CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VI, Issue 1869, 19 December 1884, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor,

Would you oblige me by p'tiblisnihg,a few words of explanation re. the staiement's.made by Mr Reese about , , njy :,beip& a? County contractor-ahd ■> occupying the: position of inspector of- : ■.works •fcf'ffieilGouhty--Councii'at the • sanie,. tirtiei':"' 'i'ii' January, ;Iss, ; under Mf'jting-.for a ih^t.>^il»4o*relwe :ii:i Mt McLeqd, who, owing to his extensive knowledge"' ;.qf;rj,v,ej^rottf6rive' , Worksi' was urgently, rrequirad at Hifrunuiorangi, iram'edi.completion of the pro-' tective' works' "at ' Huruniorangi, Mr McLebd resuhied charge of the County, works and men and I obtained employment as a .survey laborer with. Mr Beany; •Shortly after this every man who could chain I 'or use a levelling instrument wa : 9 required in the field, as application*' undej' the Roads ■• and- ■ Bridges Constriiction Act had to be prepared in. a very limited time, and as '. Mr McLeod'Js ah expert at this class of work, he, was sent with a party to suryey the-Upper Taueru road''anil,, much against my own inclination, con* , sented to look after-the'County works for a.few; weeks until Mr M'cLeod could take charge of.theni again. During, "this time I lost many chances of get-' tingfgood'ebntracts. Messrs Reese and, "Djuvson! were-not only, getting .ex- ; ■•pe'ri'en'ce in bridge'- building and .road ...construction, but-they-weregetting the'.' work at their own price, and'the County' engineer encouraged-'and 'helped them as much as ho consistentlycould, and I consider; more than he has' any.-other_contractors whq have worked ' under• 'him .during my ; connection 7 with,. County; - works. | As my engagement with the Council at this time was:temporary, I tendered, for any contracts that' were, to be let , in the district, and at, last I was successful. My tender for a bridge to • be built over the river at ',; ■ Mauriceyiteas the-lowest, and was ! accepted by. the Council. Although I r lifive beenCrf; tda,d contractor in the , district i previously undertaken any large bridger : worksand though; want'of i. lii ;this'plaßg;bf,,w:Qrk, .andf a lack of knowledge of ilie,.correct valneß of the i. several kinds.of materials to- be ,'used,; i .and the. tools'and appliances to be-pro*. > vided, I lost mbhey as well as. my ownI' kbpr, ..a|4' I; ea'rnestiyjVwieVedV'that Ree'rie,(who I ah} sure \envieds me-.;br ' .thejob and made:sneaking inspections- '" 6f the woj k in; order.' that he might' I, circulate' daniagiijg:-' and .iuntruthfu'l ' .rejibrts about it) Jiaibflen.tha buqWb-'I ful contractor instead : ptiiie;-■ -I hiightj • ''exiend this'- letter to '% /great length the liiany,: untrue ' f atatements -wlnpli .this- vßry-6mall-Wg" I man has made concerning'-iiiysblf, but i a' few examples will, suffice, .-Hei implies that I, after, finishing M I bridge on the Opaki to Manaivatu ; road and before' commencing the Mungapakeha bridge was .again employed as County overseers..', Now. the" f facts of the case are as follows:—the Upper Taueru road h'ad:gotintoa very .bd state and the wool season being, ; close at hand, and the Council anxious" i to have the road put. in repair as ' quickly as possible,'l was- induced • to' ■ take a small party of mea arid do the | work. Owing to;the nature of the soil andthe state of the weather, this .work was paviicukrly; heavy arid i unpleasant, and besides that the pay■' ; to myself and .those along with me was miserable '; in the. ; extreme, taking into consideration j the nature of the work atid the circum-, t stances connected therewith,' At this ) time I had nothing whatever,to do with ' the functions of the County. Overseer, ! Again, this very honest contractor, who pays his way, saya.ihat I bad i£Bl6 7s 3 for the Mungapakeha bridge, and approaches,, and has repeated this asser- . tion, notwithstanding the evidence of I the County, Clerk to the contrary, and ■ thfr amount set forth in the agreement | attached to the contract, as well as the j clear statement'of the amount paid i ■•■ contained in the County,hook's and the i vouchers signed by .myself, Now Mr ' -Reese is hot content "with the above •faults, but hasi also'.inserted incorrect statements against Inspectors, namely, l .they are jn.-th.o- habit of slandering :• the natiopality and-work of his (Mr Repse's) Irish r laborers. This, I can y sayj jga' falsehood, and'as J the Tioiirce ■ jt ( oame. Afoloslpg (9? •' fa^o^ : " - ':' : ' >■■. .'! ;■',',•..-■;" ■C-tWf M' ,•";." :