Page 321 - Reading Mercury

satisfaction of the directors. Under these circumstances, and seeing there is a balance
of profit amounting to £254 19s 3d, and a sum of £?? 11s 9d due to the company on
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the 30 June last to be collected during the current quarter, the directors feel fully
justified in recommending a dividend for the half-year at the rate of 6? per cent, per
annum, to be paid to the shareholders on the first day of September next, and that the
remaining £?? 19s 3d of the profit be added to the reserve fund. The directors retiring
by rotation are Messrs. Wheeler, Goodchild and Frankum, who are eligible and offer
themselves for re-election. In consequence of Mr. Wanalow’s appointment as
accountant to the Company, his retirement from the office of auditor becomes
necessary, and another auditor will have to be elected I his place by the shareholders.
This report was unanimously adopted, and Messrs. William W. Wheeler, Edward
Frankum and William Goodchild were re-elected directors, and Mr. Roberts was
unanimously requested to resume the position of Chairman of Directors, which he has
held for so many years filled to the satisfaction, not only of his co-directors, but also
of the shareholders.
Mr. Robert Bradley, of Reading, was elected auditor, in the room of Mr. Hanslow,
and the meeting concluded with a hearty vote of thanks to the Chairman.

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Sat 15 Nov
LOCAL BOARD
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The monthly meeting of this Board was held on the afternoon of Thursday, the 6
inst. The members present were, Mr. Thomas Cooke, chairman; and Messrs.
Goodchild, Westcott, Briginshaw, Dalley, Chambers, Watts, Moorcock, Heron,
Martin and Evans. A rate of one shilling in the pound was ordered. Mr. G. Evans drew
attention to the exceedingly high price of gas in the town, and pointed out that every
public lamp in Wokingham cost 13s per annum more than they did at Blackwater; he
had also ascertained that at Reading gas was supplied at 3s per 1,000 ft., while at
Wokingham the cost for the same quantity was 5s. Mr. W. Goodchild, one of the
directors of the Gas Company, said he should like to see the Gas Works placed under
the authority of the Local Board. Dr. Shea was appointed gas tester to the Board.
A proposition that the southern side of the Market Place, extending from
Goodchild’s lane to Mr. Bennett’s, should be paved with York stone, was, after some
opposition, carried by a majority of 7 to 3.

1880

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Sat 24 April
WOKINGHAM WATER COMPANY
It is satisfactory to be in a position to state that on Wednesday last a stratum of
chalk was reached at a depth of 340 feet from the surface, thus placing beyond doubt
that an abundant supply of pure water will soon be available. It is a matter of
congratulation to the inhabitants of Wokingham and of the large district embraced in
the company’s scheme, where the water supply has not only been insufficient, but the
water of very objectionable quality that henceforth a pure supply from the chalk, in
practically unlimited quantities, will be brought to the house of every inhabitant
desiring it. It at the same time makes it incumbent on the Local Board of Health to
close all deleterious springs both in private and present public supply. Binfield,
Barkham, Sandhurst, Bracknell and all the neighbourhood, are embraced in the water
company’s district. The shareholders may also be congratulated on the success of this
enterprise, which in the first instance did not appear very promising, but which now

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