Poverty Bay Standard. Published Every Evening. GISBORNE : THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1882.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1208, 23 November 1882, Page 2

Poverty Bay Standard. Published Every Evening. GISBORNE : THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1882.

The legislation that has taken place during the past few years has tended largely to place important powers of self-government in the hands of the ratepayers. It is, therefore, the duty of the representatives of the people in the different local governing bodies to see that those duties are properly carried out. In Cook County for a long time past, as the settlers in different parts of it are : fully aware there has been a feeling of dis- . appointment as to the mode in which the j business of the County has been transacted. I The blundering that was made over the Gis- ■ borae-Ormond Road, where thousands of j pounds were wasted through the incompetency—if nothing worse of the parties concerned is too fresh in the minds of the people to need comment. From all sides there is but one cry, and that is that jobbery exists somewhere in regard to County contracts. Elaborate specifications are drawn up and artistically prepared plans are submitted of the works to be done; everything looking well on paper—all to terminate in the work being passed by the County Engineer in too many instances, far from being properly done. Tenders are called for a certain piece of work. On completion it is passed by the Engineer, when shortly afterwards further tenders are called to repair the works that a month or two ago had been passed by the County Engineer. Look to any part of the Gisbonre-Wairoa road, and what is the result ? Nothing but a series of engineering blunders from the very beginning. Hundreds of pounds have been spent on this road, with about one-half of the money expended in making the side-cuttings—the remainder going to pay for the cost of removing the landslips that immediately afterwards occurred. We say distinctly that, under the present regime, that public money is wasted by the Council, or spent in the direction that suits a favored few in the Council, upon whom the Engineer can «<- ways rely for support in case of emergency. The discussion yesterday afternoon in the County Council in reference to Mr Morrice’s complaint as to the manner in which section 91 of the Gisborne-Wairoa road was carried out, clearly indicated the way the wind blew. It will be remembered that a some of the members of the Council strongly endeavored to “burke” all enquiry into the matter. The question was put off from time to time, delays were created, but Mr Morrice, backed up by professional opinion based upon actual examination of I the works in question—feeling that he was | right, and no one who had travelled over 1 that part of the road but fully endorsed his I views—persisted in his complaint. The works I were bound to be tested; tested they were and ! it was undeniably proved that the work had 1 been “scamped.’*’ The County Engineer is . convicted on his own testimony. He and ■ Mr. Reynolds, C.E., measured the slope of i the side cuttings in forty-one places along i the road, and not one—not a solitary inI stance, was the work done according to ! specification. The quantity of earth that I should have been removed according to the terms upon which the contract was taken, I was wot removed ; in some instances the bank l should have been cut in three to five feet i further, and we believe we are understating * the distance, and it was not done. Yet we i find the work passed by the County Engii giueer with—as might be expected—the very I natural result that in a month afterwards I the road is blocked up and rendered impassI able by reason of the many slips that oc- ‘ curred. The very object of the slope being ; of a certain degree was to prevent what ! actually did occur through the specifications : not being adhered to.