Drapery Importing Company.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7295, 15 October 1891, Page 4

Drapery Importing Company.

DUNEDIN, Oct. 14.

At the annual meeting of the D.I.C. a dividend of 7£ per cent, as against 7 per cent last year, was declared, also a bonus of 4 per cent on shareholders' purchases. The Chairman, Mr Hallenstein, took a very hopeful view of the future of the Colony, with the expansion of settlement which for some time had been going on in the North Island and with the copious tains in the south giving promise of an abundant harvest. He looked forward to a year of prosperity to all eludes, in which the D.1.'. . must participate. They would have tht 1 irgest wool clip ever known in New Z<-..iand, setting at work almost immediately all available shearers, and with an extensive crop of wheat, he hoped there would not be a shortness of labour to gather in the harvest. Our exports for some time had been increasing in almost every direction. We now Hhipped close on two million carcases of frozen meat; yet our stock was so prolific and our land so fertile ti>at our flocks, tvh:oh when fir&t we enti ijd upon the frozen meat trade, little u>uce than nine years ago, numbered tea millions, had increased to seventeen millions, and they would yet see this number doubled. The percentage of lambing had, both north aud south, been this year unprecedented. The Hon W. J. M. Larnach, who seconded the motion for the adoption of the report, also took a vevy hopeful view of the Colony's future.