The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-08-16 00:00:00

CONSUMERS' GAS COMPANY MEETING.

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The half-yearly m-eting was held at the Boardioom on
Thursday, when there were present :—Mr. R. Damon
teoairman). Messrs. Thomas, kindle, Tatbit, Board,
!Lanett, B. Ropkiue, A'ibott, Stine, R. 04k1ey, Randall.
ehapple. E. Linnirtg, Rips, and Lowe Otcretara
The CUIRMAN said hie first duty would be to introduce
their new manager. Mr. Lowe was not altoge her a
etianger ; he htid been a ahar.holder in the company, and
ha also attended their meetings.
Mr. Lows read the notico. stating that Messrs. R..
DALII01), J. R. Robens, aud J. Talbot, directors, retir,d,
lett "tiered themselves for re-election, and Mr. E. W.
G'oll.. an auditor, retiree, but offers himallt tut re-
.l-_c •I tn. _

_
Mr. T. STONs, late manager, read the report of the
d,r, tura, a inch stlted they recommended e diviiend of
£lO r cent. on the ..risinal chorea. and .0 pr on
illu nee shares, and that .C5O be presented to Mr. Stone,
th. late m.nager, aa a slight recognition of los long and
eftleent masa/gement. The price of gas I. to be reduc,4
frlin 44. 61. t, ga. SI. per I,oooft. Among the deal, as
to the roo•umption of ooals was the rctuarks that 3110 tuns
had been 104 ,t sei.. .

-412-ro-E*,ifaift-r.s-N-p—rOpoise I that the report be received and
alopted, wit ch was seconded by Mr. E. BANNINO, and
agreed to.
Mr. BOARD Tefernd to the canto of coda which was lost
at sea. not r.e Culiwitce stated that the loss is covered
by ins.iranc..s.
Mr. Twomas believed they were entirely out of debt I
Mr. STONE: Yeti
Mr. Turmas said they were never in such a position
before. He also beheved there was no difficulty as to
money I

Mr. &RONK: There is plenty of money e present, sir.
In ani•er to Mr. OAKIAT, the CHAIRMAN said that in
time past they had teen traditi: with borrowed capital,
although it was a saving to the company, being burrow, d
at 6 per cent., instead of 7, the di•Hend paid on the new
shares, wet it as, ihouaht not quite eatisfactarY.
Mr. CHAPRLI: Mr. Stone does not object to this gratuity,
suop ise I (Laughter.)
Mr. STONE: No, sir.
Mr. Dation, on the part of the directors, remarking
that the price of fru is about to be rrduced fr int 44 61, a
thousand to 4s. 21., said though that might appear a
small reduction, it did not remain:it a small sum to tie
company, for unless there is larger consumptiwn, every
penny reduction per thousand represents an annual loss
of .Cl5O, so that unless the
,reduction I. followed by an

