THE WAIO-KARAKA ROAD.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 1892, 26 January 1875, Page 2

THE WAIO-KARAKA ROAD.

(To the Editor of the Evening Star.) | Sm,~-I must confess that I was ,ather ! surprised at seeing Mr Alexander Baenail s letter to the Advertiser of this date m reference to the above road contract. * i I being the solitary Councillor referred | to, beg fco lay the following simple facts before the ratepayers and leave them to judge as to whether I acted right or otherwise. Mr Bagnall entered into a contract for the making of the Waio-Karaka Koadon October Ist, 1874; the specified time for completion was November ,17th., The ( contractor was subject to a penalty of l 208 per day for every day the road remained unfinished after that date. The Council extended the time for completion to the 10th of January, 1875; and the contract was not completed till January 21ft; Messrs Lamb Bros, taking orer the works, or becoming responsible for all payments, wages, &c, in order to secure payment for timber, See., supplied by Lamb Bros, to Mr Bagnall. The specification state* thai the works are to be executed in such a manner as to allow the use of the road to the public as much as possible during their execution ; and the contractor shall make all necessary arrangement* by tiding or otherwise as required by the Engineer to allow the use of the road to the public during the progress of the work*, and ell facilities where practicable to allow tie transit of machinery or other mining: *equiaitea when the Engineer may authorise same., As I stated before, the contractor was subject fo a penalty of 20s per day tist every day the road remained unfinished after the 17th November; and had the road been finished .by that- date it would have been in time te letth* machinery up to the mines; at least, so I am informed by the mine managers in the Waio-Ktraka district, pertain; itja, that there had been no machinery carted to the mines up to that date. The fines, had they been inflicted, would have amounted to something.-like £65. Mr Bagnall, not satisfied with the Council's liberality in not inflicting the above amount, coolly sends in a modest request for £sp-£SO of the ratepayers' monej— for what, I would like to know. I opposed Mr Bagnall getting this amount, and in doing so did simply what I considered my duty to the ratepayers; a course I mean to adopt as long as I represent them. Mr Bagnall can now write what he likes: I havefinishe#withthe matter.—l am, 4c., „ - A. Anthojty.