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CIVIL ENGINEERS

OFFICERS OF LOCAL BODIES,

i ' A curious omission from the law ie j; that there is no provision whatsoever jj to irequtro a local body to employ a I engineer a man with any qualineatione 1 for the,,work he has to do in spending ;the jjjqnej- of tho ratepayers. A local ;.]jpdy' which'wishes to employ a plumber ' has .to" employ a anaji who lias satisfied - a competent authority that he knows something about plumbing. ' But ,as engmear,a local body may employ anybody, 'In actual fact there are local bodies ' who "do '. employ men who have ■ fteen ■' goiie'ral.'Jabo-arers, liavo become foremen of. works, and so have 'risen to be called engineers, although they hayo no knowledge of the training required for the work of building loads and bridges. ... A deputation, from ihe New Zealand , Society., of, Civil Engineers had a private ■interview with tho Minister of Internal -.!A.'ffairi""recently on this subject. The '.deputation. . said that there was- great ; 'wasto of'public moneys from the employment by local bodies of incompetent men-as'engineers. The time had ar.^ifvecT'ivhen., these men should be classiv fifed and 'restrictions put upon the em- :" ployaneht": of •'■' incompetent men. The Booiefy'proposed that three classes of certittcates should bo granted: (1) Certificate of competency gamed by examination) . i"(2j certificate of qualification, comprising those: holding o'utsido certificates; ('3) service certificates for those who have Iwen doing the work for years and cannot be expected to qualify. The Bill drafted also provided that a board, to be called the Local Authorities Board, be set tip, two of its members to be nominated by the society. The society wished the Government to issue the certificates :of qualification. '•f'The Minister eaid he was in entire .'sympathy with the proposal, and when a'-'memberrof the Mackenzie Government in 1912 ho had introduced a. Bill for the consolidation of the smaller local ' foodies, providing that none but qualified men. should hold office as engineers, cferks, or surveyors. Even if amalga- ' mation-. wero not carried put, it would ' be quite, possible to arrange for one engineer to be at the disposal of four or '•'five adjoining bodies. What was wanted -in' this-country was a local government • board, which would be an advisory body '■with power of veto regarding matters of public expenditure. Had such a body been formed earlier millions of -pounds thrown away on harbours and other public works would have been saved. The . Minister mentioned a case of bad road construction which camo iinfiar hia notice -recently. In dealing with the ' matter subsequently he had given instructions for the preparation of legislation regarding the employment of qualified engineers, by local 'bodies. He ap- ■ proved tho proposal to admit men of experience who did not hold qualifications. His policy was to provide for such cases, but after these people Intel onco been provided for to shut the door absolutely to all persons unless they qualified by examination. He suggested that tho best coiirso to adopt would be for the society to gain tliesamo status as other profes- / sions by a special Bill for registration, and they could then decide who were ontitled to registration. If that wero done ho thought it quito possiblo for a board such as suggested to be established, but he was inclined to think that ouco the civil engineers of Now Zealand were ini eorporated the management should bo left entirely to that body. He thought tlicro would be no difficulty in getting the-legislation through the House next year, but there would be no possibility of doing so this year. ,

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19190709.2.71

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 244, 9 July 1919, Page 8

Word count
Tapeke kupu
588

CIVIL ENGINEERS Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 244, 9 July 1919, Page 8

CIVIL ENGINEERS Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 244, 9 July 1919, Page 8

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