BRITISH STEEL PRODUCTION

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27397, 9 July 1954, Page 14

BRITISH STEEL PRODUCTION

RISE INDICATED FOR 1954 (NZ. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, July 6. Any week now steel production in Britain could reach the rate of 20,000,000 tons yearly, and by autumn it almost certainly would do so, according to the monthly statistical bulletin of the British Iron and Steel Federation. Final figures for the half-year are expected to show the production of ingots and castings at about 9,500,000 tons, and performance to date “is not inconsistent with a final 1954 figure of 18,500,000 tons or even more.” Assisted by the growth, of blast furnace capacity and higher imports of iron ore, pig iron production for the half-year is likely to reach the record total of 5,970,000 tons or 7% per cent, more than the first six months last year. This rise in domestic output has made possible a further reduction in steel imports which are expected to total 290,000 ingot tons during the ■ half-year, compared with 600,000 tons for the corresponding period in 1953.

COMPANY NEWS N.Z. Refrigerating Company’s Move.— Recent activity on the part of the New Zealand Refrigerating Company, Ltd., is covered by the following company registration in the "Mercantile Gazette”:— Towers and Company (N.Z.), Ltd. Private company; June 25; 159 Hereford street, Christchurch. Capital: £350,000 in £1 shares. Subscribers: Christchurch—N.Z. Refrigerating Company, Ltd., 349,999; W. H. Erskine, 1. Objects: exporting, freezing, storing of meat, and incidental. William Cable Dividend.—William Cable Holdings, Ltd., is to raise its annual payment to ordinary shareholders from 7 per cent, to 8 per cent. The rate has been 7 per cent, for many years. An Interim dividend of 3£ per cent, was paid in December, and the final will be 4J per cent. On the A cumulative preference shares, in tehns of the participating rights attached to such shares, the final dividend will be 1 per cent., making 8 per cent, for the year. Hitherto the dividend on these shares has been 7 per cent. Payment will be made on August 10 to shareholders on the register on July 20.—(P.A.) Aulsebrooks, Ltd.—A final preference dividend - of 2J per cent, and an annual ordinary of 8 per cent, are announced.— (P.A.)

COMPANIES REGISTERED Registration of the following companies is notified in the current issue of the "Mercantile Gazette” : Tiffin House, Ltd. Private company. June 22; 169 Cashel street. Capital, £5OOO in £1 shares. Subscribers: Christchurch: B. O. and P. M. Alexander 2500 each. Objects: acquire "Tiffin Milk Bar” from L. N. Gregory and incidental. Lipscombes Drapery, Ltd. Private comSany, June 22; 39 High street, Kaiapoi. apital £l2OO in £1 shares. Subscribers: Kaiapoi: R. J. and L. Lipscombe 600 each. Objects: drapers and incidental. Breakwell Nurseries, Ltd. Private company, June 23; 177 Hereford street. Capital, £lOOl in £1 shares. Subscribers:— Christchurch: M. T. Gray 250, J. Moffitt 501. Tinwald: A. J. Break well 250. Objects: nurserymen and Incidental.

Frisk’s Motor Supplies, Ltd. Private company, June 23; 221 Manchester street. Capital, £2OOO in £1 shares. Subscribers: Christchurch:- Frisk’s Motor Spares, Ltd.. 1000, E. E. Frisk 1000. Objects: Dealers in and makers of spare parts, accessories, etc., for motor vehicles, and incidental. Inwood (W. R.) t Ltd. Private company, June 24; 42 Wordsworth street. Capital, £5OOO in £1 shares. Subscribers: Christchurch: B. Murphy 2500 pref., W. R. Inwood 2500 ordinary. Objects: joiners 'and incidental.

Unit Concrete, Ltd. Private company, June 24; 281 .High street. Capital, £2250 in £1 shares. Subscribers:—Christchurch: C. W. Dean 2240, E. M. Dean 10. Objects: Concrete manufacturers and incidental. Clifton Farming Company, Ltd. Private company, June 24; 154 Hereford street. Capital, £5OOO in £1 shares. Subscribers: Christchurch: J. C. Montgomery 49919, R. E. Free 1. Objects: Farming and incidental.

Centaurus Investment Company, Ltd. Private company, June 25; 154 Hereford street. Capital, £5OOO in £1 shares. Subscribers:—Christchurch: C. Papps 3550, R. L. Rolland 450, G. M. Papps 650, R. E. Free 350. Objects: finance company and incidental. . INCREASE OF CAPITAL Modern Fashions, Ltd. Capital increased from £7OOO to £ll,OOO. MINING Clutha River.—The dredge of the Clutha River Gold Dredging, Ltd., operating at Alexandra, for the week ended July 2 worked 124 hours and recovered 91oz of gold..