City Affairs from London, Greater London, England • Page 8

212 CITY AFFAIES. December 18, 1897. At the second ordinary general meeting of the Britannia Motor Carriage Company, Limited, a scheme was foreshadowed for the sale of the undertaking and assets of the company. The second ordinary meeting of the members of Woodley'a Reward Gold Mine, Limited, was held in London on Wednesday, when Mr. J.

Lowles, M.P., reported favourably on the company's property. The directors of B. and J. Pullman, Limited, at the third ordinary general meeting on Wednesday, declared a dividend of per cent, on the ordinary shares, and 9s. per share on the founders' shares.

Progress in every branch of the company's business was reported at the tenth ordinary general meeting of Copper, Limited. During the past year a profit had been made of £215,238, as against £131,252 in 1896-96, the dividends declared being 9s. per share, absorbing £155,250. It was stated that there were prospects of good business for next season, at a meeting of the shareholders in Milner's Safety Oyole, Limited. The machinery and plant was now in working order.

The ordinary general meeting of the New Belgium Land and Development Company, was held at the City Terminus Hotel on Wednesday. It was pointed out that rinderpest was still causing stagnation, but the company's cattle was free from it. The profit and loss account up to date had got on to on the debit side. The shareholders of the Wentworth Qoldfields Proprietary, were consoled by the statement that the labour troubles at the mines were overcome, and although no dividend could be paid for the past year, hotter tunes were predicted. The working account showed a profit of just on £10,000, which, however, was diminished by income-tax and charges to abont £6,000.

In spite of moderately successful" period for the last eighteen months, the company had, said the Chairman, previously justified its existence, haying in fire years paid £275,000 in dividends, or 25s. to every subscriber of a sovereign. There was only a small attendance of shareholders at tlw second ordinary meeting of Hannan's Kalgoorlie Proprietary, Limited, on Wednesday. The chairman Price, MJP.) explained the nature of the ments, and said that the matter with regard to the vendors, was, of course, one of-negotiation, and he was aure the latter would meet the company fairly. The third ordinary general meeting of the Lily Australia Gold Mines, Limited, took place on Wednes, when it was stated that sinking operations were bejng continued in order to strike the lode -at 200 ft.

the fifth annual meeting of the shareholders in the Aladdin's Lamp Gold Mining Company, Limited, the payment of four interim dividends, amounting to per share, was approved; and a final dividend of 1 Is. jtsr-share lor £he year, free of income-tax, was in the price of nitrate of 20s. per ton the directors of the Lagnnms Syndicate, Limited, were able to report at the mesting of shareholders on that the gross profit amounted to £44,000, or or quintal, or over 80s. per ton on the output for itfjBtr. The shareholders in the New Zealand Grown Mines, received a dividend of 5s.

per cent, for general meeting of the Waitekauri was held at Winchester House, man, jupviiv, a nceser ouse on Wednesday, when a seheme for re-con- strnctmg the company was agreed to. A dividend of 10 per cent was declared at the fifth ordinary pueralnMetfng of the Hall Mines, Limited, an Wednesday. The directors of the Sheba Gold Mining Company. UP UMPOMUKf a dividend ef Is. per share free of income-tax! cent; for the past year has been -jreholders of the United Discount Companj.LhniUd.

At the eighth annual it was stated that the meeting of the Anjrlo- was held at the Gannon- Iditionalexpendit been of shareholders in the PaUnarsio rotation favour of reoon- Of of SIMMM lay fa the Ooldfleids of Mexico, and the of Huruepa Mines, which the adjourned meeting of the new Julia at the Cannon- the tart pot adopted was carried. diiiary mting rf the shartboldm of position and prospects of the company were most hopeful. The second ordinary general meeting of the Mount Benmark Gold Mining Company, Limited, has just been held. The report was adopted, after an amendment for the appointment of a committee of inquiry had been withdrawn. At the eighth ordinary general meeting of the Peter Sohoenhofen Brewing Company, Limited, the chairman told the shareholders that the company was over- capitalised at £625,000.

No dividends were paid on the ordinary shares, but the prospects were said to be improving, owing to diminished competition. A dividend on the preference shares at the rate of 7 per cent, per annum, for the six months ending September BOth, was declared. At the ordinary general meeting of the Willoughby Consolidated Company, Limited, Sir John Willoughby, assured the shareholders that he had the greatest confidence in the future of their property. At a meeting of the Northern Transvaal Lands Company, Limited, there was a feeling that some scheme of amalgamation was advisable in the interests of the company. It appeared from the report presented at the thirty- fifth ordinary meeting of the London and Biver Plate Bank, Limited, that the net profits, including the balance brought forward, represented £285,880.

A 20 per cent, dividend for the year was declared. At the third ordinary general meeting of. the Buln- wayo Waterworks Company, Limited, it was stated that the works were not yet completed. Representatives of the Press were refused admission to the meeting of shareholders in the Hikutaia Gold Syndicate," Limited, held at the offices, Laurence Ponntney-hill, E.G. The directors of the Bio de Janeiro Flour Mills and Granaries, Limited, have, at the twelfth annual meeting of the company, declared a dividend of making with the interim dividend of 6s.

paid in June, 16s. per share, free of income tax. An extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders of India-rubber (Mexico), Limited, has been held, for the purpose of confirming the resolution to reduce the capital of the company from £706,000 to £406,000, by cancelling the 800,000 ordinary shares unissued. The statutory general meeting of the Ascot Deep Maui Lead Gold Mines, Limited, has just been held. The chairman expressed his confidence that, if properly worked, the mine would develop into a good dividend-paying property that would take many years to exhaust.

