COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 150, 21 December 1907, Page 6

COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL

BANK OF ENGLAND RETURNS. By Telegraph,— Prei» Association.— Copyright. LONDON, 20th December. The Bank of England return issued for the week ending Wednesday, 18th December, is as under: — Issue Department. Nota issue' £50,406,000 Got. debt £11,015,000 OHiersecuri- ' ties ... 7,434.000 Gold ... 31,957,000 £50,406,000 £50,406,000 ' Banklkg Dei'aktment. Pr'priefc'rs* Gov. socuricapital £14,553,000 lies ... J8W.332,000 Public de- Other soposits .. 5,240,000 curities... 29.884.000 Othor ac- Notes ... 21, 270.000 posits... 43.459.000 Coin ... 1 ,120,000 Best, 7-day (iikl o tli or bills ... 3,333.000 fCe.6^5,000 £06,015,000 The leading items of the Bank of England return afford the following comparison :-r Tliis week. Last week. Last year. £, £, £, I Bullion... 31,957,000 32,949,000 28,774,000 Reserve... 22,399,000 23,674.000 19,712.000 Note cir'n 29,127,000 28,940,000 28,733,000 Deposits 43.72U.000 60,361,000 51,073,000 Proportion reserve to liabilities 45.90 4G.95 38.45 GpVERNMENT SECURITIES. The following are tho latest quotations for Government securities, with a comparison of those ruling- last week: —

THE MONEY MARKET. Tho open market discount rate for best three months' bills is unchanged at 6 per cent. Tho Bank of England rate is unchanged at 7 per cent. COLONIAL AND OTHER PRODUCE. Wheat.— Tho markets aro recovering from tho effects of tho prossuro to sell Argentines, owing to tho activity of American speculators, but legitimate business is small. There is raoro inquiry for cargoes — 40s 6d is asked for Victorian September, and 39s 9d for South Australian December-January. Australian, on tho spot, is slow of sale at 45s to 45s 6d. Flour. — Steady. Australian now crop is offering at 29s 6d. Sheepskins.— 3ooo offered, and 2500 sold. There was a fair attendance and bidding. Merinos, fine crossbreds, were 10 por cent, below November rates; coarse crossbreds, 12j per cent, to 15 por cent, lower; short and shorn, 15 per cent, decline. METAL, MARKET. Coppor. — On tho spot, £59; threo months, £60 ss; electrolytic, £61. Tin.— On the spot, £117 10s; three months, £119. 10s. Load.-£l4. Iron. — 49s 6d. Sugar.— German beet, 9s 8d; first marks, granulated, lls Id. Bradford Wool. — Dull and irregular. Low cash prices woro acccptod for spot lota. Common sixties, 26d; super, 26|d Butter.— Firm. Good Xmas trado. Danish, 123s to 1255; choicest Australian, salted, 118s; unsalted, 116s; New Zealand, 120s, and occasionally 122g. Cheeso. — Firm. Whito, 60s to 61s; coloured, 61s to 625. (Received December 21, 9.12 a.m.) LONDON, 20lh December. Silver is quoted at 2s 9-16 d. .WOOL, SKIN, HIDES, AND TALLOW SALES. Messrs. Ldvin and Co. report as follows regarding yesterday's sale:— "\Vo held our fortnightly salo to-day, offering 2500 skins, 1500 hides and calfskins, and a quantity of tallow and horsehair. There was a good attendanco of buyers. Wool is hold for salo on 17th January, 1908. Skins. — Th 6 market wai weak, rtnd showed a fall of one penny to a penny farthing on prices ruling ut the last salo held 22nd Novembor. , Wo quote: — Merinos, 6id to 7£d; fine crossbreds, 7d to 7i?d; coarse crossbreds, sid to 6^d: dead skins, 4i|d to 5Jd; dead hoggets, 4d to 4jd ; dry pelts, 3d to 4d ; green skins, £3 to £s Jsd; jaeexn kunbs* Is $0 Is.

8d ; grcon pelts, Is to Is 6d ; tallow, easier. Parcels in shipping order, £24; tins, £15 to £21; rough fal, £13. Horsehair. —Is to Is 4cl per lb. Horns.— 6s to 18s 9d per hundred ; cowtail's, Is to Is 4d per dozen. Ilidos. — Hides wore a halfponny lower. Wo quote: — Ox hides (extra heavy), sid to s^d ; ox hides (601 b to 701 b), 4gd to sid; ox hides (501 b to 591 b), 4Jd to 4|d; cow hides, 33d to 4£d; culf skins (best), 5d to 6cl ; calf skins (cut and slippy), 2d to 4d; hides (cut and slippy), 2d to 3d; stag hides, 2^d to 3Jd; bull hides, 2id to 3jd.

Price. Variations compared ■with last week. 2\% Imperial Consols 4 % New South Wales ... 3J% Now South Wales ... 3 % New South Wales ... •1 % Victorian 3J% Victorian 3 % Victorian o\% South Australian. ... 3 % South Australian 4 % Queensland 3i% Queensland 3 % Queensland „, ... i % New Zealand* 3J% New Zealmidf 3 % New Zealundi 3i% Westiaktui ST% Wustmlian ' A h.% Tiisiuauiau 3 % Taeraunian £ b. d. Bi 12 6 105 0 0 98 0 0 85 0 0 101 0 0 OH 0 0 85 0 0 100 0 0 85 10 0 103 0 0 96 0 0 84 0 0 105 0 0 09 0 0 81 10 0 95 0 0 Si 0 0 SB 8 0 85 10 0 Unchnnged Unchauired Unchanged 10/- higher Utichaiifrcd Uncharged Unchanged Uncliauged 101- higher Unchanged Unchanged Unchanged Unchanged Unchiinged Unchanged Unchanged Unchanged Unchanged Unchanged ♦ Interest i>ayablo in M t Interest payable in Js 1 Interest payable in A] [ay and Ho anuary and pril and Oi ivembor. I July, utober.