PAPANUI ROAD.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14983, 2 June 1914, Page 2

PAPANUI ROAD.

COST OF METALLING. DISPUTE BETWEEN BOARD AND COUNCIL. At the meeting of the Tramway Board yesterday some discussion arose over a bill received from the City Council for the cost of doing some metalling for the' Board in Papanui road. Tho matter cropped up in correspondence, as the City Council also wrote saying. that the Works Committee regretted it could not see its way to reduce its charge for metalling on tho Papanui tramtrack; The surveyor's report dealing with the difficulties of the work was received.

oMr bykos said it was evident the Board could do the work cheaper than tbo City Counc._ could. Their original estimate had been grossly exceeded. The chairman: More than twice as much. They quoted us Is 8d per yard, and their figures now work out at 3s yjd.

Mr.Gray said ifc was a pity there should bo any disagreement, as they wanted to .work peaceably,, but he did not see that they would very well agree to this charge. The City Council proposed that the Board should work with it, and an experiment was proposed "P°n Papanui road. That work, said Mr_ Gray, was not carried out' to our satisfaction, as only a portion of the road was dove. And we get a bill in for over £200. Our estimate was £80 They are charging ua double what we could do it for ourselves, and that is not good business for us. It means we will havo to follow our old method of doing our work ourselves—that portion between the rails and eighteen inches outside. He was reluctant to a£ree to the passing of the account as it 6tood.

Mr Pearce said ho had questioned tho estimate of Is 8d per square yard at tho time. He was satisfied it was too low. The Council had done six inches of excavation, but at the same time the charge was a bit stiff.

The chairman said that an experimental plot laid on the Riccarton road had cost Is lOd per square yard. That was their own experience.

The mSnager read the report from the City Council, where tho charge had been reduced from over £200 to £149 19s 7d.

Mr Beaven moved that the chairman of the Council's Works Committee -md the city surveyor be asked to meet the Board's general manager and the j works' manager, with a view to arriv- ' ing at an amicable settlement. j Afrßar. suggested that the Mayor of '• the tTity and the chairman of the Board should be added to the conference. This sugg*"**ion was af_ed to the mo- ' tion and passed. • I