HUTT BOROUGH AFFAIRS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 604, 4 September 1909, Page 8

HUTT BOROUGH AFFAIRS.

v'i THE ENGINEER DEFENDS HIMSELF. MEETING HELD IN CLOSE COMMITTEE. 'A' special meeting of tho Hntt Borough ■ Council was hold last night to consider tho .report.of. tho.sub-committeo on tho expenditure of the £52,000 loan. - There were pre- >■; Bont: The Mayor- (Mr.- E. P. Bunny), and Councillors Clero, Anson, Mowbray, Poarce, , , Kompthorne, Heycs, > Barlow,: Macwlull, and Baldwin. " 1 , Tlio Mayor proceeded to read tho following v; letter from Mr. : H.;-Rix-Trott, replying to • the subcommittee's . i reportpublished' on , Monday'week:—

Lettor from Mr. Rlx-Trott. ,f " "The report sets out that Major M'Donald •- .had in his ;evidence . stated . that I informed ■ him that £600 had boon saved on the Bel--7; mont'- Creek diversion through '. that work .-.being dono by day labour, whereas he found tho real amount: saved, was v £7. : I would, ' however, : point out that tho evidence given by Major H'Donaldisto tho effect that £600 of extra work-had been;carried out, .: and that after allowing for. tho additional >ork hp found that the sum of £7 had. been • eavod. Tho extra work put into tho sohemo ;:was/■■as. follows Concrete walls .from the . soreon to intake, extra concrete oulvert: on ' the late . Mr. Fitzherbcrt's • property, somo 200;feet'long, and an inoroafioon■ tho;;size .■ of the pipes in the third and fourth creeks frojn 18in to 24in this work accounting .for tho,£6oo, which -undoubtedly would have been' saved. npd this-extra work not. beon ■ dono. With"; regard ■to the 'Bridge ;■ Strett ■i-;;:.^tdri,^r?;have\'.l.to\'.s&y: : ;th'at;.:thV/{mtiirikt6'.'«if'' ••• £458. given by mo- was .for the work ■ shown %.;on;.an.;accompimyi.ng, tracing,' and. as per riiy, :;.-ioport No. 32 (October 8, 1906). Othorworlt :was 1 carried out under tho council's mstruc;,tion's;'in ■.connection;..'with -this'draihagej l S. .creasing .the: ;c<Kt;:^ .{.of.'the.'l2in^; ; drairi through:;Mr. ; .;Cfadby's;pro-: •. ing through. the To Monu Estate.. • Referring ■' <j tp; : the finding 1 tliat, all : the s plaJis,,Vdetails, .aria ;, : V specifications ;■ were; prepared •by tho 'consult-, ::;'-;ing/enjpn ■accordance with- tho evidence given; if bo, ...what',becomes ■of !■ the. fact that I placid 'be-V^fore-you .plaiis'iahd :-detiilß~ prepared !by .hiy- , self; ► also .details; m. connection Tilth the ;'^9«nfi4|tions;i;i]7i»i^Uy^6!;d«tails r ;of: ; levds,-' jSetcij- prepared''jumler : .'.E«gard-' ;?;:ing: the,.reservoir,■' tho^remrtTstates: ;llt ;is plain,from the 'evidencie'-'that' -tho. pipes were;. ' not put in tho solid, ;in; conscqueiice, of which, ;omissionconsider£blo;: delay.,' and. additional.,. .. expense' were occasioned;'; 'As "1.-jhare ''previously.'stated,. no:. delay whatover cccurrsd : in ! tho iconstruction' of . the . reservoir. Tho ; cast-iron:.delivery. , and ovorflow .pipes -wero ; put in .thojconcreto'as;tlio ,wall^' Were' brought up. It. would havo been- absolutely: absurd '^to^Kive'''put fin v the.i mains heading' from - tho. reservoir to 'tho engine-house,- 'and overflow Cto creek, before the cxcavated, soil' Had', beea 1 ; tipped; as will be seen, bj; tho.sketch,'the t/'pipes. w'ould 'have; bi»n-'buried': mder : 40 . feet Uof 'spoil. ;" Tho' only". ;'wa3.about;£2s/ caused; b.ytho.craclangbß. of a";collar; of ioneof;'^the 1 pipes":;beddedviri, the; ,','concrote .'through the; settling 'of tho excavated spoil bank."

An Interlude, . Gomioillor Anson: What is tho position of .- ' this "report?;-;; Has; it j Keen "presentedto' ■tho council?* ■'",?;} v <. Tho Mayor Yos v v. - 1 : Anson:. I: raise the ■ question be-cause■whenithesub-committee' was "appointed I; asked you ' particular]j for a plodne that . before the.report' should be -presented to.the to discuss . it. I would .- not ■ have -.voted. for '.. the sub^ommittoe'except for that, although !• the committee •is- : -ii!i' l exMlle'nt'.;o|i»\;'ajid"..' I -, ; .bebevo other councillors wero in tho samo position.. .1 considored lilto a .jury, it ■ Would not bo proper for us" to' give power to 'any. committee to report to the council. ; appointed'te' draw up tho report to. .be pre.'tented -• to .^the.■committee; -tfuty is "why. I asked for that pledge:' '"J."" -' Tho Mayor:: It is. very singular that' 1 . ...•Vcobllection of it. .. • • <a-. .{. '..' ..; Councillor Anson: Then there has .been a misunderstanding. -:Iv know- you bavo, mado it without keepinj* it. . -. -Mayor: The '; sub-committee was ap-' pointed by the council. Councillor .'Anson:. No; by .'the committee. ; Thb : minutes were referred ' to,. aiid showed •ftbat the meeting was in open council. l : :Councillor Anson:, I - was .under tho re- ' verso impression, bnt that, settles ;it: vCouncillor Pearce; The;ropbrt is still open for discussion ? - The Major: Yes.

A Brief Discussion. . '• Dealing with the report, tho Mayor, remarked that tho engineer's' statement" .in ;; reference" to.,tho;- saving ;of on'.'the Belmont Creek.was_ hot quito corrcct. Major C M-Donald had said that -notwithstanding the fact' that extra - work/had : been, carried /out ■srtho diversion, had. been completed for £600. /■'.less'than the estimate. 'fho engineer ..said that. tlio' £COO repre~2 sentpd extra.'work £done, .not atrial cash.' \' ' . Councillor Kempthorno: It seems tint wo : found, that thoro-was an oxcess of expondi- : tar©-in Bridge Street, and the-engineer docs' not dispnto it. • ,:r .The] engineer:• Yes; but'l acted under instructions. ' - A motion to go in ,closo-committco was then carried by 0 votes to 4. .: : v ' The officers-wore also '.asked ito leave the Council Chamber. After discussion it was decided to amend the report of the' sub-committee. No. alteration was made in regard to tho cxccss of '^expenditure, : but the paragraphs .referring to . the engineer , were < toned down,- and tho re- .' port as 'amended Avis, adopted. V^Tho^qucstion; will * corned before the .• council on ' Monday • week,'.' when the course of. action : toV be adopted will be dccided upon. .