COMMERCIAL.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2344, 29 December 1914, Page 8

COMMERCIAL.

BANK OP ENGLAND RETUBN. By Telegraph—Prees Association—Copyright London, Decoraber 26. The Bank of England return iEsued for the week ended Wednesday, Doceraber 23, is as under:— liiik SEFinrar.NT H.U Inn £83.3«.000 Ofr.doht ... £n,015,000 Other uicurltlei ... _. 7.451.000 Cioli 6t1.856.000 £88.3(5,000 £88,345.000 BiNIIKa DEMKTMRNT. rrtprluttn , O»vt. luurlcapital XH.555.000 tios... ' ... £14,606.000 Publio d«- Slhor itcurl. porits ... 37.-IM.OOO tin 103,294.000 Ctberoep.eits ...115.406.000 N.UI ... 52,125,000 Rest, 7-day unci ethtr bills 3,500.000 Ctln... ... 183.000 £170,508.000 The lending items of the Bank.of Ensland return afford the following compariBon:— Tlili wt«k Ximk iT«»k Lut year £■ £ £ BellUn , ... 69,606.000 71.e5(,000 39.045,000 lUitrra ... 52.608.C00 65.272.U00 23,1117.0(10 NoUlebuo ... 36,220,000 35.692,000 -29,861.000 Public D»pOJitl 57.459.010 43,168,000 9,401.000 Otier DepoilH U5.4C0.000 122,736,000 42,075!,0C0 Prop.rtlon ot rietrv* t> lmbUitl.i - 34.41 33.31 43.06 MONEY MARKET. . Tho Bank of Ed eland discount rate wne on January 2, 1914, reduced from 5 to 4j per cent., on January 22 it was reduced to 4 per cent., end on January 29 to 3 pur cent. Oβ July 30 the rato was raised to 4 per cent., on July 31 it was raised to 8 per cont., and on August 1 it was further advanced to •10 per cent. On August 6 tho rate was reduced to 6 per cent., on August 7 it was further reduced to 5 per cent., at which rat* it now stands. The Bank of France rate is 7 per cent., as apainet 7 per cent, last week, and 4 per cent, last year. OPEN MARKET RATES. The open market discount rate for three months'' bttle is 23 per cent., as compared with 25 per cent, last week, and 5 per cent, last year. Short loans are quoted at 13 per cent., as against .13 per cent, last week, and 41 per cent, last year. OOLONIAL AND OTHER PRODUCE. Tho wheat markot is quiet and tending Flour ie firmly held. Australian, in store, 386. Barley is film. .. Beans and peas are tending upwards. Oats are firm. Colonial butter ie flrm. Prices aro -uuchan»<;d, this being due to short Buppllee, owing to the slow discharge of several steamers. Danish is slow, with an easier tendency. Tho cheese market ie steady at ifc. to Sugar.—Foreign- granulated, 275. 3d. to 275. Bradford Tops.—The market is auiet. Oα the spot, the price for sixty-fours.is 25d.; for 6upor sixties, 24Jd-i common sixties. 24(1.; other quotations unchanged. Cotton—May-June; 4.26 d. per lb. Jute.—December-January, £17 10s. Henip.-Market quiet and prices unchanged. Rubber— Para, 2s. 9Jd. per lb.j plantation, Is. Hid.; smoked, 2s. 3id. METAIi MARKETS. Oopper.-On the spot, £56 la. 6d, ond £55 16s. Electrolytic, £61. Tin—On the spot, £146; three months, £144. Pig iron, 53e. 9d. per ton.. Lead, £19 2e. 6d. to £19 se. Spelter, £27 to £27 55.. Silvor.—Bar diver is quoted at 22 11-IM. per ounce, standard., FROZEN MEAT MARKET, By TelejrrftDh—Press AssocJatlon-Oopyrijht London, December 25. The Incorporated Society of Meat Importers' Smithfiold market quotations for tho undermentioned classes of frozen meat are based on actual sales of not leee than ouo hundred carcasses of mutton or lamb, or twenty-five quarters of beef, of fair average quality. The quotations ore not for selected linee, but for parcels fairly representative of the bulk of the shipments now on the market. The pricea wnich follow wo on tho average a farthing. per lb. more thnn the values ox ehlp, this difference representing tho average coet in expense, handling,' conveyance, and 6eUing ot the meet:— • New Zealand beef, fores 53d., hinds 6 5-.'6 d. ■Australian lamhs, s!d. Argentino chilled fores, 5 5-Sd.; hinds, Uruguay chilled fores, 5 3-Bd.; hinds, 6JrI. Prices for other meats unchanged. RABBITS. The market is firm and prices are unchanged. Cußtome duty collected at the port of Wellington yesterday amounted to £2763 le. lid.