In regard to efficiency, we are of opinion that our works will bear comparison with those of any other city. We have had difficulties to contend with, the difficulty rapidly increasing consumption and the difficulty of obtaining plant during and immediately after the war, but as stated in the summary of our engineer-in-chief and manager's report, no difficulty was found in keeping a full pressure in the mains during the year 1922. We have provided an efficiency far in excess of that called for by, our agreement with the Council. During the last three years, our expenditure on new plant, ete., exceeded Tls. 3,000,000.
Members of the Municipat Council and the special waterworks committee visited the Yangtszepoo Works on June 30, 1922, and expressed their appreciation of what they saw. We were also favoured with visits from the President and members of the French Municipal Council on September 4 to the Yangtszepoo works and on September 13 to the reservoirs and pumping station, Kiaochow Road.
During the past two years a very considerable amount of experiment-a work has been carried out, with the twofold object. of ascertaining the best way of bringing—the quality of the water supplied by the company to the highest possible standard and to intensify the works so as to produce as much purified water as possible from a given area of land. With regard to the former, very satisfactory results have been obtained to date Tt is very necessary to achieve the latter object, owing to the high price of land. I may mention that the analyses of water published -monthly by the Health Department of the Municipal Council show a marked improvement.
I have®to record with regret the death of Mr. Edward Pettit, whose retirement from the London Committee reference was made at the last annual meeting. In conclusion, I.would like to put on record the board's appreciation of the way in which the members the staff have carried out their work during the year.
There were no questions, and the following resolutions were formally carried:
Proposed by the Chairman, seconded by Mr. Burkill: That the report and accounts for the year 1922 as presented he accepted and passed.
Proposed by the Chairman, seconded by Mr. Burkill: That a final dividend for the year 1992
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.