THE TRAMWAYS.

Southland Times, Issue 14635, 27 January 1911, Page 5

THE TRAMWAYS.

FIFTEEN TENDERS ACCEPTED. PRICES NEAR THE ESTIMATE. The Special Tramways Committee yesterday evening- submitted the Engineer’s report on the tenders for the tramways work and material, and recommended that his suggestions be agreed to, and the Council unanimously adopted the report. The Engineer reported : “I consider that the results of the tenders are highly satisfactory, and exceptionally large number of tenders having been received, and, in most cases, competition lias been keen. This is particularly noticeable in the two largest sections, both of which Involve amounts approximating £15,000. The four lowest tenderers in both of these cases are well within £IOOO of each other. This result is due to the method of splitting up the whole into independent sections, instead of combining in one or two large contracts, as has been done in the case of other tramways in New Zealand It lias naturally required very careful consideration to decide as to the most advantageous tender in some instances, but in almost all, I am able to recommend the lowest. Mr Symington goes on to deal with each contract in detail and concludes his report as follows : The following is the complete list of tenders recommended ; Power House Plant—National Electrical & Eng, Co. (Dunedin).,. £15,313 14 6 Permanent Way Material John Duthie (Wellington) 10,643 9 6 Richardson, Blair & McCabe (Wellington) 2,133 5 0 Cars —Boon & Co. (Christchurch).... 5,255 13 6 Car Equipments—Nat. Electrical & Engineering Co. (Dunedin) 3,823 0 0 Car Trucks —Brush Electrical Engineering Co. (England) 1,100 0 0 Overhead Material Richardson, Blair & McCabe OVellington) 189 16 1 Wires ami Cables—Nat. Electrical Engineering Co. (Dunedin) 1.562 IS 1 Steel Poles —Stewart & Lloyds (Glasgow) 604 16 0 Tower Waggon—Briscoe & Co. (Invercargill) 105 0 0 Dog Spikes—Briscoe & Co. (In’g'Ill). 545 6 0 Street Lighting Plant —National Electrical & Engineer. Co. (Dunedin) 957 0 0 Gunmetal Fittings Thos. Danks (Christchurch) 292 0 0 Iron Fittings Booth & Macdonald (Christchurch) 212 18 9 £42,649 2 5 In a separate summary the Engineer supplied figures showing that the accepted tenders to date amounted to £55,451 15s Sd, and the estimate was £S2,SOt), the former exceeding the latter by only £642 15s Bd. In moving the adoption of the Committee’s report, recommending agreement with tlie Engineer’s suggestions, tiie Mayor stated that the report was creditable to Mr Symington, and it was very satisfactory that the prices came so near the estimate in a work of such magnitude. A portion even of the increase was duo also to the fact that the Council had decided, and the Engineer endorsed, accepting tenders and so arranged the specifications as to have the tramways made as far as possible by New Zealand firms. Cr. Lennie remarked that it was satisfactory to note that so large a proportion of the work had been secured by local and British firms, where one might have expected the Americans to have a big cut-in. In these days when so much was said about the decline of British trade it was satisfactory to know that British and Colonial firms had come in and secured our little lot. Oversight of the Manufacture. Mr Symington further reported, in connection witli the manufacture of the material of the tramways, that it would be necessary to have Inspectors appointed almost at once in England. He was unable, to make any recommendation in that direction until after the acceptance of tenders, as the question was governed to a large extent by the place of manufacture. He would be in a position, however, to report in two or three days’ time, and he wished to call attention to tho urgency of the matter. Mr Symington's intention to report Immediately on the matter was approved. In all there were 106 tenders for fifteen contracts.