Council Paper.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1590, 3 July 1874, Page 274

Council Paper.

MINUTES of beforejthe Select Committee appointed on the y.f 10th June, 1874, to 'consider :th&i[stsion of Tendering for the Provincial Government. .4 ,'S''"" " : -;•<■.: /■i,., THXJRSDi%. ito JUNE, 1874. MEETING of Select Committee on Tenders. Present: Messrs Russell, Lambert, A'Deane, Sutton.; Mr Sutton proposed as Chairman. Tenders for Printing, opened 28th May/j'jQspected. Mr Fannin in attendance. What is the usual custom in reference to opening Tenders?—All members of the%ardb>ingpresent, they are opened, initialed, and examined by the Board. Were all the Tenders opened at once ?—Yes, on the 28th May. Were any contracts settled on that day besides, the printing ? Yes. Have any bonds been signed'hesides the printing?—No, they hare not: the printing is the only One that is completed. Why was the bond for printing signed so soon after acceptance ?—Because the Tenderers wished it. Had others asked, would they have been permitted-to get their bonds oU that day?— Those whose Tenders were approved, of would have. -Mr Fannin states—The Tenders were opened, and the specification produced, showing the number of forms required. This is done in all but the Superintendent's department. The mistake occurs principally in the Gazette, and is my fault. Council papers are as stated in Mr Tylee's memorandum. ' Mr R. Coupland Harding states that he tendered for printing in May last. My Tender was not accepted. I; s "■ Mr Tylee, in attendance, states that he was one of the Board for opening Tenders, and was present at the opening of the Tender for printing. Mr Fannin brought in a lot of Tenders, which were then opened, sorted, and scheduled. The printing was opened first. Mr Fannin had a schedule prepared. Mr Fannin and myself calculated the printing Tenders. We found that Dinwiddie, Morrison, arid Co.'s Tender was the lowest, and I wrote a recommendation to that effect. The calculation and the whole thing was done in such a hurry that there was no time to check the calculations. I have never paid for Crown Grants; they have always been supplied by the General Government. Mr Harding's is the lowest Tender. - ; FBIDAY, : I2th JUNE. Present: All the Members, Mr R. C. Harding, recalled. ,\ I have not had the opportunity of calculating every item in the Tenders. In the Gazette lam £36 16s 6d lower; in Electoral Roll, £5; Council Papers, £8 16s; Acts, without side-notes, £2; Acts with side-notes, £2 ss. lam higher than the Herald in only a few articles, the Blue Book being about £6. The parchments were tendered for by me at a price lower than cost without printing. Before I tendered I inquired of Mr Sealy whether he thought parchments would be wanted. He replied it had always been customary to get all.parchments from Wellington. In consequence of a verbal communication with Mr Fannin I wrote him some suggestions. I did so. Ist. That the Electoral Rolls should be included. This has been done. 2nd. That the printing should be divided into departments, and that each department should be separately tendered for. That suggestion was partially complied with. I know nothing of any arrangement between the offices to divide the printing. I further suggested that all forms not likely to be wanted should not be included. Mr Fannin stated that that portion of the suggestion could not be complied with, as he could not see his way to dispense with the tender for any forms.. Mr Fannin told me that the forms in each department, and the quantity required, would be separately numbered on the specification. This was done. I heard from Mr Fannin, on 80th May, that my Tender was declined. : . By Mr A'Deane: I had some reason to believe that my tender would not be so favorably looked upon as that of the " Herald." Mr Edward H. Grigg, printer, states: lam manager of the "Daily Telegraph "of Napier. I did not tender for the printing last month. I have seen the tenders of Messrs Harding and Dinwiddie, Morrison, and Co. Inconsequence of verbal request from Mr Fannin, I addressed a letter of suggestions (copy produced.) I afterwards heard that the tender was to be let as a whole. Mr Harding's calculation for the Gazette and Council Papers. I believe correct. I believe the balance iii favor of'Harding in Acts and Proceedings is larger than Mr Harding's