THE LOCAL BODIES' CONTRACTORS ACT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2206, 29 January 1886, Page 2

THE LOCAL BODIES' CONTRACTORS ACT.

Some time back, wo referred to the Local Bodies' Con tractors. Act which wan pHßsed last session, and pointed out that its provisions were altogether too strir gent, and that a storekeeper who happened to be a member of a corporate body was liable to a heavy penalty if one of the servants of the corporation acting on its behalf, with or without his knowledge, purchased even a pound of nails or a reel of cotton from his store. Toe comprehensive character of the measure is receiving a further illustration by the pending election of Trustees for'the local Hospital and Benevok nt Societv, for it is foi'.iiß that all the business people in the place are practically debarred from acting oh either. "Bhs growr mj

have an ounce or two of tea purchased' at his shop, the shoemaker a pair of bootlaces, the butcher a pound of chops, or a half inch advertisement may be published in a tiempver As long as the money to pay for these comes from the funds of either of the corporate bodies to which the'grocer, shoemaker, butcher, or newspaper proprietor happens to belong, he may be sued for a penalty by any person that chooses to do so. We do not think that the two branches of our Legislature were in their proper senses when they passed the inei.siu'B,' for its effects are most pernioions, All the business people of the place arc simply compelled to stand aloof from ihe management of our charitable institutions; and yet there are few 'better qualified, and none who are in a better position to assist in it j than they. Perhaps Parliament will find time to repeal it next session.