BORING IN SEARCH OF COAL IN ESSEX. 137
" The consulting geologists to the Company have made frequent visits to
the boring at Weeley during the progress of the work, and have carefully
examined the cores brought up from time to time. A conference was arranged
between them and the Directors at Weeley on December 17th, 1896 [see
vol. ix., pp. 253-255, and ante p. 254], and after an inspection of the cores and
hearing the report by Messrs. Whitaker and Holmes, your Directors unani-
mously decided to suspend operations at Weeley without going to any further
expense over the matter.
" Since the abandonment of the Weeley boring your Directors have been
in constant communication with the consulting geologists to the Company
regarding a site for the third boring, and these gentlemen have advised them
that a site for the third boring should be found somewhere in the neighbour-
hood of Shoeburyness or Great Wakering, in the South-Eastern corner of the
County of Essex.
" The landowners in the vicinity of the selected district have been
approached with a view to the acquisition of a site for the boring above-
mentioned, and your Directors have to report that they have succeeded in
getting a favourable and convenient site on the estate of Mr. E. A. Wedd,
J.P., at Great Wakering, Essex. A provisional agreement has been entered
into with Mr. Wedd which gives the Association rights over 1,300 acres, and
secures to it one-half of the profits arising from the working or sale of
sale of coal or other minerals for a period of 30 years from the date of the
agreement.
" Your Directors, however, before making final arrangements to sink the
boring on the site chosen, have decided to ascertain the opinion of the Share-
holders on this matter, as the district selected is somewhat out of the area
originally suggested as the sphere of the Company's operations. Your
Directors are unanimously of the opinion that they must be guided entirely
by the advice of the geological experts, who have recommended the district
above mentioned ; but they feel that an opportunity ought to be afforded the
members to express their opinion as to whether the district selected meets
with their approval or not."
At the meeting the Chairman, Mr. G. Calver Mason,
pointed out that, as stated in the report, the boring at Weeley
had been completed. The geologists advised them that nothing
would be gained by going further, the character of the rock for
the last hundred feet or more showing, in their opinion, that it