MANGERE TAR ROADS.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 670, 27 September 1921, Page 5

MANGERE TAR ROADS.

(To the Editor)

* Shy —I was exceedingly surprised to read in Tuesday’s Times, under the heading “Ratepayers’ Guessing Assoc iation,” your sneering reference to the deputation from Mangere, which waited on the Manukau County Council at its last meeting. Since when, has it becomt a crime for those who are paying for the work to criticise the expenditure ? You ask forVsomething of a concrete nature. Is it nothing that th engineer has exceeded his estimates by more than 200 per cent.? The 71 chains of road already put down has cost £5570 (engineer’s figures) without the bitumen surface. The finished cost of' this 71 chains cannot be much less than £7OOO. Yet the engineer’s mate for the first section of 131 chains, which includes the 71 chains done, is only £2526. But the most disquieting feature of the whole wretched business is the fact that whereas not more than sin. of new metal was specified for any part of the 71 chains done (and the engineer assured his Mangere aduiences again and again that ‘no more was required). Yet notohing less than 9iu. has been put down’ everywhere. Is it any wonder that we are asking what are the engineer’s qualifications. The Manukau ratepayers’ may have a ‘ Guessing Association,” but what is a very much more serious matter for them they appear to have also a “guessing engineer.” The Mangere loan of £3OOO was raised to deal with the whole of the Mangere roads, some 28Vc miles. How much of this will be completed at the present rate of ver £7OOO per mile ? The engineer’s reply to criticism has been “a lot of piffle.” If iti s piffle, then I challenge him to publish the specifications by which the ratepayers were fooed into voting for the loan. If a

business firm failed to carry out. its ? pecifications as the Manukau Council has done, we would have a remedy at law. Is there no redress for the ratepayer ? The Council has refused to even hold an inquiry. Will They be better satisfied if there is a public, inquiry by a commissioner. —I am, etc.,

J. S. MONTGOMERIE Mangere, September 23rd, 1921.