CITY COUNCIL SUPPLIES.

Evening Star, Issue 20556, 7 August 1930, Page 14

CITY COUNCIL SUPPLIES.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—After having read the letters of “ Free Lance No. 1 ” and “ Free Lance No. 2,” 1 feel it is about time that the citizens and business firms of Dunedin woke up to the necessity of insisting that our City Council conducted its affairs in a fairer way towards the Dunedin manufacturers and persons tendering to it for goods to be supplied or work done. Wc have numerous instances before us of work going out of Dunedin when the same could have been manufactured here as cheaply, or even cheaper, if only a definite, detailed plan or specification was tendered on—the water pipes referred to in Air M‘Shimming's recent letter, the Tbwn Hall seats, and now the furnishing of the mayor’s room. I realise that it is hardly possible that those iiandl.ng these matters should know the exact type of article required on every occasion, but they could easily procure samples or plans from other publicbodies who have had similar work done for their guidance, and decide from these definitely what they require, and so have something explicit for those tendering. Tenderers would then be on the same basis, and 1 am sure we would see our local manufacturers procuring their fair share of the work, which would be to the advantage of the city in general. Hoping some abler pen than mine will continue this matter, or that our local Manufacturers’ 1 ' 1 Association will bring its influence to bear in the right quarter to have this matter rectified, at the same time insisting that all goods or work of any consequence required to be done for the City Council is tendered for, and not just taken, to any one firm who can charge whatever price pleases it, —I am, etc., Fhee Lance No. 3. , August 7. TO THE EDITOR. Sir.—The mayor states in his reply that Mr T. Wight received the order for furniture for the mayor’s room. As Air Wight is not a cabinetmaker himself, will the latter gentleman deny that a certain firm in Christchurch executes some of his orders (woodwork) while an Auckland firm supplies him with-other lines of woodwork and upholstery combined? In all probability there are goods from each city mentioned in our own Town Hall.—l am, etc., Free Lance. August 7.