Disparity In Tenders For Work In Waimairi

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29855, 22 June 1962, Page 13

Disparity In Tenders For Work In Waimairi

Tenders ranging from £1250 to £2875 for kerbing and channelling work in the Fendalton and Middleton ridings caused considerable comment when they were received by the Waimairi County Council last night. Councillors said the lower tenders were the result of contractors findng it difficult to obtain work, but were doubtful whether the person making the lowest tender could do the job for that amount.

Tenders had been called for 100 chains of kerbing and channelling, and five tenders were received. The highest was £2B 15s a chain and the other four were £26. £l6. £l5 and £l2 10s a chain.

Cr. C. L. Martin said that while the council would normally accept the lowest tender. he doubted, in this instance, if the lowest tenderer was capable of fulfilling the contract at the price named. He moved that a sub-com-mittee investigate the tenders before accepting the lowest or any one. The chairman >Cr. J. I. Colligan) said that the lowest tenderer had no previous experience of the work

Cr. W. T. Rice moved an amendment that the lowest tender be accepted. The council was saving money for the ratepayers by accepting this tender The lower tenders were, he gathered, the result of contractors finding work harder to get. He understood that two of the tenderers had been working for another of the tenderers, but had started on their own because their former employer had not been able to get sufficient work to employ all his staff. Cr. A E. Wagner said he knew that one tenderer had

put in for the job simply because he did not have enough work to keep his men going.

Cr. Rice: If the lowest tenderer cannot do the job for the price tendered, he goes down the drain. The chairman: And the council goes down the drain with him. That has happened before Cr. Rice’s amendment was defeated and a sub-commit-tee was appointed to interview the tenderers with power to confirm the acceptance of the lowest price by the tenderer the committee considered capable of doing the job.