ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE

Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 318, 4 May 1878, Page 2

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE

[We arc at all times ready to give expression to every shade of opinion, but in no case do we droid ourselves responsible for the sentiments of our correspondents.]

LETTING TENDERS ■'WITHOUT PUBLIC NOTICE. (To the Editor of the Patka Mail.) , Sir, — I have a small grievance to draw your attention to as well as the ratepayers of the Hawera Road District. in the first place, certain work required to be done to the roads has been . let privately, instead of the usual routine of advertising for tenders. • One especially is the present metalling through Normanby. Now, many persons have been out looking for metal under the impression that these contracts would be advertised instead of which the work is let privately to certain persons at their own figure.. Now, sir, is this right to other persons who wish to contract, or to the ratepayers at large ?—I am, &c. JUSTICE. [Note.— Unfortunately, the above is a very common practice in this county. We say unfortunately, not only for ourselves as an advertising medium, but ■ for the general body of ratepayers, who have to pay the piper, and are therefore the chief sufferers. A written notice stuck up in some office, or on doorway, where only the initiated or friends of members or officers of the Board are likely to know anything at all about it, is deemed to be sufficient public notice. Advertising by public bodies instead of being done as a matter of course, in the interests of both ratepayers and contractors, appears to be very much dependent on whim; This should not be —the mere .matter of smoothing the backs or stroking the wrong waymembers or officers of public bodies, should not prevent that publicity being given to works to be contracted for, which can only be secured by advertising in the columns of a newspaper. It is the ratepayers who have to pay .the cost. For the few shillings required to pay two or three insertions of an advertisement in

the newspaper, which public or officers may plume themselves on having saved, pounds are often lost in the higher price, for want of publicity, at which tenders arc sent in and taken up. Wo, know'nothing of the merits of the case referred to bj - “Justice,” but we do know that what is complained of by him is a common practice, alike detrimental to the interests of contractors (except the favored ones), the ratepayers and ourselves.-— Ed. Mail.]