BRITISH MATCH CORPORATION

Hokitika Guardian, 2 July 1931, Page 2

BRITISH MATCH CORPORATION

WORLD-WIDE INTERESTS. The world-wide interest of the British Match, Corporation, Ltd., including those in Australia, were refen-ed to by the chairman, Sir G. Paton, at the annual meeting, held in London on May 13. He said that his colleague, Mr Bartholomew., had-jy*t,,. jetijrnqtl from, an extended trip to New Zealand and Australia, visiting Canada op his way to New Zealand. Mr Bartholomew reported most encouragingly regarding all the company’s businesses in those places, but, with regard to Australia and New Zealand, the exchange question and increased taxation were putting up costs, That factor would somewhat affect returns from those places until the financial situation improved, as no doubt it would, provided the Australian Governments tackled the question of economy in a serious way. Financial problems in the United Kingdom were not dissimilar, although perhaps, not yet so acutely felt. The corporation, and its subsidiary and associated companies, paid in taxation last year well over £2,000,000, including, of course, the excise tax on matches.

The chairman went on to explain that the corporation was a holding company, and that the most important concern from which it dijew its income was Bryant and May, Ltd., in which it held all the ordinary shares. The subsidiary companies of Bryant and May, had ail given a good account of them; elves. Among the many interests represented were match factories at London, Liverpool, Glasgow, and Leeds hlsq at Melbourne and Sydney, and a new fttPfcory in course of erection at ■Perth, Australia ; Wellington and Dunedin, New Zealand ; Capetown and Durban, South Africa ; Berfeierville, near Montreal, and (Pembroke, Ontario, Canada; Buenos Aires and elsewhere in the Argentine, and Colombia, South America. They also owned or controlled the following businesses: —J. and G. Cox, blue and gelatine manufacturers, Edinburgh; Chambon, Ltd,, printing machinery makers, London and Jsiiuwke, Ltd., tin box manufacturers, London, The Scotish timber estates owned by Bryant and May on the Clyde comprised nearly 7000 acres, which were being afforested with timber particularly suitable for the tfOttcJi business.