4.
25
That wording is expressly intended to meet cases of the present
description. The Government had apparently entered into a con-
tract rendering it of the utmost importance that the steel work
should arrive by the middle of October. Had this been stated
on the indent the work could have been expedited in several ways.
For instance, instead of preparing specifications and inviting
competitive tenders a contract could have been negotiated with a
selected firm: other sections of steel might have been accepted
instead of those specified: Mr.Waring would doubtless have pro-
ceeded without waiting to consult llr. Chatham, In these and
other ways time could have been saved. In no case could the
steelwork have arrived by the nameddate, but the delay might
have been materially lessened. The cost would have been in-
creased, but that we should have considered justifiable in such
Moreover on receipt of the indent we should
have warned the Colony by telegram that the date was impossible,
thus enabling them to make different arrangements.
circumstances.
ry
I enclose a copy, which we have received from Kr.
Waring, of his correspondence with hr. Chatham, the Director of
Works. You will see that in his letter of 99th September Mr.
waring asked whether the work was urgently required. To that Mr.
Chatham, writing on a date when as now appears the steelwork
should have been nearing the Colony, gave a reply which certainly
did not indicate extreme urgency, Nothing in Mr Chatham's letters
suggests that immediate completion was of vital importance, or
that a contractor was waiting on the ground with a
claim for compensation.
swelling
It would seem, therefore, that Mr.
Chatham