One of the best buildings in Mosman-street is undoubtedly that of Messrs. E. D. Miles and Co. which has recently been enlarged and improved to meet the growing requirements of the firm’s ever-expanding business. The offices, which are of brick, lined with wood, and lofty, so as to provide ventilation, have a frontage of 40ft to Mosman street by a depth of 80ft, and the recent additions include a room for the corresponding clerks, a room for the sharebroking department, and a private apartment for members of the staff. The front office is loft by 40ft.
Altogether there are 23 employees, who with the two partners make up 25 people engaged almost solely in the transaction of mining business. The partners (Messrs. E. D. Miles and J. Millican) exercise direct personal supervision, which may account for the fact that theirs is undoubtedly the biggest business of its kind in Queensland, and there are few of its class in Australia more extensive.
On the left-hand side, after entering the hall, is the office of the chief clerk, Mr. J. Mortimer Hastings, in which directors’ meetings are held. Mr. Hastings takes the directors’ meetings and attends to the correspondence. On the right of the hall is the large board room, in which meetings of shareholders take place, and: where in the daytime six clerks are engaged under the supervision of Mr J. D. Mafarlane, who attends to the Warden’s Court business, advertising, the despatch of call and dividend notices, and the transaction of insurance and general business. Mr. Miles and Mr. Millican occupy comfortable offices fitted with electric bells, at the rear of the chief clerk’s and board room respectively.
Attached to the main building is the room occupied by the three correspondence clerks, two of whom are shorthand writers. Messrs. E. D. Miles and Co. are secretaries for 4) live mining companies, and general manager for three companies whose registered offices are in London. In addition, there are secretaries for a number of local institutions — among which may be numbered the Charters Towers Hospital with its several thousands of credit balance.
Then they are agents for a number of absentees, insurance companies, machinery, and, indeed, their business has ramifications in almost every line. The firm has also an extensive connection as sharebrokers. This department is under the personal superintendence of Mr. Millican, being looked after by Mr. J. Tippett, an old and trusted employee, who is the usual attendant on ‘Cange.
This notice would scarcely be complete without a short rename of the history of the firm which was established by Mr. E. D. Miles ten years ago. For two years prior to that he was Town Clerk with the right to take outside business. It was on his advice that the Day Dawn P.C. was formed into a limited company by the first men to do well out of it, and afterwards the Union, G.M. Co., Ltd. was formed. Mr. Miles was not new to mining fields, for commencing at Ballarat in 1862 he has followed them up ever since, and had worked underground and on top for years before he saw Charters Towers. Mr. J. Millican has had much the same experience, so that both partners have the advantage of possessing a thorough practical knowledge of everything connected with mining.
In 1881 Mr. Miles resigned his position as Town Clerk to devote himself to building up his present successful business. His first offices were in Upper Mosman Street, and he remained there until three years ago, when he acquired the present premises, which have cost well on to £3000. About three years ago he took in Mr. J. Millican, then his chief clerk, as partner, and such arrangement has resulted in a considerable extension of the business. The junior partner, Mr. Millican, is just completing his second successful term of office as Mayor of Charters Towers.
Source: National Library of Australia – Digitised Newspapers
Northern Mining Register (Charters Towers, Qld. : 1891 – 1892), Thursday 24 December 1891, page 38.
