PETONE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 95, 19 October 1909, Page 4

PETONE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

TENDER ACCEPTED FOR SANITARY SERVICE. A meeting of the Petone' Borough Council, at which- there was a full attendance of councillors, was held last 1 evening for the purpose of reconsidering the question of letting a contract for the carrying out of the sanitary service. At the 'outset the Mayor said he thought it only fair that all the~ tenderers .should be given an opportunity to amend • their tenders. The Town Clerk had written to them acquainting them of this decision. The council received two amended tenders as follows : — J. Maxwell, amending his tender from 4d to ,3|d per pan ; G. F. Targel and C. T. Scorg ; ne, for a yearly amount of '£1664, or 4id per receptacle. In the course of a general discussion, the borough engineer (Mr. W. H. Cook) said he would not have attempted, as he had"^<ione, to keep down the cost of sanitary service had ho known he Was going to be criticised on its working as he had been during the last month. If the council decid<>d to let no tender, then it would have to run the service as it wanted it, and the cost would go up straight away. He could not run it to the council's satisfaction for another term for the same money as formerly. In order to bring matters to a nead, Councillor Short moved, and Councillor Colquhoun seconded, that the tender of Mi. Maxwell be accepted for a term of twelve months. Councillor Young : If "this motion is carried, h6w much will we save? •' The Mayor : I believe we would effect a saving in the .neighbourhood of £200. Councillor Short : You hope to get a sewage schemo befpre twelve months? ' /The Mayor: "I hope that before the end of the financial year wo will have a sewage scheme submitted.'' It would, however, ho added, take some time — two years — for the installation of any such scheme. According to tho engineer, if the council desired him to put tho sanitary service in order, it would have to give him a free hand ; there would have to be no cheese-paiing as in the past. If he was to run it properly, it should cost £2000 per year. Councillor List, in- opposing .the motion, remarked tbat the shortage of pans was the crux of the whole question,

Councillor Piper, after congratulating the engineer for the statement he had made concerning the matter, said that unless the council supported Mr. Cook, it was useless for the person or any living man to try to cany out the service properly. The council could do the work quite as easily as a contractor if satisfaction was aimed at. In the opinion of the Mayor, it was ipossible for the council to carry out the work and effect a, saving, without in any way interfering with the efficiency of tKe service. As a counterproposal to Councillor Short's motion, he moved that a sub-committee (named) be set up with full powers of management, provided it did not exceed the estimated sum allocated for the carrying out of the system. Eventually, Councillor Short's motion was carried, the Mayor and Councillors Piper, List, and Trueman voting againsfc it. The discussion then closed, Councillor Short remarking that the passing of the motion was the wisest thing councillors had done since they had been in office. -