CITY ENGINEER APPOINTMENT CUT AND DRIED

NZ Truth, Issue 1263, 13 February 1930, Page 1

CITY ENGINEER APPOINTMENT CUT AND DRIED

AUCKLAND'S COSTLY FARCE

Mr. Tyler The Man For Job, but Overseas Applicants Disregarded

INEXPERT CIVIC JUDGES OF EXPERTS

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Representative.)

iiniiiiiiiHiiiminiimiiiiiimiiiiiiuiiiMiiiniimmHiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiMiimi iiiiiiimii^^ When "Truth" indicated m its issue of December 5 last that it could- foretell m ,| which direction the cat of city council favor would jump m making the appointment | of engineer for the City of Auckland, it was not attempting the impossible or trying to | impress its readers with a gift for occultism. . • § Rather was it a case of this journal being" very well acquainted with the mental | processes of the majority of the councillors, and equally alive: to the fact that there were | a dozen or more reasons why the man selected for the position should be fully au fait with J "local conditions." ' 1

FiiiiiiiiiniiiHiniHiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiinuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiwiii We introduction of a stranger into 1 the council fold might have led to

untold complication — even friction — for he would have had to begin where others left off, and the "intricacies" of those very "local conditions" might have brought about a brain storm m a professional man. There may have been those deluded enough to believe that the Auckland City Council, having spent its money m a world-wide announcement that they required a' new city engineer of high qualification, had the intention of securing the services of such an one regardless of influence or personal interest; a man, moreover, who it was hoped would bring with him modern ideas and a wide experience and under whom •m time a man not so well graduated might increase his knowledge' 'until he wa's": m ' turn competent; to, step into his shoes. About such an arrangement there would be nothing unfair -or dishonorable. An outline .of the farce perpetrated by Auckland. City's municipal administrates will not be out of the way if it only awakens a small percentage of the ratepayers to the manner m which they are flouted, their interests belittled, and the dignity of their city besmirched. __ •- The position of City Engineer was advertised practically all over the world; Town planning experience was mentioned as an advantage, but not as a necessity. ' v "Truth" may mention here that when Mr. Brigham (the Town Clerk), was asked what the cost of the advertising had been to the city he was unable, or unwilling, to give the figures. He said that' they had not yet been passed and he was still carefully lookIng into them. In any case they were no,t available to the pressmen. Seventy-five applications were received. A special committee comprising Councillors Bloodworth, Dempsey, Ashley, Patterson, Bennett and Bagnail, with the mayor ex-offlcio was set up to select a dozen from among these. There was not one councillor competent to judge of engineering qualifications among the number. The committee even took it upon themselves to select nine — not the dozen as resolved. "Truth" asserts that m making this selection, which might have farreaching consequences, not one of that special committee devoted anything like the necessary time to make a thorough ' examination of the applicants' qualifications. In its article In December, "Truth" suggested that a section of the public metaphorically smelt a rat. That night the council met. There was some discussion on the question of the appointment; genuine concern was expressed by three or four councillors, who insisted that outside advice be deferred to, The rest of those present put up a passable pretence of interest, which rang hollow. Finally it was resolved that the consent of the Minister of Public Works and Minister of Internal Affairs should be asked to permit Mr. F. W. Furkert, Government Engineer-in-Chief, and Mr. J. W. Mawson, Director of Town Planning, to give the council the benefit of their advice. On December 23 the town clerk wrote to the Ministers and to the two other gentlemen. • Messrs. Furkert and Mawson were invited to report confidentially .upon six applicants selected by the special committee, not upon the whole number of applicants, be it noted. They were put m an invidious position. That is to say that these two professional men were to have their field limited by the selections of the special committee of whom it is safe to say not one knew as much about engineering qualifications as a navvy knows about Ensteih theories. Mr. Furkert wrote a reply on December 31, and the Minister of Public Works also wrote. The reply which the engineer-in-chief. sent to the town clerk speaks most eloquently for itself. The letter -was as follows:" "Dear Sir.— -With reference to yours of the 23rd inst., concerning the appointment of a city engineer for the city of Auckland, I have discussed this matter with Mr. Mawson, Director of Town Planning, and neither of us views with any enthusiasm the prospect of having to make the decision whjch your council wishes. "To begin with, we do not think that it is right that we should be required to judge as between six men selected by your sub-com-mittee, when it is quite within the

