CONDITIONS OF CONTRACT.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18652, 22 August 1930, Page 8

CONDITIONS OF CONTRACT.

INJUSTICE TO BUILDERS. By Telegraph—Pr-w A**ooUtlo» WELLINGTON, August 21. Complaints of unfairness in the conditions of contract used in respect to public works, were made to-day to the Government through the Minister of Railways by a deputation from the New Zealand Federated Builders’ and Contractors’ Association. It was pointed out that the conditions of contract provided that, should any schedules of quantities or other information be supplied to contractors, they were only intended for the assistance of the contractor in checking his own estimate, but that no claim of any kind would be allowed should they be found inaccurate or incomplete. A contractor was required to rectify any mistakes before tendering. It was submitted that these clauses violated the cardinal principles of British justice, inasmuch as a contractor w T as made responsible for the inaccuracies of Public Works’ engineers. The Minister (Hon. W. B. Tavener) said that naturally he could not make a definite statement. The matter was outside his own Department, and as the representations concerned other Ministers, indeed to some extent the whole Government, it seemed to him that they would have to be considered by Cabinet. He would confer with the Minister of Public Work s, and then Cabinet might consider whether the Government was ju6tified in relaxing the regulations in accordance with the representations. As far as the Railway Department was concerned, they were already considering conditions of contract, and the requests of the deputation would be taken into consideration. He promised that a reply would be furnished after the matter had been fully considered.