Council Tendering Again Criticized
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THE trend among education authorities of accepting the lowest tender for the carriage of school meals will eventually lead to a state of affairs where there is not one competent haulier doing the work. This was forecast last week by Mr. W. Fletcher, when he appeared for J. Troup and Sons, Forfar, before the Scottish Deputy Licensing Authority, Mr. Alex Robertson.
Troup's, who had held a contract for school meals deliveries in the Forfar area, were opposing the man who had taken it from them with a lower tender, Mr. James Black. He sought a B licence to undertake the work, Mr. Fletcher declared that the authorities ought to be able to see that as time went on, each party would undercut the other until it was economically impossible to run a proper service. Mr. B. C. Carnegie, for the applicant, said there was no question of the county council usurping Mr. Robertson's authority. The contract was granted only on condition that a licence was obtained in the normal way.
Granting the application, Mr. Robertson said the mere fact that Troop's had a licence should not compel the council to refuse a keener offer by a competitor who did not. If that were the case, licensed tenderers would be able to force the council to accept their prices. This would not be in the public interest.
However, if there were an annual change in the people carrying school meals, he would probably have to reconsider his decision in future cases. He did not want the council to get the idea that if they gave a man a contract he was bound to get a licence.