bounds of possibility that one of the sixty or more, which we understand from newspaper comment have already been rejected, may be better'than any of those m the limited list that you propose to . submit to us. . "As an alternative it has occurred to us that your council might consider the submission of the applicants' qualifications to the Council of the N.Z. Society of Civil Engineers, who, some years ago, decided that as a policy they would be prepared to assist any local authority or other properlyconstituted public organisation m just such an eventuality as has; now arisen m Auckland. "I understand that the society circularised all local authorities at the time, indicating its willingness to so assist, and ' : the ! '' intervening years quite a number of local authorities have taken advantage of the offer then made. "Mr. Mawson has suggested as a further alternative that you might consider submitting the issue to the Town Planning Board, especially as I understand from him that your advertisement calling for applications laid particular stress on the townplanning side of the duties to be performed. Possibly a reference to even both of the bodies referred to might not come : amiss.

"Neither of us has had an opportunity of consulting with our Ministers on the subject, owing to the holidays, but we put the above suggestions before you m the meantime. "Yours faithfully, "(Sgd.) F. W. Furkert, "Englneer-in-Chief and Under Secretary. "P.S. — If this alternative is not availed of, Mr. Mawson is quite prepared to assist the Council of the N.Z. Society of Civil Engineers, if desired." Though' this letter and that from the Minister had been m the hands of the town clerk for at least three weeks they were not placed before the council until January 30. It was then alleged, and doubtless with reason, that while certain councillors had been acquainted with the replies others had not been acquainted with the letters until read m the council chamber. An effort was made that night to refrain from coming to a decision immediately by one or two councillors, but it met with determined opposition from the "diehards." After several amendments and resolutions had failed to be carried the selection of the city engineer was put to the vote. The City Council on January 30 staged one of the brightest little farces ever presented. There were those who played their parts with more than average merit, and rarely has buffoonery, trifling or burlesque been better concealed under exteriors of solemn public duty. How certain councillors endeavored to camouflage their predetermined intention was mummery unexcelled. The outcome, a quarter of an hour after the farce commenced, would have been obvious to a half-wit. An eliminating ballot resulted m Mr. Tyler being appointed by thir- . " teen votes to eight. The eight votes were divided between two other candidates. This voting is all the more interest-

ing m the light 'of what was published m a leader m the "Sun" on December 19: "Unofflci all y, but with tha utmost confidence, . it haa been st at c d that heads have been counted within the council io ■ such an exact comput ation that the ' act-ing-city engineer will be promoted' to full > status^Tjy 1 ] fifteen votes to seven," stated the "Sun.* " Tr v t h " started the ball rolling by its exposure o f the council's intention m its issue of Dacember, 5 and the fact that every Auckland "daily"

came to light to tell the ratepayers that it had knowledge of the same thing is significant. The "Herald" on December 21 m a sub-leader said: "Public confidence m the council's proceedings was disturbed by the perfunctory fashion m which the committee set aside 66 applications." • ■ The qualifications of Mr. Tyler have nothing to do with the contentions "Truth" raises about the whole affair. He unhappily .is a pawn m the game, but has every reason to be happy as to the result. There is an issue far greater than that behind this example of brazen effrontery displayed by the majority of the council on a question of vital, importance to a city such as Auckland. It has brought civic politics to the level of a low comedy and indicates an attitude of derision on the part of those responsible to public opinion. It must of necessity belittle the city m the eyes of professional men, and the proceedings from beginning to end redound to the discredit of the council. Of what use v grandiose utterances of "public duty" or civic service when such methods are adopted in 'civic life? • The City Council has losi control of transport and electric light and power service; it has little enough to manage or control and . yet that little it is palpably unfit to deal with m a competent manner. If a remedy is to be found it is m a long memory and the ballot-box when the next election comes along for only by a full realisation of the unwholesomeness of council methods can those responsible bring about a much-needed change for the better. ■ The manner m which the whole matter of the appointment of the city engineer has been handled — the waste of time, the expense, and the befooling of the ratepayers— is ' but one of the many things w,hich Avill bring the reign of the present council to an end.