The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1882-02-28 00:00:00

MEETING OF THE OAS OOMPANY.

On Thursday the hall-yearly meeting of the Weymouth
Coneotnerl the Conputy was hell at the Board-room,
S. re,,,,...etreet, In order to receive en I improve of
lie balatlCe-Sbeet. and decere • d.VHIIHa Mr. H.
rh %memo of directors, pretudied ad esuel, and among tome
present were : —Hamra R. Tatum., J. R doettion, se, g.
▪ io•, Tellest. Lundie. 1). Collett, J. K Robin; acid
Hulett, D. South. Hears. B. ilopkisos, T. Arthott,
I. intling, White, J. Id Rolla, Cooke, B3.rJ, Oakley,
phoessmit, attn. Holt, and LAIN zocretary,
'no, report stated that Jr..t rmult of the hal-year's work
and the balance beought for ward, ambled the director. .o
decant a dividend of £lO per cent. on toe old shards and
▪ par cent. on the IWS metes, fres of Income tax.
Toe ecc aims hsviug been submitted by the secretary,
TiCHAIRMAN lad they Mould be glad to bear the
compauy is mill to • position I pay the usu tl dividend,
leering • coal! balance to c irry forward. Ti.tom ot
revenue arose PORI the late reduction in the price of gas ;
beteg mule LUid or the lest quarter only, nod hut ft
that, he £5l in hand would hare been upwards of £2OO.
The inildne es of tbe season had ales affected the r r. turn.,
at this is still in operation. The am not of gal seot out
last KU nab had been half a milieu of feet lose flan in
Janusry 1081, and that amount of decrease they must
exp. ct to see an the next half-yearly balan sheet,
however, they might leave eate hall-yin, to take care
of itaelf. The directors hope ere long to see such an
iacrease in tag consumption of gas as will jos' ify thew
in making a Mitt further reduction in price in
f.r.. the two objects ever before the directors are—to meet
I. • dividends and to bsing down the prim of gm, in
wild, coneurnera, whether aharehilders or not, have •
common intereet. Unhappily lur the company. and
perhaps more unhappily for the town, hey were weighted
with capital out of proportion tithe amount of eel manu-
factured here, sad it wee that which hindered them !von
memo( the reduction they °usenet«, would. He ball hean
a.ked to call the shareholders' attention, and through
thew that of the public, to the recent impruVeMen, in
gm *teem, several kind, of which ma) te seen at the
various gas-fitters it the town, and also at Chs works, and
which for convenience and economy ohould dad • placate
house. A gas stove at • comparatively small Price
con now be bad for beating a bedr soul or small sitting.
rota, commuting seem feet Of gas per hour, at • cost ot Ims
than one halfpenny, at the present price of sm, and when
Vie time COMOI, m it will soot, that gas will be used more
largely for besting purpee4, and can be sent out without
the coat of pantie shot, tee price will be still further
reduced. The principle on whdh gas stove, are now
constructed is that every fraction of atmospheric air,
which costs bottung, now ourigles with the gas, and thus
becomes so 'urea of heat. The verfoue charges ant receipts
now prediuted in the resume of accounted° not material,
differ fr3m those of toe correspondleg half-year The
cost of maintenance on the one side, and the prodts on
the sale of reeidual profits on the other, amount to vary-
ing 15a.112Z. but crotrarnlng thia and other points on which
they might seek further information, Mr. Lowe would be
ready to give it. Tao books of the company were open to
shsreholders during the week at offlos h u-s. The Chair-
man then proposed that the directors' report, and the
statement of accounts be received and adopted.
(Applause.)
Iltr. It S. ELIOT seconded the proposition, and was glad
to hear the position of the company maned fairly flour.
lilting at present Toe future was a little hazy in some
Tastier*: but t lee would accept each hall-year as it came,
and be thankful for good dividends.

Mr. Codt.ert must say he ehiuld like to sea a little
impravemut in the quality of the sa4. lie bat • large
gas store far cooking aud heating. but since using he had
been compelled ta hare lus ceilings whitewashed more
°ltem than be liked.

OMILLIT bed not himself noticed mach • thing; but
Ms atuntien hut been celled to it by two large con-
sumers, who said -Since you bore lowered the price the
quslity has deterioreted." The matter, he thought, hied
been mentioned in the Town Council.

