DEVONPORT FERRY CO.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 196, 17 August 1917, Page 7

DEVONPORT FERRY CO.

ANXUAL AIEETLXG. The twenty-second annual meeting or :hc Devonport Ferry Company nas acid at Devonport yesterday afternoon. In moving the adoption of the annua! report and balance-sheet (published yesterday) Mr E. W. Alison, chairman of directors, drew attention to the fact that the net profit shown was £4.579 3/11 —slightly less than for the previous year. No additions had been made to the reserve insurance, and boiler renewal accounts, and the profit on the year's working warranted only the payment of a dividend of 7i per cent, as recommended by the directors. As was to be expected, war had been responsible for a decrease in the passenger traffic and an increase in working expenses, and in addition a continuity of bad weather Lad seriously affected the excursion trari'.c. :i?I or which contributed to the reditrtior ,n the pro-its. A few shareholder* li"<1 suggested to h'.m that as tiie New Zealand Railways and most "tiler important passenger carrying undertakings had reduced their services, there should be. a curtailment of trips by the company. Whilst this suggestion, if given effect to, would tend to economy it would asuredly inconvenience the travelling public, and the endeavour of the directors was to continue, as far as possible, the existing services, and not to ent off any trips Which would cause public inconvenience.l Only one slight alteration had been niade in the ferry timetable, viz., the discontinuance of thelast trip on week-nights on tbe Xorthcote and Birkenhead service, a trip on which only about two passengers were carried on an average. It had been recently deemed advisable to reduce 'the number of trips on the company's uiotor-bus service at Devon-

port owing to the difficulty in obtaining •applies of oil and the necessity tor conserving the company's present stocks. The trips which had been curtailed did lot materially affect the convenience of the residents, as the busy morning and evening trips remained unaltered. The steamers and plant. Mr. Alison continued, were generally in good order, Mil there had been a creditable freedom from accidents. During the year three °t the company's captains had enlisted, and it was now a difficult matter to secure capable certificated officers for the 'wry services. Of the company's em- ! ployees on active service two had laid down their lives and others had i keen wounded, though not seriously. He j *ould again impress upon shareholders that they should not be disappointed with j Mc result of the year's operations, or j *ith the dividend recommended for pay- ' tttent. bearing in mind The time of stress through which the Empire was passing, j The adoption of the report was j »econded by Mr. J. Mays, and carried toanhnouslv. Toe Hon, Seymour Thorne-George, Retiring director, vras re-elected, also the j Retiring auditors, Messrs. Thomson and Gray. On the motion of ~^ T r. E. Davis, j 'nearty vote of thanks -corded the officers and staff of the hi., ny for' faithful services rendered during the Past year. ,- The chairman said the company was lortunate in possessing a loyal and 'Scient staff, both in the offices and on we steamers. 1 o that he attributed, in great extent, the freedom from accir e s*> and smooth working of the •Wvices of the company.