ON HIGHER TENDER

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18255, 25 November 1933, Page 12

ON HIGHER TENDER

MAIL CONTRACT LET BROTHER-INJjAW OF M.P. REFERENCE IN HOUSE (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, last night. The action of the Post and Telegraph Department in letting a mail contract in the Wairarapa district to other than the. lowest tenderer was discussed in-the House this afternoon when the estimates were- under consideration. Mr. A. D. McLeod (Goal., Wairarapa) said he had noticed from the report oi a deputation to the Postmaster-General recently that it was stated .that a letter had been written by tho department to one tenderer, suggesting the contracts for which lie should apply. He would like to know whether such action was customary, or whether it bad been done in ono isolated case. He would also like to know if all tenderers had been treated in the same way. Mr. P. Fraser (Labor, Wellington C.) congratulated Mr. McLeod on bringing the matter up, and said it warranted the closest investigation. The contract Had been let to a man named McKay, despite the fact that the contract of a man named Chisholm had been £l2O lower over the three-year period. Mr. Fraser said that Mr. Chisholm had waited on him, and asked if lie would take steps to see that- he received a fair. deal. Mr. Chisholm had also told him that Mr. McKay. was a brother-in-law of Mr. McLeod, but Mr. Fraser .said he pad assured Mr. Chisholm that lie did not think that would make any difference. Mr., Chisholm had also, stated that Mr. McLeod was the guarantor for Mr. McKay, and that consequently his (Mr. Chisholm’s) chances of getting tho contract wore prejudiced. MINISTER’S OFFER

Mr. Frasor.said there was one matter he would like cleared up, and that was the reason why the lowest tender had not been accepted. Was there something against the character of the tenderer? The Hon. A. Hamilton said that the two tenders had not been comparable. There had been five contracts to be let. Mr. Chisholm had put in for three, and Mr. McKay for two. He did not know that the lowest tender had been accepted in the case of any one of the five contracts. The Minister added that he was prepared to submit the file dealing with the contracts to the Leader of the Opposition, who could give his judgment on the matter. ‘“lf it is shown that we have done anything wrong we can have it corracted.” Mr. McLeod said he wanted to clear his position in the matter. During the whole period of the Wairarapa contract, lie had not approached one departmental officer, but he had approached the Minister on the representation of an old contractor who happened, to be his brother-in-law. Mr. McLeod : added that the postmaster at Martinboropgh had approached him and asked what : was Ins information about Mr. Chisholm. He had said to the postmaster, “Well, he is pretty well known in the district. He has the reputation of liquoring too much.’’ The postmaster had then told him the man was a tenderer. “I think he should have told me that before he sought any information," said Mr. McLeod. The discussion then lapsed.