MAYOR AND ENGINEER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18495, 4 September 1923, Page 9

MAYOR AND ENGINEER.

MATTER OF AUDITOR'S TAG.

s REPLY TOME, KAYLL. /

EXTRAS ON CONTRACTS. U

A/reply to certain statements made by Mr. J. L. A. Kayll, ex-Mayor of Mount Eden, in his address to the ratepayers at the Capitol Theatre, Dominion Road, on Saturday evening, was issued "by tho remaining members of, the council following a meeting held last evening. : . Referring, to tho balance-sheet in. the course of his address, Mr. Kayll read a statement in which the Auditor-General took exception to (.1) amounts paid for extras on contracts, which could not be properly verified' owing to the contractor's statement not being obtainable in support of the engineer's vouchers;, (2) Cue method of recording charges in connection with the execution of work, particularly in regard to the installation of water service. Had he, asked Mr. Kayll, ever said anything half as severe as that? In one instance the amount of the contract was £5700, but they had to pay £1200 in extras. Explaining that, the' engineer said he had sunk several'shafts to determine the amount of rock. Was he to pass an account for £1200 on that explanation ? The engineer said: " Yes, there is nty certificate. The statement by the Auditor-General had fully justified' the step the speaker had taken. A statement prepared by the engineer in relation to the £5700 contract referred to was considered by the council last evening, and subsequently handed to the press in reply to Mr. Kayll's assertions. This was as "follows:— "The full facts of the case .were put before the Finance Committee, together with schedules of quantities set forth on my certificate. Originally, the plans were approved by the Works Committee and the council, when it was explained that the contract, would be let on a schedule basis. Again, when tenders for the work were considered and accepted, the council were fully cognisant of the fact that the amount of the tender was based on schedule .of quantities provided for. The schedule, was based on the nature of the strata, shown at various shafts excavated at site of - manholes on line of sewer. Tho excavation for the sewer was through a much longer extent of 'solid bluestone rock' than was provided for in the schedule, and the contractor was paid for such heavy work at the schedule rate provided for, and on which the,tender had been based. - ' ■ '

"The tenders for this particular work varied from £5791- 8s to £7494 lis, the work being' completed at a cost of £6936 9s 7d. Trie ex-Mayor states that -, 'they had to pay £1200' in extras,' whereas the certificate provides for an additional payment of £1145 Is 7d, which was passed for payment by the Finance Committee on the foregoing explanation, and not on the bald expression of 'Yes, there is my certificate.' I am quite confident that the procedure adopted'in connection with the preparation of the contract effected a saving of fully £5000, and in the'whole circumstances the sewer-was constructed at a minimum cost." ',

It was further explained that the tender for this work was referred to the Worts "Committee for* consideration, and that .at the next- meeting of -the council it was adopted on the motion of Mr. ' W. J. Haramili,-then chairman of the Works Committee, seconded by Mr. E. H. Potter. Shortly, the agreement under which the contractors worked was that they were to bo paid for the work on a schedule under which the payment was based on the nature of. the. country met with-, -and- unfortunately an abnormally large stretch of hard stone had to be pierced, thus accounting for the additional cost. It was also stated that the tag on the balance-sheet referred to by Mr. Kayll had no reference to this £1200, but wasin regard to something ■ totally different—a smaller matter involving an expenditure of £150. ■•'. ..•■•■