ELECTRIC LIGHT CONTRACT.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 585, 16 July 1913, Page 5

ELECTRIC LIGHT CONTRACT.

COUNCIL AND CONTRACTORS

TEMPORARY PLANT TAKEN OVER.

In connection with the electrical in stallation at Te Kuiti the contractors (Messrs A. and T. Burt, Ltd.) notified the council some time ago of their inability to install the engine which was designed to run the installation Owing to various circumstances the subcontractor for the engine had been unable to provide the engine in the specified time and the contractor in order to get the installation working provided a tempo-ary plant. The contractors requested the council to take over the temporary plant. At a meeting of the Electric Light Committee held on June 30th it was resolved after going very carefully through A. anl T. Burt's contract and perusing the correspondencs and report before them to place the whole matter in the hands of the borough solicitor with instructions that he prepare an opinion upon the council's legal position in the matter: and during the meantime Messrs Burt, Ltd., be informed that when such opinion has been received and considered by the committee they will hear further from the council upon the matter. At a subsequent meeting of the ccommittee, cn July ord, Mr Crookes was requested to state the exact position which he understood the council to b3 in with regard to the temporary plant, and also as to what ha was prepaed to recommend the council to do in the matter; whereupon lie stated that he was very doubtful indeed if the matter wa3 taken to court whether the council would gain any benefit. Upon Mr Crookes' attention being called to the sisth paragraph on page 34 of the specifications dealing with the connections to private premises, he stated that the specifications dealing with the connections to private pfemises, he stated that tha specifications certainly implied that the contractors should make these connections to tha consumers' private properties. Mr Crookes also stated that the various instruments specified to be supplied had been cut out of tha contract.

Mr Hine's opinion, dated July 2nd, 1913, upon the contract, was then submitted and received. At tbis Jtage of the meeting the contractors' electrical engineer (Mr Drummond) was called in and interviewed. Mr Drummond stated that His firm considered- that they had now cleared themselves of any responfibility or liability in connection with the late delivery of the permanent engine, as the delay wa3 entirely beyond their control, and that their expenses against the council to date amounted to approximately £135, made up as follows Erection and freight £45, hire charges £3O, cost oE kerosene £6O, total £135, and further that he considered the arrival of the permanent engine would be two months behind the three months' extension of time already granted by the council.

The committee then worked out various figures which showed that the cost of running the temporary plant was 30s per day, against 7s 6d per day had the permanent plant been inßtallad. These figures did not include the wapes of the staff. The committee resolved to recommend:—"That Messrs A. and T. Burt, Ltd , be offered a sum of £IOO in full settlement of all claims for installing and running the temporary plant, including all charges to date of installation of the permanent engine, and that the council take over the running of same as from July Sth, 1913, and continue to do so until the same is replaced by the council's own engine, and further that an extension of time be granted for five months fom May Ist, 1913. and all extraordinary breakages to be met by A. and T. Burt , Ltd. This offer to b> embodied in a proper agreement, and that same shall not in any way invalid the original contract. At a meeting of the whole council in committee, held on Thursday, July 10th, two reports of the Electric Light Committee, dated June 30th and July 3rd, 1913, were read and received.

Two communications from Messrs A. and T. Burt, Ltd., dated July 7th, 1913, making alternative offers for settlement of all hire charges and running expenses, etc., in connection with the temporary plant were submitted and received. The whole position was fully discussed with the contractors' engineer, Mr Drummond. It was resolved upon the motin of Cr Walsh, seconded by Cr Somerville, "That A. and T. Burt, Ltd., be offere'd a sum of £193 12s in full settlement of all claims in connection with the erection and running of the temporary plant, including the hire charges of the temporary engine up to the date of their installing the council's permanent engine." Mr Drummond, on behalf of his firm, agreed to, and [accepted the offer. The borough solicitor was instructed to prepare a proper agreement in tha matter and have same signed by Mr Drummond before he left Te Kuiti. The amount of £193 12s was made up of the following:—Freight and erection £45, hire charges at the rate of £2 10s per week £3O, kerosene used £66 14s, two men's wages for 27 days at lis 8d per day £3l 10s, men's board allowance £6 10s, 14 days' extra running expenses £ll Bs, total £193 12s. At Monday evening's meeting the actions of the committee in the matter were confirmed.