COMMERCIAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8100, 27 August 1904, Page 5

COMMERCIAL.

» j United Press Association — By Electric Telegraph— Copyright. LONDON, August 26. I The weekly return of fche Bank of England shows the amount of gold coin and bullion in hand to be £34,522,000 : reserve, £26,642,000 ; proportion of reserve to liabilities, 55.58 por cent; notes in circulation, £28,328,000 ; public deposits, £6,769,000; other deposits, £41,075,000; Government securities, £14,234,000; other securities, £25,122,000. Three months' bills are discounted at 2g per oent. Consols are quoted afc 87|. Victorian 4 per cent inscribed stock, 103 ; 3Jr per cent, Sss ; 3 per oent, 861- Queensland 4 per cent, 104. South Australian 3 per cent, 86. Others are unaltered. The corn markets of Europe are quieter, and .-prices aro rather lower, consequent upon the American reaction. The harvest in fche north of France i_ nearly completed, and the yield is estimated afc 15 to 20 per cent balow that of 1903. Australian wheat on the spot is quoted at 32s to 32s 6d per quarter. A steamer with a parcel of NewZealand wheat has arrived, and her cargo sold at 29s 6d psr quarter. Wheat has declined in price in all the American markets, the extreme break being 7£ cents at Minneapolis. Wheat freights from Melbourne are 23s 9d to 255, Sydney 23s 9d ; Australian Sour 24s 6d to 24s 9d. Minneapolis flour sdol lOcente. The American visible supply of wheat and flour is 19,678,000 bushels. Copper. — On spot, £57 10s per ton ; three months', £57 lis 3d per ton. Tin. — On spot, £123 5s per ton; three months', £123 15s per ton. Iron, £2 os per ton. Lead, £11 15s 7^d per ton. Sugar- is firmer; granulated first marks, 12s 4_d; German, 10s 6d. The Bradford wool market shows a fair inquiry, with prices unchanged. Butter is quiet; with unchanged prices. New Zealand producers are asking about 93s per cwt. Sheepskins. — At the sales, 2900 bales were oSered. and the bulk was sold after good competition, American buyers operating freely. Merinoes are unchanged; Australian cross-breds a farthing dearer; New Zealand a halfpenny. There is an improving demand for rabbits; large Victorian 6|,d to 6|d. SHIPPING. (Received August 27. 10.33 a.m.) LONDON. August 26. Arrived— Westland, from Bluff. Sailed — Karamea, for Lyttelton.