SPECIALISTS TO GO

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 465, 24 February 1933, Page 5

SPECIALISTS TO GO

ROTORUA COUN CILLORS INSIST ON RESIDENTS FOR WHAKA WARNING BY CHAIRMAN The statement that by dismissing two specialists and engaging oth'er men who were not .specialists because they were local residents, the majority of the Rotorua borough councillors present on Wednesday evening were endangering the safety of the Whakarewarewa sewerage works was made both by the Mayor and the chairman of th'e drainage committee, Cr. Coleman. Despite this and the report of the drainage engineer that the work was highly specialised and that there was after investigation no man in the. Rotorua unemployed who had th'e necessary experience, the council1 _decided to dispense with the services of the specialists and take the rislc on the grounds that there were local unemployed who, under the tuition of the drainage engineer, could he taught to carry out the work. The matter was broached by Cr. Johnston who spoke at some length stating that he considered that there were plenty of men who could do the work for which the drainage engineer had imported two men from Hamilton. The mayor pointed out that investigations had been made and it was found that there was no one man in the ranks of the Rotorua unemployed who had had the necessary experience of h'andling large pipes for sulphur jointing. The matter had eaused the contractors a great deal of trouhle with small pipes m the suburban drainage scheme and in some cases it had been found necessary to relay the pipes three times. Cr. Coleman also warned the council that there was a clistinct danger to

the suecess of the scheme if they did not follow out the recommendations of their engineer. What they were doing was comp'letely exonerating the engineer of any blame if the scheme failed in any way. It was stated by Cr. Johnston that no one could convince him that it would not be possible for the engineer to teaeh' Rotorua men to become experts as the work progresse'd, a remark which drew a retort from Cr. Coleman that it might he very expensive tuition for the ratepayers if anything went wrong. A motion that the borough only employ local residents and give preference to married men was carried, Cr. Coleman registering his vote against it. The town clerk was instructed to arrange what compensation and •remuneration was to he given the two single specialists who had been hrought to Rotorua under engagement for the jointing work.