COUNTY CONTRACTS.

Southland Times, Issue 22218, 10 January 1934, Page 10

COUNTY CONTRACTS.

To the Editor.

Sir,—The Southland County Council are inviting tenders at present for the construction of a bridge. As tenders were invited for this same contract last month some ratepayers may wonder why contractors will not tender for this class of contract for the Southland County. . Tenders were invited closing on December 8 last for two bridges in this county. I tendered for both ccntracts, but so far I have received no reply. In the Southland Times of December 9 under the heading “Tenders accepted” I notice the county accepted their own tender for both contracts at a price above my tenders. This is the reason contractors will not go to the expense of tendering for bridge construction in the Southland County.—l am, etc., JOHN T. BUTLER. Winton, January 8.

[The county engineer states that tenderers, other than the County Council, are at a disadvantage in that they require to pay for the services of a clerk of works. This is a condition imposed by the Highways Board and the County Council cannot do anything else but conform with it. It is not correct, as stated by the correspondent, that the council has ever accepted its own tender at a price above that of any other outside tender that conformed with the specification as to the clerk of works’ proviso.]