POWER BOARD.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 August 1926, Page 4

POWER BOARD.

GIVES A TRADE PREFERENCE. BY TIXEGRAPH —PRESS ASSN., COPYRIGHT. AUCKLAND, August 2. A German firm, which tendered for the supply of electric cable to the Auckland Electric Power Board, lost the contracts, totalling £12,500, because the Board insisted upon giving effect to _ its policy of preference for British goods. This decision led to considerable discussion. The letting of two contracts was under consideration. In both cases the German firm was the .lowest tenderer. The difference between its tender and lowest British tenders was the substantial amount of £5,740. The German tendered was the firm of • Felton and Guilleaumc, acting through Langgutli and Cov., of Auckland. Its quotation for the supply of I.Y.T.R. cable was £7SIO as against £11,700 quoted by Marshall and Baxter on behalf of the Concordia Elec trip Wire Coy., of England. There was an £11,307 tender from a Dutch firm. This was excluded from consideration, because it declined to accept the Board’s penalty clause. For the supply of 15 cable, the German firm quoted £4,750, as against the lowest British tender of £6,600, which was also that of the Concordia Coy. The General Manager, R. H. Bartley. * recommended that the lowest British tenders should be accepted. In doing so, he said, he bore in mind the Board’s policy of giving preference wherever possible to Britsili firms. “ I know that there is a vast quantity of German material being purchased in New Zealand,” he said. •“ but I still contend that the Board’s policy in this direction is a correct one.” This recommendation was adopted, with one dissentient.