The Timaru Mole.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 106, 9 February 1901, Page 3

The Timaru Mole.

At the meeting of the Levels County Council on Wednesday, Mr Mee brought up the question of the eastern mole of the Timaru Harbour. They, as representing the ratepayers of a very large part of the harbour district, should protest strongly against the work being carried out by day labour. They had all had experience of day labour, and had found it most expensive. If this were true of private work, it were doubly true of work for a local body. The £IOO,OOO would be frittered away, and the work not being done, another loan would be asked for. They were not out of place in giving their opinion on this matter, even if they passed no resolution.

Mr Orbell slid he was glad the matter had been brought up. He was quite sure the loan would never have been carried it the Harbour Board had declared their intention of doing the work by day labour. It was almost impossible to carry out a work of that size as well by day labour as by contract. Contractors always get better work out of the men than any public body. If the work was gone on with, there would be public meetings all over the district in protest. He did not want to cause factious opposition, but all agreed that the harbour must be protected, and the money made to go as far as possible. He would take no resolution on the subject, however, and all members 1 speeches must be regarded as expressions of individual opinion. Mr Butler agreed that day labour was in its own place indispensable, hut in the harbour works it was certainly out of place. They were right not to move in the matter, and so hamper their members, who were also on the Board. Mr McLaren said that with a contract the people knew What they had to pay, but doing the work by day labour they did not know where payments would stop. If the day labour system continued the members of the Harbour Board would be approached on behalf of numberless workmen, and not necessarily the best men, who could not be discharged by the engineer if they were no good.