21 JANUARY 1938, Page 40

" hos' " GOOD FIGURES.

Consistently good results are now being shown by the leading tobacco companies. Those of the Imperial Tobacco Company of Great Britain and. Ireland are no exception. The final dividend is maintained at 71 per cent. and the cash bonus at to per cent., both tax free, making a total tax free distribution of 25 per cent. for the year, the rate to which it was raised a year ago. A sum of £250,000 is again added to general reserve and the carry-forward is increased by £258,000 to L1,441,000. This suggests that the 1937 'trading profit was about D14,000 higher than the previous year's at something over £ ro,75o,000. Although competition in the tobacco industry remains very keen, the increase in employment and general purchasing power must have found reflection in a larger volume of sales which, in turn, has enabled the combine to achieve a new high record level of earnings.