FINANCE AND TRADE.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4331, 15 April 1901, Page 6

FINANCE AND TRADE.

The Customs returns for the pastweek totalled £5356 14s sd, and the beer duty £l7O lls. The returns for Saturday were £771 2s 6d.

Tho London butter market on February 13 was again a trifle easier, and though trade was steady prices had gone down a shilling or two.. Supplies have been on a large scale, and a. smart drop im Danish has caused a slight fall all roun • Choicest colonial is quoted 106 s to 108 s, with not many transactions at the higher figure. Danish is now worth aliout 115 sin Loudon. Mr Copeland, the Agent-General for New South Wales, took the chair at a meeting of butter agents and shippers to protest against the delay which occurs in the discharge of butter from the mail steamers. For some reason there was not a very large attendance, many Toole)' street firms ■being conspicuous by their absence. It was'therefore resolved to adjourn the meeting after the following resolution had been passed;—‘'That in the opinion of this meeting the< shipping companies be urged to agree to complete delivery of any vessel into craft, van, or railway within six days of commencement of discharge.” A committee consisting of Messrs Wood, Foley, Bartram, Gray, Pleasants, Messrs Ellis and Kislingbury, Mills and Sparrow, and W. Weddel and Co. was formed to carry-out the arrangements and to call another meeting.

The “New York Commercial’’ makes the following point in the course of a recent leading article:—“ln marked contrast with the reckless speculation of the British insurance companies in writing bullions of dollars on Queen Victoria’s life for the benefit of persons wholly unknown to her stand the conservatism and caution cf the American companies, not to mention their decency in keeping their hands off of such a. gruesome business. To the credit of those American companies doing business in London be it said that, even under the temptation of big premiums and the acceptance of these by their British competitors, they steadfastly refused to gamble with London tradesmen and other speculators on the chances of the Sovereign’s life.” It may bo pointed out that the sums' in this way were insignificant. One insurance company—the largest in London had only to pay out £2OO on the death of the Queen.

Messrs Robert A. C. Smith and David C. Reid, shipowners of New York, associated with Sir William Van Horne and Charles R. Hosmer, of Montreal, and T. G. Fitzgihbon, of Toronto, have given notice that they will apply at the coining session of the Canadian Rarliameut for a charter of incorporation for a new company, the title to be the North American Mail and Steamship Company. It is proposed to operate steamships between British and; foreign ports, and carry on 'the business of forwarding agents, shipbrokers', and warehousemen. TOio capital stock is placed at 175,000 dollars, consisting of 1750 shares at 100 dollars each, and the headquarters of the company will be in Montreal.

According, to a Bucharest telegram, the'negotiations with regard to leasing the petroleum estates' belonging to the Roumanian Treasury are shortly to he resumed. It will be remembered that the first negotiations were abruptly broken off by the representatives of the Standard Oil Company, but it is now announced that it is the Standard Oil Company; which is willing to again open the pourparlers.-

COMMERCIAL CABLES. PIIESS ASSOCIATION. LONDON, April 12. BANK OF ENGLAND RETURN. The Bank of England return issued for the week ending Wednesday, 10th April, is as under:

GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. Tho following are the latest quotations for Government securities, and a comparison with those ruling last week:

MONEY MARKET. The market rat P .of discount for best three months’ bills is i higher, at 3J per cent. The Ban); of England rate is 4 per cent., as against 41 per cent, on the 20th February, and 5 per cent, on tho 6th February.

COLONIAL AND OTHER PRODUCE. Sugar—The market is quiet. Gorman beet, SSdeg., Ikl higher, at 9s per cwt; first mark, granulated, f.o.b. Hamburg. lid higher, at lls per cwt. Butter is quiet. Colonial is unchanged at 100 s; Danish, 2s lower, at 110 s. Cheese is hardening slightly. Bradford Tops.—Tho market is quiet. Common sixties. Jd higher, at 181 d per lb; .super sixties. Id higher, at 191 d ner lb. THE PRICES OF METALS. Copper is firm. Spot, 5s lower, at £6B 15s per ton: iTiroo months’, unchanged, at £69 7s Cell per ton. Tin is steady. Sped, 10s higher, at £ll6 5s per ton ; three months’, unchanged, at £ll3 10s per ion. Pig iron—Glasgow warrants No. 1, cash, lOld lower, at 53s 7-ld per ton. f.o.b. in Clyde. Lead, £l2 8s 9d per ton. Spelter, £l6 2s 6d per ton. • (Received April 14. 5 p.m.) LONDON, April 12. Silver is quoted at 2s 3jd per oz. COAL EXPORTS. WESTPORT, April 14. The coal export last week was 6100 tons 15c\vt, shipped as follows:—Westport Coal Company, 5746 tons llcwt; Westport Co-operative Company, 363 tons 4cwt. GREYiMouiIT. April 14. The coal exports for the week were : —Blackball Coal Company, 1026 tons 4o',vt coal; Brunner Coal Company, 1587 tons, 17cwt coal, 23 tons 17cwt coke, 2 tons bricks.

ImuK Department. Note iasua ... £43,725.000 <lov, debt .. Other socuri £11,015,000 ties .. • 0,760,000 Gold.. 31,920,000 £40,725,000 £40,725,000 Bansimo Department. Proprietors* PubUo‘ il doQov. soouci£14,653,000 ties Ocher Be* 13.333,003 b£2“ de7,369,000 curitiofl .. Notes 29.729.000 20,(>9t},00u unsxt* -. 3a.807.000 Coin.. 1.871.000 Best, 7-flay bills .. 3 300,000 £85.023,000 £«5i029,000 The leading items of the Bank of England return afford x ho Allowing comparison: — This Bast Week. Week. liSSt Year £ £ £ .. 3l.9S'1,(MO 82.2S7.000 30,497,000 .. 21,057.000 21.65 ,000 19,960.- u0 29.991.000 49.509.000 Soto circulation .. 29.6*9.000 30,074,000 Deposits .. 47,176.000 49,243.000 Proportion re 45*13 447 40.14 to liabilities

• - PriceVariation. £ B. a. *2 % Imperial Consols on 12 « ?/G h ghcr } % Mew Month Wales 115 0 0 Unchanged % New South Wains 102 IQ <» Tjnohai ged i % Now South Wales HH 0 0 Unchanged 1 % Victorian no 0 1 Unchanged % Victorian 103 0 0 5/- higher \ °jrx Victorian •• 3$ % South Australian jog n 0 Unchanged. 3 % f*outh Australian 93 0 0 Unchanged 4 % Queensland «. K-7 0 (1 Unchanged 1ij% Queensland .. 103 0 0 5/- higher 1 % Now Zealand* IU 0 °l Unchanged % New Zealand f It'H 0 0 Unchanged } % New Zealand; Ini 0 0 dI- ’lower 3$ % West Australian 101 0 0; Unchanged Tasmanian 103 0 ol 5/- lower payable in May and November, j t Interest payable in January and July. | j Interest payable in April and October. |