FINANCE AND TRADE.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXV, Issue 5153, 21 December 1903, Page 7

FINANCE AND TRADE.

'flic Customs revenue am! beer duty for the week totalled respectively f;10,14.2 12b 7tl ami Jl3-W 3s Od. Saturday’s Custom* revenue amounted to ’lllO3 Ids lOd. COMMERCIAL CA BLES. r»ItB8 ASSOCIATION. LONDON, December 18. BANK OF ENGLAND RETURN. The Bank of England return issued for the -week ending Wednesday, 10th December, is as under; — IdIUJIS DBPABTUKRT. SotilHM,. £17,927,003 fiai. debt,. HU,015,009 Otliot »eodtilloa .. 7.4310];) a»!d.. .. 29,478,000 £47,927,600" £17,027,000 Biiuasu Department. Ifroptleior)' Hot. sfscjrioasltol .. £U.558,003 tloß .. £19.230,030 Public do- Othoc it> rodlsa .. 7,631.000 outllioa .. 21811,000 Other do- Nobaa .. 19,592,000 poults . 89,131,000 Coin .. 949,'100 BoM. 7-dsj md obhez Will .. 8,170,000 £31,617,001 £01,517,003 The leading items of tho Bank of England return afford the following comparison:—

GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. Tho following are tho latest quotations for Government securities with a sompumon of those ruling last week:—

• Interest payable in May and Norembar. + Irtareas payable i« Jaopary and Julyj lateresi payable in April and OctoberHONEY HAEIvET. The market rate of discount for best Uirco months’ bills is 3-16 lower at 3:} per cent. Tlie Hank of England rate is 4 per cent., as against 3 per cent, on Bid September. COLONIAL AND OTHER PRODUCE. Sugar Gorman beet, 88dcg., Id higher, at 8s (id ■ per cwt.; first mark ;l;ranulat-ed, Cp.bV'Hambnrg, Id higher, at 10s 2d per cwf '.' ~ ■Bradford Tops—The market is quiet; 40’s, Jd. higher, at Hid; 46’s Jd' higher, at 13}d, common 60’s, id loner, r.i. 22jd; and'super 6U’s. id lower, at E3fd per lb.. Wheat—lo,ooo quarter? and 12.000 quarters South Australian .wheat, by sailers, both Docember-Jannary ship-u-.ent, sold at 2l)s 3d jilt quarter; 10,000 •jnartera December shipment sold at 20? fjd: shipments by the Oceana realised Y l Js 6d net. Butter is quiet and unchanged, cepting secondary qualities, which are ,t shade lower. New Zealand meets with best demand. The Oceana's consignment was excellent, but there aro several complaints of fishiness, and this affects some of ther leading brands. ' Consignors having withdrawn their limits, .•pnsiderahlo sales of stored butter have been iuade at 83s for confectionery. THE AX ETAL MARKETS. Copper— Spo 5s higher, at £57 os per ton; three months, 5s higher, at £56 17s Od per ton. Tin—Spot, 37s 6d higher, at £126 5s per ton; three mouths, 37s 6d higher, at £127 3s per ton. Pig-iron—Middlesbrough No. 3, cash, id higher, at 41s 8d per ton. Lead is unchanged at £ll Is 9Sd per ton. Spelter, 6s 3d higher, at £2l Ss 9d per ■ Eon. - ■ Silver, 9-16 d higher, at 2s IJd pcr_oz.

This weak. Diet weak. Last yea £ £ £ Bullion •• .. 29.47H.001 28 833,000 29.U0.C03 Reserve .. ' ' > 20.471,003 20,1>;»2.CO* gO.A24.OOJ Note olDulalloa... ■ ‘ <1.1)495.000 29,888.000 29,800,000 Deposits ., .« 49.015.000 40,150,0 JO 40,419.000 Proportion coeei'TO to lUbUUies .. . 4379 4 5’07 44*09

Price . Variation. I] Console £ 8. SO 15 d.i 0 22/0 higher 1 % Now Sooth Walo« 107 0 0 Unchanged 9l> 0 Oidr higher 0 Unchanged Stf 0 1 % Victorian.. ,, 106 0 020/- hlRhet li % Violoriaa .. •« 05 0 0, 5/* higher Ho 0 0 Unchanged lUll U 0 wh lower 1 % South Austtullun «u 0 0 SO/- lower 1*6 U U Unchanged % Queensland 00 0 Unchanged arpo 0 Unchanged iOU 15 0| 5/* lower li % Hair iSaalaadt 101 0 (^Unchanged 00 u ft Unchanged 16 % W»>l Australian OS (I 0, Unchanged bt> 0 OUuchaagod 07 u 0 Unchanged it % Tasmanian 67 0 0 Unchanged