COMMERCIAL & FINANCIAL

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 1, 3 January 1916, Page 6

COMMERCIAL & FINANCIAL

BANK OF ENGLAND RETURN.

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright.)

LONDON, 31st December

Tho Bank of England return issued for tho week ending Wednesday, 29th December, is as follows, last week's figures being given in parentheses:—

Coin, £51,338,000 (£50,914,000); reserve, £34,617,000 (£34,444,000); note circulation, £35,309.000 (£35,097,000); public deposits, £49,677,000 (£53,135.000); other deposits, £111,973,000 (£98,734,000); Government securities, £52,840,000 (£32,840,000); other securities, £112,076,000 (£102,450,000); proportion of. reserve to liabilities, 21.41 (22.70). Short loans are quoted at 43 per cent. (4jj per cont.); three months bills, 5s por cent. (5a per cent.). Imperial Consols, £58 7s 6d (£SB 10s). AUSTRALASIAN STOCKS. Current quotations for Australasian Government stocks, compared with those of last week; are:—4i per cent. Imperial War Loan, £97 as (£97 7s 6d); 3J, per cent. Imperial War Loan, £89 12s 6d (unchanged); 4 per cent. New Zealand, £95 (unchanged); 3£ percent. Now Zealand, £83 5s (unchanged); 3 per cent. Now Zealand, £76 (unchanged); 4 per cont. Now South Wales, £95 (unchanged); 3i per cent. New South. Wales, £95 12s 6d(unchiinged); 3s per cent. New South Wulef, 1930-50, £83 7s 6d (unchanged); 3 per cent. New South Wales, £78 (unchanged); 4 per cent. Victoria, £93 10s (£93); 3£ per cent. Victoria, £91 5s (unchanged) ; 3g per cent. Victoria, 1929-49, £33 5s (unchanged); 3 per cent. Victoria, £76 (unchanged); 3£ per cent, isouth Australia, £85 (unchanged); 3 per cent. South Australia, £70 (unchanged); 4 per cent. Queensland, £95 2s 6d (unchanged); s!j per cent. Queensland, £95 2s 6d (unchanged) ; 3 per cent. Queensland, £74 10s (unchanged); 3 2 per cent. West Australia, £37 10s (unchanged); 3 per cent. West Australia, £82 (unchanged); oi p<jr cent. Tasmania, £85 7s 6d (unchanged); 3 per cent. Tasmania, £71 Is 3d (unchanged). LONDON MARKETS. Wheat opened quiet, but closed, firm, on better American reports. Flour is steady. Oats aro firm. La Plata, afloat, 31s. Peas and beans are- firm, and unchanged. Butter is dull. Prices dropped on the arrival of 98,000 boxes of colonial beforo last week's stocks were cleared, also bocause of the largo supplies of Danish. Tho J quotations aro irregular. Danish, about 150s; Australian, choicest salted 138s to 140s, unsalted (scarce) 148s to 150s; Now Zealand, salted 142s to 1445, unsalted 150s to 1525. Cheese.—Buying 'is strong; New Zealand, 92s to 935. Sugar is unchanged, Bradford Tops.—The market is quiet, but very firm. Copper.—On spot, £86 10s to £86 15s per ton. Tin.—On spot, £168 per ton; three months, £169. ' \ '; .Pig iron, 77s 9d per ton. Lead.—Soft foreign, on spot, £30 per (On; forward delivery, £29 15s. ■Spelter.—On spot, £90 per ton; forward delivery, £79. _. Silver. —Bar silver is quoted at 23 3:16 d .per ounco standard. Jute.—Native first marks, DecemberJanuary shipment, £27 15s per ton. Now Zealand Hemp.—March-May shipment. £38 10s.Rubber.—Hard fine Para, 3s 9^d pel lb; plantation, 4s; smoked sheets, 3s U»«L . .: . ■Copra. — January-February shipment £32 '5s pcr'ton, ' '•. ■ Cotton. — January-February shipment, 7.73Jd. • FROZEN MEAT. LONDON, Ist January. Tho Incorporated Society of Meat Im. porters' Smithlicld Market quotations for frozen meat aro based on actual sales of not loss than.' 100 carcases of mutton or lamb, or' 25 quarters of beef, of fair a-verago quality. The quotations are not for selected lines, bur, for parcels fairly representative of the bulk of tho shipments now on the market. The prices which follow aro on the average a farthing per lb more than the values ex ship, this difference representing the average cost in expense, handling, conveyance, and selling of the meat.— Mutton.—Now Zealand ewes, 6Jd; River Plate, light 7£d. heavy 7d. Lamb.—Canterbury, light 7gd, seconds 7^-tl, modium 7_d, heavy 7d: Southland. 73d; North Island, ordinary 71d, selected 7Jd. _ ' Beef.—Argentine, . chilled fores 6id. chilled hinds 9jd. RABBITS. Hcldere arc aakinij 24» to 24b 6d tor: -^.?l_Squii W*lea Ib&M^ftx-^.tbrcu.. ■