THE LOAN AND MERCANTILE AGENCY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 740, 12 February 1910, Page 12

THE LOAN AND MERCANTILE AGENCY.

:■ Tho New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company -started operations in t'lo "Dominion iiearly-, fifty. years iu 1881 an agency was opened at Masterton under tho management .of Mr. James B. Keith. Later on, when tho company's Wellington agency was created a branch, and' Masterton was brought, under itsl control, until in 1908 it' also' attained the dignity of abranch, Mr. E. W. Carey, the 1 then agent, being;, promoted to the managership. Its sphero of operationsi is indeed -an . eitensivo. one, -..cOTermg 'the: wholo of the : Wairarapa, , and reaching I "VYoodville in the north, . and Ma.rtmborongh in tha south. The Tararua Kanges' ; mark. :■ tho;,.western-' boundary,

whilst the large tract ;of country .lyiug between the • Wairarapa ..proper. east coast is oU -worked from Master-. ton. The company is , represented m the outlying centres; such, as Pahiatua ana Eketahuna, these,- of course,, being worked oa outposts of the,main,branch,-/Its- customers ' are well - catered for in the mat-, iter : of stock saleyards, these haying already been' - established : at, Mastcrton (where now anil up-to-date yard are in course of erection), Pongarpa. Pahiatua, ! Eketahuna, Grey town,. and r Martinborough. : The- "Loan -and; may bo found in - eVery centre. of import-, anco • in' New Zealand.,A There are; fifteen; branches, Vwith' nine : subsidiary agencies; :as'« at "Mding,- Gore, • Taurangai all..

of then) being manned by tho company's .own'.'steflii which, in point of. numbers, now runs into. many hundred ß, Though it felt the stress , of ' the /:. mrotiev. M did other similar concerns in Australia ■ and Now Zealand, the company has, by dint of the strenuous, intelligent wort of its .officials, and tbeii conrteousness, promptitude, and • integrity, built tip, * splendid business, and attained a position oi first importance in commercial circles and of unquestionable financial stability. From a; gIQS/K through • the company^

last balancc-shcek—oß at Juno SO, - IS©,, "it can be scon-that the capital employed in. connection "with their Australian and : New; Zealand' business', amounts,; in- EQaref and debentures, to close on . •83,00Q,MQ» k . - After providing i for' the payment< of; di >. ; dend at 5 per cent; a -further sum ci riC55,000 vaa carried to • rossrre, • tkoa creasing the amount hold , ill reserve • counts to £455,000. . • •.\ ■.