COASTAL STEAMSHIP COMPANY, LIMITED.

Rodney and Otamatea Times, Waitemata and Kaipara Gazette, Volume 1, Issue 10, 7 June 1901, Page 3

COASTAL STEAMSHIP COMPANY, LIMITED.

Anivtm i, Meeting

'J ■;:: "ourth annual ireetiug oTsliareJiol/ •; of 11.10 above, tools vln.ce at the Mas.-;.'ii.j flail Wa,rL,,ort\"on Thursday ev."«iT»g, May 30th. 'I'iie Jiall was . docorat^cl with evergreens an:l 1 ■:,;,<-- p\g } exceptionally good tasto '■■ :i-r- ■■■■ .been displayed. Abou.: fiye. numu^-d people were present, many being- un.able.to find ;c.yon str<. "'ing room and Jiarl t,-> rorn&in ouisicc-. ■Mr. J as. Dunning (Chairman o Directors) presided, and on the stage N were, Mes.srfi E. Morrison, A. Hood, • -Tiros. ',oos, & Mioklojohn, Hobhs, J as. Harrison, .{directors) Winldemanu (sGoio^iyj A. Campbell, and. the press. "'" ' ■'".. The Chairman .read ; the fourth anajial report and balance-sheet for the ■year .ending as foUows:— Ladies and Gentlemen,— It is my pleasant duty to lay Wore you our ■fourth baJancGrsheot. The .Company anight congratulate itself at the present foment upon jthe prosporous condition in which it stands at this.time, the l>alan co-sheet shows that gross earnings, of .tlie ■ Company , for -the year have been £ByG9O 4s/#i and the expenditure £3,351 2s. 3d. so that -notwithstanding the fact that last year .extra and unusual expense? .wore incurred. We liave inarle ,-a .clear profit of £339 2s, •Od. on ilie. years work or a total profit jQf£-9?3" 6s' lQd. since we .■cpnjmencesd operations. Q.u-t .of jfchese s«4iiofi^?-We liaye written .off for depreciation, jQjnt ,tb/3 s,Sj Kapanui the sum of £270. for .depreciation on the R.n. Kotiti tho sum of £150, and off stock and plant and preliminary expenses wo have written off tii9 the sum of £74 4s. JOd. making a total written oft of £494 4s. jLQd. With your approval your directors propose to carry forward tho sum of £339 2s. Od. to provide for, further gn their steamers and planjt.ejtc.. Few Companies are, relatively, in -fis sound a position as we are toiay. Our indebtedness, aft-r deducting what is owing to us, amounts to tjjie respectv able sum of £7241 Is, 1 ld. y In face of tEese G guinea it wouiSlje"impossible for any h.Ofl.esjt man, whether a supporter of the.Company or otherwise, not to join in jthe fueling of congratulation a that must be io]t by tjio members, and friends of the Company all round at the successful administration of affairs Your directors refer with pleasure to the progress of this and jthe other districts to which, our .steamers trad a, .and. which we claim to have largely brought about by a true recognition of the proper relation of the' settlers to the steamship doing jthe wo?k. During tho three years of the Gompaiay'3 existauce, property yi thin .a small r.adius of this nail in whicl> I stand.has--increased in value an amount more than equal to . the cost of "the Company's steamers Xapanui and Kotiti, and a much expended radjus, farmers and farm lands' r Jiave cliangfed hands much roore readily and at increased prices, Within the twelve months prior-to March. 