COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16169, 4 March 1916, Page 5

COMMERCIAL.

LONDON MARKETS.

MONE* AND PRODUCE RATES.

By Teletrraph—PreM Association—Copyright. (Received March 3, 7 p.m.) London', March 2. BANK OF ENGLAND RETURNS. Hot Bank of England returns for the week ended March 2 compare with the returns of last week aa under Maroh 2. Feb. 24. £ £ Coin 60.i235.000 54,216,000 Reserve 41,253.000 40,930,000 Note issue 83.8(18,000 32,508,000 Government deposits 50.631,000 62,720,000 Other deposits ... 102,003,000 96,894,000 Government securities 32.639.000 82.839,000 Other securities ... 96,843,000 93,336,000 Proportion of reserve to liabilities ... 27.02 27.46 MONEY MARKET. Short-dated loans are quoted at 4i per cent., the some as last week. The rate of discount for three months' bills is 4 1-16 per cent., as against 5| per cent, last week. Consols aro £58 7s 6d, as against £58 5s last week. War loans, £87 15s and £97. Colonial Stocks: Victorian 4's, £94; 3J's, £84 10s and £70 2s 6d; 3's, £62; Queensland 4's, £89 ss; 3J's, £86; 3's, £62 15s; New Zealand 4's, £87 7s 6d; 3J's, £72 15s; 3's, £62 15s; South Australian 3J's, £73; 3's, £58 2s 6d; Tasmanian, 3J's, £72 2s 6d; 3's, £65; West Australian 3J's, £76 15s; 3's, £70 ss, DAIRY PRODUCE. The butter market is very firm. Quotations : Danish, 174s to 178s; Australian, 156s to 158s; secondary, 150s to 154s j unsalted, 1625; Now Zealand, 162s to 1645; secondary, 156s to 158s; unßaltod, 168s; Argentine, 146s to 1525; wisalted, 160s. The cheese market is firm. Quotations; Canadian, 98s to 102s; New Zealand, white, 96s to 975; coloured, 97s to 98s. WOOL. At the wool sales to-day bidding was hesitant, prices irregular and withdrawals frequent. The New Zealand wool offered realised : —Omapere, Is 7jd and Is 7d; Bankhouse, Is 6Jd and Is 6d. In Bradford tops only small business was done at the following prices:—44d, 43d, 42d, 39d, 33d, 32{d, 27|d. Topmakers are confident that prices will recover. Merino combings were unchanged. Crossbreds declined id. Merino crossbred clothings advanced id. Lambs' wool advanced id. There were 1900 bales catalogued, and all were sold.

WHEAT AND FLOUR. Wheat is quiet and unchanged. Flour is firm. OATS. Oats are dulL La Plata FebruaryMarch shipment, 325. PEAS AND BEANS. Peas and beans are steady and quiet. AUSTRALIAN PRODUCE. By Telegraph—Press Aanoaiation—Copyright Sydney, March 3. Bran, £4 10s. Pollard, £5. Barley: English, 4s to 4s 3d; Chevalier, 4s 6d; Cape, 3s to 3s 3d. Oats: Algerian, milling 2s lid to 2s 3^d; feeding, 2s to 2s l£a. Maize, 5s 9d. Potatoes, £9 to £10. Onions, £4 to £4 ss.

LONDON QUOTATIONS. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Ltd., have received the following cable from their London office under date 29th ult.London Wool Bales: Crossbred and Merino about 5 per cent, lower. America debarred from operating. Tallow: We quote present spot values for the following descriptions:— Fine mutton, 50s 9d per cwt.; good beef, 48s 9d per cwt.; mixed, 46s por cwt. The market is dull."

PROPERTY SALE. Mr. J. Thornes yesterday offered ihre« properties for sale by auction. For a House of six rooms on allotment 52ft by 165 ft in Argyle Street, £725 was offered in the room, and negotiations are proceeding mivately. The adjoining section was withdrawn at £200. A house of six rooms in Paice's Avenue, on an allotment 50ft by 153 ft, was sold for £425 cash..

FRUIT AND ' PRODUCE MARKET.

