The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1869-02-23 00:00:00

GAS CONSUMERS COMPANY.

The half-yearly meeting of this company woo held on
Tharsdey morning last, at the Guildhall, when there
woes feu attendee*. of the shmeholders. Mr. Abbott,
chid:man of the directors, t ok the chair, and there were
• so present :—Messrs. J. Lundie. T. J. A. Beck. .1. E.
Robins, J. Robens, E. Mace, T. Beale, T. B. Groves,
Mason, Major, Robertson, Lansing, Edney, King, Tics,
Reynolds, C. Beale, J. J. Role, 1). Pidgeon, G. E.
Board, Lockwood, J. O. Csrtr, Crocker, Cohen,
Templernen, W. T. Hallett, J. Robb., Corsi and
Mr. Penny, engineer of the company, Mr. Stone, the
company's manager.
. . .

Th. minutes of the last meeting were read and
confirmed.

The CHAIRMAN then reed the direekn report, which
showed that the qaantity of gas manufactured was
largely in *loess of the lest year. They recommended a
dividend of 5 per cent. to be paid.
Kr. T. R. Cu AnLl2l HAIR read the half-yearly balance
sheet. The esp 4 at aticemit showed the op to Den. 31st.
the number of shares 'Hotted was 2,679. the receipts
141,755 55., and the expenditure £40.211 Its. 2d.,
lea.ing • belanoe of £1,513 13.. 10d. On the revenue
sonnet a balance of £873 9s. Bel. remained, which
could be applied in psyment of a dividend of 5 per cent.
free of income tax.

The CIiAMMAN mid that tbWr expenditure for the
last hilliesr hid been rather larger, in owisequinse of
wireral renewals of mauls and other matters Ishii%
would not occur in future half.yearly helium 'heed',
so that the expenditure would be materially reduesid.
With regard to Mr. Borden's coif., iribti had been
neetioned In the direotors' report, he was happy to say
that Mr. Tutud was Low in London going through
that matter, and pttiog the costa taxed, and he had
Intimated yesterday that a lerp amount had been
written off, somewhere about 1,000, and they expected
• reduction of £lOO or £4OO more. The total costs were
between MOO aid £3OOO, but they might expect more
than half would be taxed off.. .

-
r. LABIUM b&V.111 ulud how mooy shams wore
uwold.

--
The CR/.llNalg replied between 2011 and 300.
Mr. Mews said 125 had bun taken Gimes Christenu
Mr. J. K. ROll2lll rid application had been made for
shares at some of ths directors meetioga, but as this
was • matter that tionouned the town more than any
one outside, and as the shares were broagbt down to a
smaU number, it woe considered that they should be
open to the existing shareholders, before any one else
wu permitted to take shuts. Monk than • third of
the Dumber on band bad been taken mina Christmas.

Mr. PIIIIT said his Appian's°e at the meeting was
more in the character of a shareholder than that of the
company's engineer. His stake In the outworn was not
very great; but he appeared there alio to represent
those shareholders in London, who had become so in
*osmoses** of ha riseommeadiatioa, and who held
12,000 or rd,Oon of the oompaoy's capital. He
should be very pleased to represent to them what he
himself felt that the oompany was prosperous. Wore
coming to the mistier' he bad looked over the balance-
sheet, and It was satisfactory to him to tad that if
the eltreetors had erred at all, they bad done so In the
right direction, in not charging aortal& items to the
capital but debiting the revenue_ It would have been
taking • more popular worse to have some to the
soestiag and declared • dividend of sin or seven per
amt., instead of dve per cent; but he was quite sure
the shareholders would fie' the directors had token the
proper course, especially under the circumstances, ia
which they were placed whoa lying under the very
*eras's claim, ebicb he was glad to dad had been very
considerably reduced, namely Mr. Borders's mta—that
they had placed to revenue a great many chame±ilt
=lest, without any very seriouserror, hereto»
to eapttaL Everything the shareholders reeseived tees ir;
would be in order that they latest resolve more here-
otter. The eoncern was prospering, and the gas route',
which was the foundation of all, was leer... Laing, and
they had the satisfaction of knowing that what he had
predicted had conic to puss—they would be enabled to
Increase the consumption of gas, by redamng its price,
aid those who paid would have the satislastlon of
knowing they got • larger quantity for a loss sum.
Tbis was what the company was brought into slitters*
for -to do good to the town, and it waii always a seas-
(ration when we could beeellt others wiikost ding any
harm to outvote. a, and this was the position the 0001-
par occupied. There was one item in the account,
which did not exactly appear, tut which would make
Itself felt, and would do so still more—he meant the
sum they resolved from the public lamp,. The towns-
people appeared Isere in two ehansaters, as consumers
of gas and shareholders, and as payers of rates and
gosee. It would he a moot unfair thing that ose part
of the community should benefit at the expense of
another. If too low a prime was paid for the public
lamp. the SOWN 01•111 themselves must eider, because
Ii wae 0000soary and fair that a sertain remuneratioo
should be given to Muse who provide **Cal for carry'
tog out a I Undertaking of this kind, sad if one portion
paid very little, it was quite *tear another must pay too
wasli. This increase In the prose of the public lamps
sag ooly fair and proper, as it only brought the mantel.
plait I la their payments to an equality with these
me& by the townspeople. The eorporatioa or rannici-
ow ought not to take any easeptiors to the abuse
was, simply barites it was quite tar. Every