POWER PLANT TENDER

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 81, 2 October 1924, Page 4

POWER PLANT TENDER

A DISAPPOINTED FIRM

REPRESENTATIONS TO

MINISTERS,

(BY TELEGRAPH SPECIAL TO THE POST.)

DUNEDIN, This Day.

At a meeting of the Dunedin Manufacturers' Association Messrs. Stevenson and Cook wrote with reference to-the contract for the head-gates for the Lake Coleridge power scheme extension, the tenders for which have just been accepted by the Public Works Department. They pointed out that the Department had seen fit to accept the tender of a firm of importing agents. Their firm, along with other New Zealand firms, had gone to the expense of preparing, plans and estimates for this contract, in accordance with the very vague diagrams, and--particulars supplied by the Department. Their contract price for the required fitting was £2591 f.o.b. Port Chalmers, as against the accepted price of £3694. Had a NewZealand firm's tender been accepted at the latter figure they would have made no comment, as a more elaborate design than theirs might have been submitted. As the Department was prepared to expend a larger amount than their tender price, they considered that New Zealand firms should have been given an opportunity to revise their price, being approximately £1000 lower than the successful tender. The writers considered that the present circumstances warrant-ed-a further inquiry, as the work in connection with the contract would have absorbed a considerable amount of labour for some months.

The chairman said he thought this was a very important question. It was a matter he had discussed at length with the Hon. W. D. Stewart and the Hon. J. G. Coates, and he had had an assurance that such a case as he had put before them would not occur again. Now such a case had occurred again. Ho thought they had a clear case to put up to the Department, and could ask for an explanation.

It was resolved that a letter be sent to the Minister of Public Works with a request for an explanation, and that tho correspondence should also be sent to the Department of Industries and Commerce, with a request to look into the matter.