A COUNCIL'S CONTRACTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14923, 22 February 1912, Page 5

A COUNCIL'S CONTRACTS.

WORK NOT TENDERED FOR. ■ ' s [BY XfiUEGRATH.—OWN • CORRESPONDENT.] ICuiti, Wednesday. When tenders were being discussed at the meeting of the Waitomo County Council on Monday evening, the chairman (Mr. A. Scholes) mentioned the fact that there were several big contracts not tendered for, while a largo number were over the engineer's estimate. The contracts had been advertised in the principal parts of the North and South Islands. From what he could ascertain, there was a shortage of teams and labourers, brought about by the fact that so many local bodies had availed themselves of the State-guaranteed Advances Act, with the result that all the teams and labour were absorbed in their own districts. He advocated that it would be in the interests .of the Council and the ratepayers to purchase their own crushing plants, leaving the Council in the position to be able to let small contracts for the distribution of the metal. He believed that they would get farmers and others locally to carry out the work, and thus expedite the making of the roads. After considerable discussion it was decided to purchase their own crushing plant, and a committee was set up, consisting of the chairman and Messrs. Johnston, Hoffman, and Berry, to deal with the matter. . „„; •.