ON INSPECTORS OF PUBLIC WORKS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 10, 11 January 1879, Page 4

ON INSPECTORS OF PUBLIC WORKS.

[F om the Dunedin Herald,'] '\ lie persons wh.-) appninied the In-Bppr-tr.r f Works referred to I clow must have had gre»t faith iv the oontraefnr. Tiie pio y possn&ses the singular merit of heing true: — A short while n\n> a contract wjis entered into by the G-vemment for the ernticn of a certain buildinsj not a hundred miles from Dunedin, The <il get) injj iorwiird material had beyuii, when the c<'iit r nct<TS received a fc.rnial not ice that Mr Shadow had been appointed to act as inspector of the w.irk, with whom the contractor ■wjss in consult in all cases of doubt and difficulty. '1 his notice was duly forW»rded to the w rks by the cflntractor, for the inf rmation nf his foreman in charge. Theeontractf r had, however, to vi-ir the works a tew days afterwards, vhen he was introduced to Mr Shadow. As there had been discovered some dis crepuncy between the speciGcation and the plan, the contractor then and there askt-d j\Jr Shadow (after reading over the clause referring: thereto, and showing it sin ihe plan) what was to be done under the cm umstances ? To his dis may the reply was*. " Ye maun dae the best ye can.'' " "What " said tbe contractor, " am I not told to consult you in all eases of doubt or difficulty :" " Maybe, but ye see I diuna ken onything about it." "Are not you "a mechanic ? ' " No." " "What in the name of goodness, then, are you r" " I'm a collier ; and ye maun be as easy as ye c:in wi me, as I ken naetbing about it " It may be asked if such a man as this (who is said to be an average sample of the lot) is fit to be trusted with the expending of large sums of public money ? Are these inspectorships refuges for the destitute frienda of officials, or those who had befriended them in days gone by ? It is well to show gratitude, especially when it costs you nothing ; but it is not well that the public should have to pay tbe piper.