MORE ABOUT THE LIGHT RAILWAYS.

Evening Star, Issue 3506, 19 May 1874, Page 3

MORE ABOUT THE LIGHT RAILWAYS.

Last week a petition was presented to the Provincial Council by Messrs J. and N. Campbell, praying for inquiry into the reasons why their tenders for the construction of certain sections of the Southland light railways were overlooked or rejected. 'Jhe Select Con.m t'ee on Piivate Petitions, to whom the petition was referred, reported yesterday as follows : Your Committee have to report that the evidence taken in connection with Messrs J. and N. Campbell’s, contractors, petition, shows that tenders were called for in the usual form for certain light railways, and amongst those Contracts Nos. 877, 878, and 879; the ‘ Gazette’ notice specifying “ that tenders wi l be received at the office of the Secretary of Works, until noon on Friday, 27th March.” Messrs Campbell attended in Dunedin on the 27th March, in readiness to deposit their tenders, but could not remain until the 3rd April, on account of other business. A subsequent notice postponed the date of receiving the tenders until 3rd April, which happened to be Good Friday, a Government holiday. Messrs Campbell stated that they had posted at Invercargill their written tender for the Contracts named early on the morning of the 3rd April, Good Friday, the letter consequently bearing the postmark of the 4 th, and telegraphed the amount to his Honor theSuperintendentthemorningof the 3rd, which was duly received. Another firm, Messrs Calder, Blacklock & Co., it appears, also pursued a similar course, in telegraphing their tenders. On the 4th April his Honor the Superintendent, Mr Turnbull, and Mr Bastings opened the sealed tenders lodged, and appear to have recognised the telegrams as tenders, and submitted them to the Provincial Engineer, on Monday, the 6th of April. By this time, Messrs Calder, Blacklock & Co.’s written ten ders had arrived, and appear to have been considered with the others, but Messrs Campbell’s written tenders do not appear to have reached the Government until the morning of the 7th. The evidence given to the Committees leaves it in no doubt that they were placed in the Superintendent’s box in the Post-office, before 12 o’clock of the Gth. Messrs Calder, Blacklock & Co.’s written tenders were posted on Thursday, the 2nd, at Invercargill, and reached Dunedin, overland, on the Saturday night, 4th, and were taken out of the Superintendent’s Post-office box, on the Monday morning. The mail by which Messrs Campbell’s written tenders were conveyed, arrived at Pori Chalmers on forenoon of Sunday, the sth, per Wanganui, reached Dunedin by the first train on Monday morning, and, by the postmark on the letters, were stamped by the proper department between TO and 11 o’clock. It appears from Mr MTarlane, the Superintendent’s messenger, that his regular habit is to clear the Post-office box at half-past nine o’clock in the morning, twelve o’clock forenoon, and two o’clock in the afternoon. He states, in regard to this particular Monday, however, that it being a kind of holiday (Easter Monday), he only cleared the box once that day, namely, at nine o’clock in the morning. In reply to a question, he also stated that he had not been asked to examine the box, or inquire for the missing written tender referred to in Messrs Campbell’s telegram. The Executive met on Monday, the Gth, between two and three o’clock in the afternoon, and decided on the tenders, resolving to accept Mr David Proudfoot’s tenders, as follows: _ £ s. d. £ s. d. Orepulu 28,397 9 0 Otautau 37,104 2 6 Wallacetown ... 32,080 0 8 1 ) the morning of the 7th the messenger, MFailane, appears to have cleared the Post Office box for the first time after doing so on the morning of the 6th, and brought Messrs Campbell’s tenders to the Secretary for Works, who took them at once to his Honor the Superintendent. On being opened they were found to contain tenders in proper form, and accompanied by properly marked cheques. The amounts of Messrs Campbell’s tenders were as follows ~ £ s. d. £ s. d. Orepulu 25,067 12 G Otautau 37,5 0 17 6 Wallacetown ... 31,867 15 6 The difference between the two tenders amounts to L 2,495 6s 2d. Intimation of acceptance of , his tenders were sent to Mr Proudfoot somel time during the day of the 7th. Your Commit-

