THE CEMENT TENDERS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 4736, 9 December 1886, Page 2

THE CEMENT TENDERS.

Sm, — There has been a great outcry against certain members of the Harbor Board who wished to accept McEwan'a cement tender. I have made a few enquiries regarding the saving they expected to make, and find the following result : — McEwan's tender comes to £6737, payable in London, or with 2^ exchange £0904 in Gisborne, to which £700 must be added for landing charges and wharfage, making a total of £7604. The next two tenders are equal, the amount being £7983, or nearly £380 above McEwen's price. By not accepting this tender the Board aro ' throwing away considerably more public money than the total amount of the other tender they accepted the same night for building workshops. It ia said the cement now coming out with the plant cost £3 8s (»|d in London. Taking this aa a standard, and adding exchange, landing charges, jand wharfage as before, the 20C3 tons would cost in open mirket £7727 or £256 ' 1. ss than the lowest formal tender. Would any businc~s man in Gisborne pay £7953 for an article he had been offered for £7604 ?— more particularly if he had purchased a similar article in a falling market only a few days previously for the sum of £7727. Would he not either reject all the tenders as being too high and call for new ones, or purchase direct ? Two lowest tenders £7983 At same price as that already bought £7727 McEwan's tender, with exchange £7604 I am, &c, Public Money.