CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2194, 14 January 1886, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

> BUILDERS'GRIEVANCE , ', 1 : -r ...,.\ ■ To, Editor. '.',,« \ Sia,~ln reference to the advertisement appearing elsewhere, would, you j kindly allow me space-to state one, of the reasons why the majority of the builders of Masterton refuse to tender for any 1 work brought out by Mr Fannin. Ten. v ders are called for the erection of a house; for R. R. Meredith, Esq. When opened, the tender of Wrigley and Rose is the lowest, and they are given to understand : that it will be aoe'epted, on tho approval of the proprietor. A week elapses, and the next they hear is that it is more? money than Mr Meredith was prepared to expend, and he wishes certain reductions made, items of which are furnished, to Wrigley and Rose by Mr Fannin. , Thoy put in their reduced pritjiand; another week goes past, when, wAeir utter astonishment, Mr Fannin miorp . them that Williams and Barker, having made a further reduction than they have, their tender (W. and B.'s) will be accepted. Now, Mr Fannin is well aware that ' the trade usage is to allow the lowe'si). tenderer to have the sole option of reducing his price according to,redu,cfcionsA. made in the work, and not to callm'anyT other tenderer. If no. tender had been, * accepted, and he had publicly called, for fresh tenders, he would haveieen acting, according to the acknowledged rules/of. the trade. But to hawk it about from one to another, at the same time giving' ■ Wrigley and Rose to understand %» their tender would be accepted condition, ally, and to eventually work the thine . round so that it falls into the handsof the highest tenderer is, : to say the least of it, '•", unprecedented. There are several other reasons why the contractors on the refuse to tender for his work, which WFannin can have furnished through the columns of the press, should he wish'it. . The average number of tenders reWfed '■ by Mr Fannin for any work entriisteTto'' him does not exceed, two, and occasionally ho has to personally interview : the different contractors to obtain that nura- ' ber, where other architects in Mastertpri • average six. This in itself isehpugHto • convince the general public that there U s<mcthmg not w itraiqht. as it mjgjjt bjjr lam, &c,, '."'"' K j.