THE TRIBUTE SYSTEM.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2018, 23 June 1875, Page 2

THE TRIBUTE SYSTEM.

To the Editors of tho Evening Star. ■ - Sic, —All you newspaper people seem to make a great fuss about this Tairua swindle. No doubt that it is all very proper, but I don't hear any of you say anything about a greater swindle that is being carried on daily on the Thames, and in my opinion bids fair to pall all swindles, if not stopped in some way. I mean the way in which all claims- (taat is all speci-, men-getting claims) seem to be drifting into the tribute system. * There is no doubt about it all being done according to law, but the poor deluded shareholders suffer.' ;Thc way it seems to be done is this. Claims are worked with.the' shareholders .paying calls until the claim is pretty well opened up: then, betwedh the:legai manager, directors and--mining manager," &c, [they managei to humbug the claim, and' 'disgust the shareholders, ■ who,; instead of • seeing into thing 3 for themselves, allow ,the directors to do anything they like, so las to stop the incessant drain of calls! calls ! ,Then r the next thing is to-let the claim on 'tribute;-'these- tributes are •generally taken up by the late manager^ and there is ho doubt'the directors have a share in the 1 pie.' It is a 'singular fact that claims that were call paying while .in the hands of the shareholders, become good" paying claims when-in:the> hands '"of jthe tributers, although worked by the same men. For instance take the Wind!sor Castle and the Black- Angel j' and I am afraid tha Whau is fast drifting into the same state. 1 of- things. One week we read ' of 1 200 lbs. •df .specimens being obtained with good gold left in the face; in a day or" two the amount has dwindled down to 60^9 of -specimens, and we do not hear any ihore. about'the gold'left in the- face.'^lt looks | to me as if those specimens were found ■without the permission of the directors j 'altogether, in my mind* -it has ' a'very ,fishy appearance, and the, sooner the shareholders, look Into 'it [the better! :There are several other things on the Thames connected with" mining that will k ( nqt bear^helight of day; for instance, a claim doing no work making calls to pay the secretary and honorarium fees to H;he directors is scandalous, 'tis 1 swindling, ''tis! 1 downright -robbery. - * Excuse ;me, •Mr" Editor, I- am not ""in'" IBS ''habit 'of writing to newspapers, so, if there [is anything wrong here, please put it right;; and •in as, readable a form as you can, so as to open the eyes of the' deluded shareholders. Now, the •remedy for such things, I should think, "would be,"chamfe' "your legal manager, directors and mine manager often, and never letanyone have a tribute ia a mine that worked in it-before.-, , ' / 'Now, Mr Editor, if there is not too, much o£ this, please make-room-for;it, and bblige'one of the poor -Deluded SgAKEFpiDBES. ' P.S. —Look in the Advertiser's mining report of the 21st instant. ' Wingate was Underground bossbefore,andonghtto know where" to look for fche gold now."-If that" doesn't speak volumes,,l don't know what can. ''