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Lyttelton Times, Volume VII, Issue 466, 22 April 1857, Page 5

To the Editor of the Lyttelton Times,

Sik, —Parmer should acquaint himself with facts before jumping to conclusions, It is not the case, as he assumes, that the Public Works in this province have ever been done by way of public tender until very recently. Since the last session of the Provincial Council they have been all so done,not before. No doubt competition is necessary to make the system of public tender successful; but I have taken the trouble to enquire and I find that the tenders sent in during the last six months shew very considerable competition, and utterly contradict the idea .of col? lusion. It is remarkable that the two works in respect of which Government has been charged with extravagance more than upon any others, are just the two performed by gangs under the superintendence of the overseer; —the Sumngr Road, and the Governor's Bay Road. I do not say the charges were just: but it is notorious, that the complaints were made. As to the general question, I am sure the Government are right, as a general rule, not to employ day labour. It is ' very easy to say it succeeds at Wellington or elsewhere. I should like to calculate the order of work done before discussing that question. But I'do know well, that in England, even, where labor is cheap and plentiful, contract labour is almost without exception the most economical. And necessarily so; because men will always work harder for themselves than for others. It is a weakness of human nature to dp so. In order' that day labor may ever be successful you must be in a position to discharge a man on the instant for shirking his work, and to get another in his place. But you can't do that here where labor is scarce and dear.

I quite agree that calling for public tenders will in some cases produce combination to keep"

up prices. But this is very easy to detect, and, if it be found out, the best system is that of offering the work to* known good workmen at contract .prices carefully estimated by the Engineers to be the value of the work. I know that the best and cheapest work done in this province has been done in that manner; and I think the workmen know this too.

I am sure that the works will be always done best, cheapest, and most expeditiously, by gangs of labouring men taking them at a contract and all having an interest in the contract. I do not mean works requiring a heavy and costly plant, but we have few of such to do here.

You will, I am sure, pardon my troubling you with the results of some experience in this and other countries as

A CONTRACTOR,