November 20, 1914. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 1087 COAL, IRON AND ENGINEERING COMPANIES. REPORTS AND DIVIDENDS. Algoma Steel Corporation Limited.—The corporation has agreed to pay from October 1, 1914, to April 1, 1916, interest in cash at the rate of 6 per cent, per annum half-yearly on the scrip to be issued in exchange for coupons of the 5 per cent, first and refunding mortgage bonds and the 6 per cent, three year notes to be funded under the scheme proposed in the letter from the president, dated October 31, 1914. The bonds delivered in exchange for the scrip will carry intercut payable in cash as from April 1, 1916. Anglo-Westphalian (Chisht, Kent) Colliery Limited.—At an extraordinary general meeting of this company on Monday, a resolution was passed changing the name of the company to the Chislet Colliery Limited. Anglo-Westphalian Kent Coalfield Limited.—At a meeting of shareholders in London on Monday, it was decided to change the name of the company to that of the North Kent Coalfield Limited. Argentine Iron and Steel Company (Pedro Vesena~e Hijos) Limited.—Mr. Justice Neville on Tuesday heard a petition for sanction to a reduction of capital. Counsel said the company proposed to write off £240,092 by reducing the value of each ordinary share by 8s. His lordship sanctioned the scheme. Bengal Coal Company Limited.—The directors announce a profit of about Hs. 14,00,000 for the half-year ended October 31. A dividend is recommended at the rate of 50 per cent, per annum. • Brown (John) and Company Limited.—In the Chancery Division on Tuesday, Mr. Justice Neville had again before him the petition of John Brown and Company Limited, of Sheffield, for confirmation of an alteration of the memoran- dum of association, enlarging the objects of the company. On a former occasion his lordship pointed out that the powers sought were too wide, and pointed out that there was a general tendency with companies intending to extend the scope of their activities to take powers to enter into busi- nesses other than those for which the company was originally formed. He intimated that a clause ought to be embodied to the effect that, “ provided always that none of the exten- sions of the powers under the memorandum shall be under- taken except as subsidiary and auxiliary to the powers pro- posed in the original memorandum unless by sanction of special resolution of the company.” Counsel now said the company originally had at the end of their memorandum a general clause, and under that they had become the pos- sessors of collieries. They had no specific powers to take these, but they had added to their iron works the business of colliery owners. At their enlarged works they wanted the power to manufacture oil. At their works the company made Government arms. The oil wrorks and collieries were both extensions of the original business. His lordship sanctioned the scheme, subject to a general clause on the lines he had indicated. Central Silkstone Collieries Limited.—In the Companies (Winding Up) and Chancery Division on Tuesday, Mr. Justice Neville heard the petition of George William Nicholls, Barnsley, for the compulsory winding up of the Central Silkstone Collieries Limited. It was stated that the com- pany was insolvent. The debt due was about £70, the petitioner being a trammer in the employ of the company, who met with an accident, but the injury proving perma- nent, the judgment he had obtained was practically the equivalent of £1 a week for life. His lordship made the order. Dominion Steel Corporation Limited. — The corporation has issued its first statement for six months, which takes the place of the former quarterly statements. It showrs net earnings $694,084 for the six months ended September 30. For the same period last year the company showed net earn- ings of $1,548,903, a decrease this year of $854,819, or about 55 per cent. During the period the company earned the dividend on all the preferred stocks, but did not pay it on the preferred stock of the Dominion Iron and Steel Company. Dorman, Long and Company Limited. — The trading profits for the year ended September 30 were £237,579, and £107,725 was brought forward. Debenture interest and redemption absorbs £32,293, and directors’ fees £3,000. A final dividend of 5 per cent, is proposed, making 7| per cent, for the 12 months, appropriating £10,477 for repayment of debentures and £52,358 for issue expenses and reductions of premiums, adding £50,000 to the depreciation fund, and carrying forward £102,706. The directors report that thev have built and equipped a new constructional shop in Mel- bourne, completed the purchase of land held on lease on the Thames at Nine Elms, and added new machinery and furnaces to the Britannia Works, Middlesbrough, at a total cost of £57,765. They have taken a further interest in the Channel Collieries Trust Company. Bolckow, Vaughan and Company Limited have joined the undertaking, and their chairman, Sir Edward Johnson Ferguson, has been added to the board. The board announce that 1,593 of the men employed by Dorman, Long and Company Limited, Bell Brothers Limited, and the North-Eastern Steel Com- pany have joined the Colours. Fraser and Chalmers Limited.