The Evening Mail. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1878.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 769, 28 September 1878, Page 2

The Evening Mail. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1878.

The Municipal Engineer, Mr.M'Leod, has we observe, made an application to t e' Oou..ci! for perni'ssiou to unoertakp ivar pr c c •»",« P'-'f 0 :; m met of i 1" l' 2 "-**■ l "'\ ia on.- of eon.sidera-.l- nuport-u.ee. aad theref-re make »" apology tor 'e eirui' to it ; indeed. so " it deemed bv the Council itself tmit a special meeting -as b< en ca.hc. to. the consideration of ilie t'.iigi.u>p. " . cation. Mr. M'Leod's U't ; er >B uo». be- . fore th, nor has u ! en i ,eas-oo that i c'l.nrn-' •••"«'; ~v,T; e r' " T . lisivat niniV'- w-o.co it «oUi • I. * unfair •■■lid encoori e- ,! 'S to t.o 11 nmkepnblie; indeed we only know su-hcu-i.. of its contents to enable us to treat v<it. the subject in dl its chiei points. The chief reasoi?. urged Dy -'li • ±'~ - L -'-' | favor of his request is that "is term 01 office vvijl expire within a year, and thru | in view of his then retiring fiom rjc Council's service, he is atsxioue to establish for himself a connection, ana create & paying business, if we may use w' term into which he can step cmeUij Iceases to be the Corporation Engineer. At the first blush Mr, M'Leod s idea may appear perfectly legitimise, but when we come to seriously consider the question a score of very potent arguments arise against the granting of the privilege sough, to be obtained. We have erry respect for Mr. M'Leod, and should be pieaseu to see him, as he very evidently desires to do, remain amongst us on the arnviU of the time when the Corporation, having completed its present, large undertakings, no longer requires his servteea. .Nothing would give us greater plei'.S ire than to see Mr. M'Leod «t a»ch a. t.nne enjoying a li.roe and profitable private pno-nee or li'8 0 But. on pu»hc gromios. and putilic grounds alone, ire must certainly say '.hat fchs Council would Iv committing a grave b.uinuer a s to the request oi if* Engineer. Itj would be manifestly unfair to [43 .-ate | firms to permit a public otiicer, in the eiiioyment of a large salary, m >:.'?er In! " | S competition with them, and that, too. j with the preetigo enjoyed by "3 | virtue of his [> vii>l ic pi>siu<;n ; •■t- -j* and always have been, aver^ 1 • system of aljiooing servant*. •• permanent p.. 5 ii....i« with nx-.d to in private praet or. A. in.ol can lit/' serve musters-' is a iriu-nn thoroughly apuiioahie in »m»i oases, r..r occasions must arise when one 01 «..!• other must suffer. Let public Ou.o er S i paid salaries commensurate with theii talents and tha work they have to perform, but by all means let us know that we are entitled to the exclusive enjoyment of the benefits of the talents for the exercise of which they are paid. Dnecti\ the systt m is adopted of permitting public officers to enter into private business a very serious wrong is done those who depend entirely upon private practice, and 011 tlrs around alone, is no others were to be brought forward, we should object l.g she Council according its Engineer permission to practice his profession privately, tut there are other reasons why it is not desirable that the Council should grant the request. When Mr. M'Leod was engaged, the Council went to great, and some say neediesß, expense m advertising foi an Engineer of superior talents simply because it was about to undertake a li*i ge, important, and expensive work a work requiring the exc-reise of to'eat engine' ring skill' to render it thoroughly suec s---fuL We allude 'o the water sunp'v scheme That work has not yet eei.-o carried'to like a st .to of j pletion, and call we .-iii ..'-1 to pair ui''i t even a portion or that engiie i r'.-. -»{!••(•- j vision over the work for witicn w« it.<v • i in the past clo-meil it necessary to pay ! pretty dearly f We maimain _ that «e j cannot. Our water suopiy liaa j already obtained unn<entf<iiy we ccJ li t . ve —a c-ert'isn amount of «. not very j enviable liotorieiy outniae the_ town, j partieulmiy in or,'- branch o£_tl;>: O.lonia.: j Legislature, and shonl.l ihe Council agree Ito the proposal whseii it caaKii ni; :■> to j conside;' on Monday (.-venue.:, it '•■■ til i seized *.i j -oil as a handle for the iiuihng or ; furth-. r unpleos-mt remarks at the Corpoi rat:r." ,- 3 management of the wafer supply sehf i. This is a ihing we ear.noi-. \v.;i! ail'ito indulge, espeeiaky wiioa ive &f« peeking to obtain power to barrow the money necessary to complete tne waterworks scheme. Then, again, wa Lave to took at the matter in a more personal light. Should Mr. M'Lkod be permitted to undertake private practice, it is ouiy reasonable to suppose that lie will devote a considerable amount of his time to pi ij vate engineering, ieaving_ at any rate a considerable amount or tiie Corporation work to be performed by his assiscan'o, probably engineers whose talents are nor nearly so great as those of which lie e* the fortunate possessor. 'Now, if the Corporation's work is 01 such a nafu:e that it can be properly performed by an engineer whose servic s wili probably bo vulnod Mfc ;u)out on* 1 - third the suni paid uu M'LjKOD, why should the ratepayers noi he permitted to reap the benefit Hccruinif from cheap^enwinourin<r 2 \VP h;i.Vf> nt) dl)Ubl» tllSlt. iVlr.

I M'Leod IB thoroughly m earnest wnen ne undertakes that the Council's work should he properly performed, and ho would doubtless ci;d.;.t'.'or to curry out ti nt promis • f.iithfuliy i o'i c ninioo «i n t!ie gi'i'iit, luaj iify of li.-' public. n:v | sti-oiiglv p«vju<lic«l .-.•/ium.i: :v : ■ j i 'liijli'y for t e s i-i of a eipnl' to lijiv.- the w<.rk )> d issistants Wliat is ffoi'ili _ p.iyij«;f _ 'or :s worth bavin;. This may bis it faiiinj.'. but. if so, it is a failing very gon.-ral among human nature. It is quite trii'that the Municipal Engineer consented over twelve months ago to his salary being rednced from LIOGG to L 750 per annum, but he received a quid pro qua in the shape of an engagement for two years, instead of one terminable on a given notice; so that that cannot be used as an argument is favor of the Council granting his request to engage in the practice of his profession outside of his official duties. It is also true that he how says that be will effect a saving of fully LSO a moiitl) on the present cost of the department ; but as he promise* to bring about tiiis result by discharging certain of the Council s present servants, inquisitive people may inquire why this step cannot be taken if the Council retains full possession of Mr. M'Leod's services as at present, Mr?

Ia ; jL;:Oi> in his letter does not make this puii it sufficiently clear, and before enters iig fuily into a discussion upon it, we should like t<> hear his explanation of the mod us operandi by which this very appreciaii lu reduction is to be brought about, and the services performed equally as effei stually as at present.