THE GAS COMPANY.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 283, 28 November 1919, Page 8

THE GAS COMPANY.

— - ■ -...*■■ *..__.. STATEMENT BY THE MANAGER. LAST YEAR'S WORKING. £SO,OOO IX LABOUR. Some fnrtlier light was cast up_n tho affairs of the Auckland Gas Company yesterday by its engineer and manager, Mr. James Lowe, who sits at present as a member of the Dispute-. Committee, which under the chairmanship of Air. E. C. Cutten, S.Af., is trying to settle the differences between the company and its employees. Tlie question at issue was wages, and Afr. Lowe produced a document which set forth the earnings of the company, and compared them with the capital exexpenditure. This statement also set out the wages paid, and compared them also with the capital and the earnings of the company. The wages paid during last year were _->0,..<il 17/. tiiesc being made i.p of £6,070 cl. urged against capital expenditure, f.l_,*2!>.">, charged again-t consumers, cartage, and fittings, and the remaining £(.1,1-0 was paid for manufacture, distribution, management, and residuals. Tlie capital expenditure, including stores and working capital, was over a million —_.'1.024,20!) was the exact figure, and last year's dividend amounted to £5.1,039, which was only an interest of .">.:{.» per cent, upon the capital i.pent. The total receipts for that year had been ._271.707 17/7, and of this the wages bill of £01,100 represented 22.5 per cent., or nearly a quarter. The cost of coal was £. f1,057, or ._(i.B per cent, of the receipts, and Mr. Lowe pointed out that this was chiefly a labour charge, because it included cost, of ;1 1l handling at the mines, and on the railways, wharves, and ships. The material used for maintenance and repairs cost the company another £17,477, ti.4 per cent, of the receipts, and another £2,7.'1S went in general charges, of which the chief were insurance and compensation to workers. AA .th this another 10 per cent, of the receipts #ero involved in the land and income tax, which amounted to £2fi,-__l, and local rates used up £;.,735 of what was left.

Air. Lowe followed all this by pointing out that 5.37 per cent, of capital cost was very small at the present time. A lot of mistaken ideas were going about. In 'Britain at the present time manufacturing industries were capitalised on the average to the extent of £200 for every hand employed. Prior to the war the average pay for all workers, including females and apprentices and everybody, was £S0 a year, and the average* profit to the employer was £10. After wages had increased so greatly the employer still got his .€lO. which was really" a greatly reduced percentage, because the wages were so much higher, and the increase had had to be passed on to the public at large. That accounted for increased prices, but the employer's percentage had dropped considerably.

! The official opening day of the -Mount jHobson Croquet Club took place at the .'grounds, Omal v Road, Remuera. yesterj day afternoon in beautiful weather, and I proved a very successful function. The •greens were looking their best, and the ; pergola, which was covered with a mass •of climbing roses, formed a charming ; retreat for the guests during afternoon tea. which was spread beneath. Tlie ; tables were prettily decorated with the | club's colours, carried out in scarlet : and white larksupr, white carnations and maidenhair fern, under t.ie direction of Airs. Henderson. The presi- | dent of the club, Airs. Clark, was prei sented with a shower bouquet of scarlet ! and white roses, in a very pretty manjner by little Dorothy Biiddiley at. the i opening of the club. Progressive croquet was then proceeded with, and tbe prizes were won by Mesdames Newel], Dalton, Bell, and Rossiter. At the conclusion, Airs. Keesing, secretary of the Croquet Association, returned thanks to the president, Afrs. Clark, and the ladies of the club for the very enjoyaMe afternoon's play, and ■Mrs. Clark briefly replied. Amongst I those present -were: Mesdames Clark, •jHenderson, Farquhar, Harvey, Bright, jl-lodd, Suter, C. H. Jones, Somerville, \Harb_rt-. Dr. and Airs. Fullerton, Mesdames Worthington, A. Coutts, Pass- • -more, Cork, Gribben, Weatherilt- *nd iJMiss Busbye.