Architect Found To Be ‘Industrious’

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30808, 21 July 1965, Page 18

Architect Found To Be ‘Industrious’

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 20. A senior officer of the Education Department, a Crown witness, said in the Supreme Court in Wellington today he had found Harry Leo Symmans, aged 38, “extremely industrious” and efficient and conscientious.

Symmans, chief architect of the Wellington Education Board, is charged with two offences against the Secret Commissions Act, 1910.

The first count alleges Symmans, being an agent of the Wellington Education Board, “did corruptly accept a consideration as a reward for doing an act in relation to his principal’s affairs or business”—that he accepted from Phillip Randal Jackson £6BO 18s as a reward for preparing working drawings, specifications and schedule of quantities of a new district high school at Picton which was being designed by Jackson for the Wellington Education Board. The second count alleges Symmans, being an agent of the Wellington Education Board, presented to the board

an account from Philip Randal Jackson for £756 10s which omitted to say that a percentage of the amount had been agreed to be given by Jackson to Symmans in relation to the matters referred to in the account. Mr W. R. Birks, with him Mr M. B. Horton, appears for the Crown and Mr G. C. Kent for Symmans. Mr Justice Hutchison presides. CROWN CASE Opening, Mr Birks said the case was not one of a professional man employed by a public body doing a private job occasionally for the purposes of earning a “little bit extra.” Symmans (as chief architect of the Wellington Education Board) had the duty of deciding whether there was so much architectural work in hand that some had to be let out to private architects. The Crown alleged Symmans had decided his own staff was unable to do a job, had recommended a private architect to his employer, and had then set about doing the job himself. It was alleged Symmans, at his employer’s expense, had gone to Picton, where the site of the school in question was situated, and with the assistance of another employee had done surveys and had himself drawn the plan, and prepared specifications, schedules and quantities. The prosecution alleged Symmans had got the outside architect nominated by him, and who had taken no part in the preparation of the work, to put in a bill for a fee for the work. It was alleged Symmans hmself had got back for himself 90 per cent of the fee—£6Bo 18s—for doing a job he and his staff were employed to do for the Education Board for their salaries. Kenneth Walter Oldfield, regional executive officer of the Education Department, said in evidence that till June, 1963, he was employed by the department at Wellington as executive officer concerned with post-primary building. ASSISTANCE NEEDED Oldfield said sometimes the architectural work which an education board had in hand was in excess of the capacity

of the board’s architectural staff. In those circumstances the board engaged the assistance of private architects. A decision was made about the beginning of 1962 to construct a new district high school at Picton, said Oldfield. It was a “crash programme” and came within the jurisdiction of the Wellington Education Board. Oldfield knew the board was authorised to engage the services of an independent architect to design the school. A minute written or typed by a member of the staff of the Wellington Education Board was an exhibit in the case, he said. He (Oldfield) had endorsed his approval to the minute. Oldfield said if he had been informed at the time the minute was submitted to him that the person who was doing the ground work plans (for the Picton School), and who was going to be paid the greater part of the fee, was the chief architect of the Education Board, he would not have approved the proposal. OUTSIDE CONSULTANT Cross-examined by Mr Kent. Oldfield said authority had been given for an outside consultant to assist with both the building work and grounds of the school. Oldfield, in response to further questioning, said he had worked alongside Symmans and knew him well. He had found Symmans “extremely industrious” and efficient and a conscientious man. Joseph Oswald Cooke, another Crown witness, said that from January, 1961, till October, 1964, he was divisional officer, buildings, for the Department of Education Wellington. He became aware of the Government's decision to erect a Picton district high school directly after the decision was made in 1962.

He had later handled an application by the Wellington Education Board to authorise the commissioning of an independent architect to design the school buildings. Cooke said Symmans had telephoned him and had sought permission to employ a private consultant to do the ground-work for the school. Symmans had said that his (Symmans’s) staff were not able to handle the work and had suggested that Mr Jackson, the architect, should be responsible for obtaining the services of a suitable consultant for the work and payment for the work should be incorporated in his fee.

“If I had been informed that Mr Jackson was going to be instructed to engage a consultant and Mr Symmans was going to do the work, I would certainly have taken the matter up with my superior officers,” said Cooke. “No doubt approval would not be given till the circumstances had been fully investigated.” Cross-examined by Mr Kent. Cooke said he could not recall whether in 1962 the Wellington Education Board let out 14 or 15 projects to private consultants. He knew the building programme in 1962 involved “something like £1,500,000.” The case is part heard.

Aranui Gymnasium Fund. —A gymnasium fund of £854, raised by the Aranui High School Parent-Teacher Association. would be invested in gilt-edged securities for a five-year term, the school’s board of governors decided last evening. The investment was left to the board’s secretary (Mr P. J. Halligan). “We are a good while off making any decision about building,” said the chairman (Mrs P. A. Bennett).