BANKING RETURNS.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13093, 18 April 1908, Page 9

BANKING RETURNS.

(PIIESS ASSOCIATION TEIJEGBA.M.) WELLINGTON, April 15. The banking returns for the first ♦ quarter of this year are published today. Compared with last year, the assets and liabilities are as follow , :— Assets, £28,825,569 (£25,501,896); liabilities, £24,065,258 (£25,266,579); excess of assets £4,160,311 (£253,3177. The excess of assets is noarly twice as great as that for the December quarter. Compared with the corresponding period of last year, there ie the large increase of £2,990,76 L and the total of the advances now exceeds eighteen millions. All the banks havo participated in the expansion, the Bank , of New Zealand Having the largest increase, both actual and on. a percentage basis. The figures are ac follow:— Maich, Bank, s lOiiT./"" lpos. Increase. ' £/ *.■:*• : Xew Zealand .. 5.31/.333 7.104.933 1,790,539 Union .. a,615,7'J5 3,237,025 681,230 N.S. "Wales .. 2X64,593 2,503.433 118,843 Australasia .. 2,501.343 2,770,722 269,180 National .. 2,435,233 2,566,193 130,910 Totila ..f 15,551,547 £18,54-2,306£^900,761 The ■'discounts, _ which, daring the past fow years exhibited a tendency to shrink, havo moved in tJio other direction, but the movement is a comparatively light one, a matter of scarcely 5 per cent. The figures are: Increase -. * ' Mulch, March, or 1 Bank. 1907. 1908. Decrease. £ £ £ New Zealand .. 883,619 996,063 112,413 Union .. 194,071 214,903 19,983 X.S. Wales .. 250,599 215,857 —©1,732 Australia .. 345,906 340,357 —5,543 National .. 327,603 292.615 —35,078 Totals ..£2,002,808*2,085,794 . Taking the advances and discouirte seriatim for the March quarter of each of the past seven years, the uninterrupted growth of the advances and the variations of the discount aro seen at a glance. The figures are ac ander :•— March 31. Discount. Advance*. Total. ££' £ " 1903 .. 1,864,195 10,825,994 13,690,164 1903 .. 1,842,863 11,120.881 12£63,744 1004 ... 2,043,643 12.377,445 14,431,068 1905 .. 2,149,094 12,925,151 15,074,3(5 1906 .. 2,143,483 13,991,822 ' 1307 .. 17,554,355 1908 . .. 2,095,7*4 18,542,308 20,698403 Coming to ibo deposits, it is found that th-o amount'of free dopoeita haa gained slightly, wLereae the fixed deposits reveal an almost equivalent shrinkage. The comparison of the fixed deposits is as folk)we: — Increase March, Ifedh, or Bank. 1907. 190 a Deeteaee.. ££ £ . Now Z««lkDd 4,521,673 4,573,010 5U37 Union .. 1,466,564 1,313,819 —152.74 C Wales.. 1,656,233 1.634,005 —34,227 Australasia .. 576,123 x 683,774 7,651 N»tion»l .. 1,477,919 1,459,086 —16,833 Toiaia £9,553,033-~£l4£Jßlß A The free debosite have expanded to the extent of £191,297. The detaSed figures are as follow:— - - ■ JJDCOBBe« Maroh, IStrch, or Bank. 1907. 1908. Decrease. £ £ £ New . Zeala«fl 6,173,088 5,331,916 14^830 H^ " V 46.602 1,579,497 —165,005 Walea .. 1,469,618 1,663,898 94,860 Auetoalasia .. 1,314,774 1.291.1U 76^337 National .. 1,740,C00 1,778,455 37,859

Obtals .. £11,343,583 £191,297 A comparison of the aggregate. of fixed and free deposits, with, advances and diebounts, i& as follows: Fixed Advances Euaem ■ «tnd XYea «ud ' of '.' .Deposits. Deposits. ' '£ £ . " £ 1903 .. 15 t 406,000 2,715,111 -1903 .. 16,996,528 4,032,7&* ■ 1904 ... 17,656,572 14,421,088 3,235,481 ' 1905 ... 18,247,555 15,074,2*5 30?JLSi0 1906 .... 19,003,173 16,135,305 asreS-i 1907 "-..- 21,044,003 17.55*,355- 3,489?738' ' 1908 .. 21,068,672 , 480,170 Tbo oiraalatioa of aotea aiaoe 1902 L«* bceo as follows:—Marcdi 31et, 1903, - £1,853,106; 1903, £1,41%<m; - ISCU, £1,471,108; 1900 *1,457,970; 1506, £1,517,660; 1307, £1.6*7,73.1 lOCS, £1,6«,7i3L . ' ' . Tho banks oomtinuie to augmenlt fiheer reeervea of *r.d Trallion, oe will h* aeea by tho following *ggrege*ae:—Mwah 1902, £3,119,5«; 1903, £3,868,214; '1904. £3,841,040; 1305, £3,a49,343; 1906, 1907, £4,602,657; 18C8, £4pm,e6S;. v ~ w, ,