Rations to the Poor.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4355, 15 December 1882, Page 3

Rations to the Poor.

At the Borough Council last night, the following letter from Messrs Mears and Co.,,contractors for supplying rations, addressed to the Charitable Aid Committee, was read:—"We noticed in the local papers a report that was laid-before you at your last meeting by the Relieving \ Officer, Mr John B. Mason, with reference ; to the-quality of ration tea supplied by us, -"4ind stating that it was not as good in |?£ quality as the sample forwarded to you with our tender. Allow us to flatly deny that there 1 was any foundation for such a .• report'to gp before you. The tea supplied • : by us as ration tea was fully as good, if ]~ not better quality tea, than that sent as a ■ample with our tender, and we say on no -occasion did the tea supplied by us as ration tea cost less money than that sent to you as a sample. We say it'is not fair to us as contractors for such, a report to go before you without any foundation whatever. We have always made it a point to give the poor people that obtain r such rations the very best possible value, and in many.cases have gi^n them better quality of goods than the samples. We on our side have given justice in ever; way, and demand justice from you."—We are, &c, Meabetand Co. On this subject the Charitable Aid Committee's report, signed by Cr Me-

Go wan, stated :—" The Reliering Officer f- has reported to the' Committee that the ' tea forwarded by Mr Deeble as tea ration ■applied by the contractors, Messrs Mears and"Co., to poor'people on the order of the Council was very greatly inferior to the sample sent wiLh his tender, and was returned to Messrs Mears and Co., who issued other in lieu of it. The Relieving Officer also reports that during November he obtained a tea ration from Messrs Mears and Co., and found it inferior to that, sent aft. sample when tendering.' A third tea ration obtained from Messrs Mears and Co., the contractors, by " the Relieving Officer, was submitted to the Committee, this is also not equal to the sample. The committee recommend that all rationß be issued in future in the pretence of the Relieving Officer twice ■monthly, and have directed a letter to be sent to Messrs Mears and Co., notify* ing them that should any article issued not be equal to sample sent with tender, the committee will at once purchase such ration elsewhere at their cost and risk. The committee have directed the Relieve ing .Officer to issue a meat ration to the • poor at Christmas. Cr Osborne said Mr Mears admitted the tea was inferior by receiving it back. The Town.Clerk said that Mr Mears had informed-him that he changed a pound of tea when brought, although when he came to examine it he could find no mark that it was his, nor did b.9 believe it was his.

CrMcCullough considered the quality of tea a matter of opinion. Mr Mears seemed quite willing to have the matter tested.

Cr Cpeight said .two o( the Committee were engaged in thejrade and should be judges. All were agreed that the tea was inferior to ;sample. After some further discussion it was resolved to inform Messrs Mears and Co. that the Council had adopted the Committee's report. We may remark, en passant, while the two gentlemen in the .trade are honorable men, and so superior to the ' ruck' of humanityTas to be incapable of having an envious feeling against another person engaged in the same line of business, yet people so situated, are not always free from bias, nor do we believe that the ex« legislator, who took such a leading part in trotting, out -the " two gentlemen in the trade as adverse witnesses" was altogether, free frogman-antipathic feeling to* wards the contractor. . Our demand is that the Council do justice ..to the contractor, and the contractor do justice to the.poor.