IN the June, 1968, number of THE LIFE-BOAT three companies which have given the R.N.L.I. valuable financial support over a number of years were mentioned.

Continuing the series, we describe three more companies.

• In 1843 the Liverpool firm of Duncan Fox & Co. Ltd., whose headquarters are in London, started its trading operations in Chile and 20 years later in Peru.

Among its many activities, it has shipping agencies and marine oil bunkering agencies, and interests in the manufacture of textiles, Pharmaceuticals, flour, metalware and plastic products. Importing and exporting have always been important parts of its business, both in South America and in the U.K. and Europe. There is a subsidiary company in New York and an interest has recently been acquired in a distributing business in Australia.

• Formed in 1901 as an amalgamation of 13 of the country's leading tabacco manufacturers, the Imperial Tobacco Company (of Great Britain and Ireland) Ltd., Bristol, had four more tobacco companies and a printing and packaging concern join the consortium the following year.

The Tobacco Division of the company has been rationalised into four main operating companies—W. D. & H. O. Wills, John Player & Sons, Ogden and Churchman's.

Firms in ancillary interests such as paper, board and wholesale and retail distribution, which had become heavily involved with the company, were acquired. In more recent years there has been wide diversification into other industries.

• The beginnings of the textile firm, Carrington & Dewhurst Group Ltd,, of Chorley, Lancashire, date back to 1885. Then, with only natural fibres available, the emphasis was towards the weaving of cotton fabrics. As the man-made fibres came on to the market the firm moved away from cotton to these new fibres.

Rapid expansion has occurred in the last five years with the acquisition of a large number of companies engaged in many different aspects of textile pro- cessing, both at home and abroad.

The 45 processing factories of the Carrington & Dewhurst Group are now concerned with the range of activities, including weaving, knitting, yarn bulking, dyeing, printing and garment manufacture..