Pacific Empire
pp. 42-43 · Read in the full issue
Comparison with 1935 Shows Remarkable Figures
Growth Of The W. R. Carpenter
r[AT large South Pacific invest ment and trading corporation, W. R. Carpenter & Co. Ltd,, has just issued its annual balance sheet (year ended June 30 last).
The figures are remarkable —a net profit of £273,191 (£31,000 better than 1956), and a carry-forward of £394,859, after paying 15 per cent.
It is a Company with a:, interesting history.
The late Sir Walter Carpente formed it in 1914, to engage i; trade opportunities created in th Islands by the elimination c Germany in World War I. Turn over grew so rapidly that the nee for new trading capital was almos crippling; and “W.R.”, financis genius as he was, had to fight life a demon to retain control of tb new Company for the Carpente family. How many, who witnesse his struggles then, could ha-v envisaged this 43rd balance-sheet PIM first made acquaintance wit the Carpenter Company in the ear thirties. By then, it was aboi 20 years old and doing nicell Most of its operations were still : the one corporation, with heao quarters in Sydney; but already had formed or was formin subsidiaries to handle its ne shipping line, new insurance con pany, and new air transportatio in New Guinea.
Since then, the whole structui has been rearranged, so that me of the trading activities have bet transferred to various associab and subsidiary companies, wii headquarters in various places some outside of Australia —and good deal of the original subscrib< capital has been returned; so th the original Company, still O’Connell Street, Sydney, now mostly an investment and holdiJ company. In addition, the hn inflation of the post-war period h taken the significance from con parative figures. Nonetheless, it. interesting to compare this lat* (43rd) balance-sheet with that the Mid-’Thirties (the 21st);
Carpenters, through their as.? ciates and subsidiaries, now contt or are interested in storekeeping ?
New Guinea and Fiji; shipping most of the oceans: insurance Australia and most of the Teif tones; air transporation in Guinea; planting in various Islanr copra-crushing mills in Fiji s
1935 195* - £ £ Capital Issued Reserves and unapp't'd. 468,326 1,305/, profits 200,000 1,723,1, Due to subsidiaries . . — 663„ Due by subsidiaries . — 537„ Creditors 78,187 18,.
Investments 217,885 2,936,.
Property, ships, etc. . 277,475 Sundry debtors 225,038 8,1 Stock 72,243 3,1 Cash on hand — 198,1 Net profit 48,684 273,1 Dividend, per cent. . . 3 Carried forward . 6,082 394,1
»w Guinea; and only the general anagers know w r hat else. Atom »mbs could break many eggs—so se men spread their eggs through any baskets.
New Brewery In Fiji
The Directors report their latest terprise—a new brewery in Fiji. ; this, they have been joined by e powerful Carlton United ■ewery, of Melbourne; and a new mpany, Carlton Brewery Fiji mited, has been formed to own d operate the Suva establishment now nearly complete.
Directors of WRC & Co. are; essrs. R. B. Carpenter (Chair jtn), C. H. Carpenter (Vice lairman), W. S. Bennett, B. B. irriman, W. G. Johnson, C. D. ownhill and H. E. Snell. In 1935 gures quoted above) the Directors are: Sir Walter Carpenter (Chair in and Managing Director), R.
Carpenter (Assistant Managing rector), Sir Henry Braddon, D.
Brownhill, and C. H. Carpenter, r. Perriman then was Super tendent in New Guinea. In the esent Board, Mr. C. D. Brownhill s succeeded his father, a leading dney stockbroker; and Mr. W. G. hnson (Managing Director of the jpenter Co. in Fiji), and Mr. H.
Snell (Chairman, of Morris idstrom Ltd.) have joined the adquarters Board since Car nters acquired control of Morris idstrom Ltd.