THE DOCK CONTRACTORS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2690, 4 October 1905, Page 89

THE DOCK CONTRACTORS.

INTERVIEW WITH MR S. LUTTRELL Mr S. Luttrell, of tho firm of LuttrcU ■Bros., architect', Chnstchurch. who is one of the members of the firm of Luttrell and Scott, who have secured the contract for the new dock at Port Chalmers, was interviewed by a Daily Times reporter on Wednesday evening, and during the course of tho interview he stated that the date of starting on the contract for the now dock was October 1, but it would probably be a week later bofoie dredge 222 was put to work dredging the site to the necessary depth. "The first work will be to put ckmn the necessary plant," said Mr Luttrell. "This includes 'a 200 horss-pouor engine and boiler, which provide the motive to operate two locomotive steam cranes, the 12in centrifugal pumps, besides el&ctric energy to produce 30,000 candle-power lighting to enable three shifts to work uninterruptedly. As soon as the /plant is in readiness a start will be made with the construction of the cofferdam." In reply to a question as b6 whether the firm would be able to finish the work within 16 months. Mr Liiftrell said: "Time is the essence of the contract. If there had been no time conditions stipulated the prioe contained in our tender would certainly have been different to what -t was. Tl:e specifications asked for the shortest possible time in which contractors

were prepared to carry out the work, and we estimated the difference between doing the work in 16 months as against two years and a-half to be £4000, and tendered accordingly." Then you think you will be able to com-<-plete the work ia the time stated? " Most assuredly. In fact, we entertain no reasonable doubt about it: and. purely as evidence of what can be accomplished, I may say thnt as architects we were unable to get contractors to undertake to build the King Edward Barracks in Chnstchurch, so we* became contractors, and completed " the " work in 25 days. The floor space of the building w r as 41,700 square feet, and comprised a drill hall 300 ft; by 120 ft. and 4-Oft high -. a mobilisation store and officers' quarters 130 ft by 30ft, of two storeys, in brick : and main entrance 60ft by 30ffc (which included lavatories), in brick and stone. The building required 240,000 bricks, 30 ion* of galvanised iron, 120 tons of steel arii-dors. hptwoen 30.000 ft and J o.oooft of lining. 4000 square feet of glass sashe*. and look over four tons of paint to give it threa coats. Owina to the bricks and moi'taL- being insufficiently s?t we were unable to complete f.ho tuck pointing of the brickwork, but with this exception the ■work was completed in 25 days." Pretty fast work? " Yos. it was, as you ca.n -see from the figures showing- tho quantities of material. Nevertheless," said Mr Luttrell. with ay genial sniile, "the work was done as I tell you. I trust your readers will accept my assurance that I ha-vc no ulterior motives in making these statements. The same doubts were expresses l concerning the" barracks as are now being raised about the date of completion of ihe dock, but, bariing calamities, we expect to do as we say." Our representative thanked Mr Luttrell for his information, and was about to withdraw, when the latter said: "A short time ago the newspapers published tho result of an interview with Mr Lyders, one of the tenderers for the new dock, in which it was stated that 'an offer had been made to Mr Lyders whereby he would leceive £400 if. in the event of his securing the contract, he would sign a document conveying his interest to certain other ten- j derers on whose behalf the offer was said j to be made, and. as the names of the j persons making the offer were withheld. I should like to take this opportunity of saying that the offer referred to was not made by. or on behalf of. our firm. We do not know Mr Lyders personally, nor have we ever spoken to him. A number of my friends have asked me if we had tried to buy out Mr Lyders's interests in the contract, so that I think a disclaimer is necessary in view of the circumstances. j "Mr Sutherland, representing a Port Chalmers syndicate, expressed to me his l-egret that our firm had secured the tender, and said that if Mr Lyders had got the contract he would have sold his share in it to Sutherland and Co. for £400. That," said Mr Luttrell, "is all I know about the affair."