THE MOSQUITO COMPANY.

Evening Star, Issue 12381, 20 December 1904, Page 8

THE MOSQUITO COMPANY.

to the editor: Sir,—ln the dredging boom of 1899 and 1900 there was some money extravagantly spent by some of the dredging companies, but I \ have never yet seen a balance-sheet 'to compare with the Mosquito 'Company (West Coast) lor extravagance and seeming bad management. Thie dredge was completely overhauled at enormous cost less than twelve months ago, and the money spent for. six months since then amounts to £9ll 6s 2d—more than double the amount of. any dredge working in Otago for the • same time. Wages also for the six months amount to £1,114-7-more than double what they should be. Otago dredges run for one year for the same money as the Mosquito Company spends in six months. It seems they also keep a manager besides the dredge-master at a cost of £336 per annum, and I would suggest that as soon as the returns improve to about lOOoz per week a 1 general manager be appointed as well as the other two. The claim has proved itself a rich one, but no company can possibly give a return to shareholders .under the present extravagant management, as shown in the last, two balance-sheets iseued by the Mosquito Company. It behoves shareholders to waken up a bit and at next annual meeting leturn directors who can manage a dredging copcern.—l am, etc., Sandfly. December 17.

[Our correspondent seems to overlook the fact that it is by no means fair to compare the maintenance charges of West Coast and Otago dredges. The former are called on to work very tight wash, with stumps and buried timber, which is not tho case with Otago dredges.—Ed. E.S.]