THAMES GAS COMPANY.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1847, 2 September 1874, Page 3

THAMES GAS COMPANY.

At the meeting of shareholders of the

Thames Gas Company, lield in Auckland on Monday, Mr JS. Lewis (the secretary) read the following report of directors

In placing before the shareholders their

third annual report, the directors are gratified in being able to accompany it by a satisfactory balance-sheet and statement of accounts. It will be seen by the latter

that the company's business has steadily improved, the net profit for the half-year being £1,143 2s 7d. Out of this it is proposed to appropriate the sum of £1,12219s 6d to the payment of a dividend of 2s 3d per share, being equal to

6 per cent, for the half-year, and leaving a small balance to carry forward to the next account. At the last half-yearly meeting the directors did not make any reference to the continuance of their honorarium of £250. They were prepared to give their services gratuitously, unless the business should provido a fair return to the shareholders for their investments. This having been fully accom-

plished, it is now proposed to grant the sura of £125 as the annual honorarium of

the directors, commencing from 31st January last. In accordance with the articles of association, Messrs W. 0. Wilson and William Earl are the directors who now retire; they are eligible, and are candidates for re-election. It is also necessary to elect an auditor.—-For the directors, WilliahEaei, Chairman."

•The balance-sheet was also read.—

It showed:—l)r. To capital-Amount of calls on 9,982 shares, at 38s, £18,965 16s; dividends not yet applied for, £74 8s j profit and loss, £1,143 2s 7d; total, £20,183 6s 7d. Or. By freehold land, £887 16s lOd; buildings, £3,738 8s 6d; plant, including mains, meters, services, and sundry surplus stock, £13,611 8s

4d; stock of coal, &c., £870 lis 3d ; stock of residual products, £39 13s 4d; debts due tothecompany,£l4lss 6d; gas, July 18 to 31, not collected, £198 12s 6d; office furniture, £149 0s sd; cash in hand, £118 15s 81; cash in bank, £427 14s 3d; total, £20,183 6s 7d. Profit and Loss.— To dividend of Is 6d per share on 9.982 shares, declared 28th February, 1874, £748 13s; coal,&c., £528 3s lOd; stokers' wages, £200; salaries, £232 6s 8d; general expenses, stationery, printing, stamps,.advertisements, &c,, £85 13s lid; balance, £1,143 2s 7d; total, £2,938.—Cr. —By balance brought forward, £761 9s Id; gas, £2,027 5s 3d; residual products, £149 5s 8d; total, £2938. The Chairman then said he had been rather suddenly and unexpectedly called upon to fulfil the responsible duty of presiding at the meeting. He would make a few remarks before any other of

the purely formal business was proceeded with. The board of directors had declared a dividend, and the company was now in a most prosperous condition, He did not think he could say any more, but that there was every prospect of a continuance of their success.—The roport and balance-sheet were adopted.

VICTORIAN MINING- STATISTICS. The following returns for the quarter have been prepared by Mr David Christy, Mining Registrar, relative to the quartz yields in the Central division of tho mining district of Ballurat: -

Grains are omitted in the above caieula! Pyrites operated on—Uanbems Oompan yielding 52oza Sdwts Ggrs, aiul averaging 7"9±Si'3 per toil,

iy,37 tons, loz Silwts

The total quantity crushed during the previous quarter was 26,905 tons, for a total yield nf 7,8530z 4dwfc ogr, or an average of sd*vt 20'10gr. It will be seen, therefore, that there has been a slight decline last quarter both in the yield and the average; but it must be remembered that there were, souie exceptional yields during the previous quarter, including the Black Hill South Company, which crushed an average of 9oz 61*vt 16gr for the quarter.' The Don Extended Company is also missing from the list, the yield from that claim during the previous quarter being 5230z. The average, however, continues satisfactory. The best yields have again been got from the greatest depths, the Hero Extended at 600 feet having averaged loz ldwt 12gr, while the Parade Extended has averaged loz 3dwt 9gr at from 200 to 800 feet deep. The Black dill Company tops the gross yields with 102Goz 9dvvfc 23gr, or an average per ton of lodwt 19gr from a depth of 320 feet, and the Temperance continues to get steady yields from their deep ground; the average is not so good this quarter as last, when it was lOdwt 10gr per ton. By Mr Christy's returns we find that the total niimber of miners in the division was 2,698, classified as followsllluvial miners—European, 1621; Cliineso, 276; European quartz miners, 802 During the previous quarter 3,028 miners were engaged, so that there is a falling off of 330 men, and this may account in a great measure for thedecrease in the yields. The total value of mining plant in thedivisiouamounted t0£140,330. —Ballamt Miner.

iO i *Q ' en 'SI ?35i ' Depth in Nameo£ Company. «■§ jj®* ■g-'S jf cet gg > S.S3 ! iLU ' o aj Tons. oz. (It. oz. dt. Britannia •• 002 0 2 01 0 13G Countess (oil hire) 320 0 5 92 0 Manton's Freehold 150 0 4 30 0 270 St Paul's .. 400 0 3 79 G 105 Black Hill South Tribute .. 54 1 15 90 1G 200 Two Ton .. 130 0 5 33 0 100 Black Hill South Extended .. 702 0 5 208 8 170 to 200 Parade- .. -'73 0 14 577 15 100to200 Duchess .. 1013 0 G 320 18 l'arade Extended.. 41 1 3 48 0 200to300 Grand Duke .. 313 0 4 78 9 100 to 180 Sovereign .. 391)8 0 3 052 13 800 Queen . 458 0 4 92 1. 50 Welcome .. SO 0. 5 20 0 100 Do. (oulurc).. 70 0 7 25 0 NewltedWhiteaud Blue .. 400 0 4 90 13 40 Do. (oil hire).. 490 0 4 111 19 Hero Extended .. 82 1 1 88 3 000 New Diiuock's Iteef 126 ) 0 4 290 0 200 Quunck .. 45 0 5 11 15 00 Don .. 83 0 3 12 10 200 Little Bcndigo and Black HLU . .. 4S0 0 2 52 12 130 . Black Hill .. 1297 0 15 1028 9 320 Llanberris .. 0328 0 2 795 11 300 to 400 Teniferanee .. 1500 0 8 054 18 500 to 750 Crushed on h're J)y __ ' ■ various companies 2250 0 4 500 5 23,920 0 5 [C058 17