At an extraordinary general meeting, convened for the purpose, it was decided to increase the capital of Brabrook Wilcox, Limited, to £320,000, by the creation of 8,000 new ordinary shares, of £10 each. of British Columbia, Limttsd, ft Tthat DEATH OF EX-SUPERINTENDENT FOSTER. We regret to learn of the death of Mr. ex- Superintendent Foster, who was for many years one of the most respected members of the City Police Force. Mr.

Foster commenced Ufa in a solicitor's office, but getting tired of quills and parchments, he obtained a position) in the Coldbath) Fields) Prison. While there he was recommended to Colonel Sir James Fraser, late Commissioner of the City Police, who made him a superintendent, a position which he filled to the entireisatisfaotion of the citizens for a period of over twenty years. Mr. Foster was one of the most kindhearted and gentlemanly men who ever held a position of responsibility in the police force, and in times of trouble and excitement he always showed a coolness and kindliness which gained for him the respect of even the rougher element among mobs. Roughness and brutality in dealing with the public is a failing with many otherwise able officers, but Mr.

Foster had all that tact and firmness in times of trial and difficulty which distinguish the able police official from the mere duffer. We have seen him on one or two occasions which called for the utmost patience and forbearance doing exactly the "right thing," and it gives us the greatest possible pleasure to bear this small tribute to the memory of an official for whom we have always had the warmest respect. He was a leading spirit in connection with the police orphan fund, and in all matters affecting the welfare of the men under his charge he took a kindly interest. To sum him up in brief, he was a notable example of the fact that a man can wear a policeman's uniform and never forget that he is a custodian of the public a gentleman. At the annual meeting of the constituents of the MeteopoUtan HospiUlFund, which was presided over by the Lord Mayor, it was stated that the total receipts whjfihincluded for the past year amounted to £41, a of £000 contributed by Sir Ba hadjstrtia similar amount to the Hospital rood.

CONTESTS ON ST. THOMAS'S DAY. There seems to be a good deal of apathy manifested in the City generally with regard to coming elections on St. Thomas's Day that we have condemned in regard to civic matters, so far. Surely we might take a little more interest in the City government than is done at present In Bishopsgate, although there is no vacancy a candidates are coming Bull, Mr.

W. W. Tickle, and Mr. J. Tollworthy.

In Coleman-street Ward there will be two vacancies, owing to the retirement of Mr. Gabriel Lindo and Captain Alfred, but np to the present no candidates appear to have come forward. This is another example of civic apathy. There are two candidates for the vacancy caused by the death of the genial Mr. Graham King, in Cripplegate Within, and Mr.

Geo. W. Briggs and Mr. Thos. Eider are reported to be already in the field.

In Portsoken, there is a vacancy, consequent upon the retirement of Mr. Deputy Hora, after thirty years service, and Mr. Barnett Aarona, and Mr. E. A.

Hart, are before the electors. Whether there will be a contest in Queenhithe is still uncertain, but in that event Mr. E. E. Bond, and Mr.

G. 0. Brightling are before the electors. In Walbrook, Mr. J.

Bowles is retiring in consequence of ill-health, and Mr. F. W. Harrison is coming forward, and is expected to have a walk over." this is a melancholy example of the condition of lethargy generally, into which our municipal institutions in the City have fallen. The so-called "City Fathers," as a body, we fear, can hardly be termed nobody of real capacity seems to care for the trouble of undertaking a contest, in which the citizens in general take so little interest.

It would save time to nominate them en bloc I who ales's WHITSTABLE OYSTER FISHERIES. A Mend of ours connected with the oyster trade, has been good enough to forward us a newspaper cutting from the pen of Mr. J. Ewing Ritchie, which appeared some time back in the columns of the City Press, which gives an interesting account of the fishing town of Whitstable, and the wealth of the oyster fisheries. He describes it as a little fishing village town, on the right from Herne Bay, as yon pass the island of Shoppy; which yearly becomes smaller as the hungry sea washes away its chalk cliffs." He gives many interesting historical details of this little hamlet, and of the ancient company, which we need not repeat, but says, that "the sales from the oyster beds, sometimes attain a total of £200,000 a year." The stock of the private layings at the time the article was written was said to be of the value of £200,000, while the extent of the fishery grounds was about twenty-seven miles.

The oyster farm is," he informs us, the largest and wealthiest oyster corporation in the world, and over 3,000 people are employed in the various industries connected with it. The business of the company is to feed the London market, and for this purpose they buy brood, or spat, and lay it down in their beds to grow. When the company's oysters produce a spat, that is when' the spawn, or flotsam, as the dredgers call it, emitted from their own beds falls upon their own grounds, it is of great importance to them, as it saves purchases of broods to the extent to which the spat has fallen, but this falling of spat is to a great degree accidental. No artificial contrivances of the kind known i in France are in use at Whitstable. All these facts increase the strength of our contention that, under proper management, the fisheries ought to yield a handsome revenue to the shareholders.

Injuries made by a representative of the financial JfoM, go to show that matters at the Gordon Hotels have resumed their normal course again. There appears to be no foundation for the rumour that Mr. Alfred Holland intends to identify himself at an dafe with the Hotel OMiL.