TYPEWRITES CONTRACT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20827, 20 March 1931, Page 12

TYPEWRITES CONTRACT

PREFERENCE FOR BRITISH.

TECHNICAL COLLEGE ACTION.

FORMER. DECISION SUSTAINED. "It is out duty as part of the education of our children to see that British goods are used by them and not goods made by countries which will take practically nothing from us," said Mr. H. S. JW. King, chairman of tho Board of Managers of the Seddon Memorial Technical College yesterday, in defending the board's action in deciding to purchase 30 British typewriters in preference to American machines. Notice of motion to rescind the resolution had been given by Mr. J. A. C. Allum, but owing to his unavoidable absence tho resolution was moved by Mr. S. E. Wright, who explained that it appeared that custonfary business principles had been overlooked by the board in accepting a tender not in accordance with the specifications. Mr. King said there was no tender from the British firm. Mr. Wright: If there was no tender then the resolution must be out of order.

Review of Proceedings. After the motion had been seconded by Mr. K. W. Aimer, Mr. King said it would be as well for him to give a resume of what had occurred. The board, he stated, had acted in accordance with its declared policy to give preference to Britislynade goods. When the question of the purchase of new typewriters arose the board was' prepared to act in terms of its policy. However, it was agreed that tenders should not be restricted, and that the principal'should draw up the conditions,.

Mr. King said he had not seen the conditions until they were brought to the board meeting the day the tenders were to be rceived. The board was then informed that there were only two firms interested—the respective agents for an American-made and a British-made machine. The agent for the Britishmade machine stated that it was impossible to tender owing to the conditions, as his firm could not take the secondhand American machines into stock. The agent was asked to obtain quotations from England for 30 typewriters, which he did, and which canie to hand at the meeting. The only tender that was*in was from the American firm. Motion Defeated by One Vote. A resolution was carried accepting the offer of the English firm and the American firm immediately afterwards protested .against the altered conditions in a letter which did not come before the board until its meeting a month later and that , was why the firm had not received a formal letter declining l the tender from the board's secretary. Having been unsuccessful, the representative of the American firm complained to a .jnember of the board ?ind they had sjnee heard a great deal about it. The board may have been a little remiss in not dealing with the tender straight away, 'continued the chairman, but had the firm made its complaint direct to him it would have been informed at once that the board had declared itself in favour of British goods and did not want American typewriters. * Mr. J. P. McPhail expressed the opinion that the board, having declared in favour of the British machines, should have obtained prices for British machines only. In receiving a tender from an American firm and not officially declining it the board had made a mistake. In commenting upon the prices received," Mr. W. M. Mcintosh said the British firm's offer actually worked out better than that of the American firm. Mr. Wright said the board had made a mistake in business practice and that was why he' moved that the original resolution should be rescinded. The miitter could then be rfe-opened. On being put Mr. Wright's motion was defeated by one vote.