ORDINARY MEETING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9904, 24 November 1893, Page 4

ORDINARY MEETING.

The council then held the ordinary meeting, the same members being present. FINANCE. Accounts for the month amounting to £386 14-s 7d were passed for payment. BUPOETS. The Inspector reported as under : Macraes Riding.—The roads in this riding were in fair order. A creek on Clark's road, near the Moonlight schoolhouse, crossed the road into Mr J. Fraser'sproperty, and lie turned the water into the ditches and rendered the road impassable. He asked instructions, as the road was used for mail traffic and required attention. The road crossing the Taieri river wanted a small bridge or culvert enlarged and about 12 chains of gravel. Part of the road near Mr Gifford's farm required metal to raise it up where the water lodged and rendered it very soft in winter. The public well on the Macraes road was working satisfactorily, and proved a great convenience. — Keport received, and the clerk instructed to write Mr JTraser, giving him notice not to inter T fere with the flow of water; and the matter of crossing over the Taieri river was left over until the council communicated with the Maniototo County | Council. I Green Valley Riding.—There was a small bridge in this riding near Mr Lee's farm, which required to be renewed during the summer or early in autumn.—Received. Blue Mountain Riding.—The crossing over the Shag river leading to Mrs Randall's could be removed lower down —about four chains, or the same distance higher up, the water having made a strong stream at the present crossing, which could not be improved except at great expense. The road past Mr flluir's homestead required attention, and wanted three new culverts, the old oues being done. There was also a bridge at Mr Craig's which was much decayed and was. unsafe for heavy traffic ; also another at Mr Steel's homestead that required renewing, having been built in 1868 and having thus stood 25 years.— Received. Dunback Riding.—The roads in this riding were fairly passable, but the recent rains had caused the road to Macraes to be badly cut up.— Received. Bushy Riding.—A large culvert on the Muddy Creek road near Mr O. M'Gregor's homestead, leading to Mr Whiteside's, required renewal, and the formation of Whiteside's road with small culvert and gravel also demanded attention. The gorse allowed to lie on the road did considerable damage, and attention was called to another culvert near Walker's that would require to be renewed very soon. —Received, and inspector empowered to temporarily repair culyert. Goodwood Riding.—M'Lay was progressing very well with his contract on the road in this riding, and three plank culverts had been erected on the village settlement road, but the entire hillside seemed to be on the move, the road being no Booner made passable in one place than it began to break in another. With dry weather he thought the road would soon become firmer. — Received. COBItESPONDENCE. From the Treasury, Wellington, intimating that the sum of £5 2s 6d (goldfields revenue) had been remitted to the credit of the council at the Colonial Bank, Palmerston.—Received. Prom the department of Justice, Wellington, enclosing copy of verdict and a rider thereto of the jury at the inquest on the body of William Mardling, who was apcidently drowned whilst crossing the Taieri river at the ford known as Mardliug's ferry, near Hyde, on the 25th September last. The rider to the verdict being that the attention of the county councils be directed to the rough state of the fords in the district. —Received. From the secretary to the Charitable Aid Board, Dunedin, forwarding for the consideration of the council extracts from report of meeting of committee having reference to making provision for cases of infectious diseases. Received. From the |Audit Office) Wellington, re certain expenditure from county funds for purposes other than those hitherto authorised under the Public Revenues Act 1893.— Received. From the Taieri County Council stating that a road grader had been ordered from the National Mortgage and Agency Company, and when at work intimation would be given where it could be seen at work.—Received. From the Secretary to the Dunedin City Sinking Fund stating that the commissioners had agreed in reference to the proposed deviation of roadline that, instead of erectiDg a fence, the council should erect a good strong gate on the boundary of the section. —Received. From Mr J. Bryca, Palmerston, complaining of the overflow of surface water from the roadline on to his property in Buckland Town, caused through the culvert being blocked. He asked to have the obstruction removed.— Received, and Mr Bryce to be informed that the council did not see their way to comply with the request. From the Secretary to the Benevolent Institution Dunedin, in reference to an application on behalf of the children of Mr Mardling, recently drowned in the Taieri river, who had been left unprovided for, and asking the recommendation of the council in the matter.— The council agreed to recommend 15s per week. ~ _ , From the Secretaries to the Benevolent Institution, Charitable Aid and Hospital Boards, Dunedin, in reference to the appointment of delegates for the election of members and trustees.—Mr T. Muir was appointed delegate for the election of members, and Sir J Green for the appointment of trustees of the -elective boards. Mr Green was also apuointed to represent the Waihemo Council on the Charitable Aid Board for the ensuing year. SMALL BIRDS. The council resolved to offer Is 6d per 100 for small birds' eggs, on the same conditions as last Ifc'was also resolved to call for tenders for works on the road at Gifford in Macraes riding, cost to be charged to the land fund. The council then adjourned. — The word " dad" for father is not slang, but pure Welsh, the language which was spoken in London before the Saxons acd Romans came. "To save time is to lengthen life." Do uoy value life ? Then use SAPOLIO. SAPOLIO. SAPOLIO. It is a solid cake of Scouring Soap. Try a cake of it in your next house cleaning. Sold by grocers, druggists and ironmongers.

