THE MAINTENANCE OF THE MAIN GREY VALLEY ROAD.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1890, 27 August 1874, Page 3

THE MAINTENANCE OF THE MAIN GREY VALLEY ROAD.

[to the editor.] -"Sir,"— ln your issue of to-day, in at* article on the state of the road from Arnold to Ahaura, you attribute the bad condition of the road to the want of security by the Road Board from the contractor. You also ask for an explanation as to why the security clause was expunged from the specifications. Your report of the meeting at which the clause was abolished, at which, your own reporter was not present, says there was a warm discussion, which is a mistake, as no one spoke against the motion to strike out the clause, except the secretary, who rose to explain [protest ?], and who was told by one of the members of the Board (neither the mover nor seconder) that the Board did not blame him, although it was understood at the previous meeting, when the matter was discussed, that the tenderers, deposit would be a sufficient guarantee. I further argued, and still hold, that the work done I is sufficient guarantee, seeing that there | is a clause in the specifications whereby, after 48 hours notice, our overseer can do any work he thinks necessary at the expense of the contractor. But at the time the contract was let, we expected to have funds in hand to pay labor, in case any- ! thing of the kind was required ; espej dally as we kept Btrictly within the limits of our revenue, and expended nearly all the money we did expend, not only not on local nor on Provincial works, but on what is essentially a Colonial work, namely, the opening and maintenance of the Grey mouth and Reef ton road. If we had the money we would have about L2OO to . our credit in the Bank at the present time; instead of owing, as we do, nearly L6OO, in which case we would put on men to keep the road in repair, and. pay them and deduct it out of the money coming to the contractor; But there would be no necessity for such steps being taken, for I am satisfied if the contractor had got his LSO cheque (not L] 50) cashed he would have continued to keep the' road in repair, and if he hid done, so during the winter months, there was no fear but he would do so in the summer. Now I ask in what better position would we be if we had security ? Is it to be supposed the Board would press the securities for the carrying out of the contract, when it had not fulfilled its part by paying 75 per cent, for the work done to the satisfaction of its overseer / I am very sorry I have unwittingly been made the, means of doing an act of injustice to private persons for the public good, but I may tell you, the Nelson' Government, and my constituents, that, knowingly, I will never be a party to such acts. lam, &c, Robert Alcorn. Cbrnßheaf, Totara Flat, Aug. 22, 1874. [We are pleased to see that Mr Alcorn so fully bears out our explanation as to why the . main road had fallen into an almost impassable condition. We stated that owing to; the fact that the Road Board (no matter from what cause) had lost control over -the contractor for the maintenance of it, he (the contractor) could use his own discretion as to how he carried out his contract. We also stated that the Road Board was being made a 1 catspaw by the the Nelson Government > to shield its own negligence and incompetency, and we are Btillof that opinion.]