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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 841, 24 December 1878, Page 2

Messrs Henderson and Co. , on Saturday, discharged their workmen, and abandoned the waterworks contract. This action of the contractors will further complicate the waterworks question, and will necessitate the immediate consideration by the Council of how Mr. Henderson's contract can best be completed. It will never do to allow the works to remain at a standstill. They have perhaps been pushed forward with every possible expedition ; but they have occupied quite sufficient time, when the Council's liability therefor is considered. Perhaps the Council will complete Messrs. Henderson and Co. 's contract themselves, or let the remaining portion in small contracts, as an inducement for local men to take them up. It is to be regretted that, just at this juncture, Messrs. Henderson and Co. should have abandoned their contract, but pei-haps there will be nothing to regret after all. Satisfactorily as the work has so far been performed, we believe that it would have been quite as well had so so large a work been divided into small contracts, and local men been encouraged to I embark in them. Local contractors would have been able to perform the work quite as cheaply as outsiders, because they would not have had to keep up an expensive staff. They would have made just as much, or more profit than the large contractors on what they did, and that profit would have been retained in the district. The principal share of the money expended on the waterworks is for labor, the only other important item being •for ironwork It will, therefore, be seen that by offering the work to Small contractors the Council would be adopting a plan that would be calculated to retain the greater proportion of the money expended on the works in the district.

To-morrow being Christmas Day, our readers will be deprived of the pleasure of reading the Evening Mail, which will not bo published again until Thursday. They will therefore please solace themselves with the fact that our staff and ourselves are enjoying a well-earned holiday. Wo would also take this opportunity of intimating that on Thursday (Boxing Day) the Mail will be published at mid-day. The holidays enjoyed by those connected with the Press are but few indeed. Banks and other business places may be closed with impunity on the smallest pretext, without the world suffering to any great extent, but the printing press, must ever be kept moving to supnly the wants of the reading public. The current history of the world has to be written and published, and thus it is that the newspaper scribe and printer have but few opportmiities of joining in the merry-makings which tend to render life pleasant. With these few observations before them, our readers will, we feel sure, require no further apology from us for our endeavoring to give our stall' some chance of participating iu the enjoyments of the season by issuing the Matl a few hours earlier than usual on Boxing Day. A special meeting of the Municipal Council was held this afternoon, to take into consideration certain matters in connection with the waterworks contract. There were present —His Worship the Mayor, Councillors Mainland, Familton, Gibbs, Humphrey, Liddle, and Spence. Mr. M'Leod, the Municipal Engineer, was also present. The Mayor explained that the meeting of the Council was held in consequence of the receipt of a letter from the Engineer stating that work on the waterworks contracts had been suspended, and that a breach of had been committed. Before taking any definite steps it would be necessary, he thought, to take legal advice as to what should now be done. " Seeing that the Council's solicitor (Mr. Baimcr) was absent from Oamaru, he thought the Council should take advice froinsomc other solicitor, in conjunction with the accredited agent of the Council's solicitor. Councillor Gibbs stated that the statement that the contractors had dismissed the men and purposely suspended the work was erroneous. The men had refused to work untii they had rsccived payment. At the same time he believed it could bo proved that the contractors had removed a portion of the plant and sold it. The Mayor said it was possible that the plant disposed of was such as the Council had no right over. Councillor Liddle confirmed what Councillor Gibbs had said with reference to the cause of the suspension. It appeared that there were six weeks' wages due to the men, and they declined to work any longer unless they received payment. Several Councillors pointed out that there was no definite information from the contractor to the effect that he had suspended work. A letter was then read from Messrs. Hislop and Oreagh, the solicitors to the contract, stating that, as it was impossible to continue a work where that which is due to the contractor is not recognised, and, as in this case, the amount which he finds due, but which is ignored by your Engineer, is over L 3500, we have to intimate that the work will be discontinued, and that Mr. Henderson will hold you responsible for damages occasioned through your breach of contract." The "letter concluded by saying that the Engineer would be waited upon and formally asked to give his certificate, and that failing his giving it and no satisfactory offer be made by the Council before one o'clock yesterday, the work would be stopped. To this letter the Council had replied, again refusing to interfere between their Engineer and the contractor. After some discussion of an irregular nature, it was resolved, on the motion of Councillor Liddle, " That any necessary notice be issued under the advice of the Solicitor, and that the Engineer and Solicitor bo empowered, in the event of airy difficult point arising, to take the advice of counsel." The meeting then terminated.

A correspondent at Palmerston sends us a few corrections in our prize list in the Implement class at the late show. Our list was compiled, from tho official books, and if it contained a few errors we arc not blame. We regret that want of space precludes the possibility of our publishing the list forwarded by our correspondent. The Oamaru district can boast of a greater proportionate number of steady, vigorous, and straightforward settlers than jjerhaps any other district north, south, or west of it in New Zealand. Their number, however, is how and then weakened, either by the hand of old Father Time, as in the case of the late lamented Dr. Webster, or in consequence of removal to another part of the Colony in some cases to the Mother Country. Whether from the one reason or from the other, it is to us a most disagreeable task to record such changes. To-day we are reminded that another void is about to take jilace in our community in the person of one who, in his daily life, has proved himself to bo of that sterling stuff which is the making of a country's material prosperity. We refer to Mr John Macleunan, of Whitstonc, who is now in the North Island, arranging for the transfer of his wife and family to another station of larger extent, in the Manawatu district, belonging to the Hon. Robert Campbell. Mr Maclenuau arrived in this district some ten years ago, and took a prominent part in the conception and construction of the harbor works at the Kakanui River, while at the same time he did good service to the Meat Preserving Company, at that time established in the same neighborhood. He ultimately became the Chairman of the Kakanuj Harbor Board, took seats on the Kakanui and Otepopo Road Boards, and finally, when the j scene of his labors was transferred I to his present home in the Waiareka i valley, he w;is presented by his old Kakanui friends and admirers with a very substantial and chaste testimonial bearing the subscription of all the leading people of the place. Mr. Maclennan's good works followed him to the Waiareka, for here he became the honored Chairman of the local School Committee, to the duties of which position he gave the utmost attention. Amongst our societies who will miss him much wa may mention the Agricultural and Pastoral Association and the Acclimatisation Society, in both of which he made his mark by virtue of the strong common sense and sound judgment that he displayed at their d,e]ibera-

tions. Wc understand that, it is in contemplation to invite Mr. -Maelenmn to a farewell banquet prior to his departure for the Manawatu district. We heartily wish him in his new sphere of labor that meed of prosperity to Tvhick his. many social virtues undoubtedly entitle him. :■:..'