BRITISH COMMERCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXII, Issue 15511, 11 January 1911, Page 9

BRITISH COMMERCE.

LAST YEAR S STATISTICS. INCREASE OF COMPANIES’. PROFITS. United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, January 9. The “Economist’s” summary of 775 British industrial companies shows a profit last year of £47,500,000, compared with £42,500,000 in 1909. The ordinary capital, which totalled £370,000,000, earned 7 per cent, and the preference capital, which totalled £206,000,000, earned 4.56 per cent. The sum of £10,718,000 of profits was placed to reserves. The iron and steel industries show no improvement, owing to competition among companies and strikes. Good harvests helped the shipping and cable companies, and tho high price of cotton prevented the boom being spectacular, as anticipated. The prices of other commodities were the highest for twenty years, excepting during the summer of 1907.