MUNICIPAL CONTRACTS

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 900, 20 August 1910, Page 5

MUNICIPAL CONTRACTS

COUNCILLOR BALLINGER'S RESIGNATION. AN EXPLANATION. COUNCILLOR LTJKE WILL NOT STAND AGAIN. ■ Practically air the members of tht City Council are opposed to the idea of rescinding or modifying the council's resolution in regard to tenders for tho purpose of inducing Councillor Ballinger to retain his seat. Even Councillor Cohen, who opposed the resolution when it was before the council, states that ho. would not bo in -, favour of altering, it on account of Councillor Bellinger's decision. In > expressing this opinion to a Dominion representative yesterday, Councillor m . Cohen said ho thought that Mr. Bal-° ' linger had acted very hastily. The resolution with regard to tendering would be 'submitted to tho Government by the Municipal Conference, and . would bo the subject of legislation, for which Mr. Ballinger might have waited. Ihere were other members of the council who were in exactly the same position as Mr. Ballinger with regard to contracts, but they did not find it W cessary to resign. Councillor Cohen also stated that though ho had been a member of the council for many : years he had never- known of anything in regard to tenders that was not perfectly straightforward . and aboveboard. The tenders were opened before air the councillors, and he had seen .certain councillors whose firms happened to be tendering .walk out when the tenders camo to be dealt with. He also knew of at leaet one case in which a large contract would have gone outside the', Dominion if a local firm in which a councillor was in- - tcrested had not tendered.. ;. Rescission Not Probalile. • "Each and all of us sympathise,with; Councillor Ballinger, whom ,we regard as a straightforward, honest man," said . another councillor. for the sake of the principle involved,_ however, thiscouncillor .was-'in'favour of the recent-,: resolution, and opposed to any suggestion that it Bhould be altered. Ho also stated that it was well known that .-• certain firms would not submit tenders.' - to the , council, when members of;that' body who they believed had inside inr: formation wore among tho tenderers. He did not think there was a possibil- ■ ■ iij of the resolution being'rescinded. :."-. . Councillor Ballinger Explains. Councillor Ballinger made a state- ' inent to our representative last even- • . ing with tho .object of dispelling certain possible misconceptions of his ac- ■ tion. He stated that at tho.meeting-' \ of the Fire Brigade Committee' last ..'' Friday, at which th-s late Councillor- ..;'■ Devino-was present, ho announced hi 3 , : intention of resigning. He also stated ; that before he left tho council he' would like to clear up the back.work ', in which he was concerned. Members, of the committee at first 6aid that they : did-, not think ho should resign, but afterwards admitted that if his firm-." , , would be a serious loser by his connec- - ' tion with the council it was the best, thing" he could do./ Mr. Ballinger pointed out to our representative that - Councillors Smith" and-. Luke were'at ■•-. present- absent through- ill-health, Councillor Devine had died, and if he resigned at ones there would be only four" members left on the Fire Brigade Committee out of seven. The commit--teo had an important report to bring ■'■ before-the council at its next meeting. On the morning of Councillor Do-' vine's death, Mr. Balliuger went to consult the Mayor with regard to his. intended resignation, and to suggest -' its postponement for a few weeks. Ho. called first on the Town-Clerk, who told. him . that the Mayor was very • busy. -Mr'. Ballinger replied that he wished to : see Mr. Wilford on an important matter. ■ Ho was, however, unable to see tiit> Mayor. It was 'pointed out to, him -, that there would be a saving of money if he i-esigned at, once, so that a byelection could' be held for two seats instead of. one. .-'.'.■ ; -- . ! ■'.-■ The Rejected Tender. The circumstances of the rejection bj the council of Messrs. Ballinger and- ■ Co.'s tender, which directly led to tho notice of resignation being given, were also explained by Mr. Ballinger.' The' , council advertised for tenders for some 400 ticket-boxes, and Messrs. Ballinger and Co.-tendered \at 2s. 5Jd., the previous price paid by the council being 2a. lid., for smaller quantities. The tender, was the only one received; When, the council went into committee '•' : to consider.tenders, its officers wert asked if this-was 1 a reasonable tender, and replied in tho, affirmative'.- A councillor then moved that the tender be '•■'■ accepted. The Mayor ruled, however, that in view of the resolution previously •. passed by the council; ho could not ' nut the motion. -The council decided ,:■' to call for fresh tenders, and Councillor Ballinger suggested'that despite silli-ho. talk that had bocii heard not much interest was apparently taken in ~ municipal contracts, and not much profit seen in them, since no other tenders' had been received. This was at the ' meeting before last. - : . : A Tender Accepted. . ■; The next thins;, according to .-,-Mr! '.■ ■; Ballinger, was that the council actu- '■■..' ally sent a man round to canvass for ' ■~ tenders, with the result that at the.- ••' last meeting of. the council two other --'■• tenders were received, besides one from ..■' Messrs. Ballinger and Co., and fehie time Messrs.' Ballingers' tender was not the lowest. "To-day,", said' Mr. , : Ballinger, "our tender-has'been ac- ■■.-' cepted by.the Karori Borough' Coun- .; : cil for over-head supplies for their oxtension of the tramway. . The '• City-"'..-.' Council are calling, for tenders for simi- , .. ;r lar supplies for the Wadestown way,- and those tenders close on September 22. That is why I fixed upon that date for. my resignation. I want-'" ' , ed to do; all the work I could on the ■'■■ 'council'up to the last moment." ,',-i Councillor- Ballinger stated that •.,:-; Councillors Atkinson and ..Hindmarsh, v~who ivere both lawyers, had since; ex- , f>:, pressed tho opinion there was no--.! :: thing to prevent the Mayor from put- ,'voting the motion to accept his firm's ." tender. ■ , : ' . '• ■;'.':'. ■ Councillor Luke's Position. : ; Councillor Luke, who is in the sanio ; position with Regard to tendering'as. '-, Councillor Ballinger, .wa-s also questioned. ,;, by our representative. Sir. Luke stated . that, having; been appointed to tho ■ council by the ratepayers for a definite • period, he would retain his seat until. the expiration of.that,period, at tho end of April next, but after that he would not stand again for. a seat on. tho City Council. If, ,in the meantime, his firm incurred a financial loss through \ tho "disability of his being, a member of . the City Council, he would reimburse .tlie-amount', from; his private purse. Ho considered that 'it was his ■ duty ■.-.. either to do that, 0r,.t0 resign his position on the firm's directorate. Replying to tho statement that when a firm with which a councillor was cqnuected held a contract-it became, very. .-<-- difficult for the j'onneirs officers t0... keep tlie firm up to tho mark, Conncillor Luke said that jhc conditions'. .- were enforced more strictly by UNofficials in such cases than against an'--.,... other tenderer.. He thought that .aV. ■" bona fide joint stock company, should not bo debarred from tendering because it happened to include a... councillor anions its members! Mr. Luke added. ~'.; that lie had been consistently out, of pocket by his long connection with the ■ council. , r -''.-L'- '