KIMBOLTON ROAD CONTRACT.

Feilding Star, Volume I, Issue 270, 20 May 1907, Page 4

KIMBOLTON ROAD CONTRACT.

TO THE SniTOK. Sir, — I notice in your issue of the 17th inst., that the Resident Engineer of tne Borough informed the Council that he was satisfied that the Kimbolton road contract had been carried out in accordance with the specifications. I interviewed Mr Harding, and he informed me that he had been correctly reported; also that the specifications wero those prepared by me and on which the contract was let. I wish to state emphatically that the contract has not been carried out to the specifications and at the present time will content myself with directing your attention to the following : — The schedule of the tender provided ; formation, cubic yards at per cubic yard; constructing culverts; supply and delivery of gravel for footpaths at per. cubic yard. In formulating the contract tlio cutting was made at the hill by North street, with a dual object, viz., to fill the unsightly gravel pits, and, if found suitable, to provide metal for patching the road the entire length of the contract, as directed by the .Engineer. Tn place of the contractors supplying the gravel for the footpaths, as provided in the specification (and for which their schedule price was 2s 3d per cubic yard) thejhave been allowed to use the gravel from the hill cutting, consequently, as their price was Is per cubic yard for formation, they have been paid 3s 3d per cubic yard for footpath gravel procured with a mean lead of Half a mile. Now, as to the spoil carted from the road on to private property, in December last I notified the contractors (vide Engineer's letter book), when they had carted some 30 or 40 yards on to private property rear Lytton street, that I would charge against their contract mon ies the value of such spoil, and if any more was removed from the road I would recommend the Council to determine their contract. The gravel from the hill cutting was suitable for the purpose stated in the specification and infinitely better than tne gravel brought from the river, and for which the contractors were paid as an extra. If the specificat'ons and conditions of contract had been adhered to, and the contractors made to carry out their work in accordance with the terms therein, I. venture to say that the Kimbolton road, from North street to the Railway, would present a different appearance to what it does at the pre sent time. Also, that the cost would not htve exceeded the contractprice. There has been an utter lack of management on this work during the last four months. — Thanking you in anticipation, G. JOHNSTON WEBSTER, A.M.I.C.E.