Board Withholds Contract Payment

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 747, 21 August 1929, Page 11

Board Withholds Contract Payment

QUESTION OF LABOUR DRASTIC PAPATOETOE. ACT Because the Papatoetoe Town Board considers that Messrs. Gosse and Mullen, contractors for the water reticulation works in the district, have failed to employ local men, as stipulated in the contract, it decided last evening to withhold a progress payment of £5,552. 'T'HE decision was arrived at lollowing a recommendation by the Works Committee that payment be withheld until such time as the board's engineer was satisfied that the terms of the contract regarding the employment of local men were being carried out. Mr. E. S. Sorensen, chairman of the Works Committee, reported that as a result of complaints by residents regarding the employment of outside labour, his committee decided at a special meeting to recommend that, throughout the contract, the employment of local labour has been most unsatisfactory, and the committee is of the opinion that extreme measures must be taken to enforce tire preference clause in favour of the local men in the contract. After due consideration, the committee recommended that no payments bo made to the contractor until the board is assured that the men engaged on the work are local ratepayers or residents. The chairman of the board said that the board had been treated very unfairly in this matter. The contractors had been brought up to scratch before, and they go sailing away and doing as they like soon after.

The town clerk said that streams of local men were applying for work, and were very bitter that outside labour was being used, when it was promised at the poll to sanction the loan, that work would be provided for local labour. He said he had discussed the question with the contractors, but could get no satisfaction, and it must be taken up by the board. Mr. Sorensen stated that in his opinion the contractors had no intention of employing local labour. On account of pressure being brought to bear recently, local labour was engaged, but it has all been dispensed with. The water engineer. Mr. Jones, said that when the pump was installed at the end of this week, more men would be put on. Mr. Sorenson stressed the point that local labour was not being employed at the present time, and drastic action must be taken at once. The contractor accepted the contract on the distinct understanding that preference would be given to local men, and he is at present employing his own men. If there is any surplus the local men may be put on. We must go further, continued Mr. Sorensen, and hold back the money until the terms of the contract are being carried out. The chairman agreed that the position was scandalous. Work is still going ahead, and he is not using local men. Messrs. Smytheman and Sorensen were authorised to sanction payment of tlie amount, on assurance from the engineer that local labour had been engaged in place of the outside staff at present on the work.