THE SECOND ACT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 75, 19 March 1914, Page 5

THE SECOND ACT.

THE ENGINEER’S POSITION

Cr. Walter then moved that the Engineer’s services bo dispensed with

on the usual notice and that in future the Council employ an Overseer for the whole of the County. He opened by stating that Councillors must recognise that eacli one was doing his best for the County and that in his motion he had the welfare of the County at heart. But he objected to the present system of dual control. A man who was on the roads for the whole of tire week was the only one who could properly supervise the whole of the, work. The workmen would know that the overseer would he among them daily ami they would look up to him. The man appointed should be one who could pick a “waster,” and he could do so more quickly than the Engineer, ■who perhaps only saw the the foremen mee a month. The supervision which the Engineer at present did was not work for an Engineer, and a man of Mr Robinson’s abilities could not waste his time on it. He did not desire to say anything against the Engineer, who was one of Pie busiest men in the County. He was recognised by everybody as being at the top of the tree in his profession, and the great amount of private work he was asked to do prevented him spending ranch time on supervising the County’s work. The supervision of the Engineer, as an engineer, was not wanted at the present time. The work of development had been completed and the Engineer would only bo required in respect of such now bridges as might be decided on. In place of giving the Engineer £350 per annum, the overseer could he given £250 and the remaining £IOO would cover the cost if the services required from Mr Robinson.

Cr . Smith seconded. With all deference to the Engineer lie thought the motion a step in the right direction. Their finances were in a had state, and before they increased the taxes or erected toll-gates they should •nit down expenses. SOUTH RIDING SPEAKERS. Cr. Christoffel said ho could not see that they would make a saving by having an overseer. When the Council’s engineering work was done on commission it would cost double what it did at the present time. Even with the overseer there would have to be foremen. The overseer could hardly get over the whole County more than once a month. The engineering work would cost more than £IOO per annum and there was a lot of work to be done beyond new bridges. Cr. Thomson said it surprised him to hear Cr. Walter move as lie had done. He should have waited until tho recommendations just adopted had been given a fair trial.

Cr. Walter: It will come in time--either the Engineer must give us ah his time or we must have an overseer.

Cr. Thomson ; What will you get by iplitting up the salary?

Cr. Were: More efficient work

Cr. Thomson said that was open to question. There still remained much heavy engineering work to be done. “TO SIT ON THrE CAN Ki” Cr. Were said that when the Engineer was put in charge of all operations he failed to rise to the occasion. He would inspect work and give the foremen some directions, and afterwards might not he seen for some time, Cr. Thomson: You want somebody to sit on the b.#nk. Cr. Wert said the overseer would even do that in cases where he found it necessary. There had been made heavy ' engineering commission 'charges, but at that time the County was in its infancy and there was a great deal of heavy work to lie done. In a year ho did not think there would be ten jobs in which the Engineer’s services would be required. HECKLING IN EVIDENCE. Cr. Young said that unless the system of work was altered the overseer could not supervise the whole of the work. Cr. Were: How can the Engineer do it ?

Cr. Young: Ho can’t do it, so how could the overseer? Cr. Walter: We would have the whole of the overseer’s time, while we have only part of the Engineer’s. . Cr. Young said he did not think the change would he for the better, but he thought the work would improve through being done by contract. Cr. Smith: Will the Engineer watch every shovel of metal spread? THE UPKEEP OF ROADS. Cr. Hathaway said he could not fagreo with Cr. Walter that the Council [did not need an engineer. He was wanted more than ever before, because the roads had to be kept up to a certain standard for the motor traffic;

traffic only in its infancy which had never been experienced previously. At

one time the Engineer estimated the cost of upkeep of tho Mountain Road at £BO per mile, hut now his estimate was £6OO. Experiments would have to tie made with the latest forms of paving, and a layman could not ho expected to 'xeop abreast of the times in respect of the newest and latest pavings. “Because,” concluded Cr. Hathaway, with heat, “the Engineer asks the Council to give him backing in carrying out a certain system it is a cowUrdly thing to say to him: ‘We lou’t want yon.” THE MOVER IN REPLY. Cr. Walter, replying to arguments, said that even after all their heated argument they would leave the Council table the best of friends.

Cr. Hathaway (still heated): I don’t know about that. (Laughter).

Cr. Walter reiterated that all Councillors must admit that each was doing the best he could for the welfare of the County. The question was not one of pounds, shillings and pence. The only thing wanted was better supervision. If the Engineer gave the County the .vhole of his time he (Cr. Walter) would drop his proposal. He thought the proposal would mean a saving.

Cr. Hathaway: It would take an overseer three years to get to know the County.

Cr. Walter said that in the old days the loan expenditure ran into thousands of pounds, while this year only £.‘loo was raised by loan. If the proposal yvas .rejected, the doing of work by contract would certainly help tilings. If the chairman was right in •aying that the County was much in veed of an engineer, that was an arguuent why the County should have the whole of Mr Robinson’s time. They .ranted a man who could at any time >;o to the point where operations were icing carried out. He thought the Council were working ou a wrong system.

REMARKS BY THE ENGINEER.

Being invited to say anything he wished, Mr Robinson said that ou all occasions he had done the best he could for the County. It was immaterial to him what course the Council took, but if Councillors thought that under the present system they were not getting the best value for their money they should adopt some other system. He bad always tried to give the best possible value for money received. Councillors should weigh the facts carefully to ascertain whether the change would bo for the better, and if they found that under the proposed scheme they stood to gain more than they would lose their duty was to carry Cr. Walter’s motion. On division the motion was lost, die ayes being Crs. Walter, Were, and Smith.