BANK RETURNS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10359, 14 May 1895, Page 3

BANK RETURNS.

The following are the bank returns (omitting shillings* and pence) for' the quarter ended March 31, 1895:— 7

! Bank of New Zealand 4 per cent, gua'antee I stock, £2,000,000. .

3,000,294 3,640,494 2,777,205 We have here the remarkable fact that while the deposits at interest have declined by £652,000 those afc call have increased by £633,000, and ifc is difficult; to account; for thia. unless money is being withdrawn from fixed deposit and temporarily held for investment in some other form. All the banks seem to have shared ia the change, but not all in fche same degree. The National Bank is the only one that increased its deposits at interest as well as those afc call. The Bank of New Zealand lo3t £69,906 of deposits at interest, bufc increased its private deposits afc call apart from fche Government account; by £156,502. The Union Bank lost £129,992 of fixed deposits, bat gamed £190,903 deposits at call. Tne Bank of New South Wales similarly lost £84,860 and gained £87,427. The Bank of Australasia lost £53,469 and gained £66,019. The Colonial Bank lost £33,329 and gained £60,370. The Nafcionalßank, on the Qfeherband.fgained £23,510 deposits at interest and £72,155 deposits at call as well._ The movement spread over all the banks in this way is very singular. Government deposits show an increase of £180,000, but the March quarter boing the close of the financial year no doubt; everything was got in fchafc could begofc. in; and on the other side of the account advances en Government securities have increased by £161,000. and of the total under this head of £358,611, the Bank of New Zealand holds £250,611 and the Colonial Bank £108,000. Bills under discount have again declined, and there is also a substantial decrease in other advances. While the total deposits have increased by £535,000 fche total advances have decreased by £385,000, showing that there ought to be plenty of money available for use. A large sum, however, is locked up in coin. In the March quarter 1894 tbe coin and bullion held amounted | to £2,546,804; in the March quarter 1895 it' amounts to £3,285,637, anincrease of £738,833— an almost unnecessary reserve of strength now that all chance of panic seems over, but still a precaution ou the safe side. Until we know ■what fche withdrawal of so considerable a sum of fixed deposits really means we cannot; say that all need of such precaution has passed away. The note circulation shows an increase of £35,000, which would seem to indicate, bufc for fche falling off in discounts, some revival of trade. Ifc is noticeable "that the Government Savings Backs show a total excess of deposits over withdrawals for the quarter of £156,825, and fchis may partly account for the reduction in deposits afc interest; in the banks. There is evidently plenty of money; whafc we want is a revival in enterprise

A young man named Thomas Coilis was drowned in fche Rangitikei river on the 4fch met. by the upsetting of a canoe.

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Following are the banking returns for March quarter, 1895, compared with the two precedin-*-quarters:— r ■*-. ° March December September , Quarter Quarter Quarter _ . ' 1895. " 1894. 1894. Deposits— £ £ £ At interest... 8,756,934 9,104,981 9,367,427 At call 4,619,569 3,986,192 4 042 469' Government 645,218 466,8_7 462J645 Totals ... 14,022,721 13,558,020 13,872,541 Discounts... 1,S67,493 1,990,687 1,982,684 ! Other ad- ... vance's ... 9,644,104 9,905,331 9 62912"* Totals ... 11,511,597 11.896,021 ■ 11,611,806 Other securities ... ... 2,216,144 2,245,455 2,221-744 Government securities ... 35S,611 . 197,629 108,000 Notes in circulation ... 923,321 893,714 877,440 Coin and bullion held ... 3,285,637 3,221,476 3,062,498 Assets... ... 18,031,120 18,175,736 17.595.S20 Liabilities ... 15,030,826 14,535,242 14,S18,615