—The accounts for the year ended June 30 last show a profit, after writing off £9,557 for depreciation, and including £15,325 brought forward, of £23,703, out of which the dividend of 7| per cent, on the preference shares has been paid, leaving £18,978 to be carried forward. Gwaun-cae-Gurwen Colliery Company Limited. — The directors report that for the year to September 30, the profit is £18,821 7s.; to this is added the amount brought forward, £6,708 Is. Id., making £25,529 8s. Id. There was paid in June an interim dividend absorbing £4,311, and the pre- ference dividend absorbing £219 7s. 5d., and leaving for disposal £20,999 0s. 8d. The profits have been reduced owing to the war, and under existing conditions the direc- tors do not think it advisable to pay a dividend equal to last year. They therefore recommend that the balance should be disposed of as follows :—Payment of a final dividend of 6d. per share, free of tax, on the ordinary shares of £1 each fully paid, requiring £2,877 15s.; 3d. per share, free of tax, on the ordinary shares of £1 each 10s. paid, absorbing £1,433 5s.; 7 per cent, preference dividend for the half- year to September 30, less tax, £218 8s.; special reserve^ fund for foreign debts, £2,000; and carrv forward. £14,469 12s. 8d. Hornsby (R.) and Sons Limited.--The accounts for the year ended September 30 show a divisible balance of £25,745. A dividend of 2| per cent, is proposed on the ordinary shares, carrying forward £13,859. Kynoch Limited.—Owing to the large increase of wrork in hand due to the war, the company finds itself in need of increased trading capital. The directors have therefore decided to call up the unpaid part of the ordinary shares issued as £1 paid in 1906. The directors have also decided to recommend shareholders to take this opportunity of splitting the shares into denominations of £1. Extraordi- nary general meetings w7ere held yesterday to consider the matter. Millom and Askam Haematite Iron Company Limited.— The accounts for the year ended September, including £12,157 brought forward, after paying preference dividend to March 31 (£5,250), and interim ordinary dividend (£5,250), and after providing £7,500 for the year’s debenture interest, show7 a balance of £37,097. From this sum the directors have written off £15,000 for depreciation. They recommend a dividend of 6| per cent, on the ordinary shares, making 10 per cent, for the year, carrying forward £7,097. The report says the results are the poorest recorded for years, but having regard to the liberal depreciation formerly written off, and the company’s strong financial position, it has not been deemed necessary to reduce the ordinary dividend below 10 per cent. Boring operations at Ullbank have proceeded somewhat intermittently and continue, but without further discovery of ore. Boring in the vicinity by other parties has, it is understood, proved ore, and it is not improbable that the company’s proved deposit extends in that direction. The profits in 1912-13 was £80,496. North-Eastern Steel Company Limited.—The report for the year ended September 30, 1914, states that the profit is £10,715, and the balance from 1913 £10,343; total, £21,058. From this amount have to be deducted : Interest paid to June 30 and accrued to September 30, 1914, on debenture stock and second debentures, £17,550; directors’ fees, £1,000; provision for workmen’s compensation insurance (in addi- tion to amount paid, £2,097), £264; reserve account for redemption of second debentures, £5,000; leaving an adverse balance to be carried forward of £2,755. Owing to severe foreign competition, extending from the spring of 1913 to August last, it was impossible to obtain orders to keep the wmrks in full operation except at a heavy loss; consequently the output during the last half of the year under review was greatly reduced. Since August better prices have been obtainable. The works are now in full operation, with fair prospects. Shotts Iron Company Limited.—The profit for the year ended September, after deduction of usual depreciation and payment of the preference dividend, w7as £7,461, making, with £27,758 brought forward, a total of £35,219. The directors recommend a dividend of 2s. per share (10. per cent.) on the ordinary shares, carrying forward £28,172. For 1912-13 the profit w7as £45,871, with £23,075 brought forward. Tredegar Iron and Coal Company Limited.—Mr. Justice Neville had before him on Tuesday a petition for confirma- tion of alterations in the memorandum of association enlarg- ing the objects of the company. The petition was sanctioned —subject to a general clause on lines he suggested. NEW COMPANIES. Defries and Goldman Limited.—Private company. Regis- tered office, Albion House, New Oxford-street, W. Regis- tered November 13. To acquire and carry on business of electrical engineers and factors heretofore carried on at above address as Defries and Goldman. Nominal capital. £2,000 in £1 shares. Directors :—H. Defries and H. L. Goldman, both of above address, electrical engineers. English Iron and Steel Company Limited.—Private com- pany. Registered office, 58a, City-road, E.C. Registered November 12. Engineers, dealers in and manufacturers of iron and steel, metals, general hardware, agricultural imple- ments, and other machinery, toolmakers, smiths, etc. Nominal capital, £1,000 in 1,000 preference 5s. shares, and 750 ordinary £1 shares. Directors :—H. James, T. Wilkin- son. Qualification of directors, £100. Great Challinor Mines Limited.