A GRIEVANCE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1754, 23 June 1888, Page 2

A GRIEVANCE.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,— Can you or any of your numerous subscribers inform me of the proper mode of obtaining satisfaction and redress under the following circumstances, namely The Geraldine County Council inivited tenders for the Woodbury water-race, to be sent in on or before i p.m, on Tuesday, the 12th June. I went into Timaru on Monday morning, the 11th inst., to see the plans and specifications (which by-the-bye should have been sent out to Woodbury dr Geraldine, so that contractors in the immediate neighborhood where the works have to be executed might have had an opportunity of inspecting for at least a few days without injustice to any person concerned). I took a copy of the whole specification, including the Engineer’s “ Approximate schedule of quantities,” made up my tender, procured the requisite deposit, and forwarded both to the Council for consideration ; but to my surprise, although the lowest tenderer, am informed that; the Engineer to the Council recommended that a tender £7 2a 4d higher than mine should be accepted, because' I had omitted a certain item in my schedule, which would bring my tender higher than the one accepted., Now to the point. , The item left oiit, viz., “ The regulating sluice, 1 ” was inserted in the Engineer’s Approximate schedule of quantities ” by himself after I had copied his specifica,* tion, etc'., and left his office in the presence of certain contractors, who can vouch for this statement. And not knowing that any sum bad to be put down for “ The regulating sluice ” in the schedule I embraced the amount in the work connected with it, and was prepared to carry out the whole of the work for the sum named in ray tender. Had the “regulating sluice ” been in the schedule when I went into the Engineer’s office my tender would not have been thrown out on that point, for, to make certain of everything, I obtained the.assistance of a practical man in Timaru, and after all had been copied I compared it with the Engineer’s schedule, and found it correct. But after a contractor has travelled nearly 30 miles into Timaru, gone to the trouble of making out a tender, got a marked cheque and enclosed for 5 per cent of tender, in addition to providing a bondsman to become personally liable for 50 per cent of the contract sum, then my tender is thrown out, not for any neglect of mine, but through a mistake made by the Engineer to the Council. And moreover, when the amount for “ The regulating sluice ” is taken from the tenders next to me, and added to mine, even then my tender would be the lowest, and I cannot see why the ratepayers in the Woodbury district should be asked to pay more for their water-race than what they can get the work done for by an equally good man.—l am, etc., Daniel Grecian.

[lt does not appear from your statement that you were well treated, but we do not think that you can obtain any redress.— The Editor].