BUILDING SOCIETY.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19142, 27 October 1927, Page 4

BUILDING SOCIETY.

FIFTY-FIFTH ANNUAL .MEETING. I The nfty-iiftk annual meeting of J shareholders in the Mutual Benefit Building and Investment Society of i <\anterburv (Permanent) was held yesterdav afternoon, Mr W. C. Lean i (cliairman of directors) presiding. i The chairman said that the balance- | was to be considered entirely I satisfactory. There had been a good I deal of anxietv during the year, loans j beino- higher than last year. Deposits, I also "were greater. The balance on the ,i>rolit and loss account this year was £3593. as against £2925 last year. The balance brought down this year was £•336. Last year it was £sl. i In seconding the adoption of the ! balance-sheet and report, moved by the chairman, Mr A. A. McKellar, said that the shareholders would be well j pleased with the society's working during the year. The annual report stated that the result of the society's operations for the past year was quite satisfactory, the credit balance, after providing for the ordinary dividend of 7 per cent., being £3-593 10s Bd, and it was gratifying to the directors that, for the third year in succession, th»y were able to recommend that a bonus of 1 per cent, bepaid on capital shares and credited to investment shares. This bonus would absorb £612 18s 3d. The directors recommended the payment of the usual dividend of 7 per cent, for the year (an interim - dividend of 3J- per cent, was paid as usual on May Ist last), and also a bonus of 1 per cent., as referred to in the preceding para- .' graph, and that of the balance at credit of profit and loss account, a sum of £2500 bo added to the reserve fund, making it £18,500, and the-balance of £4BO 12s 5d be carried forward. In March last Mr Henry Wood resigned his seat on the Hoard, and in accordance with Rule 48 the directors appointed Mr Derislcy *Wbo<rto tho vacancy.

The directors retiring this year were Messrs William Charles Bonn and William Henry Clark, who are both elidible for re-election, and have given the required notice.

Messrs Bean and Clark were re-elect-ed to the directorate, and Messrs .Tameson and Son, Mitchell, and Aldridge were re-elected auditors.

CHIMNEY FIRES. LITTLE DANGER IN CHRIST- , CHURCH. Addressing the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, Mr-F. H. Pope,* fire insurance loss assessor, said that faulty mortar used in the construction of chimneys was responsible for a considerable portion of the ' Dominion's losses by hre.'" He expressed the opinion that the wrong cement was used m the preparation of mortar. He regarded hydraulic lime as undoubtedly a menace when used for chimney construction. Sparks were drawn through the chinks in the mortaF, and, alighting on wood or rubbish in the vicinity, readily caused an outbreak.' No im-, provement could be made until regulations backed by the law were introduced. Plumbers had to be registered, but anyone was allowed to build a chimney. Mr G. D. Simpson, president of the Canterbury Master Builders' Association, said yesterday, when his opinion was asked, that the by-laws in- Christchureb covering the cohstruction of chimneys were fairly drastic,. on the point of distance between flues and woodwork, and reduced fire hazards, from defective chimneys to a, minimum. Not much hydraulic lime was used in Christchurcii, but in parts of the Dominion where other materials were not'available, it was utilised a good deal. Properly used it was all_ right, but jerry builders often mixed it with clay to "fatten up" the compound. This killed the lime and the mortar crumbled, sometimes with disastrous results. Ordinary stone lime and (ilean. sharp sand made a better and safer job than mortar in which hydraulic lime was the chief ingredient.

THE SELWYN CHURCHES. THREAT OF DEMOLITION. Unless public-spirited chitrchpeople come to the rescue, Holy Trinity Church, Otahuhu, one of Auckland's Selwyn churches, will shortly be sold for demolition. The congregation proposes to replace it with a new building, in brick, at a cost of about £9OOO. The old church, hallowed by memories of Bishop Selwyn and the martyred Bishop Patteson, and enshrining the joys and sorrows of three generations, is doomed to destruction unless some way out can be found.

Apart from its historic associations, this small wooden building deserves to be kept intact because, in the opinion v of competent authorities, it has real architectural merit and belongs to a group of structures whose like cannot be found the world over. Moreover, to save it for another half-century of usefulness would cost but a few hundred pounds. Provided its timbers are in good order, as there is every reason to believe they are, there should be no difficulty in removing it to some other Auckland suburb.

TOWN PLANNING,

NO AMENDMENTS TO ACT. The Auckland Town Planning Association, which recently wrote to the Minister for Internal Affairs concerning some features of the Town Planning Act, lias received a reply from the Acting-Minister stating the Government does not propose making any amendments to the Act this session. The Minister says the Act makes sufficient provision to enable town planning schemes to be properly prepared. If, he states, when the time comes for the execution of town planning schemes, the general authority conferred by the Municipal Corporations Act, with any special powers given by the Town Planning Act, are not sufficient, or are found to be unsatisfactory, then, no doubt, amending legislation will be considered. The suggestions of the Auckland Association have l>een noted for later consideration.