County Road Maintenance.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 435, 29 March 1890, Page 3

County Road Maintenance.

[TO THB EDITOR.] Sib,— Over a month ago tenders were sent in and accepted for the maintenance of County Roads. Last year the principle of maintenance proved ta a great extent a failure, because the gravel could nor be got out during the winter months. In the specifications for the last contracts it was stipulated that the metal should be got out from the pits, and be stacked and measured, during the fine weather. This made a good deal of difference to tenderers who bad this strictly In view, and intended to set about the work promptly. But now it appears that such a course is not considered compulsory, and that any successful tenderer could have pleased himself as to what he considered the period during which fine weather can be relied upon, even if he took the depth of winter as a fair reckoning. This is certainly the case at Kit, for I do not believe more than a few have been got out in any of the contracts, though wet weather has set in and from now may always reasonably be expected. If other tenderers had known they could get so much liberty aa this their prices could have been judged accordingly. I think all contractors ought to be fairly dealt with and start on an equal footing, Then let the best man have it. If we have tendering at all this is the basis upon which it should bo conducted, and ratepayers and contractors could expect fair all round dealing with the public money.—l am, <fca, Ratetateb.