TOWN BOARD CONTRACTS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 35, 11 August 1880, Page 4

TOWN BOARD CONTRACTS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAB.

Bib, — Tour leader on Wednesday contained a rather one-sided condemnation, with some curious paradoxes. You do not blame the Board for letting McDevitt have the work at 6s 6d per yard, bo long as it suited his corxrcoUwtf to hring Jfc, w'zbhoub puWie tender, and yet you would condemn the diligent committee if perchance they had procured the gravel privately for 4s less, that is, at 2s 6d per yard. You evidently had a down on that committee, and went for them. The committee had the work to do, and they did it, and the result is, that we have excellent roads and footpaths, ■where the chief traffic is, for our money,. Had the committee not then carried the work through smartly, it ■would never have been done, as we all know by experience iteutails considerable work to move the Board to do anything. Relative to letting the /gravelling, when McDevitt found it would not suit his convenience, he would not bring any more gravel, even at the price (it would now appear) he thought he was to receive — viz., 18s 6d per load, for an inferior gravel. The committee saw winter approaching, with the footpaths in a deplorable condition, and not halffinished. In this plight they pressed Newsham and Dingle into the service, who, as no one else could be got, gave •up other work on the Plains, and brought in the gva.vel from the Wain, gongoro pit, which is infinitely superior to that brought by McDevitt from Douglas's pit. Observe, also, McDevitt's pit was two miles away, and Dingle's over four miles, and yet Dingle was to get but Is 6d more per yard than McDevitt. This price, 8s per yard, is at a cheaper rate than it has ever been brought from the Waingongoro pit before to Hawera. Whilst on this subject, I beg to »offer -a protest against your not giving all the names of the proposers and seconders of resolutions. It is not fair to pick those only that suit yourself. You report Mr. Cockburn as saying that the committee should make up the difference in the cost of the gravel themselves. Considering that he himself was a member of that •committee, and gave the instructions, it hardly seems probable that he said anything of the kind ; and if he did, he should have offered his share there and then, otherwise we can but consider it a small bid for popularity at his fellow-committee's expense. — Jam, &c., A Member of the Boabd.

August 6.

[We had no " down " whatever on the working committee. But if the members of the Board wish to keep themselves clear of the imputations which have been so freely cast about, •they will find that the wisest course toII be to let the public tender for any work's that they require done. As to the fairness of our reports, we will leave the public, and the members of the Board, to judge for themselves. We are afraid that " A Member of the Board" would require a small newspaper all to himself. We are compelled to condense our reports, just as all other newspapers are compelled to do. The insinuation of our correspondent, as to unfairness, we can afford to treat with contempt. — Ed. Stab.]