COMMERCIAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2707, 31 January 1906, Page 40

COMMERCIAL.

The National Mortgage and Agency Company mi the 23rd inst. received cable advice that their directors have recommended that a. further dividend of 7| per- cent, be declared for the half-year, and a bonus of 5 per cent., making a total dividend of 10 per cent, per annum, also that £20,000 be added to the reserve fund. The annual meeting of the company will take place early next month. A Irtjndon oable states that the balance sheet of the National Mortgage and Agency Company shows the profits- to have been j£47,640. A dividend of Is 6d and a bonus of la per share," equal to a 10 per cent, dividend for the year, have been declared, and the sum of JE20.000 has been add-ed to the reserve fund, while £7610 ~was carried forwaid.

Money (reports the Melbourne Age) continues plentiful and cheap locally, and it is generally expected that these conditions will be even more marked about March. The borrowings of the New Zealand and Victorian Governments will later in the year be followed oy a loan on New South Wales account, and these issues should tend to steady the rates for money. Exchange on London continues active. Large shipments of gold are being made to London, the Himalaya taking over £650.000 from the Eastern States, and an extensive sum will be sent from Fremantle by the same vessel. The .gold rftserves >n Australia stand at the highest point on record, and a good debl can be spared for shipment to LondOn and the East.

The Customs duties collected at the several ports in the colony during the December quarter of 1905 .vnounted to £676,910, as compared with £655,914 in the corresponding quarter of 1904-. Goods ad valorem produced £239,453; preferential tariff, £17,673; spirits. £128,233: cigars and snuff, £5978; cigarettes, £ r 26,465; tobacco, manufactured, £88,692, unmanufactured, £610; ale, beer, etc., £6194 ; sugar, molasses, and treacle, £53,211. For the 12 months ending 31st December the total Customs and excise revenue was £2,652,667, os against £2,650.189 for 1904. The amounts collected at the principal ports last year were : — Auckland. £669,917; Wellington, £681.493; Lyttelton and Christchurch, £3'9,6i4 ; Dunedin. £416.560. The exeh's duties collected during the December qi'jrter totalled £28.863, as against £28,804 during tbe December quarter of 1904. For 1905 the amount collected was £100,921. as compared with £102,307 for 1904.