estimates. The Electoral Roll is as stated by Mr Harding, it Was well known to Dinwiddie, Morrison and Co. that no parchments would be requiredj and have never been supplied by the contractors. . Mr Dinwiddie called, at my private house about a fortnight before the Tenders were opened, and offered me a sum not to tender. No specific sum was offered; it was that if I agreed not to tender I should be paid. I refused any arrangement. Mr Dinwiddie subsequently saw me at my office, and suggested that we should come to an arrangement (leaving the " Times " out) on the ground that I knew how their Tenders were made up. After discussing the matter, Dinwiddie said he would not treat further with me unless I was authorised by latter from my principals. I originated no proposition "at any time in the matter. I consulted my principals and was instructed to have nothing to do with it unless I was prepared to do the work myself. When the Tenders for 1873-74 were on the eve of being sent in, Mr Fannin, (I learnt from Mr Dinwiddie, one of the proprietors of the "Herald") had suggested that our office, the "Herald," should send in two Tenders—one at a low rate to be used in the event of the " Telegraph " office tendering, the other at a high rate to be used in case the "Telegraph" did not Tender. At that time the "Telegraph" and "Herald" offices alone existed in N apier, as the " Times " office was closed. Four days after Mr Fannin had made this proposal, he came and stated that it had better not be carried out. This was said to Mr Dinwiddie and myself, and we then grew suspicious that Mr fannin might be betraying us. A considerable interval elapsed on this occasion, between the period when the Tenders for this particular year were opeued, and their being decided on. Mr Carlile, one of my co-proprietors, was instructed by the firm to write to Mr Ormond, acquainting him with all the circumstances, and asking him to have fresh Tenders called, and opened in the presence of the tenderers. Mr Carlile informed us that Mr Ormond's verbal reply to the letter was that he believed Fannin was scoundrel enough to do it. Our Tender was eventually accepted. I referred to this matter last Saturday in the presence of Mr Johnson, the clerk in the "Telegraph" office, and Mr Morrison, one of the proprietors of the " Herald." The latter first stated he had forgotten the circumstance, Until I reminded him of a dispute as to Mr Dinwiddie's responsibility for bringing this collusion with Mr Fannin, before the " Herald " firm. Mr Morrison then, in Mr Johnson's presence, admitted the facts as I have narrated them. This took place about 5 p.m. last Saturday. SATURDAY, 13th JUNE. Present: Messrs Sutton, Lambert, A'Deane, Buchanan. . Mr P. Dinwiddie : lam a partner in the firm of Dinwidde, Morrison and Co. We are contractors for printing for the coming year, and have executed the bonds. We have had the printing contract since we have been a firm; I think about three years; I prepared the last Tender myself with Mr Morrison's assistance. I have not seen Mr Harding's Tender. Forms 6 and 7, Crown Lands, have been supplied. Ido not recollect ever furnishing 11,12 or 13. I recollect a conversation taking place between myself and a person from another office, prior to the Tenders for 1874-5 being sent in. I refer to Mr Grigg of the Telegraph Office as the person. He called on me several times in regard to that subject. I never called on Mr Grigg at his house in reference to that matter, he wished me to do so, but I declined; therewas no discussion at Mr Grigg's house on that subject. On the first occasion when this matter was treated on, I told Mr Grigg I would listen to nothing on the subject from him, unless he brought a letter from the proprietors of the " Telegraph." That he said could be got any time, as he knew two of them were agreeable to an arrangement; he named Messrs Kennedy and Lee as the proprietors he referred to, and,added that the latter would draft a letter or proposal. Mr Grigg may.have mentioned this subject to me when I have been on other matters at the " Telegraph " office. I recollect the tendering for 1873-4. I made up the" Herald" Tender with Mr Grigg's assistance; he at, the time being a co-proprietor of the "Herald." Acceptance of that Tender was delayed for some days. I remember Mr Grigg.on that occasion proposing that two Tenders should be