628 



The Review of Reviews. 



December 1, 1906. 



INSURANCE NOTES. 



The balance-sheet of the Colonial Bank of Aus- 

 tralasia Ltd. for the half-year ended September 30th, 

 which appears in these columns, is well worthy of 

 perusal. The profits amounted to £19,578, and are 

 the largest on record. It is to be noted that the 

 September half-year is invariably a smaller one than 

 that ending in March, but the one just closed is an 

 exception. Out of the profits the sum of £10,000 

 has been added to the reserve fund, which now 

 amounts to £100,000. The dividend has been in- 

 creased from 5 to 6 per cent, per annum on both 

 ordinary and preference shares. A higher dividend 

 still could have been paid, but the directors have 

 shor, n a commendable prudence in making consider- 

 able additions to the reserves instead of largely in- 

 creasing dividends. The bank has made great pro- 

 gress during the last twelve months, the deposits 

 showing an increase of £413.659 for the year, and at 

 September 30th totalled £2,915,562. Discounts and 

 advances increased by £214,892, while the liquid assets 

 show an increase of £252,575, and now stand at 

 within a few hundred pounds of a million sterling, 

 which exceeds the amount due to the public on de- 

 mand. The directors and shareholders are to be con- 

 gratulated on the very satisfactory balance-sheet and 

 the strong position of the bank. 



The Premier of New Zealand was recently asked if 

 there was any truth in the rumour that it was in- 

 tended to amalgamate the business of the Government 

 Life Insurance Department with that of other com- 

 panies. He replied that thei-e was no foundation 

 for the rumour. 



.i disastrous fire broke out on the 22nd October 

 in Wellington, New Zealand, in a block of wooden 

 l)uildings in Lambton Quay. A strong wind was blow- 

 ing, and it was found that the water main had burst 

 five miles from the city a few minutes before the 

 alarm was given. The flames were therefore unable 

 to be checked, and spread with great rapidity through 

 two hotels and into the three-story warehouse of 

 AVhitcombe and Tombs, wholesale stationers and book- 

 sellers. This building was quickly demolished, and 

 the fire spread to the new brick banking premises of 

 the Bank of New South Wales, which were only com- 

 pleted twelvi months ago at a cost of £40,000. The 

 interior of tLe bank was entirely destroyed, but the 

 further progress of the ttames on that side of the 

 street was checked there. Meanwhile blazing frag- 

 ments were swept across the street into a wooden 

 block on the opposite side, which quickly took fire. 

 In this block were destroyed the L'nion Bank, the 

 Norddeutscher Lloyd's office, the Alliance Assurance 

 Company's office, the New Zealand Company's build- 

 ings, and the Wellington Trust and Loan buildings. 

 The total value of the property destroyed is valued at 

 £100,000, and the insurances amount to about 

 £80,000. 



THE EQUITY TRUSTEES, EXECUTORS, AND 

 AGENCY COMPANY LIMITED. 



RESERVE LIIBILITY, £100.000 ; GUARANTEE FUND, £10.000. 



BOARD OF DIRECTORS-Edwarrt Fanning. Esq , Chairman ; W. 

 Campbell Guest, Esq.; H B, Higgins, Esq,. K C, M.P.; Donald 

 Mackinnon, Esq,. M,L.A.; R, O, M Cutcheon, Esq.. ML, A. 

 REGISTERED OFFICE, No, 85 QUEEN ST,. MELBOURNE. 



This Company is empowered by special Act of Parliament to per- 

 form all classes of trustee business, JOEL FOX, Manager, 



SAFES. 



HOBBS, HART & CO,, LIMITED, 



By Special Appointment from Her L*t« Majesty Quebn Victoria 

 By Warrant from His Majesty King Edward VII. 



SAFEMAKERS TO THE BANK OF ENGLAND. 



Strong Rooms, Doors and Locks, Etc. 



F. J. LAWN & CO. ac\°ntV 



51 YORK STREET, SYDNEY. 



TEi.F.riiONE 1603. 



GEO. E. DICKENSON, 



Manager and Trustee. 



British Capital to Invest on Mortgage, Large .Sums froir, 

 4 per cent. 



PRELL'S BUILDINGS, 

 60 QUEEN STREET. IVIELBOURNE. 



CLEM. A. HACK, a.s.a.s.m., 



Mem. Aust, Inst, Min. Engrs.. 



Patent and Trade Marks Attorney, 



63 QUEEN STREET, 

 MELBOURNE. 



TELEPHONI 

 4622. 



ALEX. SINCLAIR, 



Consulting Engineer, 



31 QUEEN STREET, MELBOURNE. 



DREDGING A SPECIALTY. 



TEL 1169 



One of the most famous Abbeys iu England — Selby 

 Abbey in Yorkshire — was ilestroyed by fire last month. 

 The fire started in the north transept, and the choir, 

 the roof and the internal fittings, together with the 

 belfry, were destroyed, the damage being estimated 

 at ,£00.000. ilen were engaged repairing the organ 

 of the church, and the fire is attrilnited to the care- 

 lessness of one of them. The abbey was one of the 

 most beautiful in England, and was founded in 106S 

 by William the Conqueror. 



Mr. Douglas Owen, a well-known English authority 

 on insurance questions, has contributed an article t<i 

 the Lniidon Shippimi Gazette on the effect of the great 

 San Francisco conflagration in the safes and strong- 



