COMMERCIAL.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15775, 16 December 1916, Page 7

COMMERCIAL.

(Bv Cable.—Pr«E3 Association. —Con^rigi:) (Australian tnd X.Z. Cable A»soci«.tion.) BANK OF ENGLAND RETURNS. LONDON, December 14. The Bank of England returns issued on Wednesday, December 13th. afford the following comparison:— Dcc. 6. Dcc. 13. x £ Coin .. .. 54.233.000 33.462.000 Reserve .. „ 36,531,000 35,599,000 Proportion of reserve to liabilities .. 21.73 '21.70 Circulation .. 37.868,000 37.397,000 Public deposits ■" .. 56.717,000 57,512,000 Other deposits .. 105.946.000 106,526,000 Government securities 42.183,000 . 42.155.000 Other securities .. 100,750,000 1W,060,000 Short loans, 5 per cent.; three montlis' bills, 5J- per cent. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. The following are the latest quotations for Government securities, with a comparison with those ruling last week:

DAIRY PRODUCE. Butter —The market is firm, supplies of all sorts being scarce. Australian, which, hag been -cleared, sold as follows:—Choicest salted, 206s to 20&s; unsalted, 210s to 2125. New Zealand is quoted at 210s to 2125; unsalted, 2145. Cheese —The market is very strong. Canadian, white, is quoted at 12Ss to 130s, and coloured at 130s to 1325. CEREALS. Wheat—Business is restricted. Flour —The market is firm and active. Australian i s quoted at o9s to 59s Gd. Peas and beans —The market is firm. No New Zealand lots arc offering. Oats —The market is fir pi. La Plata is not offering. SUGAR. Tho market is unchanged. METALS. Copper —Spot, £142 los, three months £136 15s; electrolytic, £166. Tin—Spot, £184 6s 3d, three months £180 2s 6d. Lead—Spot, £30 10s, three months £29 10s. Spelter—Spot, £<56 10s, three months £52. SilTcr —36gd per oz. SHARES.. Union Steam, 47s to 50s. ORIENT (Received December loth, 8.55 p.m.) LONDON, December 1-1. Tho report of tho Orient Company shows a balance to profit of £238,215. It is proposed to pay a dividend of 5 per cent., place £25,000 to the repair and renewal account, £98,614 to tho general reserve, and carry forward £96,996. "MELBOURNE MARKETS. MELBOURNE, December 15. Oats —Milling, Algerians, 2s 3d to 2s 3Jd; feed, Is lid to 2s. Potatoes — £1 to £5 10s. Onions—£6 10s to £?• The following cablegram has been received by Daigety and Co., Ltd., Christchnrch, from their London oiiicc, dated December 13th: —"Tallow: The market is firm, and priccs unchanged." GRAIN AND PRODUCE MARKETS. IBY OUR COMMBJ&CIAIj EDITOR.) Friday Evening. The recommendations or tho conference of wheatgrowers that the Government should purchase the wneat crop at 6s 3d for prime milling, has caused a cessation ol business in the market, as if this pnee is agreed upon growers arc not likely to ask lose for their last season's wneat. Ttie tact that Australian flour can be landed at about £1 per ton less than that now asked for the" local production, prevents millers from giving more for wheat than would enable them to compctc with imported flour. Although a number of oat crops are now in stook, there have been \no offers of new grain. The early-cut crops are, however, on the light side. There has been some enquiry for old oats.

The continued dry weather and nor' west winds is having a serious cffect upon the grain crops, and rain is badly wanted to save many from failure, and to secure a fair yield from the better crops. Tho following arc tho prices paid to farmers, at country stations, tree of commission, sacks extra, cxccpt where otherwise stated: — Wheat (nominal). # Oats (nominal)—2s 8d to 2s 10d- for Gartons, and 2s/10d to 3s for Duns. Barley (nominal)— Malting 4s 6d to '5s 3d. Flour —£15 per ton; 1001b bags £15 10s, 501b bags £15 15s; and 2olb bags £16. Bran —£4 5s local, and £1 per ton for export. Pollard—£7 per ton. Oatmeal —251b bags, £17 per ton. Oatsheaf Chaff—£3 10s to £4 for prime. Peas (nominal) —Partridge, 4s 6d to 4s 9d. DAIRY PRODUCE. There are no alterations to note in dairy produce, and wholesale prices are Butter—Factory, Is (3d (less discount) ; farmers' separator. Is Id to Is 2d: dairy, Is to Is 3d. Cheese —Factory (last season' 6), 10d } dairy 9d, loaf 9d. Bacon —Sides lid, rolls Is, ham Is. Honey—Extracted 5d per lb. Eggs—ls 2d per dozen.