Business in /the fruit and produce market baa been very good during the week. Full supplies of fruit have come to hand. Local dessert pears have kept up in price exceptionally well, and will improve in value on account of this description becoming less. Other varieties of dessert pears are now on the market, such as Capiamont and Clairgieaus, and until the William Bon Chretien are cleared enhanced prices for the former are not to be expected. Cooking pears are now plentiful. Dessert apples, best quality, are selling well; prime cookers art also in demand. Peaches, late varieties and best grades, are fetching satisfactory values. Bananas by the lalune were in excess of requirements, considering the large supplies of local fruit offering, and consequently prices wero only moderate. Prime green fruit was short in supply, and a large quantity of ripe and unflrm-con-ditioned fruit was landed, which had to be sold at auction. Potatoes have slightly receded in vajue, and the market is fairly well supplied. Onions are a little firmer. Fresh eggs and farmers' butter are short in supply and selling at advanced rates. FIELD PRODUCE. Potatoes: Locnl, prime, £9 10s to £10: medium, is to 6s. Onions: Imported, £5 10s to £6. DAIBY PRODUCE. Butter: Farmers', in prints, Is 2d. Eggs: Freeh, Is 7d. FRUIT. Apples: Dessert, case, 8s; good, Gs to 7s; best cookers Ss to 6s, good 4a G<l to 4s 9d. Pears: Bon CJirotien, case, best 7s to 7s 3d, good 6s; others, dessert 5s to 5s Gd, good 4s; cooking, 4s to 4s Cd. Peaches: Coloured, best, up to 4s 6d; Others, 2s Gd to 3s fid. Grapes: Hothouse, lOcl to Is lb: outdoor, 3d to 4d. Tomatoes: Hothouse, 2s fid to 3s Gd per box. Lemons: Local, prime, case, 7s to 8s; good, sa; local, rougn and coarse, 3s fid. Cape gooseberries: fid per lb. Quinces: 3s Gd to 4s 4d caso, Passion fruit. 2s Gd. Melons: Water, Is to Is Gd each. Walnuts: 7id lb. Peanuts, 2Jd lb.

HAMILTON RAM FAIR. Messrs. D&lgoty and Company, Ltd., import hmng hold tlicir annual ram fair on the Hamilton Show Grounds on February 29, when they offered, cn account of various brooders throughout the Dominion, a good entry of rams of all classes, Bidding was keen and brisk throughout, and praotically every aheep changed hands under fair competition. The following is a range of prices:—On account of w, R. Hunt, Kelson, five shearling Shropshire rams, Signs to Bigns: Broad Meadows Estato, 10 shearling Lincoln rams, 6gns; Furlong and Suisted, eight shearling Lincoln rams, Ggns; W. I. Bowen, 20 sheading Lincoln rams, 6gn»; 10 threa-shear Lincolne, Signs; C. J. Storey, 10 shearling Lincoln, rama, 4Jgns to eigns; H. Windsor, and bred ,by S. Standon. 13 shearling Romney rams, Yens to 7igns; Furlong and Suisted, 10 shearling Homney rama, Signs to Bigns; eight shearling Romney rams, 4}gns to 6gns : C. C. Buckland, eight shearling Romney rams, 3gns to 4gns; seven shearling Romney rama. ligns to Signs; W. R. Hunt, two shearling Romney rams, 4gns; one shearling Romney ram, 3jgns; S. Standon, four shearling Btud Romney rams, 7gns to lOlgnß. Messrs- Dalgety ana Company, Ltd., report having held their annual horee fair at Matamata on Tuesday. They had a fair entry of horses and a brisk eale. They quote Draughts, from £17 10s to £47; lighter sorts, £15 to £22: hacks, £5 to £19: unbrokens, £4 16b to £9 10s. They held their monthly stock sale on Wednesday, when they had a fair yarding of sheep and pige, and a small yarding of oattlo. They quote:—Fat cows, £9 10s; store cows, £5 9s to £6 19s; empty heifers, £5 3s: heifer calves, £1 19s; fat and forward eww, aged, 20s: two-tooth wethers, email, 18s fid; lambs, 13s 2d.

CHBISTCHURCH PRODUCE MARKET. [BY mEGRArn.—PEEBS ASSOCIATION.] CJhiusvchobch, Friday. The wheat market is in a very unsatisfactory state, and both sellers and buyers would like to seo it more stable. A fairly large quantity is offering, with few buyers. Sales have been made as low as 4s 2d at a 2d station, and 4s 3d is said to be the outside price now offered._ The threshing returns aro now anxiously awaited, as they may disclose a different statistical position from the Department's preliminary estimate. In view of the fact that only 2s 6d is being offered on the trucks to growers in Southland for oats, the local market is easier- Gartons brought 2s Bd, though A grade would bring a little more. Oatsheaf chaff is firmer on account of the scarcity of .offerings. Very little forward business has yet been done in potatoes, £5 to £5 10s being offered for forward delivery, and £6 for immediate requirements. Cape barley and rye corn are easier. Prime malting barley is in request up to 5s 6d. For onions the best offer is 455.