COMMERCIAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2653, 27 December 1915, Page 8

COMMERCIAL ITEMS

■/- .oustoms'duty collected*', at the port erf Wellington",on Friday amounted to £1834 13s. 3d. - 'LONDON WOOL.-SALES.';' ■ Jjy Oyjlogra-Dli—l'rcsc itssociation—OopyrlEht ' v . ~ London, December 23. i' ,' . The Xondon wool sales closed excited at -tfie 1 fullest prices. There were"sold for the Home market 80, COO bales, for the Continent I-. : .'12,0C0, the United. States 30C0, : and there wore held over 10,000. '■■■ ■'■■■.■ Compared .with November series' closing ■ ' fates, good merinos advanced 15 per cent., medium and faulty 10 to 15 per .cent.; " . greasy crossbreds were scarce, and, though : ' ■ in bad condition, advanced 10 per cent.; fv, scoureds, especially the finer grades, were , at sensational prices, often 20 per cent. ' . higher; slipes were all 10 per. cent, higher j j: - ■ crossbred lambs, 10 to 15 per cent.; merinos, !-' 10 per.'cent., tttough generally inferior. ',YiThere-is- a possibility of. the embargo on: r exports,' especially crossbreds," being dis- . charged'owing to the needs for cloth for ? :•: the: British and Allied armies. Our mar- : ket has . been depleted of crossbreds by ! recent exports to the United States and iv- .the -Continent, and relief from. South America, has not been forthcoming, as the Germans control .that market, so that the : Y- embargo may be necessary in*order to assure adequate supplies and-check'specula- . tivo movements by traders'desiring to sup- : . ply Germany after the war. ?f; 'The. New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, have received tho following cablegram from their Lon- ■ -. idon house, under date December 23:—W00l .'IA: sales closed. Market strong. As com- // '.i' .yared with December 15, prices are in '. . favour of sellers. > : Messrs. Levin and Co., Ltd., have received the following cable advice from their London agents, dated London, December 23:— "Wool/sales have closed very firm. Merinos «nd, slipes are 5 per cent, above opening rotes. , Crossbreds are unchanged." ■FROZEN MEAT. : By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright 1 ' (Rec. December 26, '5.5 p.m.) >... -. ' London, December 25. ~- ... The Incorporated . Society of Meat Importers' Smithfield Market quotations for frozen-meat are based on actual sales of ' . not less than , one hundred carcasses of - 1' mutton or ,lamb, ol- twenty-five quarters of ' ■ hoef. of fair average quality. The qnota- ' tions aro not' for selected lines, but for parcels fairly representative of the balk .of the shipments, now on the market. Tho prices which follow are on the average a farthing per lb. more than the values ex ship, this difference representing the-aver-ago cost in expense, handling, conveyancc, and selling.of the meat:— i ; Uutton— - Canterbury, light. none offering ' Canterbury, flight (seconds) none offering Canterbury,medium ...... none offering , Canterbury, heavy none, offering 'Southland 73-8 Kew Zealand, best .: none offering - Now Zealand, ordinary none oSnrias North Island, ewes 7 3-11 New Zealand, ewes . 6J Australian, heavy : none Offering Australian, light ; none offering Australian, ewes none offering River Plate, light <1 River Plate, heavy- 65 Kiver l'late, ewes ' none offering ■ Lauib * I 1:' : / Canterbury, light ...», 73-8 i ■ ; Canterbury.. seconds 7 ' Canterbury, medium U i . . . Oinverbury, heavy 7 % Southland 7J i. North.lsland, ordinary i I , . : North Island, selected, 7 3-8' . Australian, best none offering Australian, fair none offering Australian, inferior nono offering ' ?, River Plate, first quality ........... 65 River Plate, seconds .. 61 Beef—. • Argentine, chilled fores ...... 53 Argentine, chilled-hinds '.k.-> 71 :

JIETAIj MAlUtfib. (Eec. DecemUer 26, 5.5 p.m.) 1 . . • London, December 25. ?P ot -,^ n l0s ;- 84 ™* 55, PCr ton; electrolytic, £102 103. to £103 1(L. Tin.—On spot, £168 to £169 per ton. PiK-iron, 78s. Id. pel- ton. Lead.—Soft foreign, on spot, £27 5». eer ton; forward delivery, £28 12s. 6d. LONDON MARKETS. (Eec. December 26, 5-5 p.m.) London, December 25. Jute.—Kative first, marks, January-Febru-ary shipment, £27 10s. per ton. New Zealand Hemp.—January-March Btu P" ment, £38 10s. per ton. . , . , Copra..—January-February shipment, ±-» ■ Uilbber.—Hard fine Para, ss. 4Jid. per lb.; plantation, 3s;: 7 3-Bd.; smoked sheets, 3s. 62d. A, SYDNEY LAND'BALE. (Eec. December 26, 5,5; p.m.) Sydney, December 26. The rao6t important, sale of city property since the "war 1 is reported. A portion of Sydney Arcade, at the corner of George and King Streets, realised £112.500. ' The amount of real estate business transacted during the year was a million less than in 1914. ' THE POET OF SYDNEY. (Eec. December 25, 5.5-p.m.) Sydney, December .2(6. The Sydney Harbour Trust states that the number of vessels entering the port of Sydney during the last financial year was 9446, of total net register «f 8,164,133 tons, heing 676 vessels, and 1,272.077 tons less..than for the.previous year. The total of goods imported was 4,487,606 tons, a decrease of 593,664 tone. 'The value of imports was £46,217,756, compared with £53,613,030 .for the previous year. BANK', OF ENGLAND RETURN. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Rec. December 24, 8.55 p.m.) Lontlon, December 23. _ The Bank of England return issued for the week ended .Wednesday, December 21, is as under:— 1 Ibsue Department. Note Issue £69,363,0G0 Gov. debt ... £11,015,000 Other securities 7,434,000 Gold, 50,914,000 " ,'. : ' £00,363,C00 ' ' • £69,363,000 ' BASKING DEPABTBENT. p s!r'^. 5 53,™ yrt P^ts d 0"... 63,135,000 0 ™": IB^OOO °posits e 03,734,000 Notes 34,273.000 Best. 7-day' and other . . bills ... 9.312,000 Coin ... ... 171.000 . , £169.734,000 The leading'items 1 ol tie Bank ol England return afford the following compariBoll ° Thißweek Laßtvreek Lastyear. ■ £ ' ■ S £ Bullion ' 50,914.000 60,117,000 69.5f1ti.000 En" > - 3U44.C00 34.464,000 52.t0a.000 Note Circulation 35.090.000 34,267,000 36.1U0.000 Public DeflOfiits 52,136,000 37.4j0.0C0 Other Deposits 96>734.000 94,189,000 11j,406,000 Proportion ol reserve to „ liabilities 22.70 , 23.05 34.11 ' GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. The following are the latest quotations for Colonial Government securities in. comparison, with those ruling last week:—

