432
Mr. J. W. Ross TAYLOR in seconding said: As our Chairman had just said, it has been our custom to get a $4 dividend, and I think that we all take it certain that our directors feel justified in deciding to increase that dividend and placing $50,000 to reserve, and that they feel confident that they will not only remain at the figure put down, but that there is every prospect of the marking time which we have experienced coming to an end and that steady advance is about to ensue. I am sure that you will all join in congratulating our Secretary on the first complete year under his working, which has enabled us to increase our dividend, and we hope and expect that this is one step forward in a long series of steps. I am quite sure that we are all ready for all we expect an all we can get. I have pleasure in seconding the adoption of the report and accounts.
The motion was carried.
Mr. 8. G. NEWALL proposed, and Capt. F. D. GODDARD seconded, the appointment of Mr. Haupt on the Board of Directors. This was carried.
Mr. R. C. WILCOX proposed, and Mr. ORANGE Seconded, the re-election of Messrs.
Carried. Raymond and Ormiston as directors.
Mr. G. T. VEITCH proposed, and Mr. W. PARLANE seconded, the re-election of Messrs. T. Arnold and H. U. Jeffries as auditors.
The CHAIRMAN said that dividend warrants would be ready for issue this morning.
SHANGHAI AND HONGKONG DYEING AND CLEANING CO., LIMITED.
ANNUAL MEETING.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Cr.
I and account
ASSETS.
$ 6,194 73 23,038.31 Buildings account Machinery and plant account... 25,240.18
Fire insurance unexpired
Stock account Furniture and fittings account... Cash account
$1,442.46 542.99
Expenses during construction account Profit and loss account
Dr.
WORKING ACCOUNT.
0.
55,073.22 596.40
1,085.45 077.25 14,6 9.13
5,537.34
$78,478.79
For the six months ending 31st August, 1974. To Shanghai works charges account To fire insurance account
To station ry, printing and advertising ac-
count
To stock account To coal accounti
To Shanghai charges account To delivery charges account To water account......
To Shanghai agency account To taxes account
To Hongkong charges account To wages account
To salaries account..
Cr.
By dyeing and cleaning a ccount $4,898.73 By balance carried to profit and
loss account
Dr.
5,519.09
C.
$
418.20 570.45
738.37 2,364.41 307.20
(December 12,41904.
raised by special resolution, and that such bonus or dividend be appropriated for the pur- pose of paying such calf,
MESSRS. GREGOR & CO.
A NEW ENTERPRISE AT HONGKONG.
Mr. R. Pescio, the principal of a new local firm, Messrs. Gregor and Co., gave inaugural luncheon at the offices of the Com- pany, No. 34, Queen's Road Central, on the 3rd ist. Among those present were Chov. Z Volpicelli (Consul-General for Italy), Messrs. E. A. Hewett (Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce), D. W. Craddock (of the Canadian Pacific Railway), and W. H. T. Davis (of the Commercial Union Insurance Company). There were toasts at tiffin.
Chev. Volpicelli asked those present to drink to the success of the business--if it were as good as the wines they had sampled, Mr. Pescio would have nothing to complain of.
76.47 138.74 125.0 1,400.00 Mr. Hewett said they always welcomed new 261.99 enterprise if it was carried out in a thorough business-like manner, especially when it was that of a country (Italy) which had shown herself friendly to Great Britain.
399.69
2,567.93 1,054.97
$10,418.42
C.
Mr. Pescio thanked his guests for their good wishes, and emphasised his appreciation of Mr. Hewett's remarks concerning his country.
The firm of Gregor and Co. is quite a new one to Hongkong, though firms interested in it 14,418.42 | are very well known in the wine trade. Mr. Pescio recently arrived from, Europe. His $10,418.42 show-rooms are already very attractive, there being a display of wines and spirits of a large number of brands of every age and description. The offices of the Company are situated opposite the Post Office, in the billiard room of the old Hongkong Club building.
PROFIT AND LOSS' ACCOUNT For the six months ending 31st August, 1904.
To working account-balance transf red Jo anditor's fee
The second annual general meeting of the Shanghai and Hongkong Dyeing and Cleaning Co. Ltd. was held on Wednesday, 7th December, at the Company's offices, No. 22, Des Vœux Road. Mr. G. C. Moxon presided. There were also present Messrs. F. Ellis, E. Haskell, By balance carried down being net loss Chan Ki Pan and Yuen Lan Hing.
been
I
The Manager (Mr. G. C. MoxON) having read the notice convening the Meating said:
GENTLEMEN,--The accounts and report for the year ending on 31st August last have now
in your hands, and some days will adopt the usual procedure with your
and take them
read. permission I regret that the working account should show a debit balance of $5,537.34, but in such an enterprise as ours it is perhaps to be ex- pected that at the outset there should be some loss-as time goes on and the works become more generally known I am of opinion that the
89
use
8
volume of business will increase and should be
of attended with profit. To make hackneyed expression, there is no doubt that this Company fills a long-felt want in the Far East, and I cannot but think that its existence will very shortly be justified. It is gratifying to the management to be able to record that the work turned out since we
started has given general satisfaction, and it is a cheering fact that our receipts have steadily increased since March last, when the works opened. You have an efficient, expert staff, your works are well equipped and well situated, and I do not think better work could be turned out by any similar institution. We want more business, of course, which it is our constant endeavour to obtain, and I have every reason to believe that in this we shall be successful. Before proposing
and the adoption of the report
accounts I shall be glad to answer any questions.
