That is apparently. The minority do not mean to abandon hope. These councillors claim that jobs involving £200,000 should not be given to any firm without competition. Other large establishments that wanted a " cut in " were promised by the Council that an opportunity should be given them, and yet, without yea or nay, they hand over the whole business to one firm. Never was such an instance of confiding trust, pever such a leap in the dark, never an act that may lead to such an infinity of trouble. Already one councillor has publicly made a grave reflection upon the integrity of the representative of the successful firm and I feel tolerably certain that we have not heard the last of a peculiarly muddled business — to use no other term.
Certainly the matter cannot rest where it now stands, and the Mayor on Wednesday evening moved for the ap? point men t of a special committee to en quire into the statement. After some discussion this was done, although Cr Muir, the author of the reflection, natu rally wanted an unbiased outßide body to near the evidence. * Meanwhile, in spite of all talk to the contrary in cer tain quarters, the question of a contract with Noyes Bros, iB not finally settled. Developments may upset this.
