CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1828, 31 October 1884, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

(To tiie Editor.) Sir—ln yesterdays issue of the Daily I am mentioned, aa a probable candidate at the forthcoming county , election for the Wairarapa North County Council, will you please be good enough to contradict such a rumour from whatever source you may luar it, , as it is not my. intention to become a candidate for County honors. Yours iSie., W. Lowes. (To the Editor.) Sir,—l saw in your paper of yesterday a notice that the Apiarian prizes would not be awarded till the Autumn Show. Now, as the Spring Show comes in the breeding season, it is the proper time to show the observation hive, so us to see the beea in all their different stages, It is also the time to show foundation comb when it is being used, not when the season is over, 1 wish to know if this has been done to suit the convenience of one of the Committee who finds himself behind in getting ready. I am, &c,, Drone. (To the Editor.) Sir,—Kindly allow me to say that Messrs Gird wood, Yule, Duwson, and myself made a ve>y careful examinn--1 tion of the Mungapakeha bridge yesterday unci that tuy auticipaUous as to quantity and qualitv have been | amply verified. There is just about I 10,000 feet of timber less in i this bridge than provided for by tlie • plans of the one that was publicly 1 tendered for. There are 4 J piles in the I bridge, two of which are '• dummies" ! (that is put there for show), anil there were 70 provided for in the one | tendered for. But sir, this " Inspector j Contractor" seems to have had an utter 3 dbregard for the plans of the bridge he , built, and instead of a 90ft. span there - is an 88ft lOinone, and for some icason ' or other it is built about Ift Gin on'the \ skew. This may be the result of " incident, but bridge builders will know what this mean:.—all the joists that ~ much from being at right angles to the e trusses, and all the side braces out of < position, but let me note a few of the < alterations he has made in the sizes of e material. For instance, he has subtimted freely |in bolts for fin bolts. 0 and |in bolts for fin bolts, and where these have beeii loo.short he has cut . into the timber to get,a~few turns .of the nut oil to the end of the bolt,' and e that is good enough for . the Engineer ~ to pass, and, possibly, officially highly 'i commend this contractor for doing it, II but again note the difference in the 18 timber used and shown in the plans, ' 5x3, instead of 6x3; 5x4, instead of Q 6x4; Bx2£, instead of Bx3; Bx2 instead ~ of 9x2|; 12x2 instead of 12x2£. b and the whole of the decking, instead it of being Bx4is Bx. and Bx3. 1 Surely this state of affairs is enough to " justify us in complaining, about the j rotten system of educating contractors e tor the work of the district that has ;t been adopted by this department, and ic then to be told by the Chairman that •» these things are done daily under the '' Ptib'ic Works Department, and that ® we have no reasonable grounds for jf Complaint, serves to show how the very best names in the district are being , tarnished by an over confidence in » " ambitious schemers" and a disregard B for the complaints generally that come 11 from legitimate contractors, In conclusion let me say that we believe the • v concession mide on this contract b ? equal to not less than £2OO, and the d quality of thi workmanship would it l]ave been condemned by any Govern i« i|)enp Jpspgptor or good mtichap. We are, do., 11 ALEX Rrese, B ' Jos. Dawson. g N.B.—There oaunot be move than n JSuwt, of iron in tbe bridge, which i, could not have cost more than ,£2O, s [At the request of Mr Reese we agreed t to publish the above letter, but ir <1 doing so wo pointed out to Mr Keesf ®. that the proper oouvbb was for hin )f to send in his evidence to the Counir oil so that his stuleuu'ut and Mi » King's nply thereto might appeal ■' simultaneously, and the public tniglil l 8 be able to form their own judgment t. after hearing both sides of the case, ie We regret that Mr Reese does not adopt a oonrse which would be fairer ! ( H to Mr King and to the public than B the present premature disclosure ol a his evidence.—Ed. W.D.]