CARTAGE OF METAL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4975, 17 May 1926, Page 1

CARTAGE OF METAL.

WHY TENDERS WERE .NOT CALLED EXPLANATION BY the MAYOR. The carting and stacking of many yards of metal in WHiai’f Street and in the vicinity of the new post office has been commented upon by passers-by. Carriers, particularly, ha<ve been unite perturbed over the matter, apid have, contended that some kind of “graft” must be going on, because one carrying firm had all the metal cartage. With the idea df getting to the. bottom cf the matter, at Thursday night’s meeting of the Paeroa Bor'ough Council Cr. J. Pinder disked if tenders h,ad been called for the carting of the meta.l. He explained that he had been questioned concerning, the council’s action in the matter. There were several ratepayers who earned their living by means of cartage contracts, and he thought that they (should all be given ,an equal chance to tender for the council’s carting. In reply, the Mayor (Mr W. Marshall) said that he was glad Cr. Pinder had raised the' point, and the matter could be easily explained. He would remind the meeting that ever since Taylor’s Avenue had been opened to traffic the council had been pressing the Railway Department to give' delivery of the 200 yards (if metal agreed upon. One day last week the district engineer .advised him that delivery of the metal would be- commenced the following morning at the rate, of from four to five trucks a day. The engineer asked .that the council, should take delivery of it as it arrived, and emphasised the need for .a quick emptying df the. trucks:. On receipt of the information he had instructed the foreman to take whatever steps were necessary to ensure the. work being carried out promptly. The result was that Brenan and Co. was the only firm .available which could do the work ,at such short notice, and the carting being done for 3s 6d a yard. Obviously the desirable course was to call tenders for the work, but under the circumstances the- arrangements made were the best possible. Cr. Pinder said that he was quite, satisfied with the explanation. ’ bn the motion of Cr. E. Edwards, seconded'by Cr. H. J. Hare, the action of the Mayor was confirmed.