THE CITY ENGINEER

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 103, 25 January 1919, Page 3

THE CITY ENGINEER

PROPOSED TRIP ABROAD,

The proposal that the City Engineer be sent abroad to gain experience of up-to-ilate .methods was mentioned to the City Council by the Mayor last night. ' Mr. Luke submitted a motion to the council on the matter. He said that Mr. Morton bad been with tlie council for fourteen years, and m tiiat time there had been no more capable officer of a local body in New Zealand than Mr. Morton. If it were only to give Mr. Morton a rest, the proposal would be quite proper. But with the big works in prospect for improvement of tho city, it would be highly advantageous to tho city to give the engineer an opportunity of obtaining as much information as.possible as to how these things were done iu the leading cities of the world. Mr. M. F. Luckie said that it had always beon his opinion that no progressive man could keep abreast ot progress in his profession if he stayed in New Zealand. It would bo a good investment for the city to send Sir. Morton out of the country for eight oi ten mouths. . Councillor A. R. Atkinson saicr .that he had no great objection to the proposal; but he had objection to the manner in which this most important proposal .was submitted to the council. He would like the matter, referred first to the Finance Committee. Councillor Frost said that he, too, would like to see the council refer the question first to the Finance Committee. He had no doubt that it would save much' money to the city to send Mr. Morton abroad. . Also, Mr. Morton, heaviiy loaded as he had been, richly deserved a holidfty. Councillor J. Castle said that before the council was asked to release Mr. Morton it should be told what arrangement would be mad® for carrying on his work in his absence. He said, also, that before, the oity took on a big housing enterprise it might attempt some smaller schemes ._ The council 'had property wasting in Adelaide Road, earning not enough -revenue. On these city might erect tenement dwellings. He was not much in favour of such dwellings, but the council had declared for them, and the scheme might be tried. _ Councillor J. E. Fitzgerald said that he had always been in favour of the council sending Home not only the City Engineer and also other engineering officers of the council. He would, however, be in favour of a little delay, in order that some bij* works now in 'prospect might be put in hand. The Mayor said that at the Finance Committee meeting there had been no time to discuss this question. His object was to hurry the _ flatter, in order that Mr. Morton might get a passage to England, knowing, as he did, that passages a(f present, were extremely hard to procure. The Mayor did not press his motion that Mr. Morton be released, so that presumably the matter will como forward through "the Finance Committee in the ordinary