PUNT DREDGING COMPANY. LTD.

Evening Star, Issue 13000, 20 December 1906, Page 2

PUNT DREDGING COMPANY. LTD.

TO THE EDVTOB. for. —Ko.vrrii:; to the letters published, by you. 1 think ihe discussing in a public newspaper ■■: the _ merits or dements of the employers o: the company is a course much to br .] iprrcat'd. I intimated at the shareholder-' inreii;::; the same opinion, as the appoint■.»•; unci locking after the dredge-n-.aiter aid engineer must bo left to the directors, an.l a; an opon meeting it would be inipos>il>lc_ proper!-,- to discuss sush a matter. 1 tiie.ef.irc have no intention of here stating my opinion of either dredge-mister or engineer, except to point, out that the reduction in coal consumption made at the time of Mr .Jones's zppointment was. in ray opinion, mainly lb? result of Mr Payne's 'lke fact.- are that the, <ir>:Jge ivii consuming so much rrai that the directors instructed! Mr Payne, c-us-nhing engineer, to visit tho dr:dge. and take :::; iudicitor card and usecitaiii what was wrong. Mr Payne- did thi-. a;:-! iep.s,u,t :'■<■:, ee/tain things were rcquirfd to b.' ilone to avoid waste of steam. A copy uf tin- v.-a-. given to ?4r Jones, who was vjsi then .:i>p->'uted, ajid who was ins;n:<:icd ij crry out Mr Payne's advice. Thai woik was. 1 helifva, well carried out by Mr Jones. l'u : - it. i? absnid for ihe latter io cia'ui th_ v wiiole cre.'ir of t'c; improvement, ami ignore the brain-work of the consulting engineer. However. ;h.n ;= an old story of more, than a year ar;o. Now ?.!r >'i'Gtr. alleges that requisitions i<j? niLitrriii had constantly beer, made to the IJim-din otDe-i aud hail been disr-<r:ud.-ii. hi feJiuci-i to the sfcretary aud !i!-.\;-..-sciit.-ii.. •• \; : := a'bg.uion which I r 7 pli,; L : : , ,lc;n. 'lhe r.'iKirt d.-.t.d 21sr Scpirmber. which tvas written after the diieciors bad di.'covjied iho dredge v.-ar. in very bad repair. Mr Jones then rrporad a large numoer of repairs were requirerJ, the c->>c of which c-ti-mated at about Tt is thesr. repairs wo noit carrying out. The directors could not supply all these at. -x moment's, notice, but a. l ; soon .'is po-.-ob!" let a for ihe twenty new buckets askcJ by Mr .Tores. It is qttr.e utiles., o. hriiijf foruard :he report •>{ U!st September to pr-'va I ha; it the directors' fault the dredge had get into bad repair, when the report shows it thru wits in the very bad slate of which we conip'ain. As to the other reports, lhey are reports only, and not roquitni'oiis. q'h;* duty of the dredgc-m-aster was to consult the engineer, and as he reouited materia.!, io requisition the office for it. Tho reports are sent for th.j directors'iufunnaiion only, arid to explain the requisition*. Indeed, although Mr Jones wasi instructed u -.cj a. meuihiy report, it was witdi gtca.; riifhc'.ilty wo cjuld even goi. one quarterly. The siat?niojit>-- made in tho reports are ulten nirro estimates, and are fattoo genet.ti io a:-.- upon. Now. the .ircdg'.'-nrasicr did sor.d <h>wn eontinuo:.- teqo.isitiotis for all .-cm, of materia!. Ii Wd- a most expensive dredge to run. v.-i dirr'v.-.r-. a!wi:>» sent, what was asked "for i.-?;cei>: o'i one occasion. Tliat one occasion I fuiiv cyulaiiird at the meeiing. The i ; i':!-v.n';ivf: had asked for six tuckets. We .f::i him lire- buclteu arwl three new grra'ti-. which he had noi oi-dered, and nsked if these would do. and he replied that, they would. 3;c,st of thfyo deiail' nmst be very unintercs<inir to most of your but as veu have published a great, many incorrect statement about thU dredge aud its niati-ageni.-ri.. t cost ask you to publlah this expinuat-o-.i. If it wen." crrrc. lua.: the oircc'.crs were uisret-.u-ilin'.' rMpiisition-, why did Mr Scotr, not write !«• ihe <••■'<■ c.a-± r Yet iie ntrvcr wrote or cccuniaiu:'! at aii until m'ler tJ»a dredge was :,u.op. i, ar.J •".'"',! when he. attended a <lireetorri'"mei • i:r: io iluuedin on Bth (Jelober hj.! hid n.o e ■•r.piaii.t to make as to disregarding rcquisiii■>['..-.—l am, etc., itrrvv. (.iit.Kisox, Chairman of i)i:\ctois l'unt Dredging Co , T.d. D'r-rinlrr 18. [the ~;ouni-r.!s !>ab' ; .>hed aha;-.- the Punt dredg- and to tiie- i">p'>rt of tho aati'tai meo.'iug or the extract. ;■ u-:i fn in Idlers by Mr f'-oott io the dive". •' ■■. and ih.- ilrrtlse-mastcr's and en-ii-.rrr's : ri> rts. 'l'hcs:: exctarts w re i.ihen from Pre- c.-.pi.--- of the originals.—Ed. K.fcv]