THOSE JARRAH SLEEPERS.

Evening Star, Issue 14037, 19 April 1909, Page 4

THOSE JARRAH SLEEPERS.

* * *~ —~ The Mayor (Mr John M'Donald) has handed us the following for-publication: On' January 28 a letter-was received from Mr A. E. Brown, Invercargfll, offering 6,000 sleepers, Kew, Invercargill, at £s lid. This offer was placed before the Tramways Committee on' February 3, and declined. On February 8 a letter was received from Mr M'Leod offering 5,800 sleepers at 2s 6d net, Kew; the Corporation to pay all freight and charges, which would amount to 6d or 7d apiece, and Cr Cole and Mr Richards were requested to visit Invercargill and report on eamo. These gentlemen returned on February 10, and reported to the fnil Council that,evening that the sleepers. were suitable for tho tramway in George street. They also recommended that an offer of 2s 6d per sleeper at Dunedin wharf be made for--4,000 branded No. 1. This was adopted by the Council, and immediately this deqision had been arrived at Cr Stewart rose and said : " Your Worship, I hope if these sleepers are as good as Cr Cole and the town clerk say they.are that you will not lose them for the sake of a few pence." I replied: "Your" wishes will be attended to." Every councillor, by bfe silence, signified assent. This offer was accordingly made at 2s 6d to Mr M T Leod, and refusedf On February 15 a letter" was received from Mr M'Leod offering the whole lotr-5,800—■ at 2s lid, or 4,000 No. 1 at 3s 3d net, Dunedin wharf. This letter was handed to me the same day by Mr Richards, who advised that they should be bought, so I noted on the corner of the letter " Chairman of Tramways Committee to act." On February 16 I find that Cr Cole and the town clerk had a conference, and agreed to purchase the lot at 2s lid, and an order - to this effect was duly posted to Mr M'Leod. On February 17 this was reported to the Tramways Committee, those present being Crs Cole (chairman), Fiddis, Stewart, Tapley, White, and Wilson, and the purchase was noted and approved, their resolution reading as" follows:—" The action of the chairman in accepting the " quotation for the supply of about; 5,800 sleepers at a cost of 2s lid each net on the •wharf, Dunedin, duty and wharfage paid, has been approved, it being distinctly understood that at least 4,000 of this number bear the Government brand 1." ThSs resolution was approved' by the full Council ' on February 24. Thus the public will see that I can in no way be held responsible whether a bargain or otherwise had been made. Not being a timber expert, I had perforce to leave the matter in the hands of men like our town clerk (an engineer) • and Cr Cole, and it is needless to point out that _ those gentlemen would not be wrongly influenced by me or anyone else, even if I had the inclination to'thus act. In his remarks on this subject &t Howe street on Thursday last it is to be regretted that Cr Walker did not read the whole of the correspondence, as the result was to (perhaps unconsciously) saddle me with r a responsibility which I am entirely unconnected. » CR COLE'S STATEMENT. **" Cr Cole is of the opinion that the question of the jarrah sleepers having been, referred to a special committee, and the, matter being sub judice, no discussion, should take place until the Council have in: their possession the report of the special i committee. When that report comes be-, fore the Council it will be, he considers, the tune to ventilate an opinion. He emphasises the fact that he has never received any instructions from the mayor tq purchase the sleepers in question. CR WALKER'S ANSWER. | TO THE EDITOa. Sir, —As the'mayor has challenged my statement in connection with the above, I herewith beg to submit the following facts (all recorded from official documents) for the information of the public:—On February 8, 1909, a. letter was received from the West Australasian Hardwoods Company, Limited, .offering for purchase 5,800 condemned sleepers at 2s 6d each on ground, Invercargill. The mayor then instructed Cr Cole and the town clerk to report on same, which they did on the 10th February. The report, after detailing the proceedings states: " The sleepers rejected by the railway officials were stacked in lots comprising three different classes—first, second, and third class—one being regarded as fair, class 2 being rated as indifferent, and class 3 of no value." After a further description of what took place, they "recommend that an offer be made Mi M'Leod to purchase these sleepers at 2s 6d each, to be delivered at Dunedin, all such sleepers to have the brand 1, and that- not less than 2,000 and not more than 4,000 be delivered at Dunedin ; and anv sleeper that does not brand 1 and is otherwise branded will be rejected at the' discretion of the city engineer or his authorised officer. We further recommend that the proposaJ to purchase classes 2 and 3 be not entertained." This report came before the City Council on the same date, and these recommendations were agreed to. The following day (February 11) an offer was made to the West Australian Hardwoods Company, Limited, on these lines. On the 15th February a letter was received from-them, and offering the 5,800 at 2s lid per sleeper, or for 4,000 marked 1 for 3s 3d each, all on the wharf, Dunedin. On the same date the mayor wrote on the back of this letter " Chairman of Tramways Committee te act"; signed J. M'D.,-15/2/09. By "Councillor Cole." The chairman of the Tramways Committee agrees to accept the 5.800 sleepers on the terms herein quoted, but it is to be distinctly understood that at least 4,000 of this number bears the Government brand " 1." The town clerk will please advise Mr M'Lecd and arrange for delivery in consultation with the city electrical engineer. (Signed) Thos. Cole," chairman. A letter was sent by the town clerk on the loth February accepting delivery of the 5,800 sleepers, at a cost of 2s lid each, landed Dunedin. On the 17th February, after the purchase was completed, it came before the Tramways Committee, ar.d was voted and approved. On the 24th February an extract was empbodied in the Tramways Committee's report and passed. These are the facts I stated to the meet- . ing, and my contention is that through the mayors instructions a large number of sleepers (condemned as worthless by our own experts and against a resolution of the Council) were- purchased, and that at an extra cost of 5d per sleeper, and that the purchase will be a most expensive one for the City.—l am, etc., Jaites H. Walkeb. i