The Express.
London, England, 1855-01-12 00:00:00

LAMBETH BATHS AND WASH-HOUSES.

Yesterday the shareholders in this company met
at the Baths, in the Westminster-road, to receive the ac•
counts for the last balf-year, eleeto(&en, and tracsact other
basilicas perfusion( to an ordinary half-yearly meeting.
llr. TAYLOR is the chair.
The directors reported • simples on the current account
of 1671. (equal to rather mere than 2/ per cent. on the
capital), whereas, at the lest audit, there was a balance of
3331. (or rather more than 61 par cent.) against the cur-
rent account, which shows that the profits upon the half.
yeat's business are equal to rather more than 8 per cent.
They stated also that the amount of 333/. had been paid to
the various creditor., and recommended a dividend at the
rate of 21 per cent. for the half year. The number of
bathers from the Ist of June to the 30th of November was
97,641, and from the Ist of April (the day the ert.blishment
opened) to the 30th of November, 121,103. From the
capital account it appeared that the company were under
liabilities for money advanced and works to the extent of
3,0261 12s. 7d. ; the Gaeta in cash in hand, calm on shares
unpaid, and value of premises and stock being 7,0571. 94.1 d.
The current account stated that the receipts nom bathers
daring the half-year had been 1,6131. 6.. 7d., and the pay-
ment. 1,6111 18s. 2d., includiog a year's rent for the pre-
mises 2841. 13.. 91., and 3001. on account of capital. The
balance in hand (a balance of 1271. 19s. 6.1. having been
brought forward from the previous half year) was 1291
6s. 10d.
The CHAIRMAN congratulated the proprietors on the
success of the undertaking, which was the more gratifying
to himself pensmelly, insainineh as when he gut propounden
the project—(the only one of the kind in the metropolis, he
it remembered, earn. d out by a joint stock company, and
entirely unconnected with the paroelii.l syrnm)—he bad
been met with innumerable objections, and wrs told that it ,
was a mad-headed scheme which never could succeed. But
it bad eneceeded, and now after paying out el the profits of
the past half year all the charges of working and manage-
ment, the rent fir • whole year, and a dad of upwards of
3601., they had 'efficient money in hand to pay a dividend
at the rate of Gee Fee. cent. per annum. (Hear, herr.) 'I he
actual profits for the tilt months had been equal to eight
per cent., and he believed ere long they would reach the
maximum they were allowed to divide, vie , tea per cent.
After referring to the benefit which the bathe had conferred
upon the neighbourhood in a sanitary point of view, he
expressed a hope that ere long the directors would be en-
abled to provide wuhhouses, which had been contemplated
in the original scheme, but had not yet been erected, in
consequence of want of funds. In a densely populated
neighbourhood like Lambeth, where whole families were
crowded together In a single room, and often between
thirty and forty persons IA a house of seven or eight
rooms, the extent to which health aad domestic comfort
would be promoted by providing a convenient plots away
from the dwelling, where the necessary operation of cleans-
ing linen could be performed, could hardly be over-esti-
mated.

The report having been received and adopted, and the
dividend, as recommended therein, declared,
Mr. Mattrisi saggest:e t►at, in order to enable the
directors to carry out certain improvement*, to satend the
benefits of the institution, and in the tad to erect weak-
houses, a building fund should be established, to which all
unclaimed dividends and donations should go. He be-
hewed it the opportunity were atiorned, many et the share-
holders who had connected themselves with the company,
not with the view of profit, bat in the hope of improving
the condition of the poor, would gladly allow their divi-
dends to be paid or, r to such a fund, to stand, howeveroo
their credit, and to be withdrawn if desired at some future
time when the prosperity of dm institution rendered inch
aid no longer necessary.
This suggestion Mr. Mandalay embodied in a resolution,
which was carried.

The CMAIIIIMAN announced that he had received a done
Lion of 301. (rum Mr. Gregg, the clerk of the peace, to be
applied either tot a extension of the baths or the erection
of the wasbnouses, whichever he (the chairman) considered
to be the must philanthropic object. This donation he
would pay over to the food now proposed to be faired.
Messrs. Pew aid Taylor were re-elected directors, the
retiring auditors were re-appointed, and a lute of thanks
having passed to the chairmen, the meeting separated.