PERSONAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81872, 23 October 1906, Page 2

PERSONAL.

Hi a i Mr Frank Hyde, proprietor of the m '' Northern Advocate," was on a visit to nt New Plymouth yesterdav. re The Key T. G. Brooke is at prcscnl Id ui the Kangilikei ih'slriel upon ITomras Mission Deputation liusiness. He will ed be absent from .\nw Plymouth for ad about ID days. i'.v Mr S. Hooker, Borough foreman, 'i'-' celebrated his silver wedding on Monlv day night, and the Council cheerfally i;? granted him leave of absence in order 'JIJ ihat he miglit more fully enjoy the celehrni tons. The ltev. W. fiittos, one of the oldest Native missionaries of the Methodist Church in New Zealand, and an •itithority upon Maori custonig, will .-'. 'ouiluet lite services at the Whitelcy n Memorial 0 lurch on Sunday next. K | The following were amongs't the ; 'isitorsal (he "While Hart Hotel hi si ej light:—Messrs Smith, McPhee. lienJr 'Vick, CtU'pe, Craig, Guuimer, Wilson, d lUlhrie, llyile, fanvrence, Hill, Hur- : ll ven, Dicker, and Sutherland (all of in Auckland), Mains, liyau, Pike, Phil. ; lips, Levin (WelHiiirlonl, Oecuslado, )■ M.H.U., Poland, M,H JC, Hatold .■.". Ashon (Wiiliamson's), Phuliial (New : ' _ York), and l-aweelt (Waiiganui). "\ tfiihc a mimbei' uf Tai'iinaki Loi-il 11 Bodies' represenlatices at present in ' Wellington in conncclion with various V' ,ntlilie mailers before Parlianienl, were v nnoiigst I hose who had In make a m hurried e-.il. j'rcni tho Tl'ocadei'o, -, n Wellinglon, j-|isteril,'iy nioiaiiiig'. e •'cvera! escaped minus poiiions of (heir I 'leloiigingi, and 0111) was unfoi'tuiiule II enough to lose his pocket book, eon--0 Mr R. K\h- l.'in-'s this mopiinir l- ! t" tail,: . li.oge of the Mi'ibeutn" i" Clothing- C'looane's new breech a. it i'ldiam. Mr Kiln i' v«'iy jioputar d among the "Melbnutne" customers :, in New Plymouth, and he should do well in F.liham for his firm.

'/IOA FARMERS' UNION. The annual mei-iing of shareliolcrs ill toe Moa l-'arinuis' Union, l.Ub ,'ill be iuld at lnglewood on Saturay next. The annual ieport states hat owing to the continued scarcity .I i--uuy money througiiotil the disnct, the resents oi the year's trading ire not quite of such a satisfactory lature as usual. After providing--01 depreciation on buildings and jlant, and writing off bad debts, here remains a balance of £2/7 0,11 ivailable for distribution. Oul of this sum the directors recommend :hat the usual dividend of ti per cent ni share captal be paid, and that the jalance be carried forward. Owing to the heavy expense occasioned by th the lunning- of the goods delivery p: carts, the direciors have had under consideration the advisability of (lis- oi continuing' them. The directors are u l confident that if this course were ad- ft odpn-d it would be possible to sell w goods over the counter at lower r< prices, and have decided to bring h the matter before the shareholders at n die annual meeting.'' Mr A. Mor- 0 ton retires by rotation from the diree- b torate, but is eligible for re-election, e The trading account showed that on 31st August, KJOS, the goods in h stock totalled ,£8057 16/3, and the li year's purchases amounted to t ,£20,102 11/3. Trade expenses were a -{,'723 0/11, and the gross profit was ,£3883 11/8. On the credit side appear the following items: By goods t sold, £30,885 7/5; gouds in stuck on t August 31, 10,06, -£7BBI 13/. ■ The principal items on the profit [ and loss account are: —Dr.: Divi- j dend for the previous year, £132 6/8; directors' honorarium, £jb 7/6; fire ( insurance account, £l3O 11/3; rent, . £ll6 (1/7; wages and management, ( £532(1 8/; depreciation of buildings ] and plant, £llO 2/; amounts written , off, ,£136 13/. Cr.: By amount . brought forward, September 1, 10,05. £542 8/3, less £l5O to the tradingcapital account; profit from trading account, £3883 11/8; discount and interest account, £l7 8/1; commission, ,£123 2/; accounts paid which had been written off as bad, leaving .£277 0/11 for distribution .in 8 per cent dividend, the balance of £l5O going forward to the trading' capital account (reserve), which has now al most reached £SOOO, all composed of accumulated profits. A DAILY NEWS reporter had a conversation on Saturday with Mr B. Nioholls, ihe company's manager and secretary. Ho attributed lie falling-off in business principally to the state of the cattle market, farmers being unable to raise their usual amount of cash by the disposal of young stock. incidentally, he remarked upon the great change m the habits of the peopie, who now lived on a much higner scale than they ■ id a lew years ago. No house was considcted" complete without a piano of some sort, and altogether ln'-> tastes of the peopie were becoming more and mo.-e expensive. The present ■ season looked far brighter than any tor some time past. Butler was selling high, the larnieis were not butli- ■ eiing about caives as they nad an as- ; suml high price for their pigs. Mr Niciiolls expressed himself as most hopeful concerning this season, ihe cleiivei'y carts mentioned m ; the annual report have been a bone of contention for a very long time. l'liere are two big waggons, one witli ' five and one with four horses, run- • mug about the counuy on ab_ days f biK Saturday and Sunday. These f carts, whilst being a great conventi once to shareholders, are a big 'x- - pense. Many folk who have heavy ,- guods delivered by the waggons at ■ ihcil houses do not deal with the • Union in liK'l-te- - in, ' s thc >' . , an . can carry home in their own vehicles, e and thus "make a convenience" of \ the shareholders' money. On the ~ other hand, a very good share of tincountry trade is retained by the ex-J cedent delivery arrangements in 1 vogue. The discussion on Uns 5 -io~ • jeet is bound to be warm, the advocates of continuance and disconI anuance being' hard at work already '" in a campaign of lobbying. " In addition to the dividends to be II paid, ihe shareholders have alieaciy! :1 had big concessions in the matter of ;l discounts rot obtained bv the gencri' al public who deal at the Union's <■ stores. The bread business is used " as a "catch" line, the staff of hie; '" selling at lower prices than >" any '" ether town, the difference amounting '" to a pennv a loaf. This alone means r a saving 'of about /JSOO per annum ■- p. ihe consumers. The bakehouse )- f one of the largest between Welling- '- ion and Auckland, well bleed, and s lighted bv electricity, and the ouput 11 of 2500 quartern loaves weekly lies' cessitates the running' of three ; o livcry carts. The Moa is ihe largest co-operative 1- trading concern in Taranaki, and has 1- a big frontage to Moa-streel. Bigstocks of drapery, generally amount's ing to about £SOOO worth, are niostU purchased on the. Home markets, 1- and the business also embraces con- ,- fectionerv and catering, dining :- rooms, grocery, ironmongery, and if general merchandise.