THE SAND PUMP.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1630, 19 December 1905, Page 2

THE SAND PUMP.

o THE QUESTION OF PURCHASE.

The question as to what the Harbor Board intends doing in regard to the sand pump plant came up at the meeting yestorday. The following recommendation was received from the committee—the Chairman and Messrs Clark, Hepburn, Harding, Lysnar, Sievwright, Tucker aud Whinray ; 11 Re Nelson’s contract, Taruheru river ■ That provided the Overseer reports that tho contract is satisfactorily completed, tho Board pass a payment for £4OO, amount of contract, and return deposit; that tho Board docidothe question of purchasing sand pump." Messrs Nelsou Bros, wrote at length on tho work lone, the maiu portion of the letter being ns fol’ows ; “Aswobavonow completsd our contract with your Board for dredging fromLytton road to our freezing works, we beg to enclose out account for same. Wo also enclose account for dredge, in accordance with agreement made with Mr W. Nelson on October sth last, the dredge having proved itself suitable for the work, it having removed, in considerably less than coutract time, 39,498 cubic yards of spoil, instead of 8966 cubic yards, this being 31,432 cubic yards in excess of our controev The accounts were : £4OO for improvem!s n^n k , a ? n ? ■ £lo ° “fund of deposit, and £1193 b;mg the pri C 80 f P oßn j pump and extras.

An opiuion had been obtained from tbe Board s solicitor, who wont into the whole Nfilfi'nn I s ad «scd that in law Messrs ff ad + n 0 ol \ ,m on the Boacd compel it to purchaso the plant. He quoted sections 65, 66, and 67 of the Act ns to tho power.of the Board to enter into oontraet, holding that tender* wero not “ a ‘ n e<d ,. for “ s rc( ) uice(J by section 67, and secondly, that, if it could bo held that tenders were unnecessary, there was no S wr ‘ tin S si B Q ed by the mem--rs of the Board or any two of them, nor was.there any contract sealed by the Board with its seal.

In reply to Captain Tucker tho Chairman stated that tho Board had decide! net to ask tho Overseer as to whether he considered tho pump suitable for the iioard’s work.

Mr Clark said thoy could not expect such a repoit from the Ovcrsser, who was not an engineer. The Chairman said tho dioigo would do much bettor work below the bridge. The Secretary ; What reply will I send to the letter ?

The Chairman : That the question as to whether tbe Board will purchaso the sand pump is held over, and tbe Board will pay tbe £4OO for work done as contracted, and refund tho £IOO deposit. This vvas takon as agreed to without f uitht r comment,