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Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 561, 24 January 1891, Page 2

Mr Elliott, of Auckland, is certainly an individual who is not lacking in persistency. He still badgers the Cook County Council for a refund of the deposit which he forfeited over the Kaiteratahi Bridge contract. There might be some sympathy for him, and possibly the Council might treat him with leniency, were it not that he is so careful to make known the reason which caused him to fall into such a serious blunder. Men who can afford the luxury of being “ actively engaged in election matters,” to the neglect of their other business, are not likely to be much sympathised with by those who have to attend to their own affairs. If a local contractor told us that he had put in a tender too low because he had been actively engaged in the recent election contest, his application for a refund would be greeted with peals of laughter. Mr Elliott may think that the fact that he was actively engaged in opposing the Labor candidate entitles him to a consideration that would be allowable under no other circumstances, but he is sadly mistaken. His repeated applications to the Council, with the setting forth of such an inexcusable reason for his blunder, is not complimentary to our County Council, and has no more chance of success than the Council has of getting the bridge constructed for nothing. He may put a few pounds in the way of the Union Company by coming to Gisborne to personally push a claim made under such preposterous conditions, but the Council would act very wrongly in abandoning the position it has taken up.