ENGINEER BAITING.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 February 1918, Page 2

ENGINEER BAITING.

AN OLD SORE OPENED. AT , STRATFORD COUNTY COUNCIL. At the recent meeting of Stratford County Council, Or- J. O'Neill moved: "That tins council take the necessary steps to reorganise the engineer's department in order to ensure that the various engineering and public works now under way and contemplated be carried out in a more efficient manenr." 1 Or. Hancock thought the engineer should retire. The engineer said he desir*d to hear what anybody had to say. He preferred , it should be said befor.? his face rather than 'behind "his back. Cr. Hancock then moved that the engincer be asked to retire. i ' Councillors objected, and, on a. vote I 1 being taken, the motion was lost, only \ Crs. O'Neill, Hancock, and Baskin voting j 1 in favor. i I Cr. O'Neill stated lie had no personal I feeling in the matter and had no enmity ] to the engineer. He had "been returned to the council pledged to endeavor to ' ■ seoi..e certain reforms- He had 1 a fair experience of road work, and. in that connection he touched on tfhe work'at Waihapa road. The work was not what should ibe expected. He then referred to the Eobson road, where metal seemed to be dumped down, and that was the last of it. He thought the council should ' receive more practical results from the engineering staff. In the event of the ' resolution being carried, it meant tlhey would reorganise the staff and perhaps obtain better results. Cr. Hancock seconded. He had been to Eltham, and comparing the roads 6f the two counties they mnsft admit that the Eltham roads were much superior. With the superiority of roads he liad obtained figures which showed that the cost of roads in this. county was more than that of Eltham. He contended that many items of expenditure had been .brought about by the engineer of which they were in the dark. Cr. Baskin stated there was a bridge at To Popo which was the Taugntng stock of the place. On the Mountain road, near Monmouth road, ho had complained of water flooding the road The engineer was positive the drain was" on the right side, but experience had proved the engineer was wrong and -he (Cr. Baskin! rinbt. Ho then touched on the use of the county motor car, and the engineer going away to the' races at New Plymouth and to Waitara. , Cr. Anderson said that Cr. O'Neill lid not realise the difficulties the engineer had r.o contend with. Cr. Hancock-was al=n a new member, and they wou d find with a little more expoMenee. the value of the engineer's work. He- thought that Cr. Baskin had "got at." the; new councillors. Cr. Hancock denied having conferred with Cr. Baskin. He was prepared: to : bury the hatchet with.the engineer, and would do his best to work with him now that ho knew the engineer held a certificate. Cr. Anderson said they should give the engineer a fair run and they would find the work satisfactory. In his 'riding• the engineer had laid down • many good roads, and they should be proud of the work ho had carried out. Cr. Christoffel said it was the same old cry. Cr- O'usTeill had stated his views on the Waihapa road, 'but they should remember the work was done to the satisfaction of the council. Regarding Eltham roads, they 9hould also remember that the land there was more valuable and that there was more money there to spend. Cr. Were said he could not support the motion. Cr. O'Neill had spoken of the rilling of the Waihapa road, and this was the first they had heard of the matter. Regarding Cr. Baskin's objection to the engineer having a holiday and going to races and playing bowls, it was a paltry tiling to bring up. Cr. Mackay said he recognised the engineer's difficulties, and also agreed that he should have a holiday. The engineer had dono good work, but he was not, satisfied with all the work done The engineer was not perfect, but he bad done his best. He (Cr. Mackay) had gone over some of the roads in his riding and hod found them better than be was led to believe. Cr. Worthington briefly expressed "bis confidence in the engineer and his-work. The chairman said he was sorry.the motion was brought forward by the new members. The old councillors,recognised the difficulty the engineer bad. in getting new men for road work and keeping an eye on the work. If they compared the area of the county with that of similar bodies they would recognise they were getting good service. He could not help thinking that it was only small things that agitated the minds of the new councillors. Only the tar-sealing had been open to criticism, and lie admitted it, but they would also recognise thnt this work had been greatly improved. The motor car was a necessity for county work, and if the engineer went away for pleasure he would have to make arrangements for cars like others. He was well satisfied with the manner in which the engineer liatf carried out his duties. The engineer had. ■to show the contractors round where 'contracts were required, and it was ne-' cessary to have a car for the work, and the council should find, and did find, the necessary requisites, and .he (the I chairman) was very firm on this point. I Mr. Lopdell had been with them 3!-years' and had accomplished good work, and he gave a few figures showing bow the engineer had saved the council a few, hundreds of pounds in making contracts' that had been turned down in the conn-, cil owing to prices being too.higfi. Trie Engineer was thoroughly honest and fatr, nod the council had'shown their confidence in him that day by allowing him to make purchases on its behalf. Cr. O'Neill, in renly, maintained that the fillings on Waihapa road were not w.tisfnctorv and that uhe tar-sealing should he better. The engineer, who was granted leave to reply, stated that the Waihapa road was completed according to sneciftca tions, and bis other work would stand comparison with that done In other counties. He had nnlv used the motorcar to go to New Plymouth once. He had been dragged to New Plymouth as a witness in a dirtv law case; - and came j back- to Stratford in tlie eountv ear to get on to county 'business. He had had offers to join other councils, but whdi he accepted his present position he had I given a promise to stav a certain neriod. v nnd 'n kcepmc his pledge he hnd filmed .. down othe' - engagements with larger salary. The motion was then nnf and lost. TV*. O'Neill Hancock. -»d Baskin being the only three favorable.