NEW ZEALAND SHIPPING COMPANY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 169, 23 December 1914, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND SHIPPING COMPANY.

ANNUAL MEETING. ClirUlcliurcli, December 21. The annual meeting of the New Zealand Shipping Company was held to-day, Mr A. 10. Rhodes presiding. The report of the London Board stated that' a divident of 10s per share (free of income tax), was recommended, of which Ss per share was paid on April 7th. TJie sum of .C 27.770 2s 3d was carried for-" w anl. Tliu chairman, in moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, s-aid one reason for the shortage of ordinary rargo space for the last few months' was that in other years there was very little frozen meat or dairy .produce in tile spring, and during that, tjiii; they were able to carry a good deal, of ordinary cargo in the insulated holds. Hut this year, from .September Ist up till December 31st, judging from their bookings, I hey would carry equal lo IiS,OIK) sheep, 113,(00 boxes of butter, and 24,500 crates of cheese in excess of the frozen cargo of the same period last year, and lie was glad to say that up • io date they had been able to got away 'all frozen meat and dairy produce that bud been oU'ering. Three specially chartered steamers were "shorty due, which sho'.ild carry about 00,(W0 bales o? ■a 00l and would meet all requirements up to February of those who ship by the company. Although freights had ad- ; vanced all over the world, they uad not gone up so much here as in Australia. Freight-! on wool, tallow,, frozen meat and dairy produce were al higher there than in New Zealand. During the past year "the company arranged for direct I steamers to go to Hull and Southampton, and though the Kast Coast trade, like many others, was at present stopped on account of the war, they hoped to b..' fd>lc to resume it before long. The, people of New Zealand were undertaking their share of responsibility in the defence of the Empire. The company had ; given £IOOO to various funds and had ' given free carriage of about 200 tons of goods. The company did not have a large staff in New Zealand, but the positions of officers who had gone to the, war were being kept open for them, and they hoped to see them bade. The eorii- [ pany realised that their verv existence r depended on the British fleet., and the action of the Imperial Government. The report and balance-sheet were adopted.