COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15900, 24 April 1915, Page 5

COMMERCIAL.

LONDON MARKETS. MONEY AND PRODUCE RATES. By Telegraph—Press Association— London, April 22. BANK OF ENGLAND RETURNS. The Bank of England returns for the week ended April 22, compare with the returns of a fortnight ago as under :— April 22. April 15. £ £ Coin 54,254.000 53.919.000 Reserve ... 39.758.000 39.17(5000 Note issue 34,332.000 34 B« c WO Government deposits 125,414.000 101.157,000 Other deposits ... 88.750,000 102.9R9.000 Govt, securities ... 47,810.000 47.860 000 Other tocuritiea ... 144.323,000 137,813.000 Proportion of reserve to liability ... 18.56 18.91 MONEY MARKET Short loans are quoted at 1£ per cent., as against ljj per cent, last week. The discount rate for three months bills is 2 15-16 per cent., as against 3i per cent, last -week. DAIRY PRODUCE. Tho butter market is quiet, and quotations are practically unchanged. - Cheese : New Zealand, 93s to 945. METALS. Copper: Buyers £77 10s, sellers £77 15s; three months, £78 5s and £78 10s: electrolytic. £83 10s and £84 10s. Tin : Buyers £163 ss. sellers £163 15s ; three months, £164 and £164 10s. Pig-iron : 65s 4d. Lead : Buyers £20 15s, sellers £21. Silver: 23 15-16 d. SUGAR. The sugar market is steady, and prices are unchanged. WOOL. Bradford market is easier, and business is limited. COLONIAL STOCKS. Colonial stocks are quoted as follows on the Stock Exchange : —Victorian 3 per cents, £76. New South Wales 4 per cents., £97 10s; 3J per cents., £97 15s and £81 ss; 3 per cents., £83 ss. Queensland 4 per cents., £98; 3J per cents., £92 7s 6d; 3 per cents., £74 10s. New Zealand 4 per cents., £97; 3£ per cents., £84 ss: 3 per cents., £76. South Australia, 34 per cents., £85 17s (3d. Western Australian 3£ per cents., £87 10s. CEREALS. Wheat is being steadily held, and the market is very quiet. Flour is firm, with an upward tendency. The oats market is firm. New Zealand, 36s 6d to 375. Tho peas and bean's market is quiet, and prices are unchanged.

UNION BANK OF AUSTRALIA. PROFITS FOR PAST YEAR. By Telegraph— Association—Copyright. London, April 23. The balance-sheet of the Union Bank of Australia shows that the profits for the year were £108.650. The preference dividend is 7 per cent., and the ordinary dividend 7 per cent. The reserves will absorb £30.000. the officers'provident fund £2000, and £28,317 will be carried forward.

[ HIGH PRICE OF BUTTER. POSSIBLE RE-SHIPMENT FROM LONDON. By Telegraph— Association—Copyright London, April 22. Owing to the higher prices ruling for butter in Australia and New Zealand, a few thousand boxes will probably be reshipped there in May. The London market is quiet. FRUIT AND PRODUCE MARKET. Business in the fruit and produce market during the week has been very good again. Although at the earlier part prices appeared to decline, yesterday a better tono existed, and values advanced. The bulk of shipments dealt with consisted of pears and apples locally grown, and choice lines of both are selling fairly well. Cooking apples are weak, and only first-class samples are in demand. Cooking pears have declined. Choice quinces are scarce and selling at advanced prices. Passion fruit is in demand at quotation. Tomatoes, best samples, are scarce, and are selling at advanced rates. Cape gooseberries showed an improvement. Local lemons are increasing in supplies, and are a little easier as compared with last week' 6 values. Italian lemons from Sydney, ex Maheno, reached the market in bad condition. The Navua, from Suva, is due on Monday, and from advices to hand shipmentsare light, consequently a good demand should exist for prime fruit. The potato market is over-supplied with locallv-grown of inferior samples, and mostly affected with either " blight" or "rust.' 1 Largo quantities had to bo cleared at prices offering to reduce stocks. Fairly heavy supplies continue to come from the South, and the market is much weaker even for best samples of Canterbury grown. There appears to Be a slightly better market for onions, although supplies are still plentiful. Kumeras and other vegetables are forward in quantities equal to the demand at current quotation. In dairv produce a sharp advance has taken place in both fanners' butter and new-laid ectrs, resultins in high prices being obtained. Poultry was in exceptionally good sun plv, and nullcts approaching liivintr sold exceptionally well. Heavy cockerels are also in H»ninnd. A laree proportion of badlv-conditioned birds still come forward. There is a poor demand for nips, and only moderate prices are obtained.

FIF.LD PRODUCE. Potatoes- Southern, prin"> ffi 10s per ton ■ ]om]. 4s 6J per cwt; medium, %> ner cwt. Onions: Local, 5« 6d ner* Cwt. Humerus. 6s 6d to 7s per cwt DAIRY PRODUCE. Butter: Farmers', in prints. 1? 3d per lb; prime farmers', bulk, lid to Is. Eggs: Fresh, 2s 2d. FRUIT Apples: Local coloured, extra superior dessert, case, 5s to 09 6d ; good. 3s 6d to Is; medium, box, Is 3d to Is 6d; case. 28 6d to 3s: cooking, beet. 4a; other'. 39. Pears: ClnirKeaii, box. 5s 6d to G.«; others, dessert. Is; cooking. 2s Od to 3s 6d per sample. Grapes: Hothoutc. per lb. 13 Id to Is 2d; outdoor, 3s to 3s 6d per box. Tomatoes: Outdoor, best. 4s 6d cor box; medium, 2s 6d. Oranges: Island, case. Bs. Lemons: Local, prime, case, 8s; Rood. 6s to 7e; local, rough and coarse, case, 2s 6d to 3s: Messina, good, 13s- Capo gooseberries, per lb, 41d. Passion fruit, per case. 2s 6d to 3s Gel. Melons: Water, per dozen, 3d Walnuts, per lb, 71d- Peanuts, per lb, 2td. Quinces, case, 4s.

AUSTRALIAN MARKETS. By Tclesranh— Association— Copyright. Melbourve, April 23. Wheat, £8. Flour, £17. Oats: Algerian feeding., 5s 4d to 5s 8d ; seeding, 6s to 6s 6d. Barley : English, os 6d to 5s 9d ; Cape, 5s 4d to 5s 9d. Maize, 5s 6rl to 6s. Bran. £10 ss. Pollard, £11 to £12. Potatoes, £4 to £4 10s. Onions, £5 10s.