Mexborough and Swinton Times September 7.
Conisborough School Board.
Tenders for the new Schools.
The usual monthly meeting took place on Wednesday evening, Mr W.W Norwood, presiding; all the members present were Messrs Ravenscroft, Robinson, Brocklesby, Gillott and Booth; with the officials, Mr F. Allen (clerk), Mr Sargasson attendance officer) Mr Whiston attended on behalf of Mr George White, architect, of Mexborough.
Tenders for the Schools.
The tenders were for the building of a boundary wall, an infant school room, and caretaker´s house. They have been presented to the Clerk by the various parties.
Mr Whiston said that there were three applications separately for each of the contracts.
Mr Roberts moved that the tenders be opened by the chairman and read.
The first one was from Messrs Dennis, Gill, and Sons of Doncaster, for the caretakers house and boardroom, they would complete for £1,235.
The chairman: it will be a mansion. (Laughter.)
For the infant school £4,057; for the boundary wall £997; total £6,289.
The next one was from Mr George Henry Smith, of Mexborough: caretaker´s house and boardroom £1,129, infant school £4,021.
Mr Robinson: I cannot make it out, going on at this racket!
The chairman: it was agreed that the applications come in separately.
Boundary wall £732; total £5,882.
The next one was from Mr Benjamin Wortley, of Doncaster: for caretaker´s house and boardroom £1,112; for infant school £3,902 boundary wall £846 pounds; total £5,880.
The chairman: there is only £2 between Smith’s and Wortley’s estimates.
Mr Robinson said that the architect had estimated £3218 for them altogether.
Mr Whiston: they are very high everywhere.
Mr Robinson said that he had travelled about a good deal of his time, he had found from the highest estimate to the lowest, the middle one always run the closest. He would move Mr Benjamin Wortley have the contract. There were some contractors who ran contracts with cheap labour. He would like to insert a clause in that resolution to the effect that the contractor pays district prices.
He knew Mr Wortley would not bring cheap labour into Conisborough. He was a man who he respected; but he move that the close but also inserted.
The chairman: let us move the tenders first.
Mr Robinson: All right!
Mr Gillot: these are separate application, are they not?
The chairman: yes
Mr Gillot: then could we not separate them? I see Mr Smith’s tender for the boundary wall is over hundred pounds less than Wortley’s.
Mr Booth: They would not do it. We want to look at the prices a bit, as we are at the top of the tree.
The chairman: could we not leave some out ? The house and boardroom is £1,112
Mr Booth: By Jove! But –
Mr Whiston: in the infant school one end includes a heating apparatus, etc, in a mixed school.
The chairman: it is only ought to have been about £300 at the most. I should leave them out. Is it absolutely necessary to have a boundary wall and infant school room; but for the caretakers house and boardroom, they could wait a bit for them, perhaps if necessary, for two or three years for the boardroom, as they could all the meetings in one of the classroom.
Mr Robinson: it is not the contactor´s fault; it is the architects.
Mr Brocklesby: it seems to live for the wall as well.
The chairman: it costs a good deal to have a wall built. So far as the house is concerned they could put that one on one side.
Mr Robinson: Mr Wortley’s is the lowest tender and he has a right to the job! He was greatly in favour of Mr Wortley and he would again move that is tender be accepted, excepting the caretakers house and the boardroom.
Mr Whiston: it will not do to divide it.
Mr Robinson: you are right; we are now, you know.
Mr Robinson left the caretakers house and boardroom out in his resolution.
The chairman: it is rather surprised that none of our local men have sent in tenders.
Mr Booth: if they are both as good as one another, I do not see why we should not go for the lowest.
The chairman: the question is which will do the work the most expeditiously.
Mr Robinson: Taking the three altogether I have worked for Mr Smith and Mr Wortley; if I had the choice I would certainly give it to Benjamin Wortley.
Mr Ravenscroft seconded.
Mr Booth moved as an amendment that Mr Smith’s tender be accepted and the chairman seconded.
Ultimately, Mr Wortley tender was accepted by 4 votes to 2 at a cost of £4,768.