TRUST METHODS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 30 September 1907, Page 2

TRUST METHODS.

KUUUJi'SI'JBD PLUMBERS' COMBINE. At the Eltham Borough Council melting on Friday, the borough (engineer (Sir Climie) reported"During the past month; I have prepared plans for 1 j 1- house sanitary contracts, and have ' I I,occ,ved tenders for seven of them hit on opening them I found that the prises wore considerably higher than usual. t » C ' ll ". e v " i,lto the c,ll,se °f this I found that the price of material had been raised, but as the schedule of prices given with the tenders gave very little detail; I wrote to tho plnmbera asking for fresh to"d"rs giving a more eta,led schedule. The tenders for the dinm connection waf, at the usual price, faerefore r have adopted them, but instrueted the contractor not to proceed until the plumbing contracts aro let." Messrs Cowell and Kneebone wrote m reference to the report, stating thattnoy could not see their way to amend tlioir tender, and complaining that it was unfair to ask them to detail oil items m schedule. In explanation, Mr Climie said that these tenders were from 20 to 25 r<r.

cent above thos'e charged on previous contacts, and that the. schedules at| tached were -so meagre that they were of no service. In making enquiries as to the reason of the extra cost he unci come to the conclusion that there were other reasons for the rise in pri.-e other than the increased cost of material. One peculiar feature was that in the seven tenders opened the contracts were alternatively secure.) by the dif. fcrent tradesmen. In asking for ai schedule of contract work this was done with a view to checking any extras elmr-red on the contract. (V. S tanners said the matter of obta lnino: schedules had been fought out before .and the Council had forced the pliiinbers to jjive details. The Council decided that the fresh tenders should be dealt with by the. Works Committee.

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