COMMERCIAL NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19804, 1 June 1926, Page 10

COMMERCIAL NOTES.

DUNLOP’S REMARKABLE PROFITS. BRITISH TYPEWRITERS. (From Cub Own Coeue- vokht.) LONDON. April Ift. One of the most remarkable of recent ia» dustnal developments has been the expansion in the manufacture of British typewriters during the past two month*. Although the industry has been established on a commercial basis for several years, it was not until last February that anything approaching a great demand began. To day the three firms in this country which manufacture British typewriters are turning out over 400 per cent, more machines than a year ago. it will be recalled that when the King paid a visit to the London section of the British Industries Fair at the White City in February his attention was drawn to the stand of one of the two firms which exhibited British-made typewriters. Since then there has been a great demand, both from within the Empire and foreign countris, for British typewriters. A representative of a British firm of typewriter makers stated recently that since his Majesty had shown his interest in British typewriters they had doubled their output. “In order to meet the present demand,” ht continued, “we are taking steps to increase our output by a further ICO per cent. During the past few weeks we have taken on an average of 21 additional workmen each day. Sixty per cent, of our increased output is for oversea* markets, our largest customer* being the Malay States, Greece, Holland, Sweden, New Zealand, and South Africa.” The Trade Commissioner at Toronto ha* also informed the Department of Oversees Trade in this country that as a result of the King’s visit to the British Industrie* Fair one of the biggest Canadian stores has decided to replace all its machines by typewriters made in Great Britain ARTIFICIAL WOOL.

Birkenhead is somewhat excited over the prospect of the establishment there of a new industry on a large scale. Snia Viscose (Ltd,), the Italian firm of artificial wool manufacturers, contemplate an extension of their activities to this country, .and in looking for a place at which to start hava Birkenhead among other places in mind. The difficulty from the Mersey Borough’* point of view is that the company wou'd require 11,000,000 gallons of water per day, which is more than the entire consumption of Birkenhead at the present time Snia Viscosa wants a site of 35 to 40 acres on which to erect a factory able to produce daily 110,0001 bof artificial wool; 500 to 600 tons of chemicals and coal per day would be required, and 5000 kilowatt* of electric.power continuously for 24 hours. At the annual general meeting of Snia Viscosa (Ltd.) held at the head offices of the company in Turin. Signor Gualino, who presided, stated that a new product named “Sniafi!” had been placed on the market and become popular, and the directors intended to form subsidiary companies to develop it abroad. The first company of that character, he said would be formed in England and would be called “British Snia Viscosa (Ltd.).’’ DIRECT MEAT SHIPMENT.

The proposals of the Australian Meat Council that Australian meat, which is now largely imported to London and thence railed through the country, should in greater measure be concentrated on Manchester as the natural port for the north continues a subject of lively discussion. Tlie suggestion is that control council! be established in London and Manchester, comprising representatives of Australian as well tin local interests, and that as regards Manchester, in order to secure an increased demand for Australian supplies, the local organisation be used when completed as an exporting as well as an importing and distributing agency for the north. A ROMANCE OF INDUSTRY.

A romance of industry is embodied m the anmioancement that the profits of the Dunlop Rubber Company for 1925 amount to more than £3.200-000

The net profit, after certain deductions, is £2,745,220, or just over a million and a-ha!f pounds more than in 1924. and represents an Increase of 85 per cent. Ordinarv shareholders ere to have a dividend of 15 per cent. The company actually earned 35 per cent, on its capital. Just after the war the Dunlop Company was faced with the enormous loss of over eleven million pounds This amount was reduced, by the appropriation of reserves, to £10.527-542 and the oompany’s capital of twenty million pounds had to be cut down by cancelling the lost ten and a-half millions.