CHARGES DENIED BY CONTRACTOR.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 77, 31 March 1931, Page 6

CHARGES DENIED BY CONTRACTOR.

MAYOR’S ALLEGATION IS GIVEN AN ANSWER. Contractors who are carrying out work for the City Council do not agre6 with the Mayor (the Rev J. K. Archer) that by making a 10 per cent cut in the salaries of council employees, the council is making gifts of public money to the friends of some councillors. It was pointed out to-day that the rate of wages paid by. the council does not affect contracts, employees of the contractors being under Arbitration Court awards. The three principal contracts in which the City Council is interested at the present time are the Art Gallery (£27,000), the Abattoirs (£21,000) and the Princes Street bridge (£3573). The contractors for the Art Gallery and the Abattoir extensions are Messrs J. and W. Jamieson, Ltd., and for the Princes Street Bridge Mr F. Williamson is the contractor. Bridge Work. * “ I would very much like to challenge the Maj'or when he says that the 10 per cent reduction in wages paid by the council will in any w r ay affect the wages paid on the Princes Street bridge contract, as well as those paid by other contractors for the council,” said Mr Williamson to-day. “It is very childish for Mr Archer to pass such remarks as the only body which can reduce the wages paid by contractors is the Arbitration Court. My tender was the lowest submitted and was accepted by the council. I would also like Mr Archer to know that the majority of my staff employed on the Princes Street bridge have been in my employ for the past six vears and have been, and still are, being paid over the award rates and we are still in a position to compete against the Christchurch City Council, which pays only award rates for bridge building.” The contract for the Art Gallery was accepted by a special committee, consisting of the Mayor, Councillors J. W. Beanland, E. H. Andrews, A. A. M’Lachlan, D. G. Sullivan, M.P., and W. Williamson, and Messrs R. E. McDougall, R. Wallwork and G. Harper. The abattoir contract was considered by the Abattoirs Committee and recommended for acceptance by the committee to the council, while the Princes Street bridge contract was recommended for acceptance by the Works Committee. In each case, the committee’s recommendation was accepted by the council. A report of Mr Archer’s remarks appears on page 14.