COUNTY ENGINEER CRITICISED

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 242, 6 October 1908, Page 4

COUNTY ENGINEER CRITICISED

TUB O.MATA MEMBERS AliAUf. Some time ago the Moa riding members of the Taraimki County Council endeavomed to secure a change ~i the engineering department, but the Waitara and Omnhi ridings plumped for .Mr. John Skinner, on the ground that he had given satisfaction and there was no necessity for a change. At almost every meeting in tile past two m' enree years the engineer has been attacked, not by those who had voted against liim, but from tJie Omnia members,

to whom lie owed his appointment 'Die r iapuae trouble is still fresh iu the minds of the ratepayers. Unfortunately for the engineer, 011 most of those occasions when he was present and refuted tlie allegations the Council was in committee, but very oh,en the criticism came out in open council after he had withdrawn. The engineer attend* the meetings after the luncheon adjournment and submits Ids report uipon the progress of contracts during tire month This is discussed. The chairman men regularly queries. " Is there ally councillor Who wishes to ask the engineer u questionY"' or "Does any councillor want to ask the engineer anything whilst lie is here?" This course was adopted yesterday, and the matter of Woods' estate was discussed. Then, the council evidently being finished with Mr. Skinner, the chairman told him he would not be further required. I Hit, as on many previous occasions, his retirement was premature Towards the end of the meeting, Cr. Adlam brought . up the matter of THE OAIvURA DEVIATION, and asked if it were a fact thai tue 5 Government subsidy upon the Oakura ' hill deviation contract had been ivd;ued by #25 because of failure to eal'rv ' out the work according to specifica--1 tions.

Tlie diairman replied in the allirnuitive, explaining to the council that it was in reference to the work 011 the X'ow Plymouth side of the river. Councillor Adlam said it hail also been reported to him that after the county engineer had practically passed the earthwork contract 011 the Uaktira side, and the contractor had taken away his plant, the Gorei'inni'iit engineer had found that another live feet of earth had to he removed ill order to comply with the specifications. Councillor Andrews said he had alleged this C 25 business at a previous meeting, hut he had been llatly contradicted hv tile engineer. The contractor himself had told him that the pegs had been shifted three times during the progress of the contract. As lor the other side of the stream, it was common talk down there that, after the contractor had left,. Mr. -Murray found that the earthwork had to be reduced. If it hadn't been for Mr. Murray and tha-t- Government. subsidy to be earned the jiib would have been passed, and it would have been a disgrace to the county. The chairman remarked that tlrere was no complaint from the contractor. Councillor Andrews said the contractor knew he had departed from the ! plans. I . The chairman said it was rallier too , late to talk about the C2.-> deduction. ; for that contract had been completed I two years ago. But Councillor Adlam was 'perfectly within his rights in asking the <|uestion. Councillor George said he had "mentioned this matter to the contractor and his foreman, who said they had mis-lead the plan. The engineer had told him that he had not passed tin? work when the contractor left. Tire contractor'- foreman had admitted to iiiin thai they brought the grade out at the wrong peg. and the contractor, who had borrowed the soil to make ii|> the 111 liner had to shirt TOO yards o( it again to get the proper grade. Mr. Brown said there was nothing before the council, and it was of litU. 1 use to go 011 discussing unless some councillor had a resolution to bring before the meeting. He was not going to shield Mr. Skinner. If he had done wrong, he must bear the brunt of it. But they must do business in some sort of order. The matter was allowed to drop.

TIIE EXCINKEirS UXPLAXATIOX. Our representative came across Messrs. Skinner and Andrews later in Hie afternoon, when Micy were "having .it out." Mr. Skinner was asked bv the reporter to put his version of the affair before, our readers, and he snwl he would do so, not that 'he cared very much for the attack, but that the puiblical ions of these charges without some explanation would be damaging to his professional refputat-ion. "The /C2i> business I can easily explain. Payment of that money "was not passed by tire District Road Engineer been UMo T had passed the work for payment without waiting for his certificate. Rut the .C 25 was merely transferred to another contract oil tile sanw undertaking on thy other aide of the river." He had explained to the council some time ago that the money was not lost to them, but that he hail been quite wrong in acting without tire, (lOvernment engineer in any work sub.sidised by the Oovermnent. As to the other matter, "It is absolutely wrong to say that f liod passed the work. 1 hadn't even checked it. It was 7iot part of my duty to do so, except with the district, Road Engineer. I had no power to pass it. The foreman on the job told mo he had finished, and I told him it was a very pretty job, and that 1 would I. out o:l the following Monday to pass it wit h Mr. Murray. Mr. Murray wa* away that day, so we we7it on Tuesday. Mr. Murray had his instruments with him. and I had mine, and wo both found that on th:> cutting the grade was I in U instead of 1 in 15. iun»* that the grade was not a uniform one of 1 in 10. Mr. Ocorgc's version perfectly correct. Had I been thv engineer to pass the work it couldn't have been passed, for the instrument showed straight away that it was wrong. Tit's all nonsense to say 1 passed it. I didn't have to pass it. That was Mr. .Murray's business, "There's one thing I'd like (u soy/* concluded Mr. Skinner. " I regret very much that- Mr. Andrews and Mr. Adlam always wait until T have left the council meeting before they open out with this sort of slulT, It would be> more manly to come out with it when T have a chance to reply."