§ MR. JAMES STUART (Shoreditch, Hoxton)asked the Surveyor General of the Ordnance, Whether it is the case that the firm of Kynoch and Co., of Birmingham, have lately executed a contract, either wholly or in part, of cartridges for the British Government; whether this contract was completed within the time specified in the contract; and, what percentage, if any, of this order was rejected on account of bad construction?
§ THE SURVEYOR GENERAL (Mr. NORTHCOTE) (Exeter)A contract for 10,000,000 cartridges was obtained by competition by Messrs. Kynoch and Co. in October, 1885. The execution of the contract, for various reasons, some of which were beyond Messrs. Kynoch's control, has been seriously delayed. The percentage of rejections was a little over 20 per cent, and a Special Committee assembled to consider an appeal from Messrs. Kynoch and Co. against these rejections, has reported that they were undoubtedly due to inferior workmanship.