The Temuka Leader. TUESDAY, DECEMBER, 4, 1883. THE REFRIGERATING COMPANY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1182, 4 December 1883, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. TUESDAY, DECEMBER, 4, 1883. THE REFRIGERATING COMPANY.

We are afraid that the selfishness of some of the leading spirits of the Refrigerating Company will resalt in seriously injuring that institution. From first to last those who ought to be above such things have indulged in very equivocal doings in connection with it, and if their hands are hot stopped; at, once ,it is possible ! they may do ' We have more than once referred to the conspiracy which was got up to situate the works at Pareora, and warned shareholders from this district that it was necessary for them to look closely after their own interests. We also drew attention to the fact that though all previous meetings were held on Saturdays the annual general meeting was held; on a Monday, and urged upon shareholders the necessity of attending. It appeared very plain to us that the meetings were held on Saturdays while, it suited the promoters to have the country farmers in attendance, so that' they might be induced to invest their money in shares, but when the money was j,ot out of them they were no longer required. Saturday is the small farmer's day in town, any day is the lax ee squatter's day, and Monday was selected so as to avoid '■ the presence of such a nuisance as a small shareholder. It was very handy, to get his money to help in starting the? Company, but it would be very disagreeable to be hampered with his vote at the general meetipg of shareholders. We pointed all this out a day or two previous to the meeting, and urged upon shareholders from this district the desirability of attending 1 the 1 meeting 1 . But our warning was not taken' any notice of by a great many; very few from this side attended; they'could not spare the time, and others had to attend the Washdyke sale. Now, what is the result? Simply great dissatisfaction,with what was done. In the first place, the largest number of shares are held by residents in the district north of Timarii, and yet only Mr Guild was put on the Directory. This is not fair, but the cause of It is that shareholders from this district did not attend, and the southerners had it all their own way. However, this is a small matter compared with other things that were done. A site of 57 acres was bought at £4O an acre—a very modest price, by-the-by, # in these hard times. Besides giving this fancy price for the land, a road must be bought to get to it, and when all this is done the cost of working it is a matter for serious consideration. We are told that it will cost from £2OO to £SOO to sink a pump there, and it will take £2 a day to work it after that is done. If this is true, and we f«el convinced our informant has not misled ua, it is a very serious matter. We are informed that the Company contemplate killing only 200 sheep per day, and if it costs £2 to pump water for these, we fancy that it will swallow a good deal of the profits. It means that the water for every sheep will cost two and two-fifths pence. But is it not most extraordinary that water can be got on the site selected while it could not be obtained under any circumstances at the Washdyke, where the land could be bought at half the price paid for this. la there anyone so silly as to believe such a thing. We are not surprised that much dissatisfaction, has been felt, but shareholders from this district have themselves to blame. They ought to have attended the meeting, and insisted that the good of the whole should not be sacrificed to the convenience and selfish Dees of the Timaru and Pareora people. We are informed that a petition has been signed by the requisite number of (shareholders to call another meeting for the purpose b£ having the question reopened. If this comes to anything, shareholders from this district ought not to neglect being present. If they do they may live to regret it.