TIMARU GAS COMPANY.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12911, 27 February 1906, Page 6

TIMARU GAS COMPANY.

The thirty-hx-st annual general meeting, of tiie Tiinaru G«s Company \v«s heui iD. the Company t. «:iii.e laM night. ' 'Proent: Messrs U'. jivaus tcliairuinni. (•!. Clabites. E. A. LeCven; li. H. i'd-gencu. VV. A. Courtis, J. Jacks.,u r J. Shepherd, h. 'V. Baron, S. F. Smirhson. and T. V.*. Pi.att.

; The directors "Sported that them had bees a large inerea*fe on rhe number of consiuueis and output of gas. The new buildings lefened t" iii■'last annua] report were finished, and the new benches of retorts were beiag proceeded with under the. sapervisio:i of die engineer. Among other necessary renewals,' a larga. new cast-iron 'main had bean laid between Church street and Xlaori Hill, capable uf. fully supplying; that subuib. The directors hud taken off the charge for meters, which means a concession to consumers of £4OO per annum. An interim dividend of 5 per cent, was yoid in August, and a, further oiie of 5 per cent, was now lecominended. The retiring directors, Messrs John Jackson, George-tlabites. aad E. A. LeCien, oSered themselves for re-election.

The balance sheet snowed liabilities capital £14,000 (£IO.OOO old, and £4OOO uesv issue} reserves. £5525" 5s sd; debentures ■with interest. £1511: deposits 'at interest £800: and other amounts. Assets -. jN?rHianent works, mains, services and mefsr.-. £23.195.25-.-other, assets £4002 ICs 2d; total £27,195 12s Id.' IctLtfcg a Ixilnnce-ovev

>;. The profit and -loss account- showed— Cr. less diyidehd". from ' &V year, £2842 4s'; gas rates. hVeter and slo'vV •fates,. £6383 Cs 9d; tUr anS cofce ; v £lOlO 17s s<i; weighing aaiftransrfers. £3 9s 6d: total, £10i239 lis 9d. Dr. : —manufactni - ing account, wages and management. £3"4 C" 7s 2d-; -dividend, rates, taxes, interest, an-' other fees, including £458 5s 4d worih <\< renewals, £1758 1(5- lOd; balance-to endit, £5072 13s 9d; total,. £10.239- lis 90. The chairman submitted a report, i ofei ■ ring to the increase'in the business of th« year. The Company, had spent: £2§s7 S» : Id in alterations and additions, and" had j reduced! lighting gas by lOd ajnd power I gas by 5d per thousand feet, besides forfeiting rents for meters :• tliey were also I charging Is for stoves, las against > 2s I charged by other companies. -.The- Company, made 22.379,000 feet of- gas dining the* year, a« against 10.220.000:' feet ten years ago. The charge was now.6s Bd. for lighting gas and 5s sd' for' conking- ■' and power; and in consideration of flie-output, this nvust be considered reasonable; in Chrfetchurch the charge was, .-5s 5d for lighting, with an output of 168'.Ci|Uibn feet. The balance shown to profit, -i?so72- was I misleading, this being the aciJiued profit fox-the past three-years.. the] balance would.be closed- eve.rj» year. It j was proposed.to. transfer, .to resetve account •£4QOO; dividend £700; chalice- aof £332 13s •9d to- equalise-- dividend agoojtnk. . IHie engineer, staff/ :wprk,ing > harmoniously ?iin: Jthe ..Ce«|pw'4£i&? terestj .g'enteral.,' s«s^^bn^cM> Thti During tie- yearM99l : : tons iSfejcroal were carbonasedv an increase -of 76' tens over last year, and of 1.377,000 cubic feet of gas; 62. new services ; &ad been laid, absorbing 4875 feet of iron pipe. The buildings had been considerably enlarged, the old retort house being removed and a new one erected, in order to ;cope with the increasing demands for gas. The materials for the new bench of Tetorts had just arrived and were in process of erection.

A return- attached showed that ten years ago, 962 tons of coal produced 10.220,000 feet of gas, or 10,623 feet per ton: this year 1991 tons, made 22.579;0C0 feet, or ■11,240 feet of gas per ton. This showel :in increase of 617 feet per ton of .cnal.-.-an increase of nearly sir per cent, iu the efficiency of the works, a suaiiur cla*-* of ocal b&iog used.

The reports and balance sheets were received and adopted. - . Messrs G.' Gabites, J. Jackson, and E. A. LeCren.-the retiring directors, were unanimously re-elected. Mr J. K : . S. Jackson was elected auditor for the coming year at the usual remuneration.

The only other business was the handing out of shareholders' dividends, and votes of thanks to the chairman, directors, and members of the staff, proposed by Mr Pratt, and dulv carried.