RAILWAY CONTRACTS.

Press, Volume XIX, Issue 2811, 6 May 1872, Page 3

RAILWAY CONTRACTS.

TO THE EDITOR OP THE PRESS. Sir, —Education, Public Works, and the introduction of Chinese coolie labor, interspersed occasionally with the San .Francisco mail service, seem to be the current topics of the day. It has been stated by a celebrated philosopher that a contented man is always happy, and, I suppose, on the same principle, a contented community ought always to be satisfied. Now. whether the entire electorate of the Province of Canterbury is satisfied with the General Government policy as enunciated by the Hon the Colonial Treasurer, I will not attempt to define, but speaking for my myself as a unit among the electors, and for hundreds besides, we object to their immigration and public works' policy, for in no other country under the sun has such a scheme been thrust upon an intelligent community. It therefore behoves every man who takes an interest in the progress of New Zealand to watch—and that narrowly—not only our General Assembly, but likewise our Provincial legislators, not only as regards the Brogden contracts," but also any other contracts let on the same footing, that is. without throwing such contracts open to public competition. This mode of tendering. I may remark, does not find favor in any of the Australasian colonies except New Zealand. Inquisitive people ask what protection has this community that our Provincial Government does not"gi ve say half-a-million or even a million pounds worth of railway works to some contractor without calling for tenders in a public manucr. and giving a chance to other contractors to compete, with a possibility of getting those works done many thousands of pounds cheaper, as would have been the case if the General Government had called for public tenders instead of making a gift of the railway wovks to Mr Brogden. when we have men in our midst who" were ready to compete, and to construct our railway works if thrown open to public competition, without any guarantee from the country, and at a much cheaper rate titan Mr Brogden's pregent arrangement, however indefinite tb,at may be. '"In connection with this matter I may inform you that the (general tiovernment have already seen tho error of their ways, and are, in future, to call for public tenders, as is done in all civilised communities, and not in the clandestine manner they have been doing. This is no mere, tion, sir, it is a fact, and if you wish it I will satisfy you of its truth. I sincerely hope, therefore, that an opportunity will be given to all contractors to tender for any projected railway works in this province, for with a healthy competition we

may espect to get them constructed thousands of pouuds cheaper. True, our present Provincial Secretary expressed himself at a public meeting, convened to protest against the Brogden contracts, that he was always in favor of public tendering by local contractors, and, I trust, he will not forget it. In my opinion it does uot matter whether it be local contractors or not, so that everything bedone fair and above board, and in an honorable manner to all contractors concerned. As regards colonial contractors, tnke. for instance, the Clutha Railway in the province .>f Otago. If I remember rightly, the lowest offer received by the agent who was sent to England by the Otago Provincial Government to receive offers to construct this work, -was £G." 0.000 ; and now we have proof before us that the whole line will be completed by local contractors for less than £350,000. And. as another instance, take the first railway works undertaken by the Government of Victoria. These were all tendered for in an open manner, and it was said at the time that no colouial contractor could build them ; it must be an English firm or nothing ; but it opened the eyes of our Victorian neighbors when two colonial firms offered to construct them for two and a quarter millions less than the lowest tender sent in by any English firm. So that out of this beginning there has gone forth a progress so steady, a growth so wonderful, as a whole colony at the present time intersected with railways, and even the hon. Julius Vogel had to admit that in no country he had visited within the last ten months was there such, an amount of progression. Nothing will satisfy some legislators but an English contractor to construct our public works, and now it has arrived at that pitch in New Zealand that Mr Brogdenwasall but appointed engineer-in-chief, contractor, and finder of the wherewithal to construct the Lyttelton water works, a work which in all probability will cost £500. Verily, sir, a prophet has no honor in his own country. I am, Sir, Yours truly, Nemo.