KELBURN VIADUCT

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 34, 4 November 1929, Page 12

KELBURN VIADUCT

HITCH IN ACCEPTANCE OF TENDER Another very bad arrangement at the Town Hall concerns the lighting. Directly over the platform are suspended three very powerful electric lighst. The centre one is hung with'a slightly canted shade, but the other two have no cant, so that people sitting in the front half of the auditorium have these two glaring lights in their eyes the whole evening. There are also unshaded on untoned footlights which, when Mr. Sol Deutsch played, threw the shadow of four bow arms on the ceiling above the platform. These are small things that could and should be easily rectified, as they concern the comfort of artist and audience.

Although the tenders for the construction of the new Kelburn viaduct have been closed for the last ten days, there has been no announcement of file acceptance of any tender. When consulted on Friday, the Mayor (Mr. G. A. Troup) stated that so far no decision had been come to as to the acceptance of tender for the work. It is now understood that the delay in arriving at a decision has been occasioned through the action of the Public Works Department, which has to approve of all plans of works In which the safety of tlie public is concerned. The curious point in this case is that the hitch has been brought about after the tenders for the job have been received, whereas it would have been competent on the part of the Public Works Department to have examined the plans before tenders were called. It does not seem to be in the interest of any of the parties concerned to have the job held up after a number of firms have been to the trouble of tendering. At the same time, it is better to hold the work up now than risk any hold-up by the Works Department after the bridge is completed.