COMMERCIAL ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 140, 2 March 1918, Page 10

COMMERCIAL ITEMS

. INVESTMENT SHAKES. Yesterday's quotation! for investment Bhares were' as follow:—

CUSTOMS REVENUE. The Hon. Arthur Myers. Minister of Customs, advisee that the amount of Customs revenue collected ,throughout the Dominion during the month of February was £257,514; Tho exctse duty collected amounted to £19,014. ■ For .February, 1917, the amounts wove £225,552 and ,£14,552 respectively. The Increase in tlie excise beer duty is accoutitod Tor by the increased amount of duty Custom duties collected s.i- the port of Wellington yesterday amounted to £1531 11s. 3d. ■ • ■ ■ The Customs revenue 'collected at tno port of Wellington (luring the past mouth amounted to £83,273 Ss. 'lOd- The beer duty collected totalled £2wo Bs. • SOUTHERN GRAIN (.MARKET. I)y. Telegraph—Press Association. ' ' ■ ' Chrlstchurch, March 1. Business still remains vqry quiet in tho wheat market, Very little wheat and oats arc offering. , A fairly brisk demand still obtains for 'oats, particularly from the North Island, but it ie very difficult to make arrangements for rny space on ships. This fact is holding up business. A considerably fair, amount of ryegrass is oHering at prices ranging from 3s. to. 4s 6d. per bushel, according. to quality. The price of oatmeal has lisen to £23 per ton. ■ .'■ VICTORIA*! PRODUCE MARKET. By TelmrrJipJi-PreEs Association-Copyright ■ Melbourne! March 1. Barley .-English, 4e. 10d., 55.. per bushel; Cape, 3s. Id., 3s. 3d. . \ ■ Oats.-Milliug, 3s. 2d., 3s. 3d.; ieed. 35., 3s. 2d. Potatoes.-£4 10s. to £5 per ton. Onions.—£s 15s. to £6. BANK OF ENGLAND RETURN. Australian-New Zealand Cahle Association. (Rec. March 1, 10.25 p.m.) London, February 28. The Bank of EniruMirt return issued for the week ended Wednesday, February 27, is as under:— » ISStJE DF.FABTMENT. Vote Issue £76,735,000 Gov. debt... £11,016,000 ■ Other securities 7.434,000 Cold 58,287,000 i76.736.n00 X 76.736.000 Banking Department. Prnnrietort , G ov - socuri•capital .£14,553,000 ties ... £56.350.000 Public de- Other securipoaits ... w>650.000 ties 08.6d1.000 °p h oßits e " ... 121.767,000 Notes... ... 29.485.000 Best, 7-day nnd other bills .» 3,673.000 Coin 1.067.000 £185,543,000 £185,543.000 The leading items of the Bank of England return afford the following comparison:— ,Tbiß week Last week Bast year £ £ '£ Bullion 58.287.000 57,430.000 52.718,000 Reserve ... 30.552.000 30.714,000 34.161X00 Note Circulation 47.257.000 46.207,000. 33,655.00U Public Deposits 42.650,000 38.562.000 47.486.000 Other Deposits 124.767.000 131,879.000 167.W2.000 Proportion of reserves to liabilities 18.24 18.62 15.83 GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. ' The following are the latest quotations /or Console and Colonial Government Securities in comparison with those ruling . last week:— ' |