iIONEr MAUKET. Tko.Bank of England. discount rate vras on January 2, 1914, rcilucod from 5 to 41 per cent., on January 22 it w<ts reduced to 4 per cent., and on January 28 3 per cent. On July 30 the rate was raised to 4 per csnt., and on July 31 1 it was raised to 8 jjer cent., and on August 1 it was further advanced to 10 per cent. On Auguet 6 tM rate was Teduccd. to 6 per cent., on August ,7 it was further reduccd to 6 per cent., at which rate itnow stands. _ The Bank of Franco rate is 5 per cent., as aeainst 4 per cent, prior to the tycx. , 1 OPEN ILAttKET BATE. Tho open market discount frate for three I months' bills is SI per ccnt., as compared 1 with 5A per ccnt. last week, and 23 per cent, last year. . . • t ■. Short loans arc quoted at 43-8 per cent, as against 43-8 per cent, last week, and 13 • • per cent; last year. >]■?> COIiONIAIi AND OTHER PRODUCE. . "Wheat and flour,ere firm. ■ • j ' Oats • are rather dearer. La Plata afloat, ; ;295;-6d.. per quarter. • • : •••Beans-and 1 . peas are held for full.prices. : Butter is dull, and tending to weaken, owing to'increased arrivals of Danish and the simultaneous arrival of the Atedena's 35,000 boxes and the Arawa's.' 56,000. before

the RimuUika's lot was clearcd, also the disinclination of consumers to pay hißh prices. The quotations arc irregular. Danish is at about 1605., and will bo offering next week at considerably less; Australian choiccst, salted 1445, to-14fc"„ unsaltcd 150s. to 1525.; New. Zealand, salted 1455. to 1525., unsaltod 1525. to 1565.; Argentine, unsalted l4fe. to 1525. Sugar is unchanged. Bradford Tops.—The market is Arm and. unchanged. METATi MARKETS. Pig-iron, 70s. 7d. per ton. Lead, soft foreign, on spot, £29 10s. per ton; forward delivery, £28. Silver.—Bar silver i 6 quoted at 25 I<s-I6d. per ouncc standard.

Variation ' . , compared Stock p r j c0< Tvitli last week. " : : " £ B. d. 2{% Imperial Consols 56 10 0 5s higher 35 „ War Loan 69 12 6 2/6 lower •li „ AVar Loan 97 7 6 £s higher 4 ■ K.S.W. 1933Jan.-July 95 0 0 Unchanged 3i.'.N.S.W.lMO-EOMr.-Sp 95 12 6 2/6 lower 34 nM.B-W. Early Curr 83 7 6 Unchanged 3 N.H.W. 1025Apl.-Oct 78 0 0 Unchanged 4 '.Vic. 1920 Jan.-July S3 0 0 2/6 lower 3l' „Vic. 1921-6 Jan.-July 91 5 0 Unchanged 3 Vic.HK9-49Jan.-Ju)y 76 0 0 Unchanged 34 „S,A. 1916 Jan.-July ■ ,83 . 5 0 .Unchanged 3 ' ,.3.A. 1916Jan.-July ' '70'2 6 Unchanged i ,QTdl915-24 Jan.-July 05 2 6 Unchanged 3l „QTdl9:!2-47Jan.-Ju]y 91 5 0 Unchanged 3 ,.QTdlU22-47Jan.-July 7l'l0 0 Unchanged I "N.Z. 1029 May-Nov. 05 0 0 Unchanged . 3i 1912-10 Oan.Jly 63 5 O Unchanged 3 "H.Z. 1950 April-Oct 76 0 . 0 Unchanged 34 '-W.A. 1815-35M'y-Vv . i7 10 0 Unchanged 3 "W A. 1915-35 M'y-Kov 62 0 0 Unchanged 34 "l'as 1B20 Jan-July t5 7 6 Unchanged 1020-40 Jan-July 76 1 3 Unchanged