COMMERCIAL.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15465, 18 December 1915, Page 13

COMMERCIAL.

ißv Ctb:«.—Pre«» A«»eci»tion.— Copjzithl) BAXK'OE ENT,I,AND RETURNS. LONDON. D<wniber 16. The Bank of .England returns, issued on Wednesday, December loth, afford the ioIIoTT-inn comparfw>n': — Dee. 5. Dec. 15. £ £ C"in .. .. So.ir.is.QfKl 50,117,000 K«ustt* .. .. ."il.s6T.oCin ol,l&J,000 Pjopor'ton <-.;" to ]M.hiliti.:-6 •• - 4 - CB 23.55 Circulation .. .. r,4,K»5,0nn rv«.26T.000 INiMir. .IrpofitA .- .W.m.OOf) «2,136,r»00 OUvr «J*pr*iis .. 00,019.000 W. 183,000 •"inwrnmrnl s*icu*iti« Olhrr . 00,n!0,on> 06,865,000 Short leant., 1* I*"" r ent.; thrco ruontks' bills, •"» '-.or <PDt. fH) V KR.N ME NT S ECU RITIES. Tho following ar« tho latest quotations /or («jrrrnrn«;nf .-neurit io«, -irith a ramjiaruon with the**" rutins last week.—

SHARES.

■\Vaihi. 3os to tf~s (id ; Junctions. ISs 6t] to ISs Od .(ox. div.). METALS. Copper—£79 2s 6 f ] to £70 Io S , Tin—£l6l l.'s to £163 10s. Pig Iron—77s 6d. Lead—£-28 .1.5* to £28 ss. ■Spoltr.r—£Bß r 0 £78. silver— 2o 10-lGd per oz.

SCCiAR. The market is steady and ui changed. CEREALS. Wheat—TJho market is quiet an easier owing to a bearish movement i America. Flour—; The market, is at full rates. Oats—The market- is quiet; L Plata November-December 29s Gd. Peas and Beans—The market is firr and unchanged. WOOL. At the London wool sales the- markc ♦ras excited lor all sorts at the higncs prices of the series. Tho Awarii; clip averaged 20d, the top price bein 21d. There is fair onquirv on tho Brad lord market. Quotations:—64's, 43d supers, -12d: common 60's 41d: oG's 37d; 50's, 32jd; 46's, 28d; -10's,'26d. DAIRY PRODUCE. Butter—Tho market is weak, th< high prices checking tho retail dc maud. Danish 166s to 170s, New Zea land 1-jjs to loSs. Cheese—Tbo market is firm, ant there is a good demand. New Zea laud 91s. ORIENT COMPANY. (Received December 17th, 9.50 p.m.) LONDON", December 16. Tho Orient Steamship Company'} profit for tho year was £270,618. and j dividend of o per cent, was declared £50,000 added to tho reserve, ano £06,7-11 carried forward. It was pro posed to strengthen tho underwriting fund by allotting additional shares t< deferred shareholders. To meet the calls thereon, the directors rccommenc a distribution. MELBOURNE MARKETS. MELBOURNE, i/ocember 16. Wheat—Nominal. Flour—£l3. Oait (scarce) —2s to 2s 2d.. Maize—Red 5: Bd. white T;s 3d to os 4d. Bran—£4 10s, Pollard—£7. Potatoes—£l2 10s to £13. Onions (dull)—£3 10s. Tho New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company have received the following cablegram from London:— ''Wool sales —Market strong. As compared with November 18th values have advanced 10 per cent, except inferior, and lambs 'l\ per cent., crossbred greasy 10 per cent., scoured slipe 7J to 10 per cent." Tho following cable message has been received by Dalgety and Company, Ltd., l.'hristchurcJ), irom their London office, dated December 15th: —"Wool i-nles: Active demand continues, good length merinos, greasy, econred, being -0 per cent to l.i per cent, dearer than lait sales; greasy crossbreds, especially fine sorts, are 10 per cent, to ]<j per cent, dearer; and slines o per cent, to 10 per cent, dearer. Average 64's'are costing about 42d." Dalgety and Company hare received tho following cablegram "from their London office, dated December 16:—"Tallow: The weekly auction opened verv weak, but. closed steadier; a little fine muttnn sold at oOs : good mixed closed at 4Ss .Id: and dull mixed at 4os. Good business hns been done since, the auction at. full closing prices." The New Zealand T<oan and 3fereantlie .Agency Co.. Ltd., advise having received a cablegram from London giving the nndcrnoted market information :—■ Tallow: We quoto present ».pot values for the following descriptions: Fine mutton. lf).s per cwt; good beef, j 48s 3d; mixed, los. There is a steadv market." C'RAr\ ANT; PROnCCK MARKETS. (BY OUR rOMMEKCIAT, KTITOR.) • Friday Evening. A strong demand still exists for w lira I. and flour, tho North Island millers still purchasing wheat, freely on the basis of about "m (>d f.o.b. A few j growers have lately been testing the I market with Minnies of wheat, but they are still hesitating about accepting .*> at country stations, which so far is the best price reported to have been offered, except in one case, wherp a better sa)e was made at a close 6tat:ou. Oats are being enquired for, but. there am practically none in stock, and oat-heat' chaff, which is at present scarce, is rather firmer. New season's Blenheim chaff is being sold at £1 1-js f.o.b. Pic ton, which is lower than chaff from Canterbury can lie supplied at. The following arc the prices paid to farmers, at country stations, free of commission, socks extra, except where otherwise stated : — Wheat--- i Nominal\ 5s at country • stations. Oats ('Nominal.)—3s to 3s 3d at country stations. Barley—Nominal. Flour—£l3 f.0.b.. 1001b bags £13 10s. oOlb bags £13 15s. 251b bags £14. Bran--£4 10s per ton. for shipping. Pollard— £7 10s ner ton, for shipping. Oatmeal—£2o per ton. Oatsheaf Chaff —(Nominal), £o per ton. Ryegrass—os to 5s 6d, extra to 6s. White Clover—lf to Is 3d. Cowgrass—7d to Sd. Ppas—Partridge, os. Cocksfoot—<3d to 7d per lb. DAIRY PRODUCE. fNinr. to the high price Zealand butter is realising for export, the local pri<v ha? advanmd Id per lb.