MONEI MARKET. Tho Bank of England discount rate was on January 2, 1914, reduced from 5 to 41 per cent., on January 22 it was reduced to 4 per cent., and on January 23 to 3 per cent. On July 30 the rat* was raised to 4 per cent., on July 31 it was raieed to 8 per cent., 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., on July 13, 1916, it was raised to 6 per cent., on January 12, 1917, it was reduced to 5i per cent., and on April 5 it .was further .reduced to 5 per cent. OPEM.MAKKET HATES. I The open market discount rato for three months' bills is 3 9-16 per cent., as compared with 3g. per cent. last, week anil 51-16 per cent: last year. Short loans arc quoted at 3J ner cent., as against 35 ;er cent, last week, and 45 per cent, last year. COLONIAL AND OTHER PKODTJCE. Butter.—No distribution has heeu mado this week. Good quantises have arrived. The Food Controllers hotfo to distribute nne-half of the applications of March and April. . ■ . Wheat and Flour.-^ifeless. Oats, Peas, and Beans.—Firm, at full rates. Si!?ar.— Unchanged. THE METALS MARKET. Copper .-Spot.. £110 ss. .per ton; three months. £110 sb. Tin.—Spot, £319 per ton; three months, £316. Lead—Snnt, £29 10s. per ton; three months, £23 10s. ' Spelter.—S-pot £54 per tonj three months, £50. Bar Silver.—42J<l. ner oz. standaid.

Buyers. Sellers. £ b. d. £ B. d. National Bank 5 7 6 — Bank N.2." (old) - 12 9 0 Bank N.Z. (now) 17 7 6 - Equitable Building 9 0 0 —, 'N.Z. and Eivcr Plate ... i 16 6 . - Well. Trust and Loan ..... 5 10 ■ 0 - 1 National Insurance — 3 10 Gear Meat (£1) 4 16 0 — Huddart-Parker (ord.) ... 1 » 3 - N.Z. Shipping foref.) 1010 0 - Union Steam (ord.) 3 2 6 — Union Stoam (pref.) 110 — Well. Woollcu (ord.) 6 15 0 Well. Woollen (pref.) ... 4 5 0 - Weatport Coal \ — 1 11 0 Leyland O'Brien ..: 1 6 6 — Tarineamutu'Totara ... — 13 0 Maiming lind Co — 3 2 6 N.Z. Paper Mills .'. 0 19 J Sharland's (ord.) 17 9 -

- i „, , v This Last ' \ Stock Weok week t t ■ Z}% Imperial Consols m jj j 54 10 6 5 „ War Loan 93 5 0 IB 7 li , JJ,, War Loan 66 5 0 86 5 0 ' 4 ,,N.S.W.1933Jan-Jub ; S 2 5 0 82 5 0 ■ ( 3J.,N.S.W.193O-5OMr.-Sp 9910 0 M 5 0 j ii „ N.S.W. Early Curr. n 5 o 71 5 0 3 ,.K.o.W.1925Apl.-Oct 6fl 12 6 69 12 6 c 4 ,,Vic:192C Jan.-July ee ]0 0 96 10 0 f 3i „ Vic. 1921-6 Jan.-July S6 2 6 S5 17 6 , 31,. Vic. 1920-1949 70 5 0 70 0 0 '3 „ Vio. 19Z9-W Jan.-Jly 62 5 0 C2 5 0 E 3J ,,8.A. 1916 Jan.-July 72 O 0 7i 10 0 s J ,,S.A. 1916 Jan.-July 57 0 0 57 0 0 o 4 ,,Q'l'd 1916-24 Jan.-Jly 91 0 0 91 0 0 i 31 ,,QTdl922-47 Jan.-Jly 88 17 6 69 0 0 » 3 „ QTd 1922-47 Jan.-Jlj 62 0 0 62 5 0 G 4 ,,N.Z.1929May-Nov. 86 12 6 ~ 86 12 6 V 3J ;,N.Z. 1912-40 Jan.-Jly 73 0 0 73 2 6 3 ,,N.Z.1920Aprll-Oct. 63 11! 6 63 5 0 » ih „ W.A. 1915-35 ify-Ny 76 7 C 76 7 6 d 3 rt W.A. 1915-35.My-NoT 69 12 6 69 5 0 v 3J „ Tas. 1920 Jan-July .■'1 7 6 71 7 6 , 5 ,,Tas 1920-40Jan.-Julj 65 5 0 65 0 0 » I'