THE "DOOR SPIDER" AGAIN.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 427, 9 February 1909, Page 7

THE "DOOR SPIDER" AGAIN.

;| ■{ •; JSUS.PENSIQN BREDGES.' : : ■ . ■': Tko remarks of the Hon..A- ; W. Hogg at the , opening "of 'a ""Dawsoii" ■ > auspension bridge over the Makakahi River near Hamua oh Iriday last, wherein the;new Minister for Roads and Bridges observed that the • engineers of the Public Worsts. Department were,, like thcj door spider, content to work in one grodve, are. not to be afJjived to go forth unchallenged.;, ... V '■■.}■■■■''■■■■■ : In the course of an interview with Mr: j. E. Fulton, C.E., of Wollingfon, a representative of The Dominion was given the other point.; of view. ' : , .' ..■ ■ . "Tho Hon.'A. W. Hogg has disparaged the engineers of: his Department in manner that is quite uncalled for," observed Mr. Fulton, who, by the way, is V bridge-engi-neer with a colonial'reputation, "If the statements made-by tho .Minister were true, then nothing short of ■ a ' of inquiry as to the methods'and polioy'pf the ex-Minister for Public Works, and: the. previous Government iii stocking:■ the .service with a staff of incompetent engineers", would meet the present situation, Mr. Dawson, when he states that he 'can build, at a fraction of tho cost, bridges as strong and lasting as , those... built by ■; the Govornniont engineers, . is ■ "entirely. , wrong. ■'When tiro Government ' contributes* towards the cost of a bridge, it verv rightly stipulates that the design, proposed shallbe submitted to tho leading Government engineer 'for approval. Should the design be considered inadequate or unsafe in its principles, .endorsement is very properly refused/ otherwise the responsibility lor.••• accident would lie at the door of the Department. If light and cheap bridges are required, who but : the best qualified engineers, who thoroughly understand the nature of bridge strains and stresses, can bo expected io build: them well and economically? ', : . ■ . "Mr. Dawson states that 'a' bridge of his own design, 360 ft. span, was built over tho. Hutt River at Belmont for £1500, whioh he guaranteed was every bit as strong and lasting as those erected for the Government. That_is over £4 per foot;' Very well.' The Otftki traffio bridge was designed'and built by_ myself at a cost.of £5 per foot.: My point is that I could build; for practically the same cost, a much better bridge of superior design. The Hutt suspension bridge is not ondorsed by Hi© Government. None of the 'Dawßon' bridges are, in fact. Suspension ,bndges. are only economical propositions, worthy of consideration when designed to' bndge:a,deep gully of great span. ■ Small , suspension bridges are distinctly not economical.' It seems to me," concluded- Mr. Fulton, "that the Hon. A-. W. Hogg has been in too great a-hurry to turn round and bito his own Department.! Tho lives of the Government engineers are made perfectly miserable as it is by the sheavee ot preposterous plans which are sent in to them from ; all over tho country for approval."