Notes from Roxburgh. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Otago Witness, Issue 1934, 19 March 1891, Page 12

Notes from Roxburgh. ( FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

March 11.

To begin with, all the claims are suffering from a scarcity of water and little is doing. The season has been a dry one and the drought seems likely to continue I mentioned in my last that there was some local dissatisfaction with affair* at Commissioners' Flat. The feeling still continues. There was a pretty warm meeting in Dunedin lately, Mr Burton acMog as relegate from the Roxburgh shareholders. The upshot was that Mr B. Cotton was deputed to vitit the claim and make a report. What he will say remains to be seen. I am not going to take upon myself to oritiolse the management, but it does seem a little odd that a really good property cannot pay a dividend. When I say ■• really good," I must be understood to repeat the opinion of most, if not all, of those who know the place. Of course, shortness of water must be taken into account as a factor. A lawsuit, I hear, is pending between the United Hercules and the Amalgamated Companies. The gist of the matter, as well as I can make out, is as follows t— The directors of tbe Amalgamated Company, or some of them, signed an agreement some 14 months baok guaranteeing to give tbe Hercules such water as they could lawfully olaim at all times. Nothing was said as to tbe possible lowness of water ia the creek. Legal opinions have been taken as to the validity of the dooument, evidence has been taken, and the case will be heard in Dunedin next Monday, so I bear. This aotion will Involve further complications. I believe lam correct in my statements, but am only giving an outline. It is also said that the Amalgamated Company are on the point of declaring a dividend. The " run" certainly Is promising, and the management is satisfactory. Nothing doing, of course, at Hercules No. 2, No water to ba had. The pipe* have beenlaid and tested, but leaked. Mr Black, ol Consent and Blaok, is here remedying the defects.