3Jst f last •the s.s Kapanui carried 9,600 passengers, with pleasure and safety -to themselves, [and with, priofifc to us; aad I quote from a Jetter to" the Marine wrijten. by the esteemed Chairman of the JJodney County Council, when, I say. tbjat three.-fourths of i^e cargo-carrying done to Warlf worth }s done by us, or words to that effect. As through the past year , the Company's goods-shed at Wftrkworth was <juite inadequate to store ..Jthe J£apanai's cargo. T&e directors have decided to procesd jviffc its immediate enlargement. Your directors tender you their sincere and Vwanngst. thanks for jour kindness on many occasions, and for your consistent and hearty support, find your forbearapce under trying oir-r cumstances,. sometimes unavoidable under our present condition, For the Jloard of Directors. JAB. DUNNING, Chairman, 773rkworth, May 30th, 1001, Baj,ance-sheet, As ftt March 31. 1901, Liabilities: Capital, 16,000 shams 11$ £1, £16,000; less unallotted, £79*74; 'i»SS unpaid,£7B4 IBs. id; sundry creditors, £1605 13s. 6d; balance from profit and loss account, £339 2s: total, £9185 17s, fid. Assets; S.b, Kapanui, £5121 6s, Sdj c.c. Kotiti, £2839 la. 7d';'.stoek and plant, £229 17s. 4d; 'stationary and •fßrnituro, £50 ; ' sundry-debtors, £390 41s. Gd', Y/arkworth.coal dejeit, £191 fa. 3d; Wade depot, £5-, .P.uKoi Town Hall shares, £12 10a; preliminary expeßfies, £143 15s. 7d*, cash in hand, £202 9s. lid; total, £9185 17s. "sd. Profit and Loss Accounts for 12 months, ending Merch 31st. 1901. Dr: Depreciation for the period endi«g March 31st. 1900-i-fl.s. Kapauui, ; s.s. Ketiti, " £150; stock and plant, £12; writing ofi preliminary ex,*msQ3, £62 4s. 10d; charges; £352 4a "7i; wages, £1938 14s. 4d; Kotitimain--^WDftnce7'j£3O7 3s. lld;Kapanui mainJfitmancd, !£i'^7 Oa. 4d; interest and dis^ ' fount, £295195V ; 1d; balance, £339 2s: : lj|tal,-£4184 95.-idj'i' Cr. : Balance at .March 31, 1900, j|494 4», lOd; Kapanui revenue, £2234 lls. 5.d; Kotiti revenue^''£l'4s4' '". 15s. U; sundries, 17s. 9d: total, £4184 9».'ld.' ;,... . . • Note—Depreciation of steamers and slant for | the year,, ending. March 31, , IWOI, to \)>e provided for later..on. . I hare,.examined the following acitounts,,asid.certify them to be correct"W stated,from the books, accounts, aod ▼buchers of the company. In my opinion the above balance-sheet and profii sad loss account gives a true.and cor _ >*ct vioty of the company's affairs.— r^T^BEAMISH A. MORRISON JJT.S.AJL, England, auditor* Auckland ptaj 18, 1001,

