FINANCE AND TRADE.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 3955, 22 January 1900, Page 3

FINANCE AND TRADE.

“Now Zealand Times” office, Saturday evening. Tlie Customs relnnis for (lie past week amounted to £12,70(1 ios od, and for today to £lO7l -Is !id. The heer duty for the week amounted to £258 Us 3d. Messrs Murray, 'Roberts and Co. have is eeived the following wool market cable--1 ami their ijomlon house, iVlessrs Sanderson, Murray and Co., dated 18th January ; •■-’Market weak and irregular; declined 5 jier cent. A considerable (|iinnI iI;/ bought in. COMMEJtCIA L CABLES. LONDON, January 19. BANK OP ENGLAND RETURNS. Tlio Hank of England return, issued for the week ending Wednesday, 17th January, is ns under: lasnn Dei’ahtmknt. Note issue.. £4!) .1)77,1,00 Govt, debt.. £11,015,000 Other securities .. 5,786,C00 Gold.. .. 5a,177,00U £49,977,000 £49,977, ioo 1; j : Dr.r,\KTMENT. Proprietors’ (Jrtivt. aeouricupital .. £14,553,000 ties .. 19,057,0 Du Public do- Other sonosits .. 10,592,0(10 entities .. 20,152.001 Other de- Writes .. 21,754,000 poaits .. 4,'1,510,000 Coin.. .. l.iJt-'J.OtO Jtest, ’.-day and other bills .. 3,007,000 £12,322,000 £72,322,000 The amount of the reserve is £23,113,000,rhe proportion of reseve to liabilities being 42.58 per cent., as against 30.47 per cent, last week. | The Bank of England weekly returns ■show again an increase ot gold coin and bullion, and an Increase of reserve. The former has grown from £31,913,000 to £.■53.177,000, an increase of £1,264,000 j 11 the week, and £2.497,000 in a fortnight. Reserve has ’increased from £21,832,000 to £23,113,000, a growth of 01,281,000 in the. week, and £2,515,000 in a fortnight. Deposits have decreased by £1,055,000, but the reduction of ‘•other securities” shows that the market lias boon able to pay off the bank to the extent of £2,240,000. Consols and all classes of stock show improvement, with two exceptions, in which there is no change. Tlie.se figures and the further reduction of the hank discount rate to 4.1 pen 1 cent, only a week niter a drop from 0 to 5 per cent., while I ho open market rate is down to 3;| per cent., combine to show a very easy condition of the .Lomum market, which we think may allay the fears of those who have been frying to alarm ns with prophecies of a tight market.] CONSOLS AND COLONIAL STOCKS. The following are the latest quotations for Imperial consols and colonial inscribed stock, and a comparison with those ruling last week : —'

■ i.j it j x isaiiJtiiimzi •• ju u .«•»/- m^uov " Interest payable in May and November. f Interest payable in January and July. I Interest jjayable in April and October. THE MONEY MARKET. The market rate of discount.for best throe months’ bills is \ lower, at 3!j- per cent. The Bank of England rate is 4$ per cent., against 5 per cent, on the 17th January. COLONIAL AND OTHER PRODUCE. Wheat—Tho markets are dull with a downward tendency. The American markets are a shade firmer. Australian off const cargoes are offering at 29s per quarter, and Jaiumry-Eebruary shipments at liOri Gd per quarter. Butter is fiat owing to heavy arrivals. Colonial, 95s to 98s; occasional lots, 100 s; Danish, 108 s to 110 s. Choeso is firm. New Zealand, 57s to" 59.5; Victorian fair, but of somewhat irregular quality, 565. Prices are abnormally high owing to scarcity of Canadian supplies. Sugar is firm. German beet, 88deg., Ild higher, at 9s Gd per cwt; Java cone, No. 15s, d.s, unchanged, at 11s. 9d per cwt. Bradford Tops—Tho market is lifeless, and no quotations are obtainable. THE PRICES OF METALS. Copper is firm. Spot, 20s higher, at £7l 5s per ton; three months', 17s Gd liigher, at £7l 2s Gd per ton. Tui.—Spot, £6 10s higher, at £llß 10s per ton; three months’, £5 15s higher, at £llßs 10s per ton. Pig 'lron.—Glasgow warrants, No. 1 cash, Jd higher at GBs lOci per ton f.o.b. in Clyde. LONDON WOOL SALES. At the wool sales the Keri clip realised l.'Ud: Tukitiki, lO^d; and Half (P), 15;;cl. The saleß are dragging, and merinos are 10 per cent, below December rates. /(Received January 20, 7.20 p.m.) LONDON, January 19. A hotter spirit is shown at the wool sales now, and there is stronger competition. COAL EXPORTS. LONDON, January 19. WESTPORT, Sunday. Tho output from the Westport Coal Company’s mines for the past week was 0515 tons. GREYMOUTTI, Sunday. Exports for the week:—blackball Company, 1751 thus ; Brunner Company. 1802 tons. - GOLD RETURNS. ' DUNEDIN, Sunday. Dredging returns: —Electric, 98oz gold; Junction Electric, Dso/.; Hartley and Riley, 88oz Gdwt- Goldeif Beach, 520 k 2dwt 20gr: Magnetic, 520 z : Mahorburn, 420 z lOclwt; Unity, 28oz 14d,wt; Dunedin, 270/.; Molyneux Hydraulic, 250 z,; Morning Star, 24bx 4clwt; Inch Valley, 24oss; Chat to Creek, , 230 z; Chicago, 220 z 7dwt 15gr: Golden Point, lßoz lOdwt; Matan. l7oz; Tuaneka, lln/, l ldwt: Nil Despevandum, lOoz; Et trick, Gok ; Success. 30o». REEFTON, Sunday. The Buller dredge got 150/. gold in 128 hours, and the Consolidated dredge 2,‘10z 9dwt gold in 120 hours.

- Puce. Variation. £ h. 0. -ii % Imperial Console 101 D (1 45/• higher % New Ronth Wales no 0 n 10/- higher Vo New South Wulen 104 r. 0 i 5/- higher :: % New South 'Wales :)ii 10 < 6/- higher 4 Vo Victorian nil 0 0 50/- higher J‘A Vb Victorian .. 104 in 0 SB/- higher :i Vieiovian — — : $ % Smith Australian ion r, 0 2ii/- higher !> V<» South Australian or. 0 c Uicharged -I XQiuanslaiut ma () 1' 20/- higher ! A% Queennlard 103 15 (. fi/- higher 4 Vo New Zealand M in 13 t 10/- higher * i V'> New Zealand! 105 0 1 15/- higher SI % New Zealand! .. 90 10 t 5/- higher SM % Wont Australian 100 in ( Unchanged fl.l % Tasmanian ion io 0 15/- higher