MANGERE ROAD WORKS.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 669, 20 September 1921, Page 2

MANGERE ROAD WORKS.

ASM3NISTRATaOH CRiT3C!SED.

ALARMED RATEPAYERS.

The manner ;".n which the Manukau County Council was carrying out the work authorised under the Man-yore tar reading scheme of £30,000, was criticised at the ordinary meeting- of the Council on Tuesday by a deputation, representing the Mangere Ratepayers’ Association.

The deputation was headed by Mr J. Montgomerie, president of the Association, who stated 'tnalt they offered no apology, as the matter was one of considerable importance to the district. He asked the Council to suspend the work until a satisfactory explanation regarding the a.ction of the engineer in departing from tfie

specifications on which the work was authorised, had been supplied to tne ratepayers. The speaker stateci mat the following resolution had been carried unanimously at a recent meeting of the ratepayers : —“That this meeting of Mangere ratepayers emphatically condemns the action or the Manukau County Council in permitting the engineer tc depart from the specifications of the Mangere tar road scheme, whereby an excessive proportion of the loan money .has been spent on 71 chains of road, and further seeing that the engineer’s own estimates of quantities by 200 per cent., The meeting demands an inquiry into the whole conduct of the work. Continuing, Mr Montgomerie said that the ratepayers had been in termed that about 28 miles of roads would not cost more than £30,000, yet on 71 chains of work under construction on Coronation road, which was not yet completed, the expenditure had been excessive—£ss7o having been spent, which worked out at approximately £6275 per mile, while with the added cost of bitumen, cbe cose per mile would be increased to £7OOO. The engineer had exceedd his estimates and quantities set out in the specifications, ;Vnd had “ constructed the road at a greater width and at a greater depth of metal than for in the specifications. In fact, he had exceeded his estimate of quantities by 200 per cent. The ratepayers held that it was the duty or the Council to see that the specifications were adhered to as closely as possible. He. contended the ratepayers had been fooled into voting for the proposal. Had they been told the work was going to cost £7OOO per mile they would have voted against the scheme. The chairman : What is it you wan us to d'o ? . .. ( Mr Montgomerie: We want me werk held up pending an inquiry, and unless -it is satisfactoyr we want fresh management. The chairman: You say you represent the ratepayers ; what backing have you got from the ratepayers that you should make these demands. I understand that there were only about 50 ratepayers present at the meeting of the 500 or 600 on the l °A voice : There were move like 150 at the meeting,* and the resolution was carried unanimously. The chairman: You come here and ask us to hold up the whole of the Vv . o rk in Mangere. You had no reason to doubt the qualifications of the engineer. We are quite prepared to admit (that we have made mistakes. There was no doirbt the estimates have been exceeded on a portion of the vV-n-.t. but wbal cbject can he achieved by holding'up the work now. He admitted the Council had departed from the specifications, but he felt Coat in this care, it was done in the interest of the work. He felt sure that time would prove the wissclom of their action. The work would lie put through on the money set apart for the purpose, and he was supported by the engineer in this, -who assured the deputation that he could carry out the whole scheme mile for mile within his estimates, stating that by employing material superior to that specified he would avoid the cost of top dressing within the foui years required to complete the scheme and would thus leaVe the ratepayeis nothing to cavil at. A voice : We want the management investigated. The chairman: I don’t think jou can kick us all out, and that is what it -would mean. He referred to the successful work the engineer carried out in Waimate West Taranaki district under a loan of £60,000, which was sufficient testimony of Mr Lopdell’s capabilities. It appeared to him that the deputation was representing farming areas, and they feared that the main road and not the by-roads would be improve*!, and that they would suffer in. consequence. (Jr Rouse challenged the statement that there was an attendance cu. 150

ratepayers a.t the meeting reno; to above. He contended that what had been done would prove the ffest in the long run.

After the matter had been discussed further, and in a more friendly spirit, the deputation withdrew, the president remarking : “Well, we’ve at least given, you a shaking up.”