HOSPITAL BUTTER.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 267, 8 November 1923, Page 8

HOSPITAL BUTTER.

CUT PRICE OFFER. WHY IT WAS REJECTED. DISCUSSION AT HAMILTON". (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) this day. For over half an hour the WaHoaio Hospital Board apa.ni to-day haggled over the rcecut. tender forwarded by a certain dairy company offering , butter Bit M per "lb. less than the present oontcrkctors. The board refused the itender. The dispute has now come to the ears of TV. VaUntine. InspectorGeneral of Hospitals, who ttild the Board to-day that he had received a letter from ilr. H. Poland, M.F., pointing out that the board 'had refused to accept a tender which was the lowest, thereby involving the additional expenditure of £7 per week. Mr. W-agsfaif said there appeaj-ed to bo eomebody behind the scenes who was making- it ; their job to keep this thing moving. /.The board wtis ga-tisfied wh/h its present butter contract, and he moved that the secretary explain tie position Ito tlhe Inspector-General. J Mr. Barton said that the offer made by the company in question was sneaking and unbusinesslike. j Messrs. Johnstone and Webb: No! No! J Mr. Barton: Why at our last meet--1 ing the Board elmtast unanimously incurred additional expenditure of £45 per month by increasing the price for its meat by 2d per lb on the request lof the contractors. This wae a case in 'which new tenders ekould certainly have been called for, and no fixed price was agreed upon "when the contract was originally made. Owing to the fluctuations of the market the I Board got. its butter at tho current I market price. Mr. Dent said lie understood tLe secretary of the Board to say that the eompajiy in question offered hnrtter at $d per lb lees than any co-operative I company would supply Sit. Mr. Webb: That is not in the letter. Mr. Dent: I would like tihe secretary to state if such is correct. Mr. Conrad (Secretary): The chairman 'has known mc for a score of years and he hag never known mc to jgo back on my word.. AThaut I said I then sitill 'holds good. The representative of the company called at the office the day before the meeting. Mr. Dent: Then that convinces mc more than ever that the Board acted j rightly in refusing the offer. ] After further discussion it was dej ciided to inform the Inspector of I Health thait no tenders had been called iby the Board for 'butter, but tihat I the mB-tter had been re-opened on I receipt of a lower offer from an outside company which was rejected, after 'careful consideration by the House and I Finance Committee and the full Board.