That Chassis Tender

NZ Truth, Issue 968, 18 October 1924, Page 12

That Chassis Tender

AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL'S ' CHOICE. Some little time ago "Truth" asked the Auckland City Council why it had accepted the A.E.C. tender for chassis for motor 'buses at a price m excess of the prices quoted m other tenders (as, for instance, that of Leyland Motors, Ltd.). Sir James Gunson, Mayor of Auckland, referred the questions to. the General Manager of the Auckland Tramways, Mr. Ford, whose reply was to the general effect that the . quality of the article ooffererd r by the A.E.C. company warranted the higher price. As this question is a technical one, "Truth" cannot attempt to deal with it further,. However, the statement of the General^ Manager would be more complete if it included the report of the Engineer of the Auckland tramways. Has. this technical' expert reported? And' is his report m accord with the technical pronouncement of Mr. Ford? "Truth" has referred to . Leyland Motors, Ltd.. the statement of Mr. Ford that "the chassis the Council has decided to purchase are specifically and purely for passenger-carrying and for passengers only, and are not commercial or freight vehicles, as that of the Leyland Co. "with which a comparison is made." To this statement Messrs, Leyland Motors, Ltd., take strong exception. In the figures with which they supplied us some time ago, it was made plain that the comparison made was with a passenger-carrying vehicle, and m the questions Sent to the Auckland City Council, pasenger vehicles are quoted. We have been allowed to inspect copies of the quotations, and can vouch for this fact; further, Messrs Leyland Motors, Ltd., take very .-hard the apparent suggestion of Mr. Ford to the effect that the vehicle, which was m our previous article referred 'to as a passenger vehicle, is not such. They state also that "the Leyland chassis m question has been developed on exactly the same lines as the A.E.C. requirements, only of necessity under much more strenuous conditions."