho week ended Wednesday, May 21, is as under:— IfiSUK DnPAimiKN'T KotftlMU* 151.697,000 Gov.do'ife £ll,0t?3,000 Other securities 7.434.000 Gold ns.e4B.coo X 04.607,003 £31.097.003 B4SKIXG DEPARTMHN'T. Propi'ifttors' Gtyvt. secuvlcapiiftl' £H..'553.000 ties £12.602,003 Public do- Oilier securiposits ... 13.CM.G00 lies.,; ... 31.551.C00 Other deposits ... 40.720.000 Kotos ... 26.217.C03 Rest. 7-day and other bint? 3.210.C03 Coia... ... 1,450,000 £r-US9.COJ £7^.453,000 The leading ii-cuis of tho Bank of England returu afford tlie following comparison :— This weok Lastr weok Last year £ Z £ Bullion :{1).'245,030 Reserve Q7.77i).000 2«.311,ia;0 'J'UKH.UOO ; Note circulation 25.;5.50.0ft) '2d.HS4.UO:) i Public Deposit 218. 104.0X 4 Other Depositj oIM'^.OJO Proportion of . ruscrvo tu liabilities... f,0.8J M.33 GOVEIIXMKiXT SKCURITIES. The following aro tbo latest quolationa for Goverunieut securities, with «• com* pftrisoa of those ruling v.eek

BANK KATES OF INTEREST. The Hank nf Tvngkuul rata was. on February 8, 1912, lvduocd from <t to it per cent.. <tnfl on y\:\y 9 it was further reduced to 3 per icut. On August 29 it wa< r<ii;-'jil to 4 per cent., and on October 17 Id 5 per cent. It was rcducod to Ai pur cent, on te>slUbJ?A-

The Bank of Franco mt-0 was rcduccd from 3* to 3 pot' cent, on January 23. 1908. ami continued at the latter figure until SeuU'iiibw 12, WU. when it was raised to 3i per cent. On May 17, 1912, it>vas reduced to 3 per ccnU on October 17 it was raised to 3i per cent.# and ou Octobcr uv to 4 per cent. „ Tho Imperial Bank of Germany rcuuccti its rate from 5 to 4J per ccnt. on Juno 11, 1912, on October 24 it was rateoa to o per cent., and on November' 14 it wae iurther raised to 6 per cent.

MARKET HATES OF DISCOUNT. Tho following aro tho market rates for best three months' bills:—

London Paris Berlin rate, rate, rate, per per per cent. cent. cent. This week 33 33 •>» Ixist week 3d 33 53 Last year 3 23 4 Short loans are quoted at Zh per cent..as against 23 per cent, last week, and 23 ner cent, last year.

COLONIAL AND OTHER PRODUCE. Sugar.—Gorman beet, 88 per cent, net tit.i'e, 3d. lower ot 9s. 1(1. per cwt.; first marks granulated, f.o.b. Hamburg, 3u. lower at lis. 9(1. Bradford Tops.— l The market is firm, but biKiricso- is slow. Wheat.—Unfavourable weather in France, anil a ,sharp American advance, have sliditIv hardened t-Ite markets. There.is a modcrate supply of Australian on spot; retail demand New Zeedmid stocks ore exhausted. . .... . . Flour is inactive. Australinn patents ex store aro held for 28s. A Hay shipment lias been sold at 265. ~ . . Oats—New Zealands aro In diminishing supply; finest A Cartons, 250. 6d. to 265.; La Plata, May-Juno shipments, 16s. I'd. Beans are firm; on spot, 423. Buyers are offering 38s. 6d. f.a.q. May shipment. Pens aro steady; Maples, ex store, 395. is quiet. Australian is nominally unchanged. In the absence of euppUcs, there is a good inquiry. Choicest acw Zealand is quoted at 112s. to 114s. Cheese is steady; New Zealand coloured, 575.; white, 595.

THE METAL MABKETS. Conner.—On spot, 3s. 94. lower at £68 15s. per ton; three months, 3s. 9(1. lower at £63 7s. 6(1.; electrolytic. ICs. lower at On spot, 10s. lower at £221 10s. oer ton- three months, 20s. higher at, £216. Lead-Soft foreign. £19 7s. 6d. per toil. r.ie-iron.—ltiddlceboro' No. 3, Is. higher at 71s. per ton. Spelter, 15s. lower at £24 ss. per ton. LONDON MABKETS. Messrs. Dalgetv nnd Company. Limited, have received cabled information from their London house, dated May 22. reading on follows:—Fror.cn meat: Lamb-Prices aro id. to id. per lb. lower, and are tending downwards. Tho decline is chiefly in heavy-wcichts. Beef: Firm ot last, quotations' owing to the temporary recovery of chilled. Tallow: Prices in general aro par to 3d. per cwt. higher. AN INTERIM DIVIDEND. By Telegraph—Press Associations-Copyright. London, May 22. Tho New Zealand and Australian Land Company lia-s declared an interim dividend at, 4 per cent. SILVER. London, May 22. Bar silver is quoted at 27 l-16d. per ounce standard. WHEAT. Official quotations for wheat:—South Australian and other sorts, unchanged. Liverpool futures, 915 cent 6; July, 898. ' VICTORIAN PRODUCE MARKETS. Holbourno, May 23 Wheat. 36- 9Jd. Flour, £8 15s. Bran and pollard, £5. Barley, English malting, 3s. 9d. to As.; Capo, 25.-Bd. to 3s. Oats, Algerian milling, 2s. 3d. to 2s. Jd.; feed, Is. lid. to 2s. Id. Potatoes, £3 15s. to £5. Onions, £6 to £6 ss.

I Variation M ;». '"'"with 1 JufWue!^ I i *. <1. 24% imperial Consols j 71 17 n 7/1; inner 4 ..N.S.W.lOXIJan.-July 102 0 0 Unchanged 3S ,.N.S.\V.1930-50.\Ir.-Sp 97 1(1 0 10s liiuhor „ K.K.NV.-ll'UO-fiO !W 0 U L'llclum^cfl 3 „K.S.W.l»35Al>l.-Ocl| S2 U (] Uucimnnert i Vic. l!)2l)Juii.-July -10110 0 Unchanged 34 Vic. m-fi Jau.-Julyi !)5 0 0 Unfili.mw.l 33 | 01 0 0 Unchanged 3 ,, Vic. lOiD-lOJan.-JuIy; 70 0 0 Uncliain.'cil ili „S,A. 1916 Jan.-July j 01 0 0 Unclianiiml a „3.A. laiO Jan.-July j 75 0 0 Uncliiunjol 4 QTUiyij-'-Jl-Jnn.-July; 101 0 0 Unclmnuoil :li ..(JTdlM-i-WJaii.-JuIy, US 0 I) Unclmmiotl 3 ..QTdlBi-'-tfJan.-JuIyi IS I) II Uneliaimwl 4 „X.Z. 1020 May-Nov. I 101 0 0 UnclmuMcl 3! „N.K. lOl'2-lOJan.-July SO 0 0 llnclianijcrt 3 ,.N.Z. 1S-20Aiiril-Oct. 78 0 0 UnclnuiKed ■>j ..W.A.lWMaMay-.Nov S3 0 0 llncluinwil 3 „\V.A.l»W-MJlay-Sov MOO UncllttllKca 3; „Tas. IMMan.-July I'D 0 U fiicln-nriod 3 „Tap. 1020-10 Jau.-Juiy b3 0 0 Unchanged