The Southland Times. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1872.

Southland Times, Issue 1541, 23 February 1872, Page 2

The Southland Times. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1872.

oLitiij-rnj as cue contemporary journal is as a rule, of late it has quite succeeded in surpassing itself. What it is pleased to denominate " extraordinary revelation," is a species of enunciation to which it has become so madly addicted that moral restraint and journalistic propriety have to a great extent been dispensed with. Critically examined, this strange hallucination has its origin in gross stupidity, cool audacity, united with what, for want of a milder description, we are forced to call wilful imposition. In case these strictures may at first sight appear harsh and uncharitable, we shall proceed without further preamble to justify their use. Only a very few days have elapsed since the inhabitants of Invereargill were startled out of their usual decorum by a " News Extraordinary " announcing that the Grey, together -vrith twelve miles of the adjacent country, had been carried out to Bea. Now, how it was possible for any man, however dull his comprehension may be, to put a statement bo palpably absurd and physically impossible forward as sober reality, we solemnly confess that we are unable to understand. Had the writer, or rather we should say, the transcriber, of the information referred to, reflected for a moment on what he was doing, he never would have perpetrated such an outrage upon the human understanding. It seems to be, however, just as we have hinted above. Our contemporary has become so addicted to the marvellous, that he appears to have lost all selfcontrol. In last "Wednesday's issue we had another of his "extraordinary revelations," a wild alarm conjured up out of the merest phantom of a vain imagination. On this occasion it was. not the devastations of floods that excited bis faculties, but a perverted rendering of the Brogues contract entered into with the General Government. Our contemporary says that the version he gives of it, and which he frankly admits is reproduced from a "Wellington paper, has not been contradicted. Herein lies an instance of the wilful imposition mentioned above. It was contradicted, and so fast did the contradiction follow upon the heels of the statement as originally made, that the latter may be said to have fallen a victim to an abortive attempt. Our reason for saying so is that, vivacious as the bo- called opposition journals are in propagating scandals likely to militate against the Government, we are not aware of any of them having repeated it, and had it not been unearthed at this, the last joint of the'tail, the chances are it would never have been heard of again. Had our contemporary been honest enough to reproduce the whole of the article from which he quotes, it would be seen that his Wellington authority professes to have discovered something in the shape of a contract entered into with Brogdeh and Sons, which he insinuates has never been submitted for public approval. That has been flatly denied, and the following explanation given of th« ulterior statement of 10 per cent, having been paid to Mr Bbogden for a mere nominal supervision of certain works. In disposing of the contracts entered into by Mr Yogel, while in England, the .Assembly authorised the Government to complete No. 2 contract on an extended scale, authorising the construction of railway works to the amount of one million, at prices to be mutually agreed upon, such prices to be within the limit fixed by the Legislature ; payment for any of the railways contracted for, to be made in debentures bearing 5| per cent, interest, or in casb, at the option of the Government. In the event of the Government not succeeding in arranging these terms with the Messrs Brogdett, then No. 2 contract, as originally framed, was to be fallen back upon. Such was the state of the case at the close of last session. Government was anxious that no time should be lost in commencing the lines, but as the parliamentary or flying survey only had been completed, some time must necessarily elapse before working plans could be finished so as to enable the work to be let by tender. In view of that unavoidable delay, a preliminary arrangement was made, under which Messrs Brogden were authorised to go on with some of the working surveys in order to expedite the work, receiving as compensation for their outlay 10 per cent, profit. In ascertaining that amount, the Messrs Beogden were bound to furnish the Government with duly certified vouchers of the money expended; this arrangement to terminate when Government was ready to submit the various lines for tender. In discussing this arrangement, tbe " Wellington Independent " writes :— " Its object simply is to hasten the period at which, the (xo--vernmeut will be enabled , under tho

contract sanctioned by the Assembly to submit the lines to the extent authorised to Messrs Brooded. Ten per cent is not an unreasonable com- ' pensation for the outlay of money and employment of professional skill, and this ten percentage only lasts until the Government are able to submit definite lines for tender. Let it be clearly understood that this ten per cent, is only paid upon work done by Messrs Brogdes. Had nob this arrangement been made, great and inconvenient delay would have occurred. The statement that M r Brooded received £3800 as commission for merely writing out a list of plant is equally true with the rest of the " mistakes," we will call them, of the Post. To prevent any unnecessary | delay the Government sent home orders for the railway plant indicated by Mr Brogden, whose firm in England have a voice with the Government in accepting the tenders for these supplies. When ; the goods are shipped Messrs Brogden j will be credited with the ten per cent, on the cost, but they are bound to take this \ plant for the different lines as they contract for them, and the cost incurred by the G-overnment in the purchase will be considered as payment to that extent under the contract. In other words the „„„« fV.no . tho Government could not expect Messrs Brogden to give large orders for plant before contracts had actually been entered upon, but to avoid , thedelay of waitiaguntil Messrs Brogden were in a position to order their plant, the Government said, "we will order th< plant, and you must take it from us after wards at cost price." The ten per cent in this instance is not paid until Messrs Beogden take up this plant. It is absolutely untrue that a cheque for £3800, cr any similar cheque, has been paid to Mr Brogden on this account. With regard to the one per cent, allowed to the Inspecting Engineer, Mr Hemans, for examinitg and certifying to the plant shipped, ye have only to say that this officer's dutijs are of the utmost importance. The officer in question is a railway engineer of considerable reputation, and had been employed by the Provincial Government of Canterbury to inspect their railway' materials, and was retained in a similar capacity by the General Government And-it should be stated that whilst tie charge for inspection hitherto paid bad been two per cent, Mr Yogel succeeoed in reducing it by one-half. The careful inspection of plant before shipment is absolutely essential, to guard against the many evasions which unscrupulous contractors are io the habit of practising, and to prevent the shipment of inferior or faulty articles." i