A NEW BRIDGE.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20106, 9 December 1930, Page 16

A NEW BRIDGE.

QUESTION OF TENDERS. ENGINEER'S DEPARTMENT CRITICISED. "VVben the clause in the report of the Water Supply and Works Committee relating to the erection of a new bridge over the Heathcote river at Princes street, Woolston, came before the City Council last night, it was adopted without discussion, and at a later stage Cr. A. I£. Armstrong asked permission to refer to it. Permission was granted, whereupon ho proceeded to criticise the City Engineer's Department. "I was disappointed," said Cr. Armstrong, "that tlie tenders went through without a word from one side or_t[i 0 other." The lowest tender was he continued, the highest £4473, and a tender put in by tlie City Engineer (Air A. R. Galbraitli) was 110 less than £627 above the lowest. If the lowr^! 1 tenderer could do the work for £027 less than tho figures quoted by th© City Engineer, then there must bo something wrong with tho Department, because it must bo assumed that the lowest tenderer would make a profit. Oil n previous occasion the speaker was "pulled over the coals" for advocating that tenders should bo called for a job. He had stated that on this occasion tenders should be called ill the interests of the ratepayers, as private employers provided as much work and paid as good wages as the City Council, yet no member of the Council had raised a murmur when the matter was before the meeting earlier. The Mayor: Do you call that a murmur ? Cr. Andrews: Yes; a pretty big one. Continuing, Cr. Armstrong said that when a private contractor was carrying; out a job an employee of the City Council was engaged to watch the work; so that there was no chance of tlie work being skimped. Such being the case, thero must be something radically wrong with the Engineer's Department. lie "would not support a department that could not compete with private enterprise. The matter then lapsed, no other Councillor sbnwintr any desire to continue the discussion.