FRUIT AND VEGETABLES. Local fruits are in short supply, and prices are fairly high. Vegetables arc plentiful, and prices easier. Next week there will be shipments of Melbourne onions, and summer fruits from Sydney, also the regular consignments from the North Island of potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, and lemons. Wholesale prices are: —'Frisco apples, 16s per case; Sydney oranges, second crop, os to 6s 6d; mandarins, 6s to 8s j Sydney sevilles, 9s to 10s; 'Frisco navels, 21s to 225; 'Frisco lemons, 40s; Cook Island bananas, 17s to 19s; Fiji bananas, 20s to 21s; Sydney plums, 7s 6d to 9s; local tomatoes, Is Id to Is 2d per lb; Waimato strawberries, 7d to 9d; local, 9d to lid; gooseberries, 3d; cucumbers, Is to Is 3d; Sydney, 10s to lis per case. Old potatoes, ISs to 19s per sack; new, local potatoes, 2\d to 3d per lb; North Island, lid to 2id; cabbages, Is to 2s per dozen; cauliflowers, 2s to 3s 3d; carrots, Is 3d to Is 6d; turnips, 9d to lOd; rhubarb, 2s to 3s; spinach, Is to Is Id; asparagus, 2s 9d to 3s 6d; Melbourne onions, 13s to 13s 6d per cwt.

Price Price laetwaefc. to-day. t 1. d. / a- d. "2i per cent. Imp. Con. 34 10 0 51 10 0 3J per cent. "SVar Loan S3 10 0 6-1 0 0 i per cent. War Loan 93 0 0 93 5 0 N.S.W. 4'a, 1933, Jan.Jlv. .. .. 62 0 0 SI 17 6 N.S.W". 3|'«, 1830-S0, ilch.Sept. .. 70 2 6 70 2 6 X.S.W. SJ's, 1920-30 .. 96 0 0 96 0 0 M.S.W. 3'«, 1925, Apl.Oct. .. .. 69 17 6 69 1 7 6 Tic. 4's. 1920, Jau.-Jly. 92 2 6 92 2 6 Vic. 3i'a, 1921-26, Jan.Jlv. .. .. SI 15 0 SI 13 0 Vic. 3J's, 1920-49 .. 70 12 6 70 12 6 Vic. 3'b, 1920-25, Jan.-Jly. 61 17 0 61 17 6 "\land. 4'e, 1915-25, Jly. .. .. S6 10 0 86 10 0 QU.na. 8|'«, 1922-47, Jan.Nov. .. „ 84 5 0 64 0 0 Qland 3'b, 1922-47, Jan.J]y .. .. '02 0 0 62 0 0 N.Z 4'b 1920, Mav-Xov. 84 7 6 84 7 6 N.Z. 3J's 15M0, Jan.-Jlv. 71 15 0 71 15 0 N.Z. 3's, 1920, Apl.-Oct. 63 3 0 63 5 0 S.A. Si's, 191G, Jan.-Jly. 71 10 0 71 13 6 S.A. 4'b. 191G. Jan.-Jlv. 53 0 0 38 0 0 Tui 3)'s, 1920-40, Jan.Jly. .. .. 71 0 0 71 15 0 Taj. 3'i, 1920-40. Jan.JJv. Co 0 0 63 0 0 W.A. ai'i, 1915-35, MayNov. .. .. 75 2 6 75 "0 0 W.A. 3'a, 1915-35, May ! Nov. .. .. 70 0 0 70 0 0 j