BROKEN HILL.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13101, 28 April 1908, Page 7

BROKEN HILL.

NO DIVIDEND IN PROPRIE-

TARY MINE.

United Press Azeocitvtion—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.

SYDNEY, April 27,

The decision of the Broken Hill Proprietary mot to declare a, dividend this quarter caane as a great shook. The Broken Hill explanation is that the low price of metals and the advlitaonaj cost of working have caused the directors to pass over the dividend. The statement is received with incredulity;, and dt is believed to be an intdioation that preparation is being made for some labour trouble, or a severe slump in metal values.

The chairman of directors states that the lowness of the metal values has increased the cost of production, and has affected the earnings of tihe company to tbe extent of one hundred thousand pounds. Therefore they had not earned a dividend, and so oould not pay one.

The capital of the compaaiiy is £384,000 mi shares of Bs. The dividends during the last 17 years have been:—lß9l, £1 4s; 1892, 12s: 1893, 15s; 1894, 12s 6d; 1895, 12s; 1896, 9s; 1897, ss; 1898, 6s; 1899, 4s 6d; 1900, 4s 6d: 1901, 3s 6d; 1902 and 1903, 2s each year; 1904, 4s 6d; 1905, 6s; 1906, 9s. The company employs between 3000 aaid 4000 men.

There seems to be some apprehension of trouble at Broken H3HI, for the "Argus" reports that men are "saving their earnings against probable nidustrial troubles.'•