ENGINEER APPOINTMENT

Otaki Mail, 17 March 1922, Page 2

ENGINEER APPOINTMENT

QUESTION RAISED AT COUNCIL MEETING. The question of the proposed appointment of Mr Boardon to prepare a scheme for the reticulation of the Otaki Borough lor the electric lighting installation cropped at last night's meeting of the Borough Council, when Cr. Bills asked if that was necessary seeing that they had their own borough engineer. He asked for 1,1)0 information of several ratepayers, who had questioned him on the point.

Cr. Broadway said according to Mr Reason it would take about n fortnight to prepare the report on tho scheme. He also asked why their own engineer could not do that work.

Cr. Kilsby. acting chairman, said he did not think their engineer could, be cause he already had a pretty heavy

load with the drainage and water schemes. Cr. Kilsby said it appeared to him, a* the Otaki member of the Power Board, that that body was going to be a bit slow, and lie thought therefore that ii would he all the bet-

ter to engage :.n outside engineer to do the borough work, so that they would

be ready to receive the power Cr. Bill* R*ked if it was C

say that if Mr Reardon's scheme was not satisfactory, ' lf! nced not *>e engag

Cr. Kilsby: That is so. Touching on the reticulation of the Horowhenua district, he said this was going to be a big job and run into something like £300,000. Applications were to be- culled for an engineer for the County, but it the borough did its own reticulation, it would not be necessary to use, or pay, the County engineer.

A further question was asked by Cr Bills if a public meeting would be call ed to consider Mr Eeardon '» appoint ment. if his scheme was approved.

Cr. Kilsby: We should never do that. It was not done -when Mr Davies was appointed. If it comes to that, I would {hrow up my position first. Cr. Broadway: I don't think tl" cases are the same.

Cr. Bills: We wanted a eierk then and got an engineer at the name time.

Cr. Kilsby: If we have to ask who should be appointed before making an appointment. I think we should throw up our jobs. Cr. Bills said he thought the Counoil should explain the whole position to the ratepayers. If that was done itwould be much more satisfatcory to the ratepayers and to Mr Reardon himself, as well as to the Council Cr. Kilsby: Everything will com£ out when Mr Reardon 'a report Is considered. The speaker contended that it was only a few of the ratepayers who were against the progress of the town that were raising this opposition.

Cr. Bilk said, personally, he would like to see the electric light in Otaki to-mofrov.-. although his firm's business in the sale of kerosene would fall flat. <Xaughter).

Cr. Kilsby: We will be months ahead of the county in the reticulation workHe added that it was estimated that the reticulation of Otaki would take 12 months. The question then dropped.