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Show II. S. SKLlt PROMi GROW Directors Consider Advancing Advanc-ing Dividend Rate on Common Stock. The cash position of United Statos Smelting is bo strong and earnings have shown such a steady Improvement throughout the year that serious consideration consid-eration will be given by the directors at their meeting the end of this month to Increasing the present dividend rate of ?5 a share on tho common ptock, says the Boston News bureau. It is possible that the increase may come in the form of an extra but much more likely is an advance in the regular distribution from $5 to $( per annum. Strength of finances is something more than a passing development, representing the p'.ay of other factors than tho mere accretion of earnings. It has come about, moreover, In spite of the very substantial commitment involved in the recent purchase pur-chase of tho Santa Ana property in Mexico. Mexi-co. The big mining company is in stronger strong-er financial shape today than for years. The now Mexican purchase is enthusiastically enthusi-astically regarded by those who know silver sil-ver values and potentialities across the border. With Hs addition tho company now has four and three-quarter miles of territory on the outcrop of tho famous VIscalna vein on which the sensational strike of a few years back was made. With this rich ore opened up and increased in-creased smelting capacity soon available for its treatment, earnings are expected to increase in sharper ratio than normally normal-ly occurs from Increasing production. Every department, viz., copper, silver, lead and coal is now reporting on the right sido of the ledger. In both, good times and bad diversification or" earnings hns proved a very real blessing to the smelting smelt-ing company. United States Smelting common is now-selling now-selling in the 70s. Increase of tho common dividend may possibly result in market appreciation to the point of stimulating conversion of the $12,000,000 6 per cent notes, convertible at 75. |