THE METALLIC CLAIM TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 10 April 1901, Page 21

THE METALLIC CLAIM TO THE EDITOR.

Sin, — I notice in your issue nt the 27th ult. that two of the directois of the Metallic and an engineer are to go an.d inspect the rapids the dredge has to pass".' Suiely there =hould b- 1 no tiouble about getting the dredge on to her claim, as Mr Payne, the company's engineer, "aid at a meeting some time ago when asked about it, that if the river was favourable the dredge could be taken on to her claim 111 a day or tv\o. Now there must have been a blunder -omewhere, if, after wailing for the past 12 months for our dre-dge to get ready, to be told that it cannot be got on to the claim, and they would have to try a"nd sell it to another company. Now, I would like to know if the shareholders have to wait for another dredge to

be built for the claim. If there ;s a building site to ba had on the claim now, how was the dredge not binlt on it at first, which would have saved a lot of trouble and expense? — I am, etc ,

SnAREHOLDEB,

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, — A good deal of discontent exists m the minds of shareholders, as evidenced by the letters that are appearing in the press about the management of the above claim. Did the directors know when they consented to the dredge being built off their claim that th^e would be difficulty in getting her over the rapifcs and up to the claim? If they did not, should they not have have known that it is almost, if not quite, impossible to do so? Or did they trust entirely to their engineer? and was he too busy to attend to the matter? No doubt the directors are drawing their fees, and paying thadr secretary his salary and the engineer his commission out of the calls subscribed by a confiding and unsuspecting proprietary, but if they do not make a move soon the shareholders will require them to give an account of themselves and their domgs, or rather their non-doings. The winter will be> on us soon, and if some action is not taken at once another 12 months will be lost. I would suggest that some of the larger shareholders get a requisition signed asking the directors to call a meeting and explain their conduct if they can. — I am, etc., Moee Disgusted. Dunedm, April 3.