8 Last week a petition was presented to the !1 Provincial Council by Messrs J. and N. Campbell, praying for inquiry into the reasons e why their tenders for the construction of i certain sections of the Southland light raili ways were overlooked or rejected. 'Jhe < Select Con.mt'ee on Piivate Petitions, to whom the petition was referred, reported . yesterday as follows : t Your Committee have to report that the evit dence taken in connection with Messrs J. and a N. Campbell’s, contractors, petition, shows that tenders were called for in the usual form for s certain light railways, and amongst those Cone tracts Nos. 877, 878, and 879; the ‘ Gazette’ 0 notice specifying “ that tenders wil be received at the office of the Secretary of Works, until Q noon on Friday, 27th March.” Messrs Campa bell attended in Dunedin on the 27th March, L * in readiness to deposit their tenders, but could not remain until the 3rd April, on account of i- other business. A subsequent notice postponed the date of receiving the tenders until 3rd April, which happened to be Good Friday, a , Government holiday. Messrs Campbell stated e that they had posted at Invercargill their written tender for the Contracts named early ’’ on the morning of the 3rd April, Good Friday, J' the letter consequently bearing the postmark of > the 4 th, and telegraphed the amount to his Honor ■ theSuperintendentthemorningof the 3rd, which s was duly received. Another firm, Messrs Cal--1 der, Blacklock & Co., it appears, also pursued a e similar course, in telegraphing their tenders, g On the 4th April his Honor the Superintendent, Mr Turnbull, and Mr Bastings opened the sealed tenders lodged, and appear to have ’ recognised the telegrams as tenders, and submitted them to the Provincial Engineer, on ' Monday, the 6 th of April. By this time, Messrs Calder, Blacklock & Co.’s written ten - ders had arrived, and appear to have been considered with the others, but Messrs Campbell’s - written tenders do not appear to have reached r the Government until the morning of the 7th. The evidence given to the Committees leaves it a in no doubt that they were placed in the e Superintendent’s box in the Post-office, before e 12 o’clock of the Gth. Messrs Calder, Blacklock & Co.’s written tenders were posted on Thursday, the 2nd, at Invercargill, and reached 7 Dunedin, overland, on the Saturday night, 4th, ® and were taken out of the Superintendent’s il Post-office box, on the Monday morning. The e mail by which Messrs Campbell’s written a tenders were conveyed, arrived at Pori Chalmers on forenoon of Sunday, the sth, per Wane ganui, reached Dunedin by the first train on Monday morning, and, by the postmark on the letters, were stamped by the proper department between 10 and 11 o’clock. It appears from Mr MTarlane. the Superintene dent’s messenger, that his regular habit is to i“ clear the Post-office box at half-past nine Q o’clock in the morning, twelve o’clock foror noon, and two o’clock in the afternoon. He v states, in regard to this particular Monday, e however, that it being a kind of holiday „ (Easter Monday), he only cleared the box ” once that day, namely, at nine o’clock in the morning. In reply to a question, he also stated that he had not been asked to examine the box, , e or inquire for the missing written tender reb ferred to in Messrs Campbell’s telegram. The r > Executive met on Monday, the 6th, between hj two and three o’clock in the afternoon, and d decided on the tenders, resolving to accept Mr d David Proudfoot’s tenders, as follows: n _ £ s. d. £ s. d. d Orepulu 28,397 9 0 ie Otautau 37,104 2 0 d Wallacetown ... 32,080 0 8 it 97,581 11 8 I Of) the morning of the 7th the messenger, ip MFai-lane, appears to have cleared the Post Office box for tlie first time after doing so on n the morning of the 6th, and brought Messrs r ® Campbell’s tenders to the Secretary for Works, 3* who took them at once to Iris Honor the 8. Superintendent. On being opened they were zt found to contain tenders in proper form, and 10l accompanied by properly marked cheques. The o- ‘Uuounts of Messrs Campbell’s tenders were as . follows ; it 38 n i • £ s - £ 8. d. Orepulu 25,067 12 0 Otautau 37,5 0 17 6 8 * Wallacetown ... 31,867 15 6 ! . d 95,086 5 6 is 36 The difference between the two tenders amounts 18 to L 2,495 6s 2d. Intimation of acceptance of ft t his tenders were sent to Mr Proudfoot someea i time during the day of the 7th. Your Commit-

tee have to express their regret that the Executive did not, before deciding on the tender, ascertain whether Campbell’s written tender had arrived, seeing that the telegram intimated that they had been posted—an oversight which led to the acceptance of tenders exceeding the amount of Campbell’s tender. By the course pursued by the Executive, Messrs Campbell have lost any problematical profit that might be expected from their tender. Messrs Campbell also, owing to their deposit cheques not being immediately returned,have suffered in pecuniary loss by way of interest upon the amount of their deposits. Thus, while recognising that, according to the strict letter of the advertisement, the written tenders ought to have been lodged at the Secretary of Works’ office by noon of the 3rd April, still it is evident that the Government, although there is no absolute rule, were in the habit, in some cases, of receiving telegraphic tenders, and that, in regard to these tenders, the telegraphic tenders were recognised on Saturday, the 4th April. The recommendations of the committee were published yesterday in our report of the Coucil proceedings.