COMMERCIAL.

Evening Star, Issue 13031, 15 August 1908, Page 5

COMMERCIAL.

NEW PORT OF CALL. Pres3 Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, August 14. (Received August 15, at 8.25 a.m.) It is reported that the Cunard steamers in 1909 will use Plymouth as a mail port instead of Queenstown. MONEY AND MARKETS. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, August 14. —Bank Returns and Rates.— The Bank of England returns show the stock of gold coin and bullion to be £34,915,000; reserve, £25,475,000; proportion of reserve to liabilities. 50.22. The notes in circulation total £29,526,000; public deposes, £5,146.000; other deposits, £45,547,000; Government securities, £15,532,000; and other securities, £27,738,000. The bank rate is 2£ per cent. Three months' bills are discounted at 1§ per cent, and short loan bills at J per cent.; Paris, 1£ per cent.; Berlin, 25 per cent. Consols are quoted at £,86 12s 6d. —Colonial Stocks.— The following are the quotations for colonial Government stocks, compared with those ruling a week previous : Aug. 7 Aug. 14 New South Wales 4's 107 107 New South Wales New South Wales 3's 89£ 89A Victorian 4's 104 io4 Victorian 3£'s 100 i 100 i Victorian 3's 89£ 391 South Australian 3£'s 99 99 South Australian 3's 87 87 Queensland 4's 105 105£ Queensland 3i's 99£ 991 Queensland 3's 87* 88 New Zealand 4's 107" 107 New Zealand 3£'s 99i 991 New Zealand 3's 89* 89 Tasmania Tasmanian 3's 88 88 West Australian 3i's 99 99 West Australian 3's 88 881 —The Wheat Market.— The wheat markets are quiet. The American market is fluctuating owing to reports of damage to the crops, but the excitement is not reflected in Europe. Buyers are inactive, and are not disposed to operate beyond immediate requirements. The Canadian Government estimate the crop at 110,544 000 bushels. Harvesting is progressing well. Cargoes are firmly held, 38s is asked per Australian sailer nearly due, and 38s 6d per steamer, August shipment. There is a fair demand for Australian spot, at from 38s 6d to 39s 6d. Flonr is unaltered. —Metals.—

Copper: Spot, £6O 10s; three months, £6l ss; electrolytic, £63.

Tin : Spot, £136 15s; three months, £137 ss. Lead, £l3 10s. Spelter, £l9 17s 6d. Pig iron, 51s 2d. (Received August 15. at 10.15 a.m.) Silver, 23 11-16 d per oz. —Butter.—

The butter market is steady. Danish, 123s to 1255; colonial, none offeringchoicest Siberian, 106s to 108s. —Sugar and Wool.—

Sugar : German, 10s; first marks, lis 9d. The Bradford wool market is unaltered There is "a better tone, but business is limited. MARKETS. Fruit and Produce —A fairly active week lias be°n experienced so far as both fruit ami produce are concerned. The weeklv ship inent f rom Rirotonga was compri'cd; princit/aly of oranges, and as these vere practically out of the nwk 3 t 13s to 14« a cos* was readily obtainable for anything in "ood condition. Bananas realised 7« to Bs"per case m> landed. A small shipment of Fiji t-iinanas is due to arrive shortly. Thes* tb'.uld meet with an excellent market. The market is very poorly supplied with apples, and present conditions indicate tha!„ unt ; l the Cahfornian fruit arrives, the prices will be high and the quality inferior. A regards potatoes, a fair inquiry still existf for the North Island, but in consequence nothing m the shape of a rise is expected at present. From the South offers of potatoes have been numerous, and heaw stocks are held in some quarters, although the acreaee under cultivation is somewhat lower than last year. Nothing but prime bright ohaff is m demand, and local pricear6Jip £ £4 Straw is in S*** 3 demand. Oaten straw is realising up to 50s and straw chaff up to 52s 6d. Frcb ese« are m plentiful supply at Is per dozen' (.neese is eel ing at 6d to 6td. Honey •> in • hort sup- ly and the berat bt.!k is wort! 4Jd. The ho;t Melbourne onions are brin" mi 12s 6-1. Wheat.—The wheit market is still in . •tate of stagnation, Chick whe.it is in fair demand locally, and most orders are loing supplied wjth milling qual'tv at 3s lid to 4s, ex store. Shipping orders are

