FOREMEN IN TROUBLE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81858, 5 October 1906, Page 4

FOREMEN IN TROUBLE.

MORE ABOUT I RE. FOREMAN EVETTS (.-JU'IC ISED. The two road foremen on tfie County road between New Plymouth and Funiho are evidently in f"r .1 rosy time. At tho County Council meeting on Monday la-t. Councillor Andrews asked if ' oriman Moore had been instiuo J not to engage extra men 1", mad work withoui the express sawtiuu "f the Council or of the riding members. H« complained that four extra men bad been employed on the road a fortnight ago, and that there were three employed now "paiching, a shovelful here, and a shovelful there, whilst the foreman was just s:anding looking on.' - —The Council did not pur sue the matter further.

Foreman Moore again came under the )a>h at frequent in ervals during the day. Councillor Andrews' suggestion that Foreman Evetts should traverse the road in Moore's length and estimate on the estimated quantities of mainenance stone required wai opposed by Cr Adlam. of the same riding. Cr. Andrews: "1 certainly have no ' confidence in Moore."' I Cr. Adlam: "I don't like two fore- i men on one job." Cr. Andrews a few minutes later got in a side-hit when he complaine-i that down in his district stone was being "dumped" on the road whether it wanted it or not, and in some places where it was not wanted at all. It was late in the afternoon when Councillor A. George returned to the attack commenced by him at the previous meeting, concerning what he believed to be an excessive cost of metalling the Breakwater road. He had figured it out, and found that only 7J yards of metal were spread daily. From his own observation he said there were three men doing the work of one, and he protested against such a system. Councillor Andrews seized the op port unity to again decry the foreman in his district. He considered they could do without a foreman there for four months in the year, and moved that the Council dispense with the services ot ;be South Omata foreman forthwith. There was no seconder. Cr. Andrews asked the Chairman who was going to lake charge of the metalling in the riding whilst the crusher was there. Would it be left in Moore's hands? The Chairman: "I suppose so. He is the foreman. Cr. Andrews; Well, I'm going to protest again-f it. Give the whole road to Evetts. The Chairman aaid it i»h:- r idi< ulou» to a>k Foieman Evetts or anyone e!»e to supervise n miles of road. He would lose too much time riding about. Cr. Andrews considered the £ls or £2O a month spent in wages there was thrown away. There was no work to show for the money. No private employer would waste money in such a way. Cr. George kept the ball rolling. "I want to complain,'' he said, "ol Evetts engaging men without reference to the Council." Cr. Andrews: "It's no use. I've made complaint after complaint that we are paring a man eight bob a day to stand looking on with his pipe in his mouth while others do the work. The Chairman said the ratepayers seemed to be preuy well satisfied with Foreman Moore. Cr. Andrews denied this, and mentioned that ratepayers' meetings had requested his dismissal. "All 1 have said in this Council concerning M ore had b««n ignored by yon, Mr Chairman, and all the resi of you. lam •imply doing my duty tu the ratepayers." It waft THiif now for the members of the other ridings t" take I>art in the discussion, which Cr. Hopson put an end to in double quick "in l '. "We re in a difficult position, we outside members," he said. "The members can't agree about this matter, but squabble and squabble amongst themselves. When they agree on the course of action we 'l know what to do.'' The Omata foremen were no' further discussed, and the matter is now again simmering in view of another outburst at the November meeting of the Council,