CORRESPONDENCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 50, 27 February 1878, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

To shb Editor oy ths 'Evening Mail.' Sib,— l beg leave to refresh Councillors Hooper and Hounsell's memory. On the 7th December the Surveyor's report contained the following clause : — That all the material for setting the two benches retorts required replacing. I objected to the work being done until a third bench that was between the two should be worn out, and all three benches done at the same time, thereby causing a considerable saving in money, besides being done better, as one bench would have been between two. fires. This was referred to the Public Works Committee. On Wednesday, the 12th, the Committee met, all the members being present. When the gas retorts came under discussion, one of the members, I think Mr Bethwaite, said he had never been in the Gas Works, and, therefore, could give no opinion. Messrs Hounsell and Tutty, being both new members, would say nothing, but would trust to the older members for information. Cr Hooper said that Cr Gray— we call him the Gas man— knows all about it, and we will trust to him, but I ref used to take the. responsibility, and recommended them to-go to the Gas Works and see for themselves, then they could speak of what they knew, and not from hear-say. They all agreed to go next night, and, what was most remarkable, every one of us met punctually at the gate, and were shown over the Works by the two managers, when it was agreed that the work Bhould be delayed until the third bench of retorts should be worn out. The manager of ths Works thought they could not last three months, and as he had a bench of five retorts to fall back upon, and by that time the nights would be getting longer and he would require them and have sufficient time to put the others in before they would be requirod. Now, the above does not require much comment. First, what took us to the Gas Works ? It could not be to consider whether the work should be done by daylabor or otherwise, as that would have been done in Council on the 7th December, and not hava been referred to the Committee. Secondly, the work not having been gone on with until the third set was worn out, some six weeks after, is, I think, another proof that it was to stop any work — not to order it to be done, as Crs Hooper and Hounsell said in Council. On the night in question we were in groups in the Works, one party hardly knowing what the other said, and I am positive that Messrs Bethwaite and Tutty and myself were of opinion that they ought to be done by contract, and Mr Bethwaite intended to move when the Surveyor's report came forward again, that the work be done by contract, which report we never had either in Committee or Council. I think no one can deny but that I have persistently recommended economy in the gas works from first to last, and I may say it was one of my pet schemes to try and get the works to pay, and the gas reduced to a more reasonable price, and it is by being often frustrated, first by wet and bad coals, again by a rise in salaries, and now by the most expensive way of working, and when I complained ab.out the work not having" been authorised, aud that it should have been tendered for, and likewise gave as a reasoq that the feeling outside amongst the working class was that these aud other fancy jobs were given to favorites, and that it was to avoid such that I mentioned it to the Council and not one word did I say or mean to say against the Surveyor, but used them as an argument in favor of tendering for everything, giving fair play to all and doing away with much ill--feeling.—l am &c., Robert Gray. P.S.— I have been told by reliable ratepayers that some of the Councillors have ) given out that some of the best mechanics in Nelson say it is impossible to tender for this work, but I happen to know they said nothing of the kind. They also say that there were two reporters in the Council chamber, but I say there was only one and that one has been a bitter enemy to me over since he has been in Nelson. Had it been one of tbe others I should have been correctly reported. R. G. [Mr Gray seems to forget that the correctness of the report of which he complains is vouched for by everyone who was in the room at the time.— Ed. N.E.M._\