LIMITING ADVANCES.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18881, 22 December 1926, Page 7

LIMITING ADVANCES.

DRAINAGE BOARD AND CONTRACTORS. The Christchurch Drainage Board decided last evening that the lir of advances to contractors should be 10 per cent, of the contract' price. The question arose from a paragraph in the finance committee's report, which stated that the committee had considered the requisition of certain contractors for -Uk supply of plant amounting to about iiouuu, and bad authorised them to purchase tiiroufcii tiie board, plant costing approximately £4145. The chairman (Mr 11. J. Otley) said that not more than 10 per cent, should be advanced for any contract. The claus. in the contract concerning tins matter was inserted primarily foi the purpose of assisting men with touts, no' big plant. The Board ui...>t now consider how much they were going to advance. Mr H. G. Livingstone said that the Board had saved the ratepayers a good deal of money by having the clause in the contracts. Ho considered that 15 per cent, would not be out - ' ' way, and the Board would be perfectly safe. Tli could adjust the deductions from the progress payments. Mr J. W. Beanland d that soon as the contractors knew that there would be no more advances to new contractors there would be a close cooperation among the present contractors.

The chairman: 1 don't think there i« that possibility. The Board has never had better contractors than it has at present. They were all sourid men. The decision mentioned above was then made unanimously.