BRITISH INVESTMENTS IN 1888.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 365, 4 May 1889, Page 8

BRITISH INVESTMENTS IN 1888.

Tee following is a summary 01* the amount and of the direction tsiken by British surplus fund 1 ? in th* London loan rmnket dmin;r the pa^t ycnr. The ' P.ill M<ill Gazette' of n Life f'.itosays :—": — " 1 lie new secuiities cfitVied for subscription during the cm rent year amount up to a larger total Ih.in in any year since 1881. Not taking inro account the new Russian loan, "which has not rli t i\s n much money fiom this market, the asr&iegate of the new loans and new companies offered for subscription this year verges on £159,000,000. Although there h:ive been aburdant invitations to Riibsciiliy for home concerns, forei.em count)-ies liave taken the bulk of this huge amount. South Ameiica hap absorbed almost one-third of the whole in the shape of government and lailway loans. Under these heads the Argentine Republic Las increased i's indebtedness by not less than £25.000,000, while neaily as much more has been taken by Biazil, Uruguay, and Mexico. Even if these countries are progressing as fast as they are represented to be, the i ate of borrowing is dangerously rapid. The United States has taken for railway pm poses £13,000,000. and India and the Colonies neaily £7,500,000, the total of foreign and colonial railway loans mounting up to £41,000,000. India and the Colonies obtained with ea^e as government loans £21,500.000, and Egypt borrowed £2,250,000. Coming to jointstock companies, the three leading features have been the subscription of £11,250,000 for breweiies, £2.250.000 for investment trust 5 , and £5,500,000 for mining companies. The advance in the value of money has checked the flow of new issues, but some of a minor kind are still on the way."