sent in by us, and that he expressed himself as being able " to secure Fannin." Two Tenders were hot sent in oh that occasion. lam positive that I did not inform the firm that Mr Fannin had proposed the sending in of two Tenders. There was a letter from the firm to Mr Ormond in reference to our Tender at this time. It was not from Mr Carlile singly. The purport of that letter was a complaint of the delay in deciding on the Tenders. Our suspicions were aroused by Mr Griggs information. We doubted the bona fides of the action of one of the officials; that official being Mr Fannin. I think I can furnish the committee with a copy of our letter. Our firm did not instruct Mr Carlile to interview Mr Ormond on this snbject, nor am I aware that he had any interview or conversation with the Superintendent on the subject. I have a recollection of the " Herald " Tender being altered after it was opened by the Board, the price of parchment having been omitted was filled in. I believe there was another Tender that year; it had come from the "-Telegraph" office; but Ido not feel certain. The alteration was one Ofi price; Mr Tylee sent for me; and I then found that parchment was needed for the form as well as paper, and in consequence the addition of the value of the parchment was made. I was not aware that the additions thus made virtually decided the acceptance or:rejection of our Tender. - '• By Col. Lambert: Mr Fannin never suggested tome the submission of two Tenders. I have already explained all lam acquainted with on this head, but I now add that our dislike to trickery of this kind led to disagreement with Mr Grigg, and to his being turned out" of our firm. : ; ; By Mr A'Deane: I did not first tell Mr Grigg that Mr Fannin had made a suggestion as to two Tenders. Mr Fannin never in my hearing stated that an arrangement of the kind had better not be carried out, I remember Mr Carlile telling us the purport of some verbal reply to our letter he had received from Mr Ormond. My recollection of this conversation is that Mr Ormond had spoken in strong terms about the wording of our letter, as it implicated an official. By Col. Lambert: We got a written answer as well as a verbal one through Mr Carlile. All the firm was present when Mr Carlile conveyed to us the result of his interview with Mr Ormond. "",' .';

By the Chairman: In answer to the statement of Mr Grigg just read to me that I had offered him a sum of money not to tender this year, I reply that it is a falsehood. I did not see Mr Grigg at the " Telegraph *■ office in regard to these Tenders. Mr Grigg has called at our office eight or nine times in regard to these Tenders, mudi 1 to Our annoyance. 'He threatened us that unless we joined with him he would join with Harding arid, make it hot for its. Mr Thos. Morrison : I remember nothing in regard to our firm putting in two Tenders for printing for 1873-4; there was a proposition to that effect made by Mr Grigg, then co-proprietor of the..." Herald." This statement of Mr Grigg's being the proposer of such an arrangement rests on Mr Dinwiddie's assertion, We were aware there was a likelihood of competition in regard to the Tenders for printing, 1873-74. The question of submitting two Tenders under different colored covers was not discussed by the firm at that time. Mr Fannin told me that Mr Grigg ha'd proposed such an arrangement to him, it being the same as Mr Grigg afterwards proposed to Mr Dinwiddie. I don't recollect whether any witness was present on this occasion. I have seen the Tenders for 1874-75, but have not minutely scrutinized them. I have no knowledge of our Tender in a previous year having been altered after it had been opened by the Board. I had a conversation or two with Mr Grigg in relation to the Tenders this year, one took place this, day fortnight. I did not on that day refer it> to a proposal of Mr Dinwiddie's, and put in two Tenders. Mr Grigg last Saturday referred to this subject, and I replied, " The less you say abouit it the better,"—meaning thereby that the proposal came from him. I am aware of a proposition from Mr Grigg that the three offices should combine and go in for a good price for printing in'this year's Tenders by dividing the work. Having heard read Mr Grigg's evidence on this point, I deny having admitted Mr Dinwiddie's liability to be charged with the responsibility for such a proposal. By