TONNAGE RECORD

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 80, 5 April 1938, Page 11

TONNAGE RECORD

MANCHESTER SHIP CANAL

It was announced recently that the directors of the Manchester Ship Canal Company recommended for 1937 a dividend 0f.4 per cent, on the preference shares, against 3J per cent, paid for 1936, and one of 2 per cent, on the ordinary shares, against 11 per cent.,«isays the "Manchester Guardian. The full report and accounts for the year are now available, and they show that, after, making greatly increased provision for repairs and renewals or bridges, plant, .and other works, the balance available for distribution was £338,875, as compared with £310,951 a year ago. Ship Canal tolls, ship dues, and miscellaneous receipts totalled £1,479,137,. as compared with £1,377,723 in 1936 land £1,334,260 in 1935, while the total toll-paying merchandise traffic made a new "record," at 7,053,216 tons. This compared with 6,373,308 tons in 1936 and with the previous record of' 6,830,879 tons which had stood since 1926. The report states that an extension of the company's railways and private road serving the Stanlow oil sites, including a reinforced concrete bridge to carry the railways and road over the Eiver Gowy, is approaching completion A mechanical slipway for, handling lock gates and a new workshop for the repair of lock gates have been constructed at Runcorn. A floating crane, electrically operated, with a lifting capacity of 250 tons has been provided for handling lock gates, salvage work, and for dealing with exceptional traffic lifts. The directors announce that an William E. Dudley is retiring from the board owing to ill health. ,He has served on the board for nineteen years and his association with the company goes back 55 years.