PLANTING RESERVES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 866, 12 July 1910, Page 6

DISSATISFIED SEEDSMEN. DEPUTATION TO THE MA YOU. Serious complaint has been made by local seedsmen in connection with the policy adopted by the corporation's superintendent of reserves {Mr. G. i , . Glen) in the matter of purchasing trees and shrubs for the city plantations, and with the object of ventilating tho whole question, Messrs. H. 0. Gibbons and ]?. H. Cooper, as representing the seedsmen and nurserymen, waited as a deputation upon the Mayor (Mr. T. M. WiUord) yesterday afternoon. Shortly, the speakers contended that local firms wure never given an opportunity of submitting quotations for tne supply of trees and shrubs to the corporation. Mr. Glen, it was stated, preferred to attend the auction marts, uut, said the deputation, hi.i purchases there were not good investments, from the ratepayers' point of view. In fact, he bougnt practically at retail prices, and, in some cases, paid mure a I auction than catalogue rates quoted by the local houses.

Mr. Gibbous said that tho local firms hail noticed for some years past u tendency to purchase either at auction or from outside nurseries. It hail been, tvrij .voars ago, represented to the council that plants reared at the local nurseries were adapted to the local climate, and more suitable for transplanting in the local reserves. In many cases the superintendent of reserves had made extensive purchases at auction, at rates in excess of .those which the local houses were prepared to quote. Local firms had never liei'ii asked to supply estimates. Purchases made at auction woro necessarily of a miscellaneous description, and time was in attending the sales and arranging for delivery. If tho local firms were invited to tender, they could do so at greatly reduced rates for tho municipality, the supplies could (jb specially selected, and delivered when required. During a recent visit to the- Cur iteration plantations at tho lop of Mujoribanks .Street, Mr. Gibbons said he had noticed a mortality among the young trees—a great many of them deciduous-rtvhich had been planted there. Mr. Gibbons went on to nay that the present system was costing the ratepayers some hundreds of pounds more than it should. The local houses did not insist that they should receive orders from the corporation. They merely asked that they shouid be giveu an opportunity of tendering. Mr. Cooper quoted figures in support of his contention that, trees and shrubs could bo obtained from the local houses at a cheaper rate than was being paid by Mr. Glen at auction. Trees that cost Mα , . Glen sd. each, for instance, could be supplied at 15s. per 100—about 3d. each; euonymous, which had brought Bd. at auction, could be supplied at about 3d. a-piece, and so on. In reply? the Mayor said that the matter was one of considerable importance. The local authorities should, as far as possible, encourage local productions. He agreed with what had been suid by the deputation with regard to the Majoribankrj Street plantation. There was no doubt that a large percentage of the deoiduous trees which had been planted there had proved failures. Either the wrong class of tree had been selected, or the climatic conditions had. proved too severe. These plantations' were going to cost the council a lot of money, a.nd it appeared to him thut a different policy was necessary in this connection. The question for immediate, answer was: who had blundered? For the future it was clear Hint soitio well-defined system should bo followed, specifications drawn up at the beginning of tho season, and copies of these supplied to everybody. There should be free competition. (Hear, hear.)

Continuing, the Mayor said that over .29000 had been spent on tho city reserves. This year he had arranged to cut down tho voto by ,£3OOO, for he was of opinion that other important works—street improvements, etc.—had been starved for tho reserves. He assured the deputation of his determination to sift the matter to tho bottom. Mr. Glen would bo asked to furnish an explanation-—an answer — to what had been said by tho deputation. There were, of course, two sides to every question, and (hero might be, in this question, some reasons of which he was not yet fully cognisant. Tho local firms, according to them, had been badly treated. That, however, remained to be scon. Ho would in duo course inform them of tho result of his inquiry. If that were not satisfactory to them, they could again approach him with referenco to the matter.