A PROTEST

Northern Advocate, 7 November 1934, Page 8

A PROTEST

ACCEPTANCE OF TENDER KAITAIA TOWN BOARD. , ;• DISPUTE CLEARED UP. A'' special:'meeting of the Kaitaia Town Board to consider tenders which had been received for a quantity of pipes fori supplying - residences • in Street, Dominion Road, and Brertain premises In Commerce Street "with water was held'on Monday afternoon. Mr J. • T. B. Taaffe, chairman, presided The meeting was called as a result of a protest by some board 1 members against the acceptance of a price • from an Auckland ‘ firm without the whole board being consulted. The saldTth'at' at the last meetirfg it was moved that tenders be called for' pipes, but the motion was altered to make - it read “that prices he obtained,” it having been suggest--1 ed that there, were some' not in the guild who might quote lower than those who were tied down to a • fixed price. Some half-a-dozen firms were communicated with and the. prices arrived in due course. “Mr Archibald had inquired whether a price had been obtained from one. particular Auckland firm and I replied,”^§§iid:fhe, chairman, “Do you think I - aim going from one - end of New--Zealand to the other looking for prices? I also told Mr Archibald ..that/, because,he was, against making any use at present of the surplus water he was hindering the execution of the work,” Mr Taaffe went on to say that he accepted the lowest price and later • saW Messrs Clarke and Rutledge and told them swhat'; he had done. The hoard had ah expenditure of ; v £2Q ;an;d; ip 'fhe " price accepted there was only a difference of shillings. He accepted the responsibility, but on hearing objections decided to call a special meeting. ■ Meanwhile he-had telegraphed asking that the order be held up. “One-man” Show. Mr T. C. Clarke said'no individual member of the board should have the right to spend £1 of the board’s money. When he learned of what had been done he got in touch with the chairman and told him that there should, if" hecessary, ’ have been a special meeting so that the whole board could deal - :• with the tenders. This would prevent anyone from sayingi as had been said in the past, that the board was a one-man show. town clerk said it had been decided to purchase . a quantity of pipes and had a resolution been passed /that the board purchase by tender he would have invited the tenders himself and would ' have been within his rights in accepting the lowest. The Hospital Board invited tenders for supplies, but if anything unusual was required he, as secretary, obtained prices and accepted one himself. If a tender was lower thih any other he could accept it without reference to the board, but in 'the case of the pipes he consulted the chairman. The Chairman: “The board had decided t& buy and; therefore, I could accept a tender. .That has been the rule evfer. sihce I have been a member’ of the; hoard.” Mr Lloyd | Peace said that had he any idea that there was • an intention

jto hold up the acceptance of a price till the next regular meeting he would certainly have moved that the clerk be authorised to purchase pipes at the lowest prices. In future members should make their resolutions more definite. They had been hanging on too long about laying down the pipes and he was afraid that as a result of the ' delay they might lose some prospective consumers. Members of the board, had had, a difference of opinion, had discussed their differences, and they could leave it at that.. Sealed Tenders Suggested. Mr D. Archibald said, that in future sealed tenders, addressed to the chairman should be invited. . ’ Mr Rutledge said he had moved the resolution concerning the pipes and. had been of the opinion that the whole board should deal with them; but he knew nothing until he was told of the .acceptance of one the day after it had been accepted. He. found that no prices had been obtained from local business people. • The tenders were read by the clerk. Three firms‘tendered 1/1 per foot for llinch pipes, less "40 per cent, less 2£ per ' cent plus 5 per cent. The other firm, John Burns -and Co., tendered 1/1, less 40 per cent, plus 5 per, cent, less 2£ per cent. / " Mr Archibald said he was quite willing to co-operatfe with the chairman'as far as lay in his power, but hg did not want to be stifled. As a public body the board could purchase below any of the prices given and as they, were spending the ratepayers’ money they should purchase in the best market. It was not necessary to deal through a middleman and the board, by purchasing direct, could have' obtained pipes at B£d per foot net, f.o.b. - The Clerk: “We are only paying 7.994 pence f.o.b. Auckland,” Mr Archibald: “Then they are selling below the fixed price and they are not permitted to do that.” The Chairman: “When! said at the previous meeting that they were all in the ring you said there were some outside who might quote cheaper.” Mr Clarke moved that John Burns’ price be accepted. Mr Peace seconded and the motion was carried.