The Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on tbe West Coast. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25,1885. GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 71, 25 February 1885, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on tbe West Coast. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1885. GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS.

The Wanganui Chronicle complains with perfect justice and leuson that the job of painting" all the railway, stations was let without tender. One Wanganui tradesman wrote to inquire Ine cause of such extraordinary oifi-i cial procedure. Yesterday he received the folio wing reply from the General Manager, Mr J. P. Maxwell, dated Wellington, February 21st : — " Sir,— With reference to your letter of the 12th mst, the receipt of which 1 had the honour to acknowledge on the 16th instant, complaining of the contract fotv painting station buildings m the Wanganui district having been let privately. 1 hare now, by direction^ the Hon. Minister for Public Works; to inform you that you are certainly entitled to lender for any work of this kind. In the future no work will he given to any private firm without public tender. It is regretted that m the particular instance you name you should not have had a chance of putting m a tender." This is a pretty straight-forward acknowledgment (writes the Chronicle) of wrong doing on the part of the department, and if so far sati*fad ory that it expresses regret at the favouritism that has been displayed, and promises good behaviour m the future. It is noticeable, though, that it tieats the nasr as irrevocable. Are we to understand by that not merely that large works have been placed m the hands of a private firm without tendering ; but that a private tender has been accepted, and the contract signed and sealed, for the whole of the buildings throughout the district. If thin is so, then there is a scandal that wants unearthing. This is a matter that should be fur' her inquired into m Parliament. As a lule local bodies iuavariably call for tenders for con tracts over a certain value, and how much more necessary is it that Government contracts should be dealt with m such a straight forward and impartial manner as to be beyond suspicion. We trust the matter will receive the fullest investigation m the interests of the public.