WELLINGTON PUBLIC HALL CO. (LIMITED.)

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5338, 7 May 1878, Page 2

WELLINGTON PUBLIC HALL CO. (LIMITED.)

Tire annual general meeting of-shareholders was held at the office of the company, yesterday afternoon, Dr, Johnston, chairman of tho board, presiding. .r--, : -l ; The directors’report ancVianhual statement of accounts, which have already-been '‘.published in the t New-Zealand Times, were read. The auditors reported that the iaccounta since the date of the present secretary’s acceptance of office "were correct. . . The CHAllrifAN, in moving the adoption of the report, said shareholders would see by the balance-sheet that the year Pad been' sufficiently prosperous tb enable them to declare a dividend of 10 per cent.. The only matter upon which he need'spealc was the addition which had beeh'made to their property.by purchasing a section which was immediately in the rear of their. premises, and which had been occupied by Mr. McKirdy.;‘The'directors had long seen that ns tlie city' advanced' ; the accommodation'' afforded by the present buildings would be' crippled, and if they were to keep pace'with the times it would, be absolutely necessary.to add to them. ,The Board got the piece of land on what they considered ‘ favorable .. terms,.,,but /the,, price f£I100) might.' appear . very , high to some; yet when they considered ethe rates paid for land 1 round about, and ..the necessity they felt to get that ground,'he, thought all would agree with the board that the purchase was the:.wisest (step, they,.could. take. Three of the directors, would retire in ordinary rotation, vizi, Messrs. Levin, Hunter, and George. 'Of course those gentlemen were so well known to the .shareholders' that he heed not say one word about their re-election._ It was a.compliment which the- .board received with pleasure when gentlemen"were re-elected, as it showed that the shareholders had confidence in the committee. "With these remarks he would move thendoptiou of the T report.

Mr. E. IV. Mills seconded the motion. Mr. Hunter wished to state, before the report was adopted,-that one paragraph in it had been inserted without his sanction and without his being consulted, namely, .‘‘-Three of: the directors retire by.rotation, viz., Messrs. W. H. Levin, George Hunter, and J. B. George, who, being eligible, offer themselves for reelection.”. He did hot purpose giving any reasons for [ the course be would take, and it was convenient that he .should not do so ; but it was not his intention to offer himself for reeleotion’or to serve again on the hoard. The Chairman was ’very. sorry to hear-Mr. Hunter; say. that he was determined, to abstain from offeringhimselfas adandidate.’ Bethought the abrupt way. in which it had been put required, a little explanation, and he would be as careful in his statement as Mr. Hunter had. He was afraid he had been the cause of the detection. It was only owing to a little misunderstanding. at (.av board -.'meeting," which he did not think it .necessary to enter into, and he would only express his regret that for such a small matter, Mr. Hunter had felt hound to, retire., -He would, he only too glad to see him , at:,the hoard, ~where he; would have met, him'; with very... great pleasure. The report having been amended by removing the statement that' Mr. Hunter offered himself for le-eleotion, it was adopted.

On the motion sf Mr. E. W, Mills, seconded by. Mr. Hunter, Messrs. Levin, George, and E. Pearce were elected 1 directors. Mr. Krdll moved a vote of thanks to the secretary for the manner in whioh he ! had dis-' chai-ged his duties.-—Carried. On the motion of Mr. Hunter, Messrs. H. Bainie and G. M. Kebbell were re-elected auditors, and their fee was fixed at £5 ss. each.