PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 March 1920, Page 2

PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.

(To the Editor) Sir,—Criticism hns been very strong against the Public Works Department by the various Chambers of Commerce lately, nnd as one of tho public Interested In tlio development of our country, I am with them, as T believe the Department Is In a state of lnffleclency, caused, no doubt, through Its chief o: being born and bred in an ntmosphet red tape and nlßc!a''iin. I am lnfoi that tho rhlcf engineer of the Depart) has had 46 years service. Well, If this Is so, it is no wonder that the Department is accused of inefficiency. For a head of o department to have this length of service he must have entered aa a boy, nnd Is therefore minus any outside business training, and all his erperlence has been the proverbial red tape. "Yes sir. will Ido it now?" "No, you had banter wait further Instructions, etc., I will have to obtain further reports on the subject, put it in the pigeon hole for present " If we are going to Ret beyond this sort of thine we will have to appoint an engineer from Britain or America who has ".vperlenee in large engineering works, and especially In hydro-electric, development, as this will eventually be the dominant power required for all Industries. It Is no use appointing understudies. We want new blood, not those broueht up In an atmosphere of red-tapelsm. We want the Public Works Deparment's engineering to he reorganised on business lines by ono thoroughly competent to carry out works within a Teas " time at a reasonable cost With the I engineers there Is far too much experimenting with local problems. Engineers of ability know what to do, and dc it within a reasonable time. This Is not r habit of the present engineering staff of the Public Works Department. As a matter of fact they are far too slow In all their engineering works. One Illustration—Arthur's Pass tunnel—l am,