FOOTPATH RENOVATIONS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 274, 17 October 1933, Page 6

FOOTPATH RENOVATIONS.

.THE CONTRACT SYSTEM. With two reasons in support of his motion, Cr. W. B. Tennent moved, at last evening’s meeting of the City Council, that comparative returns be secured of the cost of renovating the city’s footpaths on the contract and day labour bases and that tenders be called for certain lengths of work. Subsequently he amended his motion to read that the engineer furnish comparative returns and in this form it was carried. Cr. Tennent said, that his two reasons for advancing the proposal were that there must be a number of contractors in the city whose plants were idle and who were ratepayers, and who would benefit by the contract system; and (2) that, he believed, it would he a cheaper way of having the work done. Cr. G. Tremaine, seconding the motion, said it would be necessary to obtain a report from the engineer on the total cost of tlie separate footpaths and the cost of individual repairs so as to find the cost of reconstruction in the different areas of the city. This could be furnished at a committee meeting in a fortnight’s time. The city engineer (Mr J. R. Hughes) said that he would like the matter of calling tenders to be held over till consideration was given to the comparative returns. There was not now a great deal, of work to be done and only one gang was working. Cr. Tennent said he would like the information to be available at the next meeting of the works committee, and agreed to amend his motion a* indicated.