AUSTRALIAN COMMERCIAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2201, 7 May 1896, Page 16

AUSTRALIAN COMMERCIAL.

Sydney, May <-. The demand for all sound investments is very active, there being plenty of outside capital offering, the only hindrance to busineis being ; the firmness of holder*. Government securities and baiiks are exceptionally firm. Only small parcelA of stocks are availnblo, but these ohange hands at gnod advance. Victorian 4 per cent, debentures were said at 114£, the highest price yet touched. B*uk deposit receipts are in steady request at full prices. New Zealand insurances had sales at Sydney at 67. The Newcastle strike is deprei«iDg coal shares, whioh are declining In mining there was another busy week on the intercolonial exchu. ges Th mgh business w»s heavy last j week, it was marked by a less speculative spirit and less conn Meat tone. Silver opened very firm and steady. There was an upward trend for the fir«fc couple of days, then an easier feeling crept in, and it closed with irregular sales .. The Proprietaries show the state of the market. Opening at 50«, they touched 52s 6d, and closed at 49- 9d Ta«manians were at higher prices In gold West.ra.lian* did heavy business all round, values being still on the up grade, Qtrent Boulders, on the strength of recent developm 'nts, jumped to £9 4<, closing strong Victorian stocks were hardly so fli-m. Sales of Kapu-Varmouts closed at 7s Bd, buyers offering 7< 6d. At Coolgardie an important discovery has been made of gold-bearing stone under circumstances favouring a touch of romance. Bl»*ting op-TAtions in connnef'ou with the railway were proceeding, and a piece of rock weighing 151b was driven through the roof of the Athletic j Hall in Bayley street. The stone, on being | assayed, gave 6dwt 14«r to 1 the ton. Lr-a^es 1 wßre at ones pegged off. A cutting at Allady ! disclosed a thousand tons of gold-b-aring cement, of which the whole of the north end of the to *n appears to consist. During tbe lait fortnight a crushing of Great Boulder itone gave 31650z from 932 j tons. With the month just ended business in the import market closed doll, values remaining J fcVady. Br- a^sfcuffs were quiet and uni changed ; feed produce lines quiet. Maize declined Id, pending the arrival of targe shipments of potatoes, and onions were easier Melbourne, M*y 4. The import market closed yeiy qufab, there , being practically nothing doing. Q lotations for breadntuflfa were nominal, and the feed produce markets dull.