Correspondence.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2998, 8 September 1888, Page 2

Correspondence.

on Gravel Paths. ,■'

" hi TO lIIE:EDITOK.-. ,- ;'■:■■'. Sir —Now is the.trdublb about above/; I bavea path carefully ourbed on each-side; six inches : blinded with gravel, j pan'fc some of your readers suggest ;a poison for weeds. l! >'' Theoretically jl-i'believe blufeatbne" a'<the : thing. /Dfleait'workj Arsenioseems too .dangerous,'.' it. might 1 get into a neighboring w'eil.'As to hoeing them up it is absurd,. The. hqe .wontwork ;on shin|ls<.. Of.(fowra^ you,knoif ,the advertised:'^;" acrub'.: is simply toenio. ' If; one. uses, arsenic would iti! not.;work" - best if damped with alcohol (to wet it) r then, further moistened- w ith'' glycerine ;■ to' kebp' ii; from blowing; "about;, .fiftallyy well blackened'with lamp black'an'd strewn: about tb.e weeds,, so as to be carried down rains, i The white arsenic' of commerce is not freoly soluble, but quite soluble enough to be gradually carried down by the rain. -r ;.* | • lam Id, • ' ?,! ' ; r<■■■■■ -iPAHiAIUAM.'

I Volunteering, :• ut iv; ; | (To the Editor,) _ There; are : personß,'whoby'shutting their 'eye's' oair blot' put all (tb them) objectionable, sights, andtliere-:. fore I ;when.'.tlifl.iratti m ,bared before .them it; takes, ■fcliein .completely by surprise.;.'"Old'.Soldier" in your contemporary last-evening says:'- " I think ifc;is a pity that a man'' has ,uot more'sense than to find fault and, iiike up tilings'that are utterly'',with-i out foundation'.'.'. Sir there, are too many of;'.this' spirit, amongst; us already. \ .Too manyarewilliugto let disagreeable facts stare them in the face* and 'counteuauce rather than 1 Remedy lhM;' I ''' : Any'' ; 'Btatemen't'' I 'made injimy previous letter, and morflf. especially the one. jregarding chewing (in the. ranks,',!, reiteratoj notwithsfouding, I i am sorry to;pain any," OH Soldier" with relating a few.plaui'truths. ' ; •'■' : l! - .' ',''.' /.. ,;,;;,: :!',';; I '..'. ' '.'[;"',.''' 'AfiRICpU, ,",

'Public Tenders,

Sin,—We notice that you publish a list'-.of ;thb tenders'received .for, a private at Manaia,,and add that as the lowest, tender exceeds the architect's estimate he ihtends to carry ' put*' the work-himself; by employing labor &c. t Now, 'sii',;'bur tender was the lowesc 'of of six', 'and'as.we,were employed lo take'up' the contract at the money, anq faithfuliy,'«(rryi-it out, Bhould have had it, ;Tho question is— Are.contractors fairly treated wHenbri 1 being put to the trouble and expense of Carefully preparing .estimates and making'ifp* calculations as.'tojvaiue "of labor and material, and notwithstanding good [competition:the work ;is taken'out of their hands in this way * We ; should not complain were there the slightest groundsfdi'ass'uniirigthat our price, [was''.[un'reasbnable, ; . As a fact knowing .how keen-.the cbrnpeti■tibh'wa's likely to be, we:cut everything down as fine as possible, and as a.proof;{hat-.• we .left a < Veryj small roavEjinfcrpi'ofit, \ve may stattf that neither' pt the other .five'"tenderers would' 'take 'up.j; the 'j Wotk .'if j offered totbern at ; thoprice .we quoted,!.. Oar! figures., 1 were,,)}apej on. a-fair inargin fopiiapprand material, and ws venture to.Bay);that when contracts are let on any other basis, somebody-besides the .contractor must suffer. In conclusion we would add/ that' tendereii cannot bei held; raponsible' foj'.the architects iil" he'.'materially.', urider-esti-mafes'the fair, value of,workj and that though-iit may be .possible for; the architect by becoming his:own. builder and. clerk pf; works/ 'v to'' below the legitimate contractor, wjs confines himself to tice;is obviously sV'dangerous and open to abu|e that! it jeboidd be dis ; io|hft%ced,-rWe!are $? ' ,; ! , r >>:: ; & Baeker,!' ;■!!.■:■:'•;;. ;! ;■;";:;,:!; guilders and Contragtore, ;