—Private company. Regis- tered November 12. To acquire any mines, mining rights, and metalliferous land, and to explore, work, develop, and turn to account same. Nominal capital, £100 in Is. shares. Subscribers (one share each) :—W. Wallis, 10, Cecil Man- sions, Manus-road, Balham, S.W., builder and contractor; W. H. Boursnell, 43, Wyndham-road, Ealing, W., accountant. S. R. Anthracite Collieries Limited. — Private company. Registered November 10. Colliery owners, coke manufac- turers, dealers in timber, brick and tile makers, ironfounders, engineers, spinners, manufacturers or dealers in cotton. Nominal capital, £60,000 in £1 shares. Directors :—Chas. C. W. Simpson, Longhurst, Haigh, near Wigan, colliery proprietor; and Henry M. Rogers. Qualification of direc- tors, £100. This list of new companies is taken from the Daily Register specially compiled by Messrs. Jordan and Sons Limited, company registration agents, Chancery-lane, E.C. In the Court of Appeal on Monday—before Lords Jusstice Buckley, Phillimore, and Pickford—a considered judgment was given as to the liability of railway companies who accept goads for carriage at owner’s risk and fail to deliver part of the consignment. The action was brought by plaintiff, a Bristol butcher, to recover £10 8s. 9d. as damages for non-delivery of portions of three consignments of carcases which were sent off by the Great Western Railway from Avonmouth to his order at Lawrence Hill. On delivery each consignment was found to be short of the number originally consigned. The action was tried at the Bristol County Court, and judgment entered for plaintiff. The company unsuccessfully appealed to the Divisional Court, the judges being of opinion that the county court judge was right in holding that the non-delivery of a substantial part of a consignment was non-delivery of the consignment, and not “ loss ” within the meaning of the special contract. Lords Justices Buckley and Pickford read judgments affirming the opinion of the judges in the Divisional Court, and accordingly held that the appeal failed. Lord Justice Phillimore dissented and was in favour of allowing the appeal. By a majority, therefore, the appeal of the company was dismissed with costs. ABSTRACTS OF PATENT SPECIFICATIONS RECENTLY ACCEPTED. 27 (1914). A New or Improved Brick Making Machine. H. J. Orman, of 8, Charlton-road, Southampton, Hants, legal personal representative of Henry Orman, deceased, late of Common-road, Chandlers Ford, in the said county. The machine comprises a pugmill rnounted on a suitable frame, with two recesses under the bottom of the pugmill, two vertical clay presses in front of the pugmill, one on each side, communicating w7ith the aforesaid recesses under the pugmill, a table under the clay presses on which two plates are fitted adapted to slide horizontally backwards and forwards under the clay presses, the stock of a brick mould a G a tel FIQS. X. A o T5 a2 FIG4 S3 u.'. K F- i®r FIG 6 Y_ ® £ —b -UL ---© being secured to each sliding plate adapted to take remov- able brick moulds, a horizontal plunger working in each recess under the pugmill, and a vertical plunger in each clay press, and other devices. The machine is designed to charge a pair of brick moulds alternately -with clay from the pugmill, and to deliver the moulds filled, in turn, at the front of the machine ready for removal to the drying shed. Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine; fig. 2, a plan on top of fig. 1; fig. 3 a sectional side elevation taken on the lines a a in figs. 2, 4, and 6 ; fig. 4, a sectional plan taken on the lines d d in figs. 1 and 3; fig. 6, a sectional plan taken on the lines e e in figs. 1 and 3. 1143 (1914). Improvements in Supports for Electrical Conductors or other Purposes. Callender’s Cable and Con- struction Company Limited, and C. W. Kay, both of Hamil- ton House, Victoria Embankment, London. — Relates to improvements in supports for electrical conductors or other purposes, and it refers more especially to those used in high tension power transmission or for use in connection with wireless telegraphy. In the specification of patent No. 17294 of 1911, is described a support for electrical conductors, which comprises three or more inclined struts, a vertical strut (the foot of which is supported on the apex of the pyramid formed by the said inclined struts), all of these struts being in compression, and three or more tension rods connecting the vertical strut to the inclined struts. The primary object of the present invention is to provide a steel pole or support of much greater height than could be provided with previ- ously known construction, whilst using commercially obtain- able or practicable lengths of tubing bars or angles for the struts. According to the invention, the pole or support is constructed of a plurality of sections, each of which, with the exception of the uppermost section, comprises an inter- mediate vertical strut, three or more inclined struts at each end, and the necessary tension rods for connecting the inclined struts to the vertical struts and also to each other. The uppermost section most conveniently takes the form of the construction described in the previous patent above referred to. Fig. 1 shows one form of support made in accordance with the present invention ; and fig. 2 shows a slightly modified construction, including more sections, and suitable for greater heights. (Six claims.) 9851 (1914). Improvements in and Relating to Means for Minimising the Effects of Colliery Explosions. J. J. C. Allison, of Lunton, Butterknowle, Co. Durham, and J. Waller, of Woodlands Colliery, Co. Durham.—The inven- tion is broadly as follows :—The passages in the mine are