COUNCIL AND DEPARTMENT.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 457, 17 April 1912, Page 5

COUNCIL AND DEPARTMENT.

A QUESTION OF AUTHORITY.

In connection with the expenditure of the Government grant for metalling the Te Kuiti-Awakino road, which was entrusted to the County Council this season, a point haß arisen which for the guidance of all concerned. should be determined without loss of time. Included in the scheme proposed for the season by the council was the metalling of fifteen chains between tho seventeen and eighteenmile pegs, and duplicate plans for the work were forwarded to the assistant road engineer for approval. Exception was taken to the locality of the proposed work by the assistant engineer, who expressed the opinion that the section of the road which required metalling first was between the nine-mile-peg and Pio Pio. He therefore refused to approve of the plans and returned them to the council.

In referring to the matter at the council meeting on Monday night, Cr O'Dwyer, who is member for the riding, in which the work was proposed to be done, said he would like to know if the council was to be dictated to in this manner by the departmental officials. It seemed to him that the function of the departmental engineer was to see that the work was properly carried out according to planß and specifications and not to dictate to tho council aa to the exact place in which the work was to be done.

The council agreed that the point was one which required to be BStttled and it was left to the chairman and Cr O'Dwyer to deal with the matter.