THE MUTUAL AGENCY COMPANY OF NEW ZEALAND (LIMITED).

The eighth, annual meeting of the shareolders of the Mutual Agency Company of New ealand was held in the company's premises esterday forenoon; Mr Robert Wilson occuied the chair. The Chairman, in moving the adoption of tie report and balance sheet, said he .ad again the pleasure of congratulating hareholders on the result of the iast year's operations. On turning to he balance sheet they would Eec that the let profit for the year, after providing for .11 bad and doubtful debts and probable coningencies, amounted to £3102 6s Id. This he elt sure they would consider a very satisfacory result, taking into consideration the ex:eedingly low rates of commission, and the very reen competition existing in that class of busiless. He thought there were only two items m the assets side with which they were not ihoroughly conversant, and to which he would briefly refer. The first was the Inchclutha property. That property, as old shareholders would probably remember, was leased some years ago for periods expiring in 1895, and as ;.he land was worth considerably more than the price at which tenants had the right of purshase, it "would no doubt disappear from the balance sheet in about 18 months. The Dther was the goodwill that stood, at the time of the amalgamation, at £9000, and was reduced by £561 10s, the amount of the bonus paid to original shareholders last year. It was now proposed to still further reduce it by paying the balance of the cash bonus (£7BO 6s) and writing.off £658 4s, making in all £2000 written off that item. The working j expenses were somewhat less than for the last period, and if shareholders would only send their business to the company without requiring to be canvassed a very considerable saving could be effected under this heading. During the year 4700 bales of wool and 72,000 bags of grain, &c, were handled by the company, which he thought amply proved that they enjoyed the confidence of a large section of the farming community. One of the directors (Mr Jacob Shearing) resigned his seat on the board, and Mr Thomas Mackenzie, M.H.R., was elected to the vacancy. He felt sure that appointment would meet with the approval of all connected with the company. Mr J. A. Andebson seconded, and said he had much pleasure in rising to second the motion for the adoption of the report and balance sheet, and in doing so he would like to take the opportunity of congratulating shareholders on the continued success which had been shown in the conduct of the company's business. That result had, he was pleased to think, been attained without any great straining or canvassing after business, otherwise the turnover would have been much larger; and, in fact, the board had during the past year followed a most conservative line of policy. That coursehad been induced in a great measure owing to the financial troubles that had proved bo disastrous to trade in the sister colonies, and which it was thought might, to a certain degree, interfere with the internal trade of this colony. He was pleased, however, to say that the company's business had never yet been on a sounder oi more sure basis than it was at the present time, and he had every confidence that that positioi would still be maintained. He should have very much liked, however, if they had beer enabled at that meeting to declare a bonus tc members on the amount of their business w addition to the 8 per cent, dividend. But thai could not be very well done, as they would notice it was proposed to place £1100 of the proiifcß to make the final payments in connection with the cost of amalgamation and bonus on ole shares for their goodwill. These moneys woulc not again have to be provided for, so there was a positive certainty under ordinary circuit stances of a large sum being available next year for distribution on business don< in addition to the usual dividend. H< therefore wished to impress upon memberi the necessity in their own interests o: increasing their business if it wen possible to do so. They had ample accommodation, and a competent staff that coulc undertake the work at least as well as it coul< be done elsewhere, and there would always bi the satisfaction of knowing that any increase! profits that might accrue in that way would bi returnable to shareholders in the shape of bonu at the year's end. The retiring directors, Messrs R. Wilson, F G. Pogson, and J. B. Reid were re-elected, oi the motion of Mr David Muhbay, seconded b< Mr M'Coll Smith. The auditors, Messrs R. H. Leary and Co. were also re-elected. Mr Heney Clakk moved a vote of thank to the officers and staff of the company, whic! was carried unanimously. Mr Reid briefly replied, thanking the share holders for the expression of confidence. A vote of thanks to the chair terminated th meeting.