The Daily Telegraph WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1882.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3496, 20 September 1882, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1882.

Fhom what we can learn it is the intention of the Corporation for the future to strictly enforce all penalties attached to the non-fulfilment of contracts. Up to the present time, we believe, contractors have had it all their own way. They have finished their work or left it alone according to their own pleasure; and although the Corporation has an engineer and a clerk of the works to see to these matters, the most happy-go-lucky-devil-take-tbe-ratepayers' money system of carelessness appears to have prevailed. We have beeu informed that a certain contract which ought to have been completed last August has scarcely yet been commenced, and that, if the penalties were enforced, they would amount to actually more than what the contractor would have received for doing the work within the specified time. We believe that it is the worst case of the kind that has been brought before the notice of the councillors, but there are minor matters of a somewhat similar character that have all tended to fritter away public money. It is high time that this sort of thing should be stopped, and that it should be understood in the most unmistakable manter that, as a contract requires two parties to it, responsibilities of each are as binding upon the one as upon the other. The contractor looks for bis money, and the Corporation has the right to look for the work. To an honest intentioned contractor the amount of penalty for non-fulfilment of agreement is a matter of perfect indifference ; he intends to do the work in such time and manner that no penalty can be enforced. To the man who enters upon a contract knov.ing lull well that he cannot perform it the penalty is everything; but when he has got to deal with an easy going Corporation he does not fear "the result. The ratepayers Bufler, but not in such a direct way as to excite sudden anger or alarm; those feelings come later on when it is found that the Corporation has no more money to carry on with. We have previously incidentally mentioned that it is not improbable a special meeting of the Council will ehortly be called to consider the

whole question of Corporotion appointments and official salaries. There can be no doubt but what a return will have to be made to the more ecouornicil administrative system that prevailed prior to the expenditure of the drainage loan. If it be necessary to keep the streets in order, and to meet the growing requirements of al! parts of the borough without increaped taxation, it is obvious that specifications for contracts will have to be carefully drawn up, and the terms agreed on strictly enforced ; and, further, that the pruning knife be pretty freely used in order to cut off all that is more ornamental than useful. The Municipal Council, as at present composed, has been sneered at as comprising a set of burgesses whose want of personal wealth must dispose them to be indifferent to waste and extravagance. We are very much mistaken if the present Council does not show itself to be the most able administrative hotly that has yet directed the affairs of this borongb.