STORY OF A GERMAN TENDER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 407, 16 January 1909, Page 8

STORY OF A GERMAN TENDER.

RECEIVED IN : AUCKLAND. : ,-' ' (BX TELEGBAPn—rRESS ASSOCIATION.) Auckland, January 15.The question, of preference' for; British goods dver\Germait manufactures was. brpiight up at; to-day's meeting, of the Harbour .-Board;:.in committee; during a discussion' as .to ,tlie tenders for tho . twelve new, cranes , that the board is going to procure.. The. engineer of the board (Mr. W. H. Hamer) ana.Mr. Stanley Bright (consulting engineer and; electric engineer' to/ the / London and India Docks) reported in favour 'of the tender of a German firm, ■■- Messrs. 1 Nabel- and Kaerapo,' whose tender, after including the 10 per cent, preference duty imposed on German. goods, was still the lotrost. The 'next lowest .tender Vas that of tho Enjjlish firm of Messrs. Babcock and Wilcox.: lUr. J. B. Maofarlane'.struck. the patriotic keynote..' by .'saying .that he, had always heard that nothing could beat British/machinery for conscientious workmanship and' superior. durability, and. he. also indicated ; that the Harbour . Board should, follow c out the.'preferential policy that New Zealand Lad adopted.. Sir.. ,H. J. Bradriey considered that the'difference , inJprice might mean, that there was a great difference .in the quality, of the crane.,.'lt ■was suggested that the traffic manager of the board.should,be invited to furnish, a report on the subject, but Mr. J. K. Kncon thought that this would be a sheer waste of time. " He knows as much about it as I know, about , growing' cabbages in >the' moon," .'was Mr. Kneen's opinion of the suggestion. Eventually the, committee; deferred further consideration of the matter for a fortnight., , ~- •< , .