Mr. Dunning.— Ladies and Gentlemen, In moving the adoption of the Report and Balanceslreet, I feel proud, of .the success which has attended our joint efforts to establish a steamship service in consonance with yoyr rights and. wishes. I doii't think .that anyone, now, seriously doubts our success, or th,at our businosf; is not pretty well, established, or that wo have not been tr immense service to the people, of .thi jsb districts. I would like to ask .-then, Ts this thing we are establishing right? Is it n proper and beneficial, tiling that we nro doing? If: it is not right, proper and beneficial, then the sooner it >> put down the bovUer, but, ladies and gentlemen it is right, it is. inherently right, and that being so, it is the clear duty of everyone, to themselves and. to tlieir fellow settlers, to give it their thorough and. enthusiastic support, Ovdng to tlie rapid progress of the Company, many difficulties were created, during the past yr-ar, which, would not occur if the busine s was conducted under normal conditions, I refer iothe frequency with which both the Kapanui and. Kotiti had. to leave cargo behind, through, the summer, end jtho inability of both those steamers to keep their time ' tables. Soma people, perhaps blamer .lie management; but ■'thai, \vas not cause, ,the real fcrauble being th;-; two .steamers, for a time at least, -0 trying- ,to do three steamers wotk;, I do not exaiv'-i^ know, what our friend, the editor om>] proprietor of the V/arkworth newspaiior, will say to my claiming, that the .Costal Company har; beea the moanf cf fixing his destiny for him, and. fixing it in. such an asis-i yicioiis aaj liappy n^anerj .and iui.der' such promising circumstances; at any rate, tdo not think that ho or anyone will deny, that it is only our-movement that has made it worth while to establish this most usaful and interesting enterprise in our. midst-. It is only; a few years agojr'nee it neither paid to advertise, or to grow apples, aiid the only thing that kept the place together was the fine abilities and energy that built up tho lime and cement works in the place. jPhore is only one more matter that I need refer to, and that is, Tlie sad and. heartbreaking accident to the mate of tke s.s. Kapanui, No words can. express the terribleness of £his disaster, to one to whom everyone of us was so much attachedThe Coastal Company is y : 3ry dear tg me, but I had rather it had not been started and tho Gld.. disheartening state of tilings still prevailed, than that this one thing .should, have befallen. Now it is $bsolii£ely necessary that something ba done for Mr. Barr roGh an(J I am sure you are all willing that the Company should do the most it can for one of its most esteemed officers, I am sur.o you^re, §nd it shall and will do it, but ladies .and gentlemen, it is not much under the present circumstances that the Company can do, and an jinfinit&].y larger effort is needed, thak can come f?om "[ kn(;w J shalf not "e.pp.0.Q.1 m v^is, to you especially, and to ftU, rich .and poor, great and small, irrespective of creo.4 Gr steamers, to he selfrcacrifiaing and do. in one great act, what will for ever relieve Mr. DarroGh of aU'suxiety for bis future prevision, X strong commitjse is being formed and anappeal will be made io you to which iam sure you will gladly respond, ; . * I have much pleasure in moving the adoption of £he report, end balance*! sheet. Mr.. Sainsbury seconded the motion, which, was carried by acclamation, Mr. Sainsbury claimed thjtt the two large stores at 'Warkworth which are second bply to Auckland, are due to tb,e Kapanui enterprise, ranking that owing to thorn the settlers of thess districts need not now go past! them, to purchase any citing they re-i quire at, in some osse ; ' less than. Auckland prices. Mr. Campball had great pleasure m sayiug he Had attended all the annual .meetings of shareholders, and he considered these social meetings & good ,'feature in .the company. This being the best time for anyone with a grievance iq come forward that 31 it might be rectified, he said he had ; tried to fish up a lot of faults and ■ fetch them along, .but was sorry to 1 say that h^e could find none, He' was , glad the company Jwas in a flourishing condition and is year by year getting j stronger, it -would now hold its own I against oil comers. If any one wished Ito estimate tho good it had done to"the ) district, he would point out that the I sledge was almost; a thing of the past 1 and-the settlers wore driving about in - their buggies, He would not say , that all J ;th<) progress throughout the whole district vras aiiribut- , able to the Coastal S.s, Company' but thought it strango that the" progress - should only,begin upon its inciption. , Mr. S/Mieklejohn said he had been 1 canvassing' Matakaua to take, up - shares and got 30 additional shares holders, who between thorn had. takan - up ,150 shades, some old shareholder? .- taking ir<>re, and Mat'akana was still - good for another 9.00, He wished it : knowja that tho ropbrt that "the directors drew £50'<? your each" was I, a deliberate lie/'tliere was only £50. 4 allowed for the who).?, and they did 1. not use it. 4 Mr. Q. Wilson asked if they kne-w of a new opposition steamer being d built .to run against the Kapanui, anc :, if the chairman could g-ive them anj information re Wade store etc. Mr > Campbell asked, had the Coastal S.s t- Co. anything to do with the s,e. Kawd au. 1- Mr, Dunning in reply said, Re nev it steamer. First we are informed 01 r- the "best auth&rity" that this famoui - slup was being built in Scotland. I, Ui»ii we are informed, through th< I, local prei=s that she was being buil

