PUBLIC TENDERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23994, 18 June 1941, Page 10

PUBLIC TENDERS

Sir, I read with interest Mr. Moody's statements and Mr. Algiers letter on this subject. In the first place I pre-unie, under controlled prices, that the cost of the materials are at the one price, the wages paid are the same, the costs, if these three lirnis are ali etlieient, are the same, therefore they must arrive at the same selling price. Why should any one of these firms have the whole contract to himself? Surely this is against the principle of social justice. Isn't it. a much safer principle for the Hospital Hoard to know that, under war conditions, conservation of manpower, etc., one firm is ready to help the other out of any difficulty? Isn't the world fighting lor the ethics contained in this principle? The price they gave in the tender must have been the lowest they received, otherwise the contract would have been given there and then to another tenderer. I fail to see any dishonest practice, tor apparently they tried to contact the board to see first if the principle ol equal shares would be allowed by the board. Surely this was not trying to approach the board for anv corrupt practice. |)o (Into Otiikus.