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Mr. LUNDSI said hs did not c oinplain ; be wee a largo
consumer ot gas, and in his opinion the quality was as
pure u be caul I see anywhere.
In answer to the CliAlltlW4, Mr. Collgtr said be should
like toms an improvement both In quantity and illuminat-
ing pow. r.
The CHAIRMAN said the company are subject to heavy
penalties il thy do sot supply gas of le-candle illuminat-
ing power; there is • test at the works for the Mimined.
ing power, and the town could appoint an inspector to
see it wee supplied with gas of the required standard.
Mr. Coudirr thought It was more a matter of pressure
than !northing else.
Mr. ROLLS tlvitght most of the compleinie were se to
the public lighting.
The CHAT WWI reminded the meeting the former burners
supplied to the town Sit ef gas per boor: but since then
• redaction in price was asked for, and burner. wets
used which only supplied Ift. of gee per hour, which had.
of course, redwood the power of as light.
In answer to Mr. Loomis, the Msgeogn said all the
public lamps consumed it. of gas per hour.
Kr. Rosins said that in order to make the Puriarstion
of gas what it ought to be, the company had not shrunk
from • rut amount of expense. In two yews they had
spent 41.200 at least on a new purifying bolus, severed
improvement, bad been made in order to make this gas as
pure., possible, sal tho illuminating power had bum kept
up to the proper standard. When Mr. Stoles wssmutspr,
and complaints were sometimee muds, he salil—" Mr.
It oboes, the illuminating power is often over 15 Public
companies are alwaye complained of; let say one go end
see if the gas is not above 1.5 candle standard." As
people had complained about the quality of the gas since
It had been lowered In pros, would it not be well to raise
the price • ; then people !Meld ley they had purer
gas and better Illuminating power. litany of the C
ph.int4 arose from using detective burners, but Siemens'
were constructed to Colliame everything which passed
through, and they would not discolour ceilings at all. He
invited persona who felt aggrieved to us the standard and
quality of the gas.
The ILI2IAGER said the complaint began at the Council
Chamber, but the gentlemen there should be aware that
93 p-r cent. of the quantity of gss formerly used bat been
cut off from the pretest lights. As to private complaint,,
they arose from local circumstances ; and, as to the cots.
pony's sea blackening ceiling., the opinion of scientific
men was that it was far too rich. He we, doing his
utmost to give cuitninere the very best for their moony ;
previonsly they bad teen wing Midland coal, but he
had taken in one of the eery bet Scotch cannel coal. at
nearly double thee et re r ion, to improve the qaalityof
the gas. Bad light woe often caned by using bad
burner., and thee, c b. r •medkol at a little expense,
good burners costing aboot 21. earl.
Kr. TOOIIiS wise surprised the uee of gig for cooking
and heating purpous was nit b Ater undo:vetoed. A large
customer told his servant that, if she would ha econmorcal
...in it (0. S'olahli pone:Hee, and there was any save, the
difference should he shared, an I at the end of the year,
they saved £3. From his own uperionc i, the toot of
get cocking apparatus for 12 parsons *III4 only LI per
quarter. The director.' only objects guru I, give al
satisfaction and benefit the consumers-1 very different
state of things from what existed before the formation of
the company, when sufficient gas could not be obtained.
The /shareholders were paid all they were allowed to
[erosive, and what possible interest could the ramingers of
the cempeny hay* in supplying the public with inferior
gee He was surprised there Sr. net more cooking stoves
need in the town, as their convenience and cleanliness
are very great isdeed. and if watched they would be found
the 1004 ecosocnicill mode of cooking.
Ur. flAurn proposed "That the but thanks of the
meting be siren to the chairman sod directors for their
able conduct of the affeies of the company."
h. CouArrr seconded, and the rseolution was carried.
Mr. ROngarSOn responded, and assured the shareholders
that tbe directors tried to most the requirement. of the
town; they bad very long sittings St times, and their
object was to gin e satisfaction to the consumer.
Kr. Roses proposed, and Mr. LaNNINO wended, • vote
of thanks to the manager, for the able manner in which
he bad conducted the affairs of the company.
Mr. Lows returned thanks, hoping he might receive
similar expressions ss time rolls on.
The muting than closed.

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