DEPARTMENT CRITICISED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 222, 19 September 1930, Page 5

DEPARTMENT CRITICISED.

I • —— } "URGENT TELEGKAM7' METHOD f \ ' EXPLANATION BY MEXISTEEj (By Telegraph.—PaTUameataiy Reporter.) WEMJXGTOX, this day. Tie Hallway ; Department's methods ; of letting coal contracts -were lie subject of criticism by Mr. J. S. Metfi&erj i {Independent, Grey iynn) is tie House J !last sight. Mr. Fl-eieher said thai ml j tie recent contract to supply Waikato I coal an urgent telegram reading- as j j follows was • sent_ to "several companies ;on AusxLSt 13:—'"Axe yon prepared to I quote for contract your company supply : whole of oar requirements Wa&ato coal up to 1500 tons per week for period say xaree years? If so please qaoie price. Eeply to-day certain. 1 " ' Mr. Fleteiier complained tiat on sadh specißca.tioi!S tie 'comjsaiiies were asked to quote for over £200,000 Trorth of goods. There was not one -srord abant seasonal supplies, - yet the ControEer of j Stores said later tnat tie accepted tafcr j dsr Txas for seasonal supplies- ,"WLy j is-ere other companies not. told oi "tiat I fact! ''The Department." said 3lr. Fleielier, -nas paid 19/3 a ton where it iad two oners, one for 700 tons and one for. 750 tons, at 19/. Tie Taupiri Company. wMcb got the eontraet, is not sirpplyins all the coaL Some i≤ coming from {.the Glen Alton mines, and those -who remember the- recent discission in the j House about the lease of the ildkmald State mine to Glen Afxon- axe tvondering what all this means." Ihe Minister of Eailways, the Hon. |Wi A. Veitca: There were letters h-eiore ithe telegram. Later in the debate 3fr. Fleteiier said Ihe had telegraphed to the secretary of •the Pukemiro Collieries, inquiring whether any letters relative to the contract ] had been received hy tt™ prior to rei oelpt- of ihe urgent telegram. The fol--3 lowing was the reply: "lilmisters stateixasnt entirely incorrect. Tenders were ] called for by urgent telegram only, re--3 questing repiv to be forwarded same iday." • 3ilr. Veitch said he had "been in eo-m----mnnieation with oScexs of the EaSway Department since the point was raised, land they had informed Mm that prices iwere not only called for previously out were actually in the Department's hszd office. A new principle, based on total

j supplies, had been introduced in the 1 submission of one tender, and it was a j Terr satisfactory on sr. j Mr. Fletcher: What is the difference I between a tender and an oiler? i 'The Minister said he would not 1 that- question at tha moment. As the j result of the new principle of total j supply embodied in the tender an urgent | telegram was sent to the other tenderers | asking them if they desired to sttiptiH j their tenders is the light of the new j position. The contract "was fixed after | that action.