WESTPORT COAL COMPANY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10599, 20 February 1896, Page 2

WESTPORT COAL COMPANY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —It is refreshing to find that the extraordinary and ill-advised action of the directors of the Westport Coal Company iv raising their own fees to such a large amount has called forth so many protesting letters, and that it has done .so should convince the directors that their conduct is greatly disapproved of. The gross amouut of £700 per annum seems to me an extravagant sum for such a company to pay for the services of the directors, and is such as I venture to say is paid by no other company iv Dunedin, aud companies, too, that are much more successful than the Westport. T«k« ths Kaitaugata, for example, which is I suppose by far and away the most successful compauy we have. This company, lam informed, pay each of their directors £25 per annum only, and they meet fortnightly, and if a director does not attepd a meeting he gets nothing for it. It is quite true, possibly, that, this company's business is, as it were, npon the spot, ativl possibly does^ not require such watchful attention as that- of the Westport, and besides wbich they have, as we all know, an exceptionally good and pushing manager; but still the difference in tbe emoluments proposed to be given to the directors of the \Vestport is out of all reason and proportion. The Westport directors say they .meet weekly and tbat it is necessary to do so. I must, however, confess that for the life of me I cannot see the necessity for this, and think that a meeting once a fortnight should be ample for all requirements, especially if, as I assume and believe is the case, the manager is thoroughly up to his work. There can be no doubt at all, Sir, that, in all honesty, had the directors intended or wished to have their honoraria inoreased, they should have given definite notice of it in a motion clearly setting forth their views. A most objectionable feature in . the proceeding is the manner in which the motion was passed—a lnmp sum of £700 to be distributed aa the directors think fit. Tbey say they meet weekly, and if so, if evory director attends each meeting, this means £2 for each meeting; but as we know that for three or four months in each year three of them, who are members of the Legislature, cannot attend, it further means that those directors who do attend will receive for each sitting during tbo otherß' absence tbree, or perhaps four, guineas each. Sorely, Sir, this is a little sultry. My own opinion ia that £50 per annum for each director, with £50 extra for the chairman, who must, if he does his duty, do by far the most work, would be ample, and auy director who failed to attend a meeting should have a pro rata amount deduoted. It is, however, useless to Write about it. If the shareholders are in earnest in trying to stop thia littlo bit of jobbery they should call a meeting with a view o_ stopping it.—l am, ko., Dunedin, February 15. A Shareholder.

. , A'BWAUTIPUL COMPLEXION Apply bulpholine Lotion. It drives away pimples, blotches, roughness, redness, and all disfigurements. Sulpholino devel pcs a lovely skin. Is bottles. Mado in London —fAnvT.l

— In all lands ravens and crows have been nonsittewd birds of evil omen.