THE OTIRA CONTRACT

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 286, 27 August 1920, Page 8

THE OTIRA CONTRACT

A QUESTION IN PARLIAMENT

MR. PARRY'S POSITION _ "When the Imprest Supply Bill was heimr debated in the House yesterday, Mr. •. Wilford .(Hutt) >ked for detailed information regarding the tenders for the electrification of the Otira tutinel, ono of the biggest contracts ever let in New Zealand. • He had read in the newspapers that there were several tenderers, but he believed the actual number had been two. Hon. J. G, Cqates: I said so. Mr. Wilford said that one of the tenderers, was a local company, the National Electrical Company; which had been started in Now Zealand. Its shareholders were all New Zealanders. The other tenderer was the English Electrical Company, Ltd., and of this company Mr. E.;Parry, late chief electrical engineer, and now adviser to the New Zealand Government, was general manager. Mr. Wilford had been told in America that Mr. Parry was one of' the five ' greatest men in the world to-day in regard to electrical work, but he wished to know jf it was a fact.that before Mr. Parry left New Zealand he had the'sped- • lications prepared by the New Zealand oqmjiany m his hands. 'I'he English company was a big trust concern that had been formed from several large firms, but Mr. Parry still retained the position of consulting adviser to the New (Zealand. Government. Mr. Wilford mentioned that he was interested in the New Zealand company, ftnd so could ns't vote or move in Hid House in connection witbJ it. Ho adce'd that this company got a great deal of its supplies from Amorica, and he hoped that the giving of this contract to the English company was not a case of discriminating against America. He asked for full particulars to regard to these tenders, and would like to know, also, if Sir Arnold Gridley, who was at present in New Zealand, was the emissary for Mr. Evan Parry. Also he would like, to know if dince these tenders were called for, or later, the services of Mr. Parry, as adviser to the Government, had "been-dis-pensed'with. .' m ' The Minister of Public Works (Mr. Coates); replying towards midnight, .said that he'did not think it proper that he L should disclose the contents of the Public Works Statement. In the questions of the member for Hutt the imputation was that something improper had 'been done. He wished to 6ay that the tenders had been examined "with tho greatest care, and i.most fully considered. The price had been a secondary consideration; the main concern had been the efficiency of the ■ job to be don*. Ho admitted that the New Zealand tender had been submitted in excellent shape, hut the board making the selection decided for the British firm, for the reason that tho best machinery was available from that firm. Also the British tender was slightly less in price. He was not certain whether the'negotiations were completed yet, and he did not deem it wise to make the figures public. The New Zealand company, the National Electric , Company, was not a manufacturing concern, but •It represented i the American General Electric Company, and one British firm. , .'•Mr. Parry was not consulting engineer , to.:the Department in England, but he was asked for advice. He was not adviser'to the New Zealand Government now, the engagement having been terminated quite recently. About this contract his advice had not been asked, and it would not te asked. The question of whether advice should be sought from Mr. Parry in view of his position as general manager of a British concern - had' not" escaped .notice. He would 'he sorry to lose the assistance of Mr. Parry on nighly expert matters, but if. there was any question of clash of interest? between the company and the New Zealand Department of Public; Works h& could come to only one decision. 'TREFERENMMONISTT ABOLITION OP THE SYSTEM ADVOCATED. • The abolition of "preference to unionists" is advocated by the Hon. J. MacGrogor in the following motion, of which he gave notice intho Council yesterday:"That in'the opinion of the Council (1) section 11 of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 190S, which prevents loyal, patriotic, and. moderate workers from forming industrial unions under that AoVand paragraph .(e) of Bection 2 of the N Act, which empowers tho Court to grant preference of employment to members of industrial unions should be ropealed, on tho ground tha the combined effect of such enactments is te compel workers to become members of a union as a condition of employment, to prevent workers who join a. union from taking any interest in its affairs, and to enable a few extremists who are "either loyal nor patriotic to dominate the unions, and so cause constant unrest; (2) all provisions in awards and industrial agreements made under the Act which givo preference of employment to members of one industrial union should be annulled." economTmged Economy in the Public Service was the text of a speech made in the Houso yesterday by Mr. G. Forbes (Huruniii). The Prime Minister had mentioned that tho public expenditure had risen to ,£•2,000,000 a month. Mr. Forbes believed that some,of the money was being spent unnecessarily, and that public extravagance was helping to promote private extravagance. Tho Govommont, ho said, ought to set up a commission to study the expenditure of the State Departments an 3 seo if the people weTe getting full valuo for the heavy taxes they paid. ' LICENSING MOMENT BILL The Licensing Amendment Bill, introduced by the Hon. J. Barr, in order to nrevent evasion of the law which prohibits the removal of a license beyond tho Into prescribed by section 10 of the principal Act, was committed in the Legislative Council yesterday, and was re- ■ ported without amendment. There was ' Jo discussion upon the_ measure. .Tho Hon:"Colonel'' follins" gave notice in the Legislate» Counc.l o improve the general we 1 faro of the PW pie tho encouragement of *"«*;"*, tf e »n and early detection of disease.