An Exacting Job

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 700, 27 June 1929, Page 8

An Exacting Job

Choice of New City Engineer

IF Auckland’s new city engineer possesses tiie personal and administrative attributes required of him, and exercises them in the interests of the city, his starting salary of £1,500 a year will be well earned. Conditions of appointment have been approved by the council, but no selection will be made until the end of the

year. Aspirants lo the position of engineer to the City of Auckland, to replace Mr. W. E. Bush, who left for Australia about two months ago, w ill have until November 6 —over four months —in which to peruse the conditions of appointment, which give a comprehensive idea of the exactitude and administrative ability, as well as the energy, required from the successful applicant. Potential engineers will read practically the whole schedule before finding it clearly indicated that their job will not be that of chief executive officer of the council. The town clerk is the chief administrative officer, and is the medium of communication between heads of the various departments and the Mayor and councillors. All heads of departments are responsible to, and receive the council’s instructions through the town clerk. But in his own specified field of duties the new engineer will have work in plenty. First of all, preference will be given a man with a thorough knowledge of town-planning, a qualification which in itself will involve much time and thought in view of the extensive zoning and other improvement schemes at present being considered by the city authorities. CONTROL OF CITY WORKS Shortly stated, his duties will comprise the organisation, control and management of the whole of the engineering activities of the council, which, by recent resolution of the council, were divided into three parts, each under a departmental head, but the whole under the control and supervision of the engineer. These branches of city work, the division of which will tend to simplify the task of the engineer, and make his organisation more complete, are: (1) Office administration, town-plan-ning and architecture, under the direct control of the city engineer. (2) Waterworks, under a waterworks engineer, who undertakes design, constructional work and maintenance of the whole of the city’s waterworks undertaking. (3) Streets and sanitation (design, construction and maintenance), including drainage, plumbing, and inspection of the various detailed services connected to them—under the control of a streets and drainage engineer. These conditions are a little different from those required of the city engineer of tYic past, who had control

over all city works, Includiug the drainage of the city and suburbs. This last branch of the work was removed from his sphere when the Suburban Drainage Board was formed. Designs, plans, estimates, reports, must come easily to him; he must be medically fit; and he must become a member of the council's superannuation scheme, from which he ■will ultimately derive a pension at the rate of l-60tli of salary for each jear of service. Regular conferences with the town clerk will he necessary upon general questions relating to works in progress, works contemplated and administrative problems, upon which he must keep a sharp eye with a view to economical handling. Immediately he is appointed he will be required to reorganise and review the staffing arrangements of the departments under his control, and to prepare special reports upon proposed traffic outlets from the city, the proposed laying out of a large recreation area at Lake Waiatarua, and upon alternative schemes of waterworks. CHEERFULNESS REQUIRED Proved In administrative ability, he must be abreast of the most modern engineering development and practice. From 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. each day he will be on the job, but longer hours must, if necessity arises, be cheerfully worked without additional remuneration, and the engineer must give his services at any time in an emergency. His whole services must be devoted to the council, and social life will not be allowed to interfere with his duties. For this exacting schedule of work, the new engineer will receive, first, £1,500 a year to start, his salary rising in annual increments of £IOO until £2,000 a year is reached; and secondly, a fortnight’s leave in each year in addition to statutory holidays, at the convenience of the council. His appointment, moreover, will be at the pleasure of the council, and will terminate by three months’ notice on either side. In view of the general financial stringency revealed at recent council meetings, the task of the new city engineer will not be a bed of roses, for, in addition to the problem of working out a solution of the city’s engineering difficulties, a curtailment of expenditure allocations will seriously hamper any extensive exercise of the progressive ideas sought in the conditions of appointment.