THE PETROLEUM COMPANY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1075, 22 July 1880, Page 2

THE PETROLEUM COMPANY.

[To the Editor (jf^e l Herald.] "-U* Sib,-— I notice, mybur,leading article of ?laat nigli^ a tnisaliatement, which) as it. refers to v my tender -for goring at the Oil Springs,' I cannot ■ permit to pass, unnoticed.: ' ,The itendera irere.-'bafacl oft a specification which the directors of the company had approved of. Three ter- the r tenders, were in; and . 'fiad beert forwarded to Sydney, a fresh. Specification, with new and absurd clause's, was received by Mr. Clark, and I was informed by him that riiy tender, being- the lowest/ was accepted, subject to this new specification! I demurred to the following clause, ■ which I had no 1 Icnowledge of when tendering, and which no business man wouldagree to :■ .—" The company shall have power by written notice to the. contractor to siis* pend the whqle|or any portion of the .works ; andj provided such suspension does not exceed thirty days/ tiie contractor shall have no claipa fofHoss or damage, on this account; |All claims for such loss or damage to be settled by the : company, whose decision'; shall be final and binding." Of ; the fairness or equity of the clause, I shall leave your readers to judge. I asked that the following be substituted :— "That; ; in the. event of the company wishing, for any purpose of their own, to temporarily suspend the works, they pay ray expenses (that is to say, the-'wages of /the'men) during such temporary stoppage ;' or, if they wished to- annul the contract before completion, they to pay- me.' £100 as compensation ; or, that I would' agree' to the specification as it stood, if an arbitration clause (conspicuously absentjwasadded to the specification." A cablegram has since been received that' the directors refuse to alter or , amend any portion of the specification; : ■ '■ '; ■■'■■■' I regret that, you have -forced me to make this explanation, as- it cannot" but reflect on the unbiisiness-like way the company have of doing (their ; but .1 wish, it .dearly shown tha^ lat i^9B# JtS^^SJ^ 11 ,?^ 6 n asking, not for a modification (as you phrase it) of the .specification, but the expunging or 'alteration of that which had been importad into it after the tenders were sent |V^U ■■■.../■[ ■ ,-/.: : : :i.:^a. ■. • ; . There is another part of your leader also .which I- cannot, in' the absence of Mr. Parsons, permit., to pass unchallenged. It is applying the term " amateur "; to him. The directors looked to <me to carry through: the working part of the contract, if accepted. An extract from my letter, / when, tendering will: make you -.clear Von this jmatter, which. is asfollows :— ' { Although "tlie tender 'fe in my name, I have; associated with me Mr. Parsons, an oil-, borer from the ? . States, ; of 15 , years' experience, &c, and my tender was accepted on that understanding. lam Btill of the opinion that Mr." Parson's'; thorough knowledge, gained ! b^ : hard, experience, -of the peculiar natxwe of the ground when the oil is exuding," would be of immense benefit to the ;. ,^w* Company. , , ; V>T .jn T Mr. Parsons tendered, or ratner 1 tendered for ;. him, .he; being financially unable to „do;. so, at the earnest repeated soliciation -of the Company, and whatever I have gratuitously .done in forwarding the interests of 'Hhat Company, was done with, the view, that I was at the same time forwarding the interests of "Poverty Bay. I am sorry that my disinterested efforts have not been;; appreciated -by you. Imay tadd,: that relying on good faithand business '

tact of the Company Mr. Parsonß had left his employment down South, and come up here, and the preliminary works of the contract had actually been commenced. ... ■ ■--•■.-■• . •• I do not know if I am referred to^ or not in the latter part. of your article, but if so, I can only say your information is incorrect,, for my" services to the Company I have received their -thanks, but I have never asked them for a billet in any shape or form, and do not; wish" to have any ' controlling voice in the Company further than lam entitled to as one One of the largest shareholders. ! I'M:. I am, &c , J. H. Stubbs. Gisborne, July 22nd, 1880.