Col. Lambert: I never myself received any proposal from Mr Fannin in regard to submitting two Tenders, but I remember Mr Grigg's having said such a proposal had been made to him. Mr Johnson examined : I remember a conversation between Mr Grigg and •Mr Morrison at the " Telegraph" office on Saturday last. The conversation was in a jocular vein at first. Mr Grigg then taxed the proprietors of the " Herald" with having discussed a proposal to submit two tenders for printing being put in Mr Fannin's hands last year. Mr Morrison at first disclaimed but at last r when other circumstances connected with it were brought to his mind, he admitted having some recollection of the facts. It was not a full admission, but rather an indirect one of the truth of the allegation. I took no special notice of this conversation, as I never anticipated hearing more of it. It took place in my room, and I therefore was an involuntary hearer. The conversation was a long one, during which, allegations and counter-allegations were made on each side. By Col. Lambert J I do not recollect Mi' : Morrison saying to Mr Grigg, u The less you say about it the better," I hardly think so clear an imputation could have escaped my recollection had it been made. Committee adjourned. , .'...-"'';.. TUESDAY, 16th JUNE, 1874. -Present: Messrs Sutton, Lambert, Buchanan, A'Deane. Mr Carlile, M.P.C., in attendance: Having heard Mr Grigg's evidence read in relation to the printing Tenders for 1873-4, I state it.to be untrue that Mr Ormond made the observation in reference to Fannin, quoted in Mr Grigg's evidence; nor did I inform the firm that Mr Ormond had used such terms. The suspicions of our firm in reference to Mi- Fannin, had been aroused by the delay in opening Tenders from the 9th to the 11th, and by a statement from Mr Tylee of his intention to have nothing to do with them. In addition to the causes named by. Mr Dinwiddie for Grigg's expulsion from our firm, I may add was his occasional intoxication. His Honor J. D. Ormond, Esq., examined: Having heard read the statement made by Mr Grigg in reference to Mr Fannin, I state it to be perfectly untrue that I said Fannin was scoundrel enough to do it. I remember an unofficial conversation with Mr Carlile in which I censured the tone of their letter as unfair, as it left an imputation they were unprepared to substantiate; their own laxity in depositing an unsealed Tender, I animadverted to. Mr Fannin recalled and examined : Having heard read that portion of Mr Grigg's and Mr Dinwiddie's evidence,, which charges me with having suggested to the " Herald" firm the submission of two tenders, I give the accusation an emphatic denial. The proposal was" never made tome by any member of the " Herald" firm to submit collusive Tenders. Mr. Grigg recalled and examined : It having come to my knowledge that certain statements in regard to the circumstances under which I quitted the " Herald" firm have been made to the Committee, I have sought an opportunity of laying before them original documents bearing on the subject, and I now hand copies of the following:—lst. Letter from Mr Carlile to Mr Grigg. 2nd. Extract paragraph from "Herald," 24th July, 1873. I further add that no dispute had occurred between myself and the other proprietors of the "Herald" earlier than the Saturday previous to my quitting the firm on the 23rd July, when I spoke to-Mr Morrison on monetary matters, stating that I would not go on with the firm unless all cheques were signed by two parties instead of one only—viz., by Mr Dinwiddie, it having come to my knowledge that Mr Dinwiddie had borrowed money for private purposes without my cognizance, and this I felt objectionable. On the following Monday it was thought we could not go on amicably together, and it was held best to accept my proposal to go out of the firm. Another reason for dissatisfaction I put, further, that Mr Dinwiddie had given his brother a large amount of work without consulting me, and this held to be a preference injurious to the firm. Mr Weber examined: I remember being present at the opening of the Tenders for 1874-5, the course of proceedings is as stated by Mr Fannin. I recognize the schedule of quantities now placed before us as having been before the Tender Board. The Board had usually consisted of Mr Fannin and myself; last quarter Mr Tylee was added. The calculations