in ling-land, and the latest Canard is, ;• thJtt a local firm in Auckland is tc i - have the order. Perhaps, instead of l one steamer, you are going' to have ' ■ three steamers, and T. can tell, you that c s the one is as likely as the other. I i icah only say that.], do not boliovt- I there will be a.now steamer and I do ; not care if there is one. Regard big : the Wade, You may take it from me '. ladies and gentlemen, tnat the Coastal Company is not going to be run off the "\yade. According to the present outlook, we -have only to sit tight and! the other side will run themselves off fl v! "Wade without any impetus efro7n -: >. We are told that a co-operative. • -:'-rt» is being started there, and there' is no greater supporter of co-operation - than myself; but this movement at 1 Wade ;.s not the genuine article, foxit is only a spasmodic effort to get lid of the Coastal Conrpany, As such, it is bound, to failure just as much more j genuine efforts in co-opeiative stores have .always failed, in Warkworth and 1 other places about here, when the: t • people'lost th.oir money, Is it not afJ fact that tho best and most influential. £ people at W.ado arc shareholders and; supporters of our company? i . Mr. Lees here explained that they! _ had only sold their ietg.il business - at: Wade and not their interest in the Dompany/for he. was as enthusiastic as> ever. Mr. IJunning" said, As to the s.s,' Kawau, tip to the present the directors had sorae hesitation in speaking, and the time had now come when they conld speak plainly and say the rum-; our'-'that they had purchased" was; a correct, T&ey had purchased the'a stealer and would run her on the ]_: Mangawai-Auckland trade^ thus completing the circuit. This steamer - would greatly assist the Kap^nui and Kotiti .and {relieve fchom during the' ' summer trade. They had arranged ~ for valuable trade mon^olies of thf Xawaii Island, which arrangements would be completed within a few days and be of grsat value to the company, especially if tho .copper mines there, were restarted, a very probable con- C tingoncy. [ Mr. Irarraful of Mangawai said he i must express his congratulations to; T the Coastal S,S, Co-' in their bargain -» in . acquiring the Mangawai trade, which he behaved was a fairly good one, Tip to the present he had only lived on the fringe,, as it were.v of the inflnoncG of the Coastal Company, but " exposed saon to be closer; Something had been sai/£ fi.bout there being some Scotchmen on the Direotoraie, but he was of the .opinion that they must have visited Ireland as they had £he 9 talking powers which he lacked J (Laughter), ■' Mr, E, Morrison seated that he and Messrs Punning and George Jennings c travelled through and canvassed Mang- - aweh Te Arai, Hakarau and North Albertland and had secured 84 share- f holders who took up more than 1000' shares. Everywhere they were met c with the .wannest sympathy and kind- 0 ness. This .canvass was undertaken in _, view oi the purchase of the s,s. K&wau. - l&r. Barton wished to know what n the Company l}ad done with the money obtained from fhe McGhegor S.s 1 Co. Mr. Dunning said that this gentleman must have a bad memory, as tho matter was dealt with in last year's report. Tho money had been spent in repairing the Kapanui, S Messrs E, Morrison, Auejeyson and £ ■ Jas. iJarrisgn re-dejected direct- , ors, and Mr. Beamish Morrison Aud- - itor. . Mr, Dunning moved, Mr. Sainsbury seconded, a hearty vote of thanks to the officers and crews of the company, ■ including Mr, Winklemann, Carried with applause., ~ On the motion of Mr, Sainsbury, n vote of thanks to the captains (Southgate anel Ericson) and offiieers was, passed end was responded to by the singing of " For They aye Jolly Good ' Fellows." . A COHCEBT AND DANCE. > Mr, Alex, Campbell was then called f to the chair, and a concert programme ' [ was gone through :n a very acceptable ; manner as follows;— First, about 50 ' ; limelight views by Mr, H. H, Smith, , principally of home a?id New Zealand. Then followed the * concert programme; —-Violin solo, "The Harp I That Once Through Tara's Halls/ n I; Miss Ob erg', banjo solo, "Darkies," ' Mr. Win, McEarlane; song, "Dumb, i Dumb, Dumb/'^Miss Trevithic (encor- ; ed), and she responded with "On the \ I Way to Bangor; violin solo, "Inter- ; mezzo," Miss Ob erg; comic song, "The ' Apple of My Eye," Mr, Vallick (encdr-. \ , ed). and he complied by singing "Just in :Ti£neV mandolin solo, "Darkies 'Wedding,'' Mr. Wm. McParlane. Be- f i freshments were thou liberally dispensed, and a socia dance followed, which was kept up till half-past two < o'clock next morning. The Kapanu.i, to save a tide, left at seven in the ■ morning for Auckland, and landed ' * some of her passengers at various . wayside ports on return, the towns- [ folk,'after a very pleasant trip, re- * , turning to their homes, the weather having been all that could be desired " duringtheir journey "due north." -The resources' of the steward of the j Kapanui (Mr. Bryan) were severely taxed, owing to the number on board, but he'succecdedin securing the comfort of all by his,extreme'courtesy and | thoughtruiness. ■ Amongst those who are specially ; deserving of every thanks and praise '" in bringing the social to so successful ._'an issue, must be'x^ontioned tho names of Mrs. Carran for use of her rooms, also for thr.o s:nd servi«e in assisting and doing everything, in her power for the social. Mrs. E, Morrison and Mrs. Sainsbury and daughter, "^ Mies P. Southgate and Mrs Weston j, for catering. Misses Sainsbury and

Morrison, "JVlr. G. Wilson and Mr. Sainsiiuiy- and son for decorating, Mrs. Boa-r and Mrs. Eayner, also Mr. Hugh Smith qfMatakana for tlie dance music, and a waltz from Mi>. 13art-ley w-as so m.uch appreciated that the dan'cors would insist on another.