MID-CANTERBURY

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20094, 25 November 1930, Page 5

MID-CANTERBURY

ashburton.

SEVERE FROST

this tiryfJ't* 6 ?L ea£c «Ptional severity for Ashhnrt year was experienced in deerPßo ° n yester<ia y morning, when 10 ve& V ore recor< 3ed. The effect was ceable in vegetable and flower tow- . S ' , e ® ri y potatoes, tomatoes marb > and pumpkins being cut back. To Visit Aehburton. w v„ r »^ >Sca , r Garden, of Christchufch, Ait=t^ e f- ent . y flew sol ° from England to in™ la - ln a aeroplane, coverA^K,\ journey in 18 days, will visit rtsnDUrton accompanied by Captain , / 1 6t Melbourne, within the next , , weeks. Both aviators will bo aca » ~a . rec6 ption, tho arrangements £r?* n ? in be out b ? the branch of the Canterbury Aero Club.

Fishing. In spite of the Cold southerly storm ? a number of anglers fished at the mouth of the Rangitata River, wiierC about twenty trout were landed over the week-end. A number of trout were caught at the mouth of the Ashourton River oti Saturday, but there were no big fish among them.

Gas Company. .. fifty-second annual meeting of "10 Ashburton Gas, Coal, and Coke Company, Etd., was held yesterday, when the chairman of directors (Mr K. Clark) presided. Tho annual report showed that there was a credit of £3571 5s Id in the appropriation account, which the directors recommended should be allocated as follows:—Write off &920 7a 3d on tho plant, placo £2OO to the reserve account, pay a dividend of 8 per cent, (absorbing ."£1877 12s 7d), and carry forward the balance of £564 5s Id. The net profit was shown at £.2940 lis sd. In moving the adoption of the report And b&lance-sheet the chairman referred to the death of Mr Albert Roberts, who had been auditor of the company for many years. He said that the company's financial position was very satisfactory for the year just ended. General expenses showed an increase of £165, principally due to income tax increase, and bank overdraft showed an increase of £485, this being due to repaying a doposit of £3OO and having made a payment of £4OO to the reserve account. During the year the Board added to the company's plant. The plant_ and buildings were in excellent condition. Gas cookers, coppers, and heaters were still in good demand. Tho increase in the consumption of gas for the year was 535,300 cubic feet, demonstrating that tile public were rapidly realising that gas had no equal far cooking and heating. The last two years had shown an increase of 1,000,000 cubic feet. The shares recently offered to the shareholders and employees had been taken up, and the premiums from them, amounting to £207, would be placed to tho resorvo deposit account. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. Messrs 11. Bruce and E. B. Newton who retired by rotation, were re-eleetei to the directorate. Kr J. IV. Bowden was appointed auditor for tha ensuing year. It was agreed that the directors' fees be increased from £l5O to £2OO for j the ensuing year. Mr R. Clark was re-elected chairman

of directors. Votes of thanks were passed to the directors and staff.