SALE OF THE BROXTON.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17273, 11 October 1921, Page 11

SALE OF THE BROXTON.

FLOTATION OP NEW COMPANY.

THe final, negotiations iri coxmesdori. with the purchase of the steamer Broxton were completed yesterday afternoon, when the balance of the purchase price of £6500 was jjaid over to the solicitors, Messrs George Harper, Pascoe, and Buchanan, on behalf of a syndicate whose names hare not yet been disclosed.

Mr H. P. Bridge, who purchased the steamer at auction, as representative of the syndicate, has intimated that it was intended to form a limited liability company to take over the vessel. The company's capital will be £14,000, of which £12,000 is to be subscribed in shares. The amount of £6500 has already been underwritten by the syndicate as the purchase price of the vessel, and an additional 2000 shares of £1 each will also be issued, fully paid-up to the members of the syndicate.

Managing agents have been appointed to look after the vessel, and their representative is expected to arrive from "Wellington to-day. Five unsolicited offers of charter have already been received, most of them being cabled from Australia. The Broxton was offered to the Government by the syndicate, as a nucleus of a Government shipping line, but no definite reply has yet been received.

CREW'S CLAIM FOR WAGES. The Broxton 'will again figure in thJI Admiralty Court to-morrow. The Supreme Court, sitting in its Admiralty jurisdiction to-morrow, at 2 p.m., will hear an application by Sir 0. T. J. Alpers, on behalf of the engineers, officers, crew, and firemen of the Broxton. to be paid wages, overtime, maintenance, and viaticum out of a fund in Court, the proceeds of the sale of the vessel. The total amount of tho claim is nearly £3OOO.

Tile Lyttelton Borough Council last night adopted a report from tie General Purposes' Committee (waterworks section), which approved of the action of the town clerk in issuing a writ for water supplied to the 3.8. Broxton..

Many horrors haunt northern pearling waters that are known to few other than the pearlers themselves (states the Sydney "Mail"). The Australian dia-mond-fish is one of the terrors that the pearlers fear worst of all. Many pearlers have spent sleepless nights following on a skirmish with _ this little-known devil.' As its name indicates, it is dia-mond-shapea, and its cutting powers are also as keen as those of any crystal. At tho top, or end. of each of its huge flappers is a "hook of bone—a'veritable bayonet. This is the hook of -which the pearlers are a£raid ? , because as soon as it touches ' anything this hook is flashed into and across it, invariably leaving an awful, ghastly gash. It is needless to explain now this fish can destroy air-tubes and rip diving suits.