BOROUGH WATERWORKS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 349, 1 April 1911, Page 5

BOROUGH WATERWORKS.

! '• MATERIAL ONLY" TENDER ACCEPTED. A special meeting of To Kuiti Horough Council was held on Wednesday night, U> consider the tenders received uu' contract No. 7, which represents putting in an IS inch main as far as !>r Zohei's gate and two miles of reticulation with everything complete inclusive of concrete tanks and a small temporary dam to store water, the work to tie completed by November ;!oth. .Before proceeding to open the two tenders received, some discussion arose on the question of whether sufficient time i had been given intending or possible contractors. Cr Young mentioned that Messrs A. and T. Burt, Ltd., had felt the time was too short. The Mayor said he particularly drew the attention of John Chambers and Soil's representative six weeks ago to the desirability of going into the question as early as possible. The Town Clerk intimated that he had written to the last named firm, telling them the date when the tenders would be advertised. The Borough Engineer said if three months' time was given, most firm? would leave the matter until the last moment. In his opinion ample time had been allowed. Cr Julian, on the other hand, felt that if wider publicity had been given to the contracts, by, for example, leaving- plans and specictiations with the City Council offices in Auckland and Wellington, it would have allayed any feeling that the time had been short. The two tenders were then opened, and found to be from Messrs Howie and Matthews, Wellington, for Mannesmann pipes £9987, and from the Spiral Steet Pipe Co., Ltd., of Wanganui, for spiral pipes £9413 3s, less £3OO if the engineer could dispense with testing. As an alternative they tendered £6999 5s 6d for the supply of material only, without labour.

On the question of dispensing with testing, the Engineer said that the Steel Pipe Co. had been very successful previously. At Inglewood, for instance, out of four miles of piping he had only found one leak. Of course if they dispensed with testing, they ought to get a quid pro quo in the shape of a guarantee. Mr Bignell, representing the Spiral Steel Pipe Co., waited on the Council and explained certain points in the tenders submitted. The firm had a wide experience of the work, and at present has important contracts under way in many towns. Regarding testing, they offered to reduce the tender by £3OO if dispensed with, because they tested every pipo in the works and never had a failure. A pipe conceivably might burst, but the point would be discovered at once, unlike the position with cast iron pipes. At Waitara, for instance, they had just put in a big service, and although an over-zealous fire brigade might do some damage by the way they turned the water on and off, owing to such a big pressure, the pipes stood all tests. They preferred to make their own joints, because their own men were experienced, and they guaranteed their work. The Council then proceeded to consider the tenders in detail, and worked out that the tender for the supply of material only, subject to modicfiations, was the best available. On the motion of Cr Julian, seconded by Cr Young, the Council agreed to aceDt the alternative tender from the Spiral Steel Pipe Co. Ltd. for the supply <>f material only. The amended tender schedule to be subj2ct to the approval of the engineer. The terms to be embodied in an agreement covering the whole transaction. —Carried