COMMERCIAL.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16396, 16 December 1918, Page 9

COMMERCIAL.

BANK of englaajj returns. (By Cable. —Pre6s Association.—Copyright) (Australian and K.Z. CabU Association.) LONDON, December 13. The Bank of England returns for the week December Hth, as compared with the nrevioufi week, arc as follows: J Dec. 4. Dcc. 11. £ £ r •_ .. .. 75,427,000 77,152,000 .jkjerre .. 27,113,000 28,672,000 'I'loportion reserve to •• 15.17 lo.)3 , " : r circulation .. 07,043,000 67,508,000 '<lcro«it3 .. 26,530,000 27,418,000 deposits •• 134.133,000 152,990,000 Comment securities 73,544,000 73,675,000 OUier purities 90,9J1,000 UNION STEAM SHIP COMPANY. A SUCCESSFUL YEAR. The annual report of tho Union Steam c-• company states that after making proiiion for depreciation on plant and other :ho ret profit, for the twelve Anita including interest on investments transfer fees, amounts to £176.806 9s lOd. After deducting interest on debentures and Interim dividends paid in May last, lUerc is Lft at the disposal of shareholders the sum , r 15139° jSa It], fnicii the directors now recommend should be appropriated as fol- { jo balancc of dividend on preference •h«n>< 23 P er cent, on £1,000,000, making - per' cent. for thp- year. £27,500; to dividead on ordinary shares, G )jer cent, on /1000,000, making, with interim dividend of . ' r 'pent, paid in May, 10 per cent, for the -.or £60 000; to bolanc© to be carried forwrd to next year, £01,332 15s 1d—£151,892 liability side of the. balance-sheet ... the following itemsßeserve, £150,000; insurance fund, £594,078 16-s -tvl; debenture stock, per cent, first mortgage, authorjged *£2,000,000 issued and allotted, £315; reserve for liabilities rot yet adjusted, including provision for allowances on adjustment of contracts, Imperial, Commonwealth, ■ Dominion, and foreign taxes, and extra depreciation on steamers in Government eerrioc. £357,138 83 U-i: voyages pending (freights and passage*, less disbursements), £234.616 123 4d; sundry accounts, £1,082,142 ]» Gd- balance profit and less, £151,892 15s Id: 'capital account, £2,000,000; total, £4 830,183 14» 2d. On the assets side arc the following items:—Shipping property, payment* on account of new steamers, investments in securities, ctc., £2,839,846 2s; hulks, lighters, launches, etc., £48,568 8s sd; coal, stores, etc., in stock, £278.918 7s 7d; freehold and leasehold land, buildings, etc., £119.508 IGa 9d; simdnr debt"Tß—a"">nts. trada debts, etc., £1,272,004 7s lid; cash in bank and on hand at head office and bnir.chea. £271,337 lis Gd—£1,830,183 14s 01.

TATTERSALL'S HORSE SALE. Jlcssij H. Maison and Co. had an entry of 67 horses on Saturday. The bulk of the •vnrding wn-s harness horses and light iraiifjlits. The demand for active farm hor3e3 irti a fhade better than last week, and t cotsi.lcivible number of this class changed hands. Among the were: —Account Iny pony £12; S. Stewart, Hornby, hve-year-oid inare £22; It. Gommell, Southbridge, six-year-old geiaing, £20 1 Os; client, seven-year-old • m-are -IS; M. Svindford, East Evraton, icven-year-old mare, £13; W. Roberta, Halswell, fonr-vear-old drought £9 15s; client, five-year-old harness gelding £13; 3 Beyell, Si)r'cydon. nine-year-old gelding £12; S. Standi9h, Cashmere, nine-year-old geldinj fM; clwnt, child's pony £10; VV. Downe', • Prebbleton, aged mare £9, aged gelding £10; aged hack 3 and harness horses sold at lalo ' i*(es. LAND SALES. ' Messrs Laurie and Dalton on Saturday sold by publio auction, on behalf of the trustees of the late Mrs Wilson, a section of land situate at 6G Montreal street, on which is a five-roomed cottage, to Mr J. E. Cooper, for £415., At Aahburton on Saturday Mr H. A. Lloyd sold, on behalf of the Canterbury Education Board, tho old Borough School ait©, containing one acre, to the Anglican rtitirch Property Trustees, nt £1209. The buildings, containing eix main rooms and offices, were lold to Mr F. Crum, Ashburton, for £295. "■ Jones, McCrostio Company, Limited (in conjunction with Messrs Duncan, Reed and 'Co.) soil on Saturday* by rmblio auction, en account of the trustee of tho |ato Mr 'Andrew Duncan, a proparty, comprising 4 jcrj'* 20 perches. -situate on Ensor's road , and _.awTence street. The property brought 1360. 'IMPORTATION OF STEEL WIRE ROPES, "vA Wellington machinery importing house .ieceivotl intimation by cablegram on Saturr day from Scotland thut sUel wire ropes can ' Bow be exported from the United Kingdom '..without priority permits or other formality. ■It is inferred from this information (says th« "Post") that iron and steel wire may also presently be exported from Great Britain without war restrictions. SATURDAY'S POULTRY MARKET. Messrs J. B. Merrett and Co. had a large entry for their first Christmas sale on Sati urday. Over 3000 birds were entered.- There ' was a great want of prime table ohiclcens, ducklings, and goslings compared with other years. High prices ruled for these classes, liens and .ducks were easier in price, the demand being for quality birds for Christmas. Table chickens realised 7s to 13a, • pullets 5s to lis, hens 3s 6d to 8s 9d, ducks ; 6s to 7s, table ducklings 7s to lis, poolings J 96 to 14s, turkeys lis to 345, all per pair. | ' . • EGG MARKET. -| The egg supply "is equal to tho demand, ; -s-and further Advances in price will not be if made for the Christmas trade. Canterbury i*J Egg Circle first grades aro lo Od, seconds Is |i:Sd per dozen. 1 w WELLINGTON STOCK EXCHANGE. II Sale reported:—New Ze&land Drug, £2 Is (cum rights).