LOCAL BODY EFFICIENCY.

Shannon News, 15 November 1927, Page 3

LOCAL BODY EFFICIENCY.

SYSTEM FOR COUNTY WORKS COMMITTEE. REPORT TO BE SECURED ON ENGINEER'S ORGANISATION. A new scheme of procedure, to facilitate the administration of County works, was adopted by the Horowhemia County Council, on the recommendation of -.lie Works Committee, on Saturday. The need for a co-ordinated system has been felt for a long time, and has been emphasised by delay that eventuated in the discovery of great over-expenditure in relation to the estimates for the Main Highways construction, principally in the To" Horo riding. The committee's report and recommendations were as under: — FUNCTION OF THE WORKS COMMITTEE. As directed at the October meeting of the Council, your Committee have considered the possibility of improving the system of their function, and they have the following recommendations to make: (a). That the Works Committee be empowered to control all public works within the County, subject to the approval and. direction of the Council 'from time to time. j ' ' (b). That all committees or sub-com-mittees set up by the Council to deal with matters of a public works nature report to the Works Committee in writing at their next meeting. . (e) - That all matters referred, to the Works Committee.'sub-committees and the Engineer be minuted from time to time by the Clerk and reviewed monthly by the Works Committee.

(d). That the Clerk notify, in writing, all committees and the Engineer of matters referred to them.; ' (e). That a fixed day in the month "be appointed for each riding for Councillors and die Engineer to attend to matters referred to them and to make recommendations in writing :o the Works Committee in respect to matters requiring attention in the ridings. (f). That the Engineer be instructed to submit to the next meeting of the Works Committee a special report on his'organization for the control of pubHe works generally. . , The Chairman (Mr Monk) remarked that Clause C was the crux of the whole matter. When the Council had a minute it had a j ecord. ; Or Barber moved to add to the recommendations, that all suggestions of Counc.illors'*be put on record. The Chairman: Whenever the Engineer receives instructions, it should be in 'the form of a motion.

Cr Kilsby considered that Cr Barber was working on right lines. Small things had, cropped up at each meeting and had been lost sight of. Cr Catley- What is the position when a Councillor makes a complaint and the Engineer makes-., notes of it? /Is he not justified in investigating those complaints? The Chairman: Just so; but I haVe not got anything of that here. Cr. Catley: Trivial things are sometimes brought up and made too much of, causing the Engineer to waste time. But anything ■ I mention will not bo a ••Jiadow. -

The Chairman: If you move definitely that some action be taken, it is on record, ftlf you arc not definite on a suoject, you caunot expect me to make it definite for you. , What has been suggested is, to my mind, one of the finest things attempted to be ddne in the working of this Council. Cr Barber: Can I move that the notes taken by the Engineer be embodied in a resolution to come before the Works Committee? The Chairman: No. If h; were a shorthand' writer for me/ all right; but I could not accept that. I could not accept ai\ engineer's notes; they, are his own private notes. The Works Committee's recommendations, .vith Cr Barber's addition that suggestions to the Engineer be pat on lecord, were adopted. On the motion of Or. Kilsby, moved in accordance with notice, it was -resolved that Clause 4 of the recommendations submitted in the Works Committee report of October Bth, be.imenled to provide that the crushing plant •eturn be furnished monthly instead of .■juarterly.