The report presented was as follows:- The directors beg to submit to the share- holders the annual report and accounts for year ended 31st August, 1904, which they regret show a loss on working account of $5,537.34.
The accounts have been audited by Mr. Arthur R. Leaks of Shanghai.
Dr.
G. U. MOXON,
General Manag. r.
The accounts are as follow! —
BALANCE-SHEET. 31st August, 1904.
LIABILITIES.
$ 126.87 Sundry creditors Hongkong and Shanghai Bank... 18,351.92
Cpaital account
14 16 tda kat 254 448 +CEKAMATA CO
0.
18,478.79 60,000.00
$78,478.79
Cr.
By exchange account
C.
$ 5,519.69 68.49
$5,588.18
60.84 5,537.31
$5,588.18
There being no questions, the CHAIRMAN pro- posed the adoption of the report and accounts Mr. E. HASKELL seconded and it was duly carried.
on
DAIRY FARM CO., LD.
EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING.
con-
An extraordinary general meeting of the Dairy Farm Co., Ld., was held at the offices of the Company, No. 2, Lower Albert Road, December 5th for the purpose of firming certain resolutions. Mr. E. H. Hinds (Chairman) presided, and there were also present Messrs. S. A. Seth (Secretary), F. Mait'and, E. Osborne, and James Walker. The confirmed, are as resolutions, which were
follows:-
That the following be added to the Articles of Association :—
Article XVII, paragraph 14-The Directors may, from time to time, with the sanction of the company in general meeting, declare a bonus or a dividend to be paid to the members in pro portion to their shares out of the reserve fund or out of any other accumulated profits for the time being of the company, and with the like consent may also declare that such bonus or dividend may be appropriated in payment of any calls
shares to be allotted to the existing upon new shareholders upon any duly authorized increase of capital. (2)-That the capital of the company be increased by the sum of $112,500, divided into 15,000 shares of $7.50 each, and that
the directors be authorized to allot such shares
pro rata among the existing shareholders according to the number of shares for which they may, on the 10th day of November 1904, be registered, in the proportion of three new shares for every complete two shares held by them on that date.
That the directors' remuneration (as allowed by Article XV, paragraph 10) be increased from $1,500 to $2 500 per annum.
That the directors be authorized to declare a bonus or dividend out of the reserve fund or out of the accumulated profits of the company sufficient to pay a call of $6.00 per share upon the new capital already authorized to be
THE RELIGIONS OF CHINA.
LECTURE BY THE BEY. K. J. HARDÝ.
The Rev. E. J. Hardy, Chaplain of the Forces, on the 6th inst. delivered a lecture at the City Hall on The Religions of Chins." H. E. Sir Matthew Nathan, K.C.M.G., was in the chair.
C
THE LECTURER having been introduced by His Excellency said that the subject of “The
" Was " Religions of China
very large one indeed. Regarding Confucius, it he were irrationally despised before his death, he bad been 8-nselessly overestimated since. When he did or did not do the most ordinary things they were noted as extraordinary. The regard which the Chinese had for the "Uncrowned Monarch" might be estimated from the following, translated from the Sacri- ficial Ritual:-
Confucius! Confucius! How great is Confucius !
Before Confucius there near was a Confucius; Since Confucius there never has been a Confucius. Confucius! Confucias! How great is Confucius.
CC
A
етед
His great influence might be accounted for by the fact that his writings were used as text boo's in schools and for competitive exsminx- tions. The writings of Confucius in common with all Chinese classics were free from any- thing debasing-if they did not ascend to Heaven they did not descend to Hell They might say that Confucias gave the world the of "The religion of a Chinese version
a religious gentleman," only this was not system at all, but one of ethics, and these
lovel were put on
with etiquette Confucius good form."
did not and:
answer such attempt to
questions as "Where did I come from and where am I going ?" "Is there a father in Heaven, and if so what is my duty to Him?" He taught that men knew nothing about the gods, but that they Con. should live as if in their presence. fucianism had no vital force to renew sinners and keep them from more sin. Instruction it gave, but not
the power to carry it out. Instead of the glowing teaching from Heaven there was the icy philosophy of When asked about a futurs the world. life Confucius answered," While you do not know this life how can you know about a future one ?""* A disciple desired to be in- structed how to die, and was told to learn to live well and then he would know how to die. This-
agnosticism of Confucius was perhaps a recóil from the extravagant metaphysics of Laoutese,