BOROUGH COUNCIL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 405, 18 October 1911, Page 5

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

SPIRAL PIPES. SPECIAL ENQUIRY TO BE MADE.' A special meeting of Te Kuiti Borough Council was held last night, there being present the Mayor (Mr Jas. Boddie) and Crs Forsytn, Sims, Young, Finlay, Hardy,. Somerville, Tammadge, Julian and Lusk. The Mayor said the meeting was called for the special purpose of _ ascertaining whether the water pipes were according to specifications. They wouid remember that at the last meeting of the council Cr Forsyth asked the engineer whether he had tested the pipes and found them according to specifications. He had since heard from Cr Forsyth that a considerable number of pipes had been cut ano teste j and found not to- be up to the standard. The Steel Pipe Co s. account was passed at last meeting before he was aware that any discrepancy might exist. The council then went into committee to discuss the question, and ultimately passed the following resolution That tha Works Committee be instructed to enquire fully into the matter of the due carrying out, and compliance with, the contract and specifications under contract No. 7, with power to employ such expert evidence, or take such other means as they may think necessary to protect the interests of the ratepayers, and report to the council.

FIRE BRIGADE. CONFIDENCE OF COMMITTEE. The Fire Prevention and Sanitation Commitee recommended that the letter from the secretary of the Fire' Brigade re Cr Finlay's remarks be received, and the brigade be notified that the council has full confidence in the brigade, and recognises the disabilities under which they have been, working in the past, and the good work they have dime; that plan No. 1, submitted by Mr Jones, architect, be adopted for the Fire Brigade station; and that Crs Tammadge and Young inspect the present refuse depot, and Heal with the nuisance arising, if any, from the deposits.—The report was adopted.

CONTRACTS OR DAY LABOUR

WHICH IS CHEAPER?

The Works Committee recommended that the letter from the Bowling Club be held over until the water and drainage by-laws have been settled; that all applications for water connections be held over until after the water and drainage by-laws are settled; that the letters from J. Erikson and A. Snadden re drain in Tawhana street be received; that any carting done under the contract -taking iess than four hours be paid for at the rate of 2s 6d per hour for a horse, dray and driver, and everything over that period at contract rates; extra h:>r3esaod drays to be paid for in the same proportion, i.e., one-third extra; that Lewer and Mitchell's tender of £Bl 15s 3d for King street footpath be accepted and the time extended until November 20th: that W. Starnes' tender fur Rora'street footpath ba not accepted; and that fresh tenders be called; that the engineer's recommendation re H. Rothery's contract be accepted, but that the Spiral Pipes Company's contract be held over until the next meeting of the council; and that Mr R. C. Jordan's plan re proposed roads on section S, b : ock 4, Otanake survey district, be held over untii the Traver's roads are settled. —The Mayor took the opportunity of referring to the recent motion, passed to the instance of the Works Committee, that all borough works be done by contract, and dealt with the dispam.between the engineer's estimates er.a the actual lowest tenders receded.

The engineer had assured him emphatically that he could have tha work done by day labour. The couvcil 3 hands were tied, and they v ere in

position he did not know any public body put itself in The King street contract was estimated by the engineer at £52. Three tenders were received and the lowest, £Bl 15s 3d was accepted by the committee. The engineer's estimate for the school approach was £7l. The lowest tender received was £143 7s, and it was held over. The Hill street contract was estimated by the engineer originally at £IOO Tenders were received for £76 14s Gd, £BS 10s and £92 12s. The lowest tender was accepted and certain work, valued at £3 5, done before the contractor threw it up. Tenders were again called, the engineer's estimate being now £9O. The lowest tender, which was accepted, was £132 18s, and made, with the £ls already spent, £147 183 for what the engineer had estimated should be done for £9O. He could not sit there and" see a system that played right into the hands of the contractors and against thc3e of the ratepayers. CrForstyh said his reason for moving the. motion was that the • w.orks. I were carried out in an unsatisfactory manner and without plans and specifications. He was satisfied that it was a better system than they nad had. They need not accept tenders. The breastwork was a sample of work that ought not to have been done. Road work had been left to the foreman, and it was ridiculous to expect him'to work without plans or specifications. The Mayor said he nad been repeatedly assured that the works done by day labour could be executed at a price not exceeding the engineer's estimate. Were they going to go on with their hands absolutely tied? He moved that the portion of the committee's report referring to the King street contract be not approved, and would then give notice of motion to rescind the resolution that all works be done by contract. Cr Forsyth said a good deal of the trouble had been caused because separate accounts had not been kept and he did not think they would

ever have accurate ones. The foreman \vas not able to keep accounts and he thought he ought to be able to do so. Tha cleric said th 6 council had endorsed the action of the committee by giving them power to act. The Mayor said he did not wish to reflect on any action of the committee, iso would withdraw his motion. There 1 was another £3O gone ! [ Cr Julian said he had expected the | contract would be near £6OO, and j thought Mr Spencer was really trying I to make up lost ground. The Mayor said he had a fair experience of men, and Lawson got very good work indeei from his men. Cr Julian's estimate was nearer £2OO than £IOO. Three absolute tenders were mads which were actually lower than the estimate. The engineer's first estimate was £IOO, and his second £9O. He withdrew his motion and gave notice of motion to rescind the embargo on the council's hands. Cr Julian said he thought it a deliberate insult to suggest that they were wasting the ratepayers' money. The Mayor said he did not suggest the Works Committee was wasting the ratepayers' money. Cr Forsyth said it was a direct insult to suggest that they were wasting the ratepayers' money. There was a piece of work included in a contract inside the Mayor's grounds. The Mayor: Was it done? Cr Forsyth: It does not matter whether it was done or not. The Mayor said he was not going to sit there and hear such remarks quietly. The matter then dropped and the report was adopted. Stone Crusher—Messrs E. C. Porter and Co. wired that the stone crusher was now ready and they proposed sending an expert to inspect the quarry with a view to its erection. Referreci to the Works Committee with power to aut. Muddy Crossings. —Cr Finlay raised the question of the muddy crossings in Taupiri and Rora streets, and the matter was referred to the Works Committee. Access for Horses to Water.—Crs Hardy and Lusk proposed that the piece of road alongside the breastwork be taken under the Public Works Act. —Crs Finlay and Sims moved as an amendment that the matter be referred to the Legal and Finance Committee.—The amendment was carried.

Municipal Buildings. —Crs Lusk and Sims moved that the municipal buildings be put within three feet of the near boundary, and s?.t back about ten Jones, architect, said any extensions'they, required to make would be"on".the library side, and that would give them twenty feet to work on.—Carried. —Crs Lusk and Hardy were left to confer with the engineer and the architect as to the probable levels of the road opposite the new buildings. —Cr Hardy said if the levels had been taken in the first instance the Union Bank and Green and Colebrook's would have been saved some inconvenience and expense. The architect asked whether thj contractor should be allowed to vary the weather boarding, and recommended that he should be 30 allowed. It would cost the contractor more to buy the wood, and as time was so short he suggested permission should be given. ■ The motion was that the contractor be allowed to put the wide boards on the sides and back, run out of dry timber, provided he puts narrow boards on 'the front. -Cr Julian protested against any variation of the contract conditions, on the grounds that other contractors might make similar demands. The amendment was not seconded, and the motion was carried.