GERMAN TENDER

Hokitika Guardian, 31 August 1926, Page 3

GERMAN TENDER

„ AUCKLAND POWER BOARD ACTION. [BY TELEGRAPH PER PRESS ASSOCIATION’. AUCKLAND, An?. 30. Anotlior British tender for electric cable was accepted by the Auckland Electric Power Board to-day. The only German tender was £4,000 above the lowest British tender, whereas the low quotations of German firms were features of other contracts. The tenders ’were for .075 triple-bra filed cable and 14 firms competed. The lowest tender that of Marshall and Baxter for cable manufactured by Concordia Electric Wire Company of Great Britain, whose tender of £8,385 was accepted. This firm secured the two previous contracts. A number of British firms tendered at £9,500 or thereabouts, but a German firm, that of Felton and Cuillenume, which submitted the lowest tender on the two previous occasions, quoted £12,100. with an alternative price of £II,BOO. The chairman, Mr W. .1. Holdsworth, expressed surprise at the marked difference in the German tenderin';. Whereas on the last oesasion the firm tendered £4,000 below the lowest British firm, it now quoted a figure £4OOO above. He said lie supported the attitude taken up by some members that a discrepancy existed somewhere, and justified those who bad opposed German tenders without malein'; an appeal to preference sentiment. The general manager. Mr TL TT. Bartley, said that copper had lately fallen in price, and now, stood at £SB 18s 9d a. ton, for electrolytic bars. This meant a reduction of £8 Is 3d a. ton on the pi-ice quoted by the tenderers. It was decided to call for tenders for the supply of meters. •Mr Bartley stated that, for many years, practically the whole of the Board’s meter-requirements had been supplied by one British firm, and that policy had, been a wise one. Since then, however, other very reliable meters had come on the market, and the firms concerned desired an opportunity to tender. It was stated that from £13,000 to £15.000 was spent- anfinally on meters.