being supplied nt from 4s 2|d to 4s 5Ad f.o.b.e.i. Flour.—There is still a brisk demand. The Associrtion'a prices are:—StV» £lO &; lOO's, fill;. 50's, £ll 10s; 25's, fill ISp. The shipping priro is £lO Is, and the Invercarg 11 price is £ll. Bran.—The price of bran has dropped 10s per ton. ■ The present price is £5 15s for local orders and £5 lCs f.o.b. for shipment. , Pollard.—The price of pollard remains at £7 for both local orders and for shipment. 0 to.—Very little brsiness is being done in the oat market. Quot •tions are at 2e Id to 2s 2£d for <rood feed lines Oatmeal.—Prises aro unaltered. They stand at £l2 for local ordeis and £l2 10s f.o.b. for shipment. Barley.—Prices are £l7 for wholcsalo and £l3 for small quantities. Butter.—The decrease of 4d per pound i in the Svdney market does not attract Now Zealand shippers as in the past few weeks. In the local m.uket a fair quantity of Wellington and Taranaki butter is beirn? brought in, and sell, readily. Qnot:.tions are: Dairy, lib pjta, up to lid; local bulk, Is 3d ; Taranaki, Is 3d ; milled, lid ; best quality factory—bulk Is 2d, prints Is booked and Is 3£d cash.

SKIN AND HIDE REPORT.

Messrs )> Igety and Co. report: Rabbitskins.—We arc now in the heipht of the season, and at our silo on Monday we catalogued about 50 balss, this being the largest catalogue offered in this market for some yearn The usurl large attendance of buyers was prerent, anil competition was animated. Prime winter does </ere in special request, and realied ;is h ; .gh as per lb, this being the highest price realised tliw season. For one opecially good lot of prime bucks we secured the vary satisfactory price of 18Jd per lb. We quote: Prime "wmfer does, 24d to 25 : ! d ; second winter does, 21d to 23d ; outgoing winter does, 16Jd to 19d; prime winter bricks, 17d to 18 3 d ; fc-econd v, inter buck' 6, 15d to 17d ; outgoing winter bucks, 14d to 16d; incoming winter bucks, 15d to 16d ; autumns. 13d to 15d ; neks, 9d to lOd ; prime winter black, 23d to 24d; second winter black', 19d to 22d; autumn black, 14d to 16d; autumn fawn, lid to 13d ; winter fawn, 14d to 16d; horsehair (good, clean), to 17£ d. Sheepskin.'.—We oll'ered a largo catalogue to a full attendance of buyers. B tiding was brisk throughout, and we clcired our catalogue at prices which are fully up to late rates We quote: Half-bred, 6d to 6?d; fine cross-bred, 5Jd to 6d; merino (*uper.), s£d to s?d; merino (ordinarv), 4|d to 5Jd; cross-bred, 4-Jd to s^d; halfbred dead, 5d to s^d; merino dead, 4jjd to b{d ; cross-bred, to 4Jd; lambskins, 4Jd to s£d; pelts, aid to 4d. Tallow and Fat.—Primo mutton tallow, 20s to 225; medium do, 18s to 2Cb : mixed do, 16s to 18s: best caul fat, 16s to 17s; mixed rough fat, 14s to 16s; inferior do, 12* to 14s. A keen demand exists. Hides.—No sale has been held since lasfc report. In the meantime we repeat last sale quotations : Prime stout heavy ox. 6d to 7d ; ordinary subst.inoe heavy, 5d to 6d ; sbeety, 4d to £>d; medium stout, 4£d to s|d; medium light, 3=|d to 4Jd ; heavy cow. 4d to 4?d ; licht medi"m cow. 3Jd to 4|d; stag, 2£d to 3d ; yearling, 2d to 3d ; calfskins, to s£d.