fixing the relative eligibility of the Printing Tenders were in point of fact made by Mr Tylee and Mr Fannin. I took merely a general view of the prices without making a strictly accurate comparison; that I left to the other members of the Board, knowing but little of printing matters, but held myself bound to signature on their being satisfied. Ordered, on the motion of Col. Lambert, that Mr Buchanan be requested to prepare the Committee's Report. [Copy.] "Herald" Office, 11th June, 1873. J. D. Ormond, Esq., Superintendent, Sir,—We beg to calLyour attention to some irregularities in connexion with the opening of. the recent tenders for Provincial Printing. The advertised date for sending them in, having been Saturday the 7th instant, it was without a subsequent advertisement postponed till Monday the 9th. They were given in about 11 o'clock that day, and you being absent, they remained in Mr Fannin's custody till the middle of the day on Tuesday. Mr Tylee, the Provincial Treasurer, informs us, that owing to these circumstances he refused to have anything to do with the opening or examining of them. We have therefore to request that the matter should be decided by open Tender, or any other manner which you may regard as equitable. The adoption of this course would have the effect of relieving a public officer of certain disagreeable suspicions, under which he at present labors. (Signed) Dinwiddie, Morrison and Co. i Copy of Letter from Mr Carlile to Mr Grigg on his retirement from the Partnership:— During the two-and-a-half years of my connection with Mr Grigg, I have found him uniformly conciliatory and obliging, and we have always worked together in the most harmonious manner. Owing to his intimate knowledge of the trade, he was enabled to give advice which was of the utmost value to us, on first taking over the "Herald" from Mr Wood. I attribute the comparative success which has attended it very largely indeed to steps taken on his suggestion. In the editorial department, both as regarded the writing of locals, and, during my absence, of leaders, as also in the selection of extracts, he was of great service, and proved himself thoroughly competent for such work. His knowledge of the political history of the Colony is, I belieVe; : more complete than that of anyone, with hardly an exception, with whom I am acquainted. ("Signed) ,?..;•.•• ' William W. Carlile. . The following paragraph is extracted from the " Hawke's Bay Herald " published the day after the partnership was altered : It .will be seen frbm advertisement in another column that Mr Edward Grigg has, retired fromthe firm of Dinwiddie, Morrison & Co., of which he has been a member from its commencement. Mt Grigg is thoroughly well up in every branch of his profession* and has had very large colonial experience. We wish him every success wherever he may settle, or in whatever undertaking he may be engaged. •

and had made an effort to establish a healthy commerce along the Eed Sea and with Indiaj Abyssinia would not be as it is now, the same country it was eight centuries ago. The same truth applies to Ashantee; The mere teaching of a lesson is Of no value if the natives are to be permitted to relapse into a.condition of ignorance and cruelty, which will bo even ; more unwholesome after the British shall have taken away all the gold remaining in the kingdom. Within a few years European Powers have thus waged and closed: three wars against barbarous people that had placed themselves in the way of commercial enterprise, and have been borne dow n and cleared from the path as obstructions. It is above the war activities of Europe, a pre-eminently good sign.

THE ASHANTEE WAR. ; • -; New Yobk Hebald. Wolseley has achieved a \ triumph wmxh will teach a stern and useful .lesson to the Ashantees, who have long and defiantly maintained a terrorism on the Gold Coast. He has dorie what ( Kauftniann did. in the conquest of Khiva--j secured a TictpripUß peace where every . former, attempt..of his' countrymen was a disastrous failure. Let us hope, with all the facts before us,'that the British will not relinquish Entire control in Ashantee. The fruits of, the Abyssinian campaign were nothing, because England abandoned that well-meaning people to become the prey of internecine strife and clan warfare. If she had simply kept up a Protectorate over the Switzerland of Africa?