GLASGOW STREET

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 131, 2 March 1928, Page 10

GLASGOW STREET

WORK OF WIDENING AND IMPROVING DISCUSSION ON METHOD CONTRACT OR COUNCIL LABOUR? On the recommendation of the Works Committee, the City Council last night granted authority to the city engineer to undertake the work of widening and improving Glasgow Street, and also for the preliminary steps regarding the taking of land required under the Public Works Act. Councillor Morpeth asked the council to consider the advisability of providing for one-way traffic in this street and making it safer for traffic generally.

Councillor G. Aston moved as an amendment that the work be carried out bv contract. Councillor McKeen said Councillor Aston’s amendment would open up the question of contract or day labour. Not long ago they were congratulating themselves on the reorganisation of the engineer’s department. They had not the excuse that the staff was short, and it could undertake the work. He did not think contractors would do the job as well as men under the supervision of their own engineers.

Councillor G. Mitchell believed the contract system was the better if the work was suitable. The principle with the Harbour Board was if the contract price was within reach of the engineer’s estimate a contract was let, but if the price was considered excessive the work was carried out by the engineer. Councillor T. C. A. Hislop did not agree that the council should set its face against contract labour, nor should they insist always on doing the work themselves. They should call for tenders for the purpose of checking their own figures, and might let tenders for certain work to enable them to get urgent works done. Councillor J. Burn said he thought that most of the councillors would agree that calling for tenders was sound in principle, but in this case it was a matter of urgency, and in calling for tenders it might mean a delay of six weeks or two months; further, he thought that the council could do the work cheaper than a contractor. Councillor Semple opposed the amendment as he considered the council could carry out the work with its own staff of engineers. They had reorganised the department, and felt confident in the job they had done, and that they had a competent staff. To call for tenders would be a departure from the policy of the council in the past, and the public would want to know the reason why. Councillor B. G. H. Burn failed to see why the council should not call for tenders. It was not a matter of confidence in the engineers, but it was the right and proper thing to do. Councillor H D. Bennett favoured givng out by contract all works that lent themselves to contract work. In the present case the suporters of the amendment would be stultifying themselves by carrying it now, and for that reason he would ask the mover to withdraw his amendment.

The Mayor proposed that the chairman of the Works Committee _ should call a. special meeting to decide the point at issue. If there was much more delay the work would have to be done during the winter months. As soon as they had the plans he would call a meeting of the committee, and if they had a great deal of luck they might have tenders before them three weeks hence for such parts of the work as are suitable. Accepting the assurance of the chairman of the committee, Councillor Aston withdrew his amendment. Thea Mayor added that he favoured contract work wherever possible. The city engineer’s work was to design and supervise, not to carry out such works.