THE STONE CONTRACT.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 670, 11 June 1870, Page 3

THE STONE CONTRACT.

(To the Editor of the Westport Times.) Sib, —Seeing in your issue of this date a report of Mr O'Conor's questions to the Provincial Secretary in Council now sitting in Nelson, I would like to make a few remarks, through the medium of your columns, relative to the contract for which our tender was taken and subsequently cancelled. That Mr O'Conor, as the next lowest tenderer, should put such questions as the two first, of course, show, though with rather a bad grace, that gentleman's motive, but as to " Whether the Government were aware, when accepting the tender of the said contractors, thatthey were not likely to complete the work specified?" I should like to know what grounds, independently of a most unwarrantable piece of disrespectful impertinence to our District Engineer, he can have for supposing the Government would overlook our contract in favor of his. It cannot be Mr O'Conor's superior experience in Government contracts, as I have had contracts from the General and Provincial Governments for the last 20 years in the "Wellington Province, as well as several works in Westport, and always carried them out satisfactorily. I might mention one instance, where our contract amounted to double that for the delivery of the stone, when we were assisted by an advance of .£SOO from the Provincial Government in fulfilling our work, which had been partly carried away by a large freshet. Messrs Taylor and Watt, who were our securities on this occasion, could testify to this being correct. That we have had our contract cancelled was consequent upon an unfortunate accident, and the bad state of the weather, and I don't think my character likely to be damaged in these matters by such remarks as those of the above-mentioned member of the Council.—l am, &c, T. Eastoit. Westport, June 7.