The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15th., 1923 BOROUGH WORKS.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 November 1923, Page 2

The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15th., 1923 BOROUGH WORKS.

The local Council is giving a good deal of special attention to the crop of special works falling to its lot at this juncture. The enlivening attitude indicates the earnestness of members, who it can be seen are bent on doing the best they can for the town, according to their lights. In legard to the prosecution of public works it is necessary of course to have a well organised staff and the Public Works Committee are seeking to develope that. The committee just referred to, is the most important of the Council at the present moment. because of the amount of work to be done or calling for attention. Head men or leaders of day wages parties are not available at all readily at times, and again there is not always the class of labor at hand to carry out the works with a due regard to economy. The ordinary labourer with a knowledge of road work is not as numerous as in the times gone by. Other

avocations have claimed the class or men who used to follow the road works, and experienced or skilled men are now very scarce. The Council is pro-dispos-ed to attempt wink where it can bv contract, and in the circumstances that is advisable, hut it is essential to maintain close supervision. With the labour market as it is, it is difficult to gunge by what method the best return can he obtained for the expenditure going on. The contractor, if lie has to employ much labour, will be up against the same difficulty as the Council in securing skilled labor for road or drain works, which involve often the use of concrete. But the Council can he given the credit at least of trying to do what is licst. ami in the eml will no dnnht utilise both systems—day labour and contract to carry out the considerable programme ahead of it. With a resit irted market of suitable labour, all the works may not be rushed along at once The works must be taken up piecemeal, and the more urgent will he selected for first attention. The new Council has been long enough ".a office now to be moving actively. Tile Public Works Committee lias been augmented. and has its mandate to go ahead with the programme. The members of the committee are lepiesentative of tlie Council as a whole, and no doubt, have the confidence of their fellow members to make the best advance possible. Good leadership tor working parties is a lirst necessity, and it will repay tile Council to oiler a good wage fur Midi positions. 1 hose posts need not he permanent because there is a limit to the work to he performed, but where a good working foreman could I ■? picked up, the Council for the time being, at all events, would he able to employ such a man remuneratively at a higher rate than the average priic paid for (lay labour. It is evident that through the closing of Stafford street, a good deal rtf extia traffic is going to lie thrown on other streets and the upkeep of such w ill increase. A sum ol money is available from the Italtawy Department for this class ol work, and some of it requires to be attended to without delay. The Public Works Committee will have its time fully oc. upied for the next few mouths, if it call secure the labour or tile contractors to press on the completion of the work. The expenditure chiellv w ill he provided from loan moneys and the railways grant, so that all this activity will not occasion a special levy oil the ratepaveis. All the same, the work requires to bo well and faithfully carried out. so that when i ompleted it will stand the traffic and will not he a call upon the iunds for immediate maintenance purposes.