nacre.. of consumption, they would have to face a
deficiency in inecone, and possibly a diminution of
dividend. They hid hien asked by the Town Council to
make a reduction of rites for the public lamp.; but if
that were agreed to, • stuallrr concession must he made to
private annum. ro. Among the directors are seyrral large
consumer', and large pronto are of no advantage to the
CoMINICO. the odvantage ultimately goes to the public,
for, however gie it the profits wiay be, the Act of Pudic
meat will not allow them to divide more than 10 per cent.
on the original shares, 7 per oent, on the new, and 5 tier
cent, on borrow"! capital. True, they were not required
to make a retuction until the hick dividends were paid
uo and a tearlflrd fund a'cumulated of £3,9; but or Itt.r
of these things had been done. No other use could l‘e
made of profito but reducing the prise of gar, and that
they would continue to do as occasion offerod. The com-
pany was formed in the hope that the consumers woul I be
the shareholders, and th-n the profits woull is- all their
own; but many were alarmed at the earlier diffirulties of
the camp-inn, and parted with their bolding/.
Aft r sorne other remarks,
Mr. THOMAS proposed that the retiring directors be re-
elected. He was acquainted with the great ability and
good feeling which exists amongst these gentlemen, and
it must be gratifying to the share-ladders to know it
existed among the directors. He could only in throe what
the Chairman sad—they bad given es much in tenth, to
the interest of the towo and nt the chief cou-utners of
gases to that of the shareholders. It had be.n stat d
that a 1. Bier price is chn.ged in other towns than here.
Take Dircheetre, for ins anc •, tEere was long a non.
statut ivy company, orh i.e capital was only SIS,000; they
ought to ba abl to sell gas at • condlerably I.os nett
than the Weymouth company; the oily tg. e lay
entirely wit'. the D irchester comoany. lie might int.,.
trate it by other to •ns. The l',yrucif.h company Cal
non statutory for a greet number of yea's, and yety
largely applied their ieofits to the extension of their
works, and consequently their c ipital was smaller in
proportion aimmt than that of any company iii the king-
dom. It appeared to he forgotten that bolore this com-
pany was establi-hed the gas was ss. per thousand, of
inadequate supply, and bad quality. Large tneetingo
were held. in order to obtain a better state of think and
were a perfect joorifica.ion of what had taken place. He
trusted there would be • large incresee in the cJosumption„
leading to a large reduction in the prier. A most useful
application of gas ha t. r co tiring purpose., an 1 in a town
like this the inconvenience of large fireo, superheatine
the lodgino.-houses, is to great that it ought to lead to toe
substitution of gas. He knew an instanen whets nineteen
people's dinners were cooked and the tea prepared, at •
cost of LI • quarter for gas; this was accurately ascer-
tained by a special meter. It would have cost three
times u much had cool ben tared for these purposes. In
Bath thin was one of the chief sources of iocome to the
Gal Company ; they were almost the first in England to
use largely gas for cooking, owing to a very iogenious
tradesmen; hut now we have apparatus to suitahie and
various that the late manager can surely set the people in
the way of using more gas, and no one who has ever
found the convenience of using it for cooking will ever
return to the old fashion agate. As to ttm public lamps,
it would be an incorrect principle to reduce the twist to
the public consumer, for non•consumers enjoy tie advan-
tage of the public lamest while) walking in the streets,
while consumers would have actually to pay for any
reduction in the cost of the county lamps. (Hear. heart
Mr. HOPKINS S c rade& and congratulated the town
and the Gas Company on the reduction in the price,
which would be found • stet, in the right direction ; and
although it threatened a reduction in revenue, he trusted
It would be met by an increase in consumptino.
Mr. DAMON and Mr. TALBOT returned thanks for being
re-elected.

Mr. BOARD moved that Mr. COMM be re-elected auditor,
at the usual salary. U, might be permittel to digress
from the resolution, to cxpress his entire concurrence
with that portion or the Directors' report which related
t) Ur. Stone. Their late manager had behaved so
entirely to their satialaction that they could not do les'
then give him come slight acknowledgment.
Mr. K. LAMMING said "Amen" to that.
Mr. LANNING seroode 1 the re election of Mr. IL W. Crow,
which was carticd.
Mr. Ltnitnie spoke with reference to the resignation of
the late manager, Mr. Stone. They could not part with
him without giving • public expression of the lom
sustained, though his successor ia fully competent for the
work. The manager from the very first bad entire manege•
meet of the company which in its present prosperous
poiition is in the very best baud'. It had been in troubled
seas, but difficulties had been met in a manner reflecting
the highest credit on the business lishits of the late
manager, and it w. old have been impossible anywhere to
have more successfully met and overcome the difficulties
as he had. The success achieved, and the marvellous and
proper mode in which the whole machinery of the company
Is worked, whether financial o- otherwise, would rause the
present manager to say Mr. Stone had handed it over in
the most perfect I,n-litiens A. to the small amount given,
the director" weed It.tve been willing to make it larger,
but they were the g.l, r.i• ma of • polio porno. dispensers
• of money not t'wir own. and lad they increased the
&moon'. it 'night hard le•en called in question • but the
very small amoutit ncm.d war the smallest tb.ey could
give. Ile t'u't 4 thu preamt man isme would receive the
assis'anco which, as v-re old asoociitsa, and coming from
, the MIMS eollege, he [nigh, hope for, and that Mr. Stone's
, future sill hem bright as his pest.
I Mr. STONE r,,tirse I thanks to the direeors. and
I especially t • Mr. Limb'. During the time ho had had the
management be had spired no effort to bring the company
to something like auceess. He remembered having diffi-
culty in paying LS per cent., and elm when it was not
psitt ; but raid he would not leave till the CRUOCDII pad
£lO per ant.. Mot that when it paid £lO per cent it was
very likely he should leave. Now it pall that divolenel,
and he left. In the long time of management be might
have said things which hurt someone feelings, but if so
it was an error of judgnrnt end not of heart; if he had
been baste of sremh, sired to express regret, if he
bed hurt the feelings of any dieector or s'iarehelder.