Hams and bacon harr> also advanced, as prinif bacon pigs are scarce in conseoMonro of tic shortage of feed. W holcsalr quotations arc :— Butter—factory Is 3d, faracrg.' separator Is hi, dairy 1?. Checse<—Factory flasb season's.'), 10d, [ dairy 'M, loaf fld (nr.w spas,on"s)' far- [ tory Sjd, dairy to Sd. Bacon—Sides lid. roils 1?. ham in. Honey—Extracted per lb. Kgfii—ls Id per dozen. • FRUIT ANT> VEGCTABLES. Supplies of -vegetables .have (been J steady. a r.d local fruits-arc , in deliveries. Auckland stone fruits , are commencing to com.-' to hand, also , Ncbon _tomatoes. A ' shipment » of California applet, and , lemon.-,.!., ju.-t. to hand, and i s bring eagerly taken up lor Christmas trade. A shipment, of Fiji bananas is duo on "Wednesday. "Wholesale quotations arc :--- Caliloniiaii anples |."> s to Ks <~>d. orange? Kk, lemons IS., to '2*)* per case; pears 7». bananas 20* to li 3«, pineapples Ss to 1U per ease, plums M to ,''.} d. cherries Od to Sd, Mark currants 2d to 2Jd, gooseberries 2d to 2'.d, strawberries lOd to 16d. cucumbers ">d to Cm, fomatoe« Bid to 10rl, per lb. Old potatoes 10s t 0 12s per rack,, now local 2r] to /V|. \orth Islaud lid to Ud. per |b; cabbapes Is to 2s, cauliflowers .3s to -Is, carrots lUd to Is, tnrnins Sd, rhubarb ,is nor dozen! 'J'ri.'co onions VI-, per rwt., green peas Is Ud per pock. TTMAR.U GRAIN MARKETS. (srECIAI, TO "TILE TRESS."') TLMARJ". December IT. Numerous sab>s ol wheat havo been made locally during tho week, and the market i., .still very firm. The bales includo one or two fairly big lines. These were ecid at, ."is 4d. delivered. Other pales have been mado at o 8 Id and /is IJd on trucks for Tuscan, ,3s 4d delivered in Timaru for a mixed line. 5s 3d lor a lino of Tuscan at Pleasant Point, os -id for another lino of Tuscan delivered in Timaru, os ."Id for mixed Velvet, and Tuscan on trucks. To-dav os 3d to os 4d on trucks is being offered for red wheat aDd 5s 6d for Velvet, net. on trucks. The price in Australia, and tho fact that wheat, is being held firmly there, has created a very strong feeling on the market here. Added to this, it is now beyond doubt, that tho cumin" harvest will bo a light one. For fond wheat, os 6d, f.0.h.. is being asked. According to the special census recently taken by the Government the quantity of wheat on hand as at, October .'list last was approximately 2} million bushels. Some of the mills hare ceased buying in the meantime, declaring that it is impossible to pay any more" than os -id for wheat with flour at its present price. There is very littlo wheat now in grower*' hands. There aro very few oats offering, and the, price is firm at 3s 3d to 3s -Id, on trucks. Old potatoes are off the market, except for small auction room lines. New potatoes aro being retailed at. 2d to 3d per pound. Owing to the drv weather J tho tubers aro not filling out well.

RIVER PLATE COMPANY. t (rRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) <- AUCKLAND, December 17. 1 The directors of tho New Zealand i and River Plato Company will rccommen<TTo tho annual meeting a dividend - of 10 per cent., tho ,-rcar's interim j dividend which has hoen paid to be j deducted therefrom, tho placing of £*2.5,000 to tho reserve fund, and that £17 y >l9 should be carried forward. ! THE PRICE OP FLOUR. (ritESS ASSOCIATION' TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, December 17. I A Press Association telegram rcport- - cd a riso in the price of flour of 10s per ton in Dnnedin, bringing it up to £13 10s per ton. Several local houses have no advices of this advance, and the price of flour is uncertain. Sales are still being made at £13 per ton j f.o.b. at South Island ports. \ CHRISTCHURCH STOCK \ EXCHANGE. ', QUOTATIONS.

YESTERDAY'S BUSINESS ON OTHER EXCHANGES. (PRESS ASSOCIATION TKLEGJS.VM6.) WELLINGTON. , Sale reported:— National Ba.nV, W2& 6d. Closing mining quotations : — Dnminion Developing Co., buyers "Oo; Murray's Creek, buyers 37« Gd : Murray's Crook (now), buyers 17s Gd premium; Ross, buyers Td; Talisman, buyrrn 16s, eellors lGs :M; Waibi, buyers 37s Cid; Grand Junction, buyers 1!)3 Id." DCNEDI.V. Sale:— D.I.C. (preference). £\.

Frico Pric* "»*!• wwk. t.o-dav. / »■ d. X «.'d. ■:» p*r <-*tu. Imp. r?n- •'•■'? 1" fi S3 5 0 "'. p*r c<-n*. War I.ojh f-1 2 K 63 15 0 M, r«>nl. W.ir T.oau 07 10 0 07 2 6 N.S.W. r ? , inn:;, .l.in.•liv. .. P"> 0 0 05 0 0 N.S.W. r,\>. in.in-;,n, M r h - .. " " fi Ki 7 I! X.S W. 3Ve. .I02ii-"i' .. P"> ¥ 0 05 13 0 X.S.W. 3«. 1925. ApLOr*. .. 7S 0 0 7S ft n Vir. (>. 1930, .fan.-.T?-. M 5 0 Oo 2 6 Vic. SJ's, 1921-26, Jwl.•Ilv. .. 0! s n 31 s 0 Vir. .I;'.-. 1033-40 .. R'! .* fl • p.-} „ (\ Vic. "'.■=. 1039-4;)..Ian.-.fly. 70 0 0 "6 0 0 Q)»nH. 4'*. 1915-25, Jan.- .'!>■. .. 05 2 6 05 2 6 Qland. 3i'.a, 1322-47, Jan..T1>\ .. 01 5 0 01 5 0 QlariH 3'a, 1322-47, Jan.J!r •• .. 74 10 0 74 10 0 X.Z. it. 1029. MayNo~. . .. OS 0 0 05 0 0 y.Z. r.i'f, 1040, .Taa.-Jlv. K\ 5 0 S3 S 0 N.Z. r/s, 1020. Apl.-Ocl. K (I o 76 0 0 S.A. .")>, 101K, .Tan.-.riv. R5 5 n Fo 5 0 S.A. .1!. lOlfi, Jan.-Jlv. « s i) S3 6 0 Ta.s. ,'U - s, 1P?0. Jan.-Jly. 85 7 6 55 7 6 Ta« 3's, 1920-40, Jan.- ,, llv -, •• •• 76 15 0 7G 15 0 <T.A. 3J i, 1315-35, May- „, , > " OT - ■• 8J i 6. 85 2 6 W.A. 3-s. 1015-35, May- i j ov - •• ".. 82 0 0 82 0 P

, Buy«T*. Sellers. X a. d. X e. d. : coal— L Stockton •• ■.. 0 a 1 0 5 6 "VVeatport ... •• — 1 S 6 IXSUHAJfCE— ?Cow Zealand .. .. 6 5 0 6 7 6 Ai-EATS— Christ church (XLO paid) 16 5 0 — l £4 Chri*tchurch (£2 pd.) y 2 6 — . MISCELLAXBOUS— 2v.&. Farmers' Co-op. 3 o 6 — K.Z. Farmers' Co(6 per cent, pref.) .. 5 3 0 — K.Z. Farmers' Co-op. (G per cpnt. 2nd pr«"t.) — R 2 6 YThitcomb